A passionate speech given by a Democratic Representative has gone viral.
Ian Mackey, 35, is gay and represents Missouri’s district 87 (in Saint Louis). The state is currently debating legislation (HB 2140) that would potentially prohibit trans girls from competing in school sports in alignment with their gender identity.
Mackey’s comments on Thursday evening were directed at Republican Rep. Chuck Basye, 63, who supports the proposed legislation.
Last year, Chuck Basye revealed that he had a gay brother, Scott. He had been scared to come out to Chuck for some time because he feared his brother’s reaction.
Basye previously said his brother should not have worried. Mackey argued that it was exactly this sort of legislation that made LGBTQ people worry about coming out.
Watch the speech below.
Rep. @IanMack03007724 spoke for our entire caucus last night:
We are not afraid to stand for trans children and the families who love and support them. And we will ALWAYS stand against bigotry, no matter what form it takes. #moleg pic.twitter.com/wXywo5v4Xz
— Missouri House Democratic Caucus (@MOLegDems) April 14, 2022
“I recall a story you told about your brother,” Mackey says, addressing Basye on the floor of the House Chamber. “And I remember you said that your brother called, or that your mother called you, I believe, to tell you that your brother had some news that he was afraid to tell you.
“And your brother wanted to tell you that he was gay, didn’t he?” asks Mackey.
Bayse says, “Erm, he was expressing that to the family. He thought that we would hold that against him and not let my children be around him.”
“Why do you think he thought that?” asks Mackey.
“I don’t know,” replies Bayse. “It never would have happened, I tell you that. My kids at that point in their life adored my brother.”
Related: Out senator breaks down during debate over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
Mackey responds, “Can I tell you, if I were your brother, I would have been afraid to tell you too … Because of stuff like this,” he says, indicating the legislation. “Because this is what you’re focussed on. This is the legislation you want to put forward. This is what consumes your time. I would have been afraid to tell you, too.
“I was afraid of people like you growing up and I grew up in Hickory County, Missouri. I grew up in a school district that would vote tomorrow to put this in place. And for 18 years, I walked around with nice people like you, who took me to ball games, who told me how smart I was, and then went to the ballot and voted for crap like this!
“And I couldn’t wait to get out. I couldn’t wait to move to a part of our state that would reject this stuff in a minute. I couldn’t wait. And thank God I made it. Thank God I made it out. And I think every day of the kids who are still there! Who haven’t made it out. Who haven’t escaped from this kind of bigotry.
“Gentlemen, I’m not afraid of you anymore. Because you’re gonna lose. You may win this today, but you’re going to lose.”
Related: Missouri capitol swiftly removes LGBTQ history exhibition after GOP aide complains
HB 2140 is actually a wide-ranging elections bill that would seek to introduce voter ID, among other measures. It was only last week that an amendment was added permitting public school districts to put a measure on the local ballot that, if approved, would ban trans girls from participating in girls’ sports.
HB 2140 has gone forward for a fiscal review before further debate.
Mackey’s impassioned words appeared to have no effect on Bayse. The GOP Rep. later posted a message to Facebook calling Mackey a “loudmouth crybaby.”
“Representative Ian Mackey is a loudmouth crybaby. He was campaigning on the floor of the Missouri House of Representatives. He is worried about his re-election and his rhetoric during the debate has absolutely nothing to do with the amendment I offered to House Bill 2140.
“During the 3 hour debate the radical democrats attacked my character and made many slanderous accusations! I was called a Nazi, misogynist, a supporter of sexual assault and abuse, and I was aligned with North Korea, Russia and Iran! It didn’t phase me at all, I went home afterwards, enjoyed a delicious glass of Maker’s 46 Bourbon then laid down and slept like a baby!!”
Yesterday, Bayse continued to demonstrate how little he cares.
JessPH
The bill being debated isn’t about homosexuality. It’s about fairness in sports.
There is an inherent, unfair physical advantages that come from being male. Although testosterone suppressants reduce some of the biological factors that give males an advantage (like haemoglobin levels), they do not have a marked effect on many other factors—including muscle strength, bone density, heart and lung capacities and the simple advantage of size (i.e. larger hands, feet). Male puberty provides advantages that simply can’t be undone.
ZzBomb
You say completely avoiding some glaring facts that would otherwise debunk your entire rant.
DarkZephyr
I am so tired of bigots like you, JessPH.
Bosch
School sports are not the Olympics. There are real problems in the world, yet the GOP is wasting time bullying a handful of trans-identifying adolescents.
Pathetic.
Manray
Yeah, well if that were true then trans athletes would win every single race and competition.
Stfu.
GaysForTrump
JessPH, speaks facts with reasoning. Then is met with ignorant and defamatory responses.
GaysForTrump
ZZBomb:
Your reply: ‘You say completely avoiding some glaring facts that would otherwise debunk your entire rant.’
So let’s hear your glaring facts that would otherwise debunk his rant.
Put your money where your mouth is. Bet you can’t.
Jaquelope
@GaysForTrump: and let’s see your proof that @ZzBomb is incorrect. It’s only fair that if one side needs to prove their point, the other side needs to prove theirs, too. It is the heart and soul of debate. Put YOUR money where your mouth is, too. Bet YOU can’t.
GaysForTrump
Jacuelope:
‘ There is an inherent, unfair physical advantages that come from being male. Although testosterone suppressants reduce some of the biological factors that give males an advantage (like haemoglobin levels), they do not have a marked effect on many other factors—including muscle strength, bone density, heart and lung capacities and the simple advantage of size (i.e. larger hands, feet). Male puberty provides advantages that simply can’t be undone.’
Now what?
Your turn. Bet YOU can’t!!
BennyTheHill
JessPH:
This is a women’s rights issue.
It’s sad to see that so many gay men are opposed to women’s rights!
ZzBomb
Bayse’s picture says it all. These people arrogant ignorance and hatred knowns no shame or embarrassment. No amount of appealing to their humanity or facts changes the willfully ignorant. This is what the GOP has devolved into.
Cam
JessPH is apparently the new screename for the same old troll account.
jt1990
Cam you crack me up with your conspiracy theories! Also, this may trigger most of you but here goes…
Happy Easter! Christ is Risen!
Cam
Republicans are doing the same thing they do whenever they don’t have any policies to talk about.
They supported Putin and got backlash so now they are falling back on attacking some group. Trans people in sports is this years “Immigrant Caravan”.
Bosch
The only way those fools know to unite is by their mutual hatred of others. They’ll never solve real problems if they keep distracting people with made-up ones.
Stefano
@Bosch : That’s exactly what I was thinking at the time. And they are exactly as my father described them: belligerent. They can’t help but divide and destroy. It makes them feel alive. Why fix problems when you can create new ones…and besides, it helps fill the churches. The good faithful need to be reassured. Let’s bring the Bible, babies and guns and have fun!
BennyTheHill
Republicans don’t have any issues to talk about?
You surely jest.
Soaring and skyrocketing…
Illegal immigration
Inflation
Gas prices
Crime
New Covid cases
Homelessness
All the issues that Republicans will run on and win on this November.
Democrat strategist James Carville: “This election will be a bloodbath for Democrats in November.”
🙂
Mister P
How many people were victims of gun violence this weekend and no repugnant would dare offer any solution. Yet a couple of trans athletes competing this year and they are falling over themselves to solve it.
GaysForTrump
How many people were victims of gun violence this weekend in ALL Democratic run states and cities vs Republican states and cities?
Let’s hear those stats. You’ll get a better understanding of who is offering a better solution. It surely isn’t Democrats.
Jaquelope
@GaysForTrump: What solutions have the Republicans been offering on those issues, then? None that I’ve seen recently.
gjg64
Hey GaysForTrump……
There may be more deaths in Democratic areas than Republican ones but that’s because the Republican areas A…..have far fewer people per capita, B…are too strung out on Oxi to hold a gun and C…are selling their illegal guns into Democratic areas. And by the way rural America is DYING because there isn’t any reason to live there. You scare off those who are innovators, who aren’t afraid of new and different, who aren’t afraid of CHANGE.
BennyTheHill
Democrats are opposed to bail reform because they believe it’s racist, and that’s stupid!
Leftist judges and DAs are letting criminals out of jail without bail.
That’s the cause of the high crime rates in the inner cities.
In all of the cities with gun violence, the laws in those states are very strict. Take Chicago, Illinois as just one example.
bachy
I sincerely hope that trans girls competing in school sports is not the hill the Democratic party chooses to die on. I’m sorry, but there are much, much larger issues at stake.
Our political opponents are obviously hoping to foment hysteria around this subject; they want the voting public to think that trans sports, which impacts far less than 0.6% of Americans, is the Democratic party’s “premier concern”. Sorry, but we are playing into a strategy to make Democrats look like we’re all about fringe issues. If we keep acting like everything hinges on sporty trans girls, we will surely lose at the polls.
Thad
Apparently Republicans need a fringe issue, someone to be “them.”
If 0.6% of Americans are trans, then 1200 of the 200,000 women NCAA athletes should be trans. Not even close to the reality. Trans women are underrepresented.
And sports has never been a level playing field. People have physical advantages, or not. Hard work will always be necessary for success.
BennyTheHill
The Democrat Party is no longer the Party of the working and middle class.
It is now the Party of wokeness, high taxes, bigger government. bigger budget deficits, bigger debt, high crime, soaring inflation, astronomical gas prices, Covid lockdowns, underperforming schools, opposition to parental rights laws, pitting transwomen against biological women, more homelessness, skyrocketing illegal immigration, etc..
Democrat strategist James Carville: “This election will be a bloodbath for Democrats in November.”
?
johncp56
Ditto!!! now a new one of my many gay heros!!! his speech is spot on,, smile at us then vote against us all, the GOP will lose!
BennyTheHill
“…GOP will lose!”
In your dreams.
Democrat strategist James Carville: “This election will be a bloodbath for Democrats in November.”
Ste211
Actually, GaysForTrump, in 2020 the top 14 states for gun deaths were red states. Interesting that republicans always make arguments that can’t be supported with facts.
GaysForTrump
Ste211.
That’s not true. And of course leave It to the sheep below to support your post without doing their own research. But then again, it’s the Republicans ‘always making arguments that can’t be supported with facts.’
So let’s see your Top 14 list with all Republican states. Can’t prove that. But yes, it’s the Republicans making arguments that can’t be supported by facts. Hypocrite.
Here’s the Top states. Per capita.
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
*District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
BennyTheHill
GaysForTrump:
You are correct!
Heywood Jablowme
GaysForTrump: Your list is wildly incorrect. Where did you get it? Or did you just make it up? CITATION PLEASE.
I’ve posted the REAL list from the CDC below!
Mister P
If facts mattered, no one would call himself Gay for Drumpf
Jaquelope
Good point.
BennyTheHill
Mister P: Apparently the commenter who uses that name is not a single-issue voter like you.
Mister P
Most of your talking points are in fact incorrect. I don’t have time to take rhen one by one.
The right has mastered misrepresenting almost everything.
Heywood Jablowme
Here’s the REAL top 14 – Firearm Mortality By State, CDC figures 2020:
Mississippi
Louisiana
Wyoming
Missouri
Alabama
Alaska
New Mexico
Arkansas
South Carolina
Tennessee
Montana
Oklahoma
Kentucky
West Virginia
All except one (NM) are red states.
Kangol2
Thanks for this Heywood! You knew the GQP trolls on here would just lie, just like BennytheMPDLoon has been about Biden’s favorability ratings being the worst. W Bush, HW Bush, Tricky Dick Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Harry Truman all had lower favorability ratings and his beloved Don the Con never topped 47% and was as low as 37%, which would have been lower but for his cultists.
Ste211
Thank you, Heywood. I didn’t have the heart to tell GaysForTrump that he simply listed states in alphabetical order (save DC, of course).
The real Bruce
I kinda think BennyTheHill is a new screen name for Marcy and company of comments. So sure the GOP(GreedOverPrinciples) will take the House and Senate. Before November I think there will be such an outrage against the Republicans because of new revealing facts. Some will not seek re-election and others will be ousted in the summer. Drumpf will find himself in deep shit and maybe in prison with his cronies. Can’t wait to see it!