Arnie's 'Girlie-Men' comment is branded homophobic

by ukgay

Mon, Jul 19, 2004 8:54AM

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger branded Democrats, who were delaying the state budget by catering to special interest groups, as 'girlie-men' - a comment which has been branded homophobic and sexist by both Democrats and liberal Americans.

Schwarzenegger was speaking at a food court in a shopping mall in Ontario when he said to the enthusiastic crowd: "If they don't have the guts to come up here in front of you and say, 'I don't want to represent you, I want to represent those special interests, the unions, the lawyers'...if they don't have the guts, I call them girlie men."

State Senator Sheila Kuehl said the governor had resorted to "blatant homophobia" and that his comments were not only insulting to gays, but to women as well.

"It uses an image that is associated with gay men in an insulting way, and it was supposed to be an insult," she went on to say. "It's very troubling that he would use a homophobic way of trying to put down legislative leadership. Kuehl is one of the Legislature's five-member LGBT caucus.

A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said that no apology would be forthcoming.

http://uk.gay.com/headlines/6565

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