As reported by The Advocate, recently actor Antonio Banderas made the statement that its is homophobes, not gays who are mentally disturbed. Specifically, Banderas said:
“Those who judge gay couples in an intolerant way, they seem to me to be much more sick. Gay people, on the other hand, absolutely do not appear to me to be sick,”
It's as if Banderas had Del. Bob Marshall, homophobe extraordinaire in mind. Marshall has a bizarre fixation with gays and seemingly can only rest and be happy when gays are being subjected to state sponsored discrimination and, better yet, criminal prosecution. One can only wonder what deep psychological issues - mental illness, if you will, drives Marshall's extreme anti-gay animus. It is not without irony that some of Marshall's own statements were used by the plaintiffs in Bostic v. Rainey to demonstrate that the Marshall-Newman Amendment was motivated by hatred of gays. If one wants to see what is wrong with today's Republican Party of Virginia, look no farther than Bob Marshall.
Seeing Attorney General Mark Herring reverse Virginia's position on same sex marriage bans has driven Marshall to near spittle flecked apoplexy. Now, this hate filled man wants to see Herring impeached for recognizing that gays have equal constitutional rights with other citizens. The Washington Post has details on Marshall latest batshitery. Here are highlights:
Del. Robert G. Marshall credits a little divine intervention with giving him the final push he needed to call for an impeachment inquiry into Attorney General Mark R. Herring . . . .
Marshall (R-Prince William) took the rare step Thursday, two days after spotting Herring at a federal appeals court hearing over the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Herring's support for overturning that ban and his decision last month to grant in-state college tuition to some Virginians who came to the country illegally as children are among the actions that pushed Marshall to action.
Marshall insisted the gesture is sincere and not meant merely as political theater. But opposition from the Republican speaker of the House of Delegates, where the state constitution calls for impeachment proceedings to begin, makes Marshall’s chances slim.
Marshall, one of the legislature’s most outspoken conservatives, filed two resolutions calling for an impeachment inquiry into Herring’s actions. His legal justification, he said, stems from his view that the attorney general violated the state’s constitution as well as the Virginia State Bar’s professional conduct rules for lawyers.
Herring shrugged off the threat. “A small handful of legislators seem to remain oblivious as to how the law works, the role of the attorney general, and the publicly stated opinion of top legal scholars,” Herring spokesman Michael Kelly said. Among those scholars, he added, is the author of Virginia’s modern constitution, A.E. “Dick” Howard, who called Herring’s actions “appropriate.” Marshall said that in addition to the marriage and immigration issues, he objects to Herring’s willingness to review letting same-sex couples file joint state income tax returns.
Howell’s office made it clear again Thursday that he disagreed with the approach. “The speaker has expressed his concerns regarding the attorney general’s actions but does not believe impeachment is an appropriate or practical recourse at the moment,” Howell spokesman Matthew Moran said.
[W]ith Howell in charge of the House it is unlikely to go anywhere. Because the legislature is in the midst of a special session to deal with its unfinished budget, the resolution could be considered soon. But Howell will decide what committee to send it to for consideration, and that in turn will determine whether the measure makes it onto the House floor for a vote.
If anyone needs to be impeached, it is Marshall. Better yet, send him to an insane asylum permanently. Meanwhile, I continue to wonder WTF is wrong with the voters in Marshall's district that the reelected the man.
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