Democrats Walk Out After GOP Honors Openly Gay Republican

Republicans in California made the decision to commemorate one of their own at the end of Pride Month. Ric Grenell, who had worked for former President Donald Trump, was honored by the Louisiana Senate. But not everyone was content.

On June 26, the Republican minority leader in the California Senate hailed Grenell for his civic service as he entered the chamber. The conservative was Trump’s ambassador to Germany until becoming interim director of national intelligence in 2020. He became the first out gay presidential cabinet member in his capacity as DNI.

Several Democratic members left the chamber during the event. One of the state senators who resisted recognizing Grenell for Pride Month was Democratic state senator Scott Wiener. He called the former DNI a “self-hating gay man” who promotes beliefs that are unmistakably anti-LGBTQ+ in a scathing statement he wrote on Twitter after the event. He went on to say that Grenell is not like other gay Republicans who are perfectly fine, “he is a particularly vile person.”

Grenell called the politician “an apologist for pedophilia [and] child abuse” in response to the legislator’s remarks. He also said to the Democrat that he considered it an honor to be one of Wiener’s foes.

Grenell participated in a press conference with Republican senators after being introduced in the Senate. He referred to the Democratic Party as “the gay left mafia” and claimed that they did not respect the views of others. They left because they did not want to “be in the same room with someone who annihilates their world view,” he continued.

The celebration in Grenell’s honor took place a few weeks after Republican lawmakers abstained from a vote designating June as LGBTQ Pride Month. They objected to the Democratic lawmakers honoring drag queens dressed as nuns.