Hateful lawmaker resigns in disgrace after saying gays should be sent to an island to die out
Albany County legislature chair Andrew Joyce speaks before protesters gathered in Albany, New York to protest remarks made by Albany County legislator George Langdon IV that disparaged the LGBTQ community and called for his resignation. (YouTube/Times Union)
George Langdon IV, an Albany County legislator who said that gay people should be given an “island” so they will be “gone in 40 years”, has resigned.
Langdon resigned less than a week after a video surfaced in which he made hateful remarks against the LGBT+ community at a “constitutional liberty” seminar. Langdon, who was a Republican in his first term in the legislature, spoke out against the separation of church and state before speaking out against LGBT+ people.
He said everything “God does is sustainable” because it “goes on and on”, but he argued “homosexual relationships” are “not perpetual”. Langdon said: “Give them an island, they’ll be gone after 40 years, OK? Because they can’t – God created us to be this way.
“There’s so much common sense that needs to be applied to our policies, our procedures, the things that we do in our government.”
The Times Union reported Langdon resigned on Monday (5 April) afternoon. Langdon thanked his friends for supporting him before apologising for suggesting that gay people wouldn’t reproduce and disappear if they were given “an island”.
He said in a statement: “I again express my sincerest apologies to all those who were hurt by my rash and thoughtless statements.
“It was never my intention to single-out or target anyone. I truly believe every individual should have the right to life and liberty in their pursuit of happiness.”
The Albany legislature was planning a meeting to introduce a motion to censure Langdon at its upcoming 12 April meeting, which would have made George Langdon IV the first legislator in Albany legislature’s 52-year history to be censured. The Times Union reported it was unclear if the censure will go forward now that Langdon has resigned.
Legislature Chairman Andrew Joyce said in a statement the work of the Albany County legislature as a “greater responsibility to build and represent communities where diversity, inclusion, equity and tolerance are paramount”.
“Mr Langdon’s comments are in direct contrast to these shared priorities,” Joyce said. “Mr Langdon can no longer effectively lead so he has made the right choice to resign.”
He added on Twitter that what the legislature does “next is what matters most”. Joyce wrote: “We will speak with one loud voice in everything we do, in our policy making, our budget crafting, everything: You are loved. We have your back.
“You have a voice in your local government.”
What we do next is what matters most. We will speak with one loud voice in everything we do, in our policy making, our budget crafting, everything:
You are loved.
We have your back.
You have a voice in your local government. https://t.co/0dAMWMwgHE
— Andrew Joyce (@JoyceForAlbany) April 5, 2021
Joyce recently joined protestors late Friday (2 April) to decry the remarks George Langdon IV made against the LGBT+ community. The protestors, who gathered outside Rocks bar on Central Avenue, called for Langdon to resign.
