Anti-LGBT Republican opposes abortion so much he’s introduced a bill to protect gay foetuses
An anti-LGBT+ Republican congressman is trying to ban foetal genetic testing to determine sexual orientation in an attempt to protect gay foetuses.
Sean Duffy – who up until this week was a member of the House of Representatives from Wisconsin’s 7th district – has a track record of being anti-LGBT+.
But that isn’t stopping the Republican congressman from suddenly changing his stance by trying to stop women from having abortions when their children are gay.
‘No indication’ that people will test foetuses to determine sexuality.
The bizarre proposed legislation has likely arisen from a recent study which found that same-sex attraction has a genetic component. The study found that genetics account for between 8 and 25 percent of variation in “same-sex sexual behaviour”.
Leila Abolfazli, director of federal reproductive rights for the National Women’s Law Centre told Rewire that there is “no indication” that people would start testing foetuses to determine if they are gay.
There’s a lot he can do to help LGBTQ individuals… and all he’s doing here is trying to restrict reproductive autonomy.
“I think the premise of the bill basically acknowledges that there’s discrimination against LGBTQ people… but [Republicans] are doing nothing to protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination on an everyday basis. It’s offensive that this is the way he’s approaching it.”
She said that the legislation is, quite simply, “yet another abortion restriction.”
“There’s a lot he can do to help LGBTQ individuals… and all he’s doing here is trying to restrict reproductive autonomy.”
Duffy recently announced that he is resigning as congressman and this week finished in his post.
Republican Sean Duffy has a long history of being both anti-LGBT+ and anti-abortion.
Duffy has a long history of being both anti-LGBT+ and anti-abortion. He supports defunding Planned Parenthood and opposed government protections for LGBT+ people employed by federal contractors in 2016.
In 2010 he was endorsed by Julaine Appling, who campaigned in 2006 to ban same-sex marriage in Wisconsin. At the time, Appling said Duffy was supportive of “traditional marriage and other timeless values”.
A number of US states have moved to ban abortion in recent months. A law introduced in Alabama last May made abortion illegal in almost all circumstances in the state.