First amendment, schmirst amendment…
Philadelphia Republican Daryl Metcalfe is a deeply religious man. So deeply religious that he believes his God hates gays and so deeply religious that he believes his version of God’s Word allows him to prevent gay people from exercising the right to free speech.
Yesterday, during a state House session, Democrat Brian Sims, an openly gay man, rose to give comments on the floor of the House regarding the Supreme Court’s rulings striking down the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s anti-gay Prop 8. Metcalfe used a parliamentary procedure to prevent him from speaking. Why? Because “there’s no free speech on the floor”. Not for gays anyway.
Metcalfe told WHYY-FM that Sims’ comments would have been “open rebellion against God’s law.” He told The Associated Press late Thursday he stood by those remarks.“For me to allow him to say things that I believe are open rebellion against God are for me to participate in his open rebellion,” Metcalfe told the AP. “There’s no free speech on the floor.”
Members have the right under House rules to veto another’s remarks under “unanimous consent,” and when Sims got up to speak on Wednesday, Metcalfe and at least one other representative withdrew their consent. He spoke on the floor Thursday under a different rule, “point of personal privilege.”
Strict constitutionalists, these guys. Unless they are skeeved out by gay guys, of course.
Adding… Sore loser much, dude?
[CC photo credit: BJ Bumgarner | Flickr]
