In a recent viral exchange that took place at the Iowa State Fair, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy found himself engaged in civil conversation with a self-described “pansexual” activist. Here’s the whole story.
“Trans Is Fundamentally in Tension With Gay if You Ask Me. But What’s Your Opinion?”
The encounter, which has garnered over 13 million views on social media, commenced with the activist posing a direct question to Ramaswamy about his stance on LGBTQ+ matters.
“Well, I don’t think it’s one community,” Ramaswamy replied.
“Really?” the activist replied.
“Yeah. I mean, how could it be? Just mash together an alphabet soup. Trans is fundamentally in tension with gay if you ask me. But what’s your opinion?” Ramaswamy asked.
“I Do Have a Negative View of the Tyranny of the Minority”
“I’m personally pansexual,” the activist responded.
The activist then asked what his views were on same-sex couples.
Ramaswamy answered, “I don’t have a negative view of same-sex couples, but I do have a negative view of the tyranny of the minority.”
“So I think that in the name of protecting against the tyranny of the majority, there are times in this country’s history where we have had a tyranny of the majority. We have now in the name of protecting against the tyranny of the majority created a new tyranny of the minority,” he said.
Adults Should Have the Liberty To Make Their Own Choices
“And I think that that’s wrong. I don’t think that somebody who’s religious should be forced to officiate a wedding that they disagree with,” Ramaswamy added.
He went on to speak about trans athletes’ issues in sports saying, “I don’t think somebody who is a woman who’s worked really hard for her achievements should be forced to compete against a biological man in a swim competition.
I don’t think that somebody who’s a woman that respects her bodily autonomy and dignity should be forced to change clothes in a locker room with a man. That’s not freedom. That’s oppression.”
Ramaswamy further emphasized that adults should have the liberty to make their own choices. However, he cautioned against imposing these ideologies on children who might not yet be equipped to make informed decisions.
“But Do Not Foist That Ideology Onto Children”
He said, “I think adults are free to make whatever choices they want, but do not foist that ideology onto children before children are in a position as adults to make decisions for themselves.”
“Part of what makes our country great is that you and I can be civil and have this conversation and that we live in a country that still gives us — each of us the right to speak to a presidential candidate and back and still say that we pledge allegiance to the same nation.
So I think that’s the beauty of our country. And that’s my honest opinion,” he concluded.
This exchange was not an isolated incident for Ramaswamy.
He Was Confronted by a Protester Advocating for Abortion Rights
Just a few months earlier, he displayed a similar willingness to engage with dissenting voices during an Iowa campaign event.
When confronted by a protester advocating for abortion rights, Ramaswamy encouraged her to express her viewpoint and even urged the audience to allow her to speak.
Several social media users expressed their thoughts on the incident.
“I Got To Give Him Credit, That Was a Hell of a Response”
One Twitter user wrote, “After talking with many, and reading opinions and judging actions, one can only conclude that those organizations (not all the people) under LGBTQ designation are anti-America. “
Another User wrote, “I got to give him credit, that was a hell of a response. Very civil. Both were.”
The post Ramaswamy’s Standoff! A Presidential Candidate, a Pansexual Activist, and the Viral LGBTQ+ Debate That Rocked the Nation! first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Juli Hansen. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Fox News