Donald Trump’s appointee resigns after saying: ‘I don’t like gay people’
(Facebook/carl higbie)
Donald Trump’s pick for a division which is responsible for millions of Americans has resigned after his homophobic, racist, sexist and Islamophobic comments were revealed.
Carl Higbie left his position as chief of external affairs for the government’s volunteer service organisation after saying “I don’t like gay people” on his radio show.
(Twitter/carl higbie)
This remark, along with more than a dozen other hateful comments, were discovered by CNN’s KFILE.
The Corporation for National and Community Service provides volunteering opportunities for more than five million Americans, running programmes including AmeriCorps.
(Twitter/carl higbie)
Its services cover disaster help, educational and economic opportunities, environmental stewardship, health and support for veterans and military families.
Trump gave Higbie – a former Navy SEAL who became a spokesman for a Trump Super PAC before the election – a prominent role in the organisation.
(Twitter/carl higbie)
This was despite the fact that over the last five years, on his radio show and others, Higbie has made outrageous comments.
In May 2013, as the host of his internet radio show, Sound of Freedom, Higbie read that Rhode Island had legalised same-sex marriage and went on a repulsive rant against gay people.
“Rhode Island, land of more liberals, has just okay-ed gay marriage,” Higbie said.
(Twitter/carl higbie)
“Congratu-effing-lations. You suck, Rhode Island.
“Why would you do that? Go ahead and twist the knife a little, little bit more,” he continued.
(Facebook/carl higbie)
“I mean, you are breaking the morals, the moral fibre of our country.”
Just in case his listeners were in any doubt, he clarified his views.
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“You know, I don’t like gay people. I just don’t,” he said.
Later in the same show, Higbie elaborated on his homophobia.
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“I talk about this in my book, you know, I was – I was molested by a gay guy when I was a young kid and that kind of set the precedence for me.
“So I, I just, I really don’t care for them.
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“You know what, you want to be gay? Fine. Do it over in your own corner,” he added.
“If I was President of the United States, I wouldn’t make laws saying you can’t be gay because I believe that’s your right.
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“So go over there, be gay, don’t march down in the middle of the street and your drag outfit being fairies and things like that.
“Don’t throw it in my face. Don’t make me like it because I don’t – do it on your own. Do it over there and let it be your thing.”
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Higbie’s comments about Muslims were some of his most vile, and also included virulent homophobia.
On Warrior Talk Radio in August 2014, he said: “Go back to your Muslim s***hole and go crap in your hands and bang little boys on Thursday nights.”
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He continued: “I just don’t like Muslim people. People always rip me a new one for that. ‘Carl, you’re racist, you can’t, you’re sexist.’
“I’m like Jesus Christ. I just don’t like Muslim people because their ideology sucks.”
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He also lashed out at black people, women, undocumented immigrants and the mentally ill – including veterans with PTSD, 75 percent of whom he said “don’t actually have it”.
Higbie’s comments emerged just days after Trump made a proclamation which backed the freedom to discriminate against LGBT people on the basis of religious freedom.
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This move was welcomed by neo-Nazis, who said that Trump had “declared open season on faggots”.
In the same vein, the Trump administration is reportedly also set to allow health workers to cite their religion as a reason to refuse treatment of any kind to transgender people.
Listen to Higbie’s horrendous comments here
