Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican representative for Georgia, launched a verbal attack against American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten during a House Select Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, accusing her of not being a real teacher, mother, or medical doctor. The attack was defended by Congressman Raul Ruiz and sparked criticism from political representatives nationwide.
Weingarten, who clarified that she is a “mother by marriage,” described Greene’s verbal attack as “dehumanisation that you see autocrats do.” She also compared it to the Republican Party’s “undermining of trans kids” and expressed disappointment over the “vile, homophobic nature of it.”
The attack prompted LGBTQ activist Weingarten to speak out and fight back against the hate. She went on to say, “What she did, it’s just this dehumanisation that you see autocrats do, and you see people who don’t want to solve problems do.” She added that “it’s so venal and so mean” and that “the undermining of families was pathetic.”
The criticism even crossed party lines, with Republican politician Michael Steele saying Greene’s comments “struck such a raw nerve” for him. He added, “Motherhood is something that comes from the heart.”
Greene is known for her extreme, far-right views and has made inflammatory statements in the past, including calling the Democrats “a party of paedophiles.” She has also accused trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney of being “one of the biggest paedophiles in America today.”
Weingarten’s bravery in standing up to Greene’s hate is commendable and necessary in the fight for LGBTQ rights and the protection of adoptive families.
