US politician Eric Porterfield has denied he was suggesting he’d drown his children if he discovered they were gay, and has accused the media of deliberately misunderstanding his comments.

The lawmaker from Mercer Country in West Virginia made headlines around the world in February when he compared LGBTIQ people to the Ku Klux Klan and labeled the gay rights movement as being akin to terrorism.

During a TV interview Porterfield was asked what he would do if he found out if one of his own children were gay. The lawmaker said he would find out if his children “could swim”.

“Well, I will address my daughter first,” Porterfield said. “I would take her for a pedicure, I’d take her to get her nails done, and see if she could swim. If it was my son, I would probably take him hunting, I would take him fishing, then I’d see if he could swim.”

Porterfield said soon the LGBTI community would be burning rainbow flags on people’s front yards.

“They’re bullies, they’re tyrants, they’re oppressors, and their a political socialist group that really uses means like economic extortion about people’s sexual orientation.” Portfield told local TV station WVVA. “When people disagree with them, rather than letting people respectfully disagree they persecute, they attack.”

“It probably will not be long for their burning rainbow flags in people’s yards because they have no care for diversity of thought, they only have a message of hate…They are the modern day version of the KKK without hoods.” Porterfield said.

The politician now says his comments about seeing if his children could swim have been misunderstood. Porterfield says he was referring to the 1994 Mel Gibson film Maverick. 

In an email to The Advocate Porterfield says he was never making any suggestion that he would drown his own children.

“This was a reference to the movie Maverick with Mel Gibson. This had nothing to do with drowning my children.

“Cheating on the boat meant you could no longer be on the boat and the last thing that was asked was ‘Do you swim?’ as a courtesy.

“Amazing how liberal media assumes and tries to make facts in these type of situations for self-benefit.” Porterfield said.

Portfield, who is blind, said he his personal safety had been threatened since he began taking a stance against the LGBTIQ community. The politician also clarified that if his son was gay he would disown him.

OIP Staff