In response to controversial comments from Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, California Democrat Robert Garcia has presented a resolution to ensure all forms of families are acknowledged and respected across the United States. This comes as a direct counter to Greene’s recent derogatory remarks about Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, who is also a lesbian stepmother.
The Unacceptable Comment and the Remarkable Response
Greene, a representative from Georgia and a vocal supporter of the MAGA movement, made headlines on 16 April when she suggested that Weingarten should not advise on school closures, calling her a “political activist” rather than a “mother”. Greene, known for her contentious views on a range of subjects including LGBTQ+ rights, Covid-19, gun laws, and the conflict in Ukraine, claimed that Weingarten was “not a medical doctor, not a biological mother, and really, not a teacher either”.
Garcia swiftly condemned Greene’s comments as “unacceptable”, reaffirming Weingarten’s role as a mother and lauding her as an “excellent parent”. In a subsequent interview, Weingarten described Greene’s comments as “very homophobic” and an attempt to “dehumanise” her.
The Inclusive Family Resolution
In reaction to these events, Garcia proposed the Honoring All Families resolution, timed to coincide with the upcoming Mother’s Day. This resolution explicitly includes parents who have chosen adoption, fostering, step parenting, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The resolution states that “a parent’s ability to contribute to their child’s growth and success is not defined by the circumstances by which they became a parent; and families of all backgrounds and circumstances deserve to be recognized, respected, and celebrated”. Garcia, an LGBTQ+ individual himself, emphasized the significance of chosen family and adoptive figures in a press statement announcing the resolution.
Support for the Resolution
The resolution, which stands in stark contrast to Greene’s comments, has found support among several key figures, including the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic ranking member Raul Ruiz, and representatives Becca Balint, Angie Craig, Maxwell Frost, and Mark Pocan. Several major organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center for Transgender Equality, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Lambda Legal, have also endorsed the resolution.