Republican candidate under fire for son’s ‘homophobic’ tweet comparing gay adoption to dogs
Terry Schilling has taken over his father Bobby Schilling’s campaign (YouTube/American Principles Project)
The son of Republican candidate Bobby Schilling has come under fire for a series of anti-LGBT+ tweets.
Bobby Schilling is the Republican primary candidate for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Earlier this month Terry Schilling, 33, announced he would be taking over his father’s campaign while he underwent treatment for cancer.
This threw scrutiny on Schilling Jr’s Twitter history, which revealed a stream of ugly statements about the LGBT+ community.
In a now-deleted thread from May 22, 2019, Terry wrote: “I have zero problem explaining heterosexual sex to my kids if they ask — it’s how babies are made.
“Am I really a snowflake for not wanting to explain butt sex to my kids? ‘Dad, can two dads have kids together? Why do they get married? How do they have kids?’
Terry Schilling mocked trans people for ‘picking dumb names’.
Terry Schilling continued: “‘Yes, two dads can get married and can have kids, but they have to hire a woman to implant an embryo in her uterus and carry the baby to term, then the two dads take the baby away from the mom, just like a puppy.’
“Is this the conversation I should have with my kids?” he wrote. “Parents, you’re not snowflakes for not wanting to explain the sordid world of gay couples — who really don’t get married anyway.”
He also mocked transgender people, asking: “Why do trans people pick the dumbest names after they transition?” and suggested he was going to develop a trans name generator for fun.
When one Twitter user pointed out that some of his most controversial tweets had suddenly gone missing, Terry showed no sign of contrition.
“I will give you even better ones in the future!” he replied, adding the hashtag #womencanthavepenises. He followed this with another tweet: “Would you like me to send some *really* offensive ones right now? I can get some good ones going.”
Bobby Schilling and his wife (centre) with their ten children (Twitter)
When questioned about his offensive views by the Quad City Times, he said: “I don’t regret anything. It’s all truth and it’s how most Americans feel.”
He later rejected claims he was homophobic, saying: “I love ‘The Gays!’ Nicest and funniest friends I have are gay. And they like me too!”
Terry Schilling apparently sees no contradiction here with his position as executive director of the American Principles Project, a thinktank which lists among its founding principles: “The union of one man and one woman as the definition of marriage,” and “Recognition of the reality of human beings as divided into two distinct and complementary biological sexes.”
Unfortunately, his father’s views aren’t any better: his campaign page includes plans to defund Planned Parenthood and defend free speech from “leftist ideologues”.
