Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has
responded to homophobic remarks made by state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, a
Republican, during a meeting of the House committee chairs.
As Rep. Matthew Bradford, a Democrat,
spoke he lightly touched Metcalfe, who was seated next to him and
wearing a suit, on his arm.
“Rep. Bradford, look, I'm a
heterosexual,” Metcalfe interrupted. “I have a wife. I love my
wife. I don't like men as you might but stop touching me all the
time. Keep your hands to yourself. If you want to touch someone,
you have on your side of the aisle who might like it. I don't.”
“Chairman, okay, we're officially off
the rails,” Bradford, who is married to a woman, responded. “My
intent was just to beg for your permission for about 30 seconds.”
“Then beg, don't touch,” Metcalfe
interrupted.
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party has
called on Metcalfe to resign over his remarks.
“Enough is enough. Daryl Metcalfe is
a walking, talking embarrassment to Pennsylvanians and doesn't
deserve the honor of serving in public office,” a spokesperson
said.
Democratic Governor Tom Wolf called
Metcalfe's comments “offensive and discriminatory.”
“Rep. Metcalfe's comments yesterday
were offensive & discriminatory,” he said in a tweet.
“Unfortunately, this is part of a disturbing pattern of behavior.
I urge House leadership to re-examine whether it is appropriate for
him to continue controlling a committee that oversees civil rights
legislation.”
Metcalfe has a long record opposing
LGBT rights. In 2011, he introduced a resolution that sought to
limit marriage to heterosexual couples in the Pennsylvania
Constitution. Two years later, he called for the impeachment of
Attorney General Kathleen Kane, a Democrat, for refusing to defend
the state's law limiting marriage to heterosexual couples.