GOP Congressman Likened Gay People to Rapists

Rep. Jason Lewis has been in hot water before. Last month, the Minnesota Republican made headlines when audio of him lamenting that it was no longer acceptable to call women “sluts” was uncovered by CNN.

This week, Buzzfeed News broke another gem on Lewis, who faces a tight re-election bid against out lesbian Angie Craig. In 2013, The Congressman conflated homosexuality with rape, alcoholism, polygamy and murder on the Jason Lewis Show.

In a bizarre rant, Lewis argued that laws discriminate all the time and that denying rights to gay people was no different and therefore acceptable.

“When you pass a law against rape, you’re not treating a rapist equal,” Lewis said. “When you pass a law against murderers, you’re not treating the New England Patriots equal,” he joked.

He encouraged listeners who were pulled over for speeding tickets to take their cases to the Supreme Court.

“I am being treated unequally,” said Lewis. “The guy next to me is not getting the ticket, but I am just because I’m a speeder. The law has a disparate impact on speeders.”

Lewis went on to say that he wasn’t sure it was a good idea for kids to grow up in households with same-sex parents.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen to all these kids who are growing up in a very very different lifestyle,” Lewis said. “And we wouldn’t tolerate it for polygamists.”

LGBTQ people who wanted marriage equality were “insecure,” he said, because they were seeking straight approval for their relationships.

For good measure, he added that he “mostly” thinks people are born gay.

“However there have been a number of studies showing by and large, people are born with addictive personalities whether it be substance abuse or alcoholism or what,” he said. “There’s an addictive gene. People are more apt to try a drug or drink or get hooked. So maybe we ought to carve out some rights for those people.”

Buzzfeed reported that the segment was brought to light by the Democratic opposition research firm American Bridge.

Lewis’ office did not respond to a request to comment on the segment or on Buzzfeed’s report.

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