Discussing the new protections for transgender students in California, which he called “absurd,” televangelist Pat Robertson lashed out at the LGBT rights movement for its influence on society. He couldn’t understand why such a small percentage of the population must be catered to:
Why are we exposed to this stuff? They are driving the agenda, driving everybody crazy, all this sexual identity, sexual politics, ‘Mommy Has Two Mommies’ [sic] and all that stuff, it’s a tiny fringe but they seem to have control of the levers of power in the media and especially in Hollywood. But it’s insane. I just cannot believe that the normal people in America, the people who want to just live their lives can’t be allowed to do it without having this stuff imposed on them constantly. You’ve explained to me, I’m not sure we know yet.
Having admitted that he doesn’t fully understand what it means to be transgender, Robertson later compared transgender people to his castrated horse:
Now, we talk about transgender, I have a former stallion who is now a gelding, because stallions get very aggressive. But he wasn’t trying to be a girl, we just made him into a less aggressive male. And I want you to see him! He’s big and beautiful!
Watch it (via Right Wing Watch):
Robertson’s comments suggest he does not appreciate that transgender people are not defined by whether or not they obtain sex-reassignment surgery. In fact, only about 20 percent of people who identify as trans actually pursue surgery. Some cannot afford it and some, as Robertson unknowingly alluded to with his horse comparison, do not wish to sacrifice their procreative ability. While few, if any, transgender teens will have pursued such surgery while they are still in school, that does not negate their transgender identities and need for legal protections.
It’s unclear what Robertson believes the LGBT community is “imposing” upon society by asking for inclusion and respect.