Openly Bisexual MI State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky Takes to Twitter For 'Serious Talk' on Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill
Openly bisexual Michigan State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D – Livonia) spoke out against Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill in a series of tweets on Friday.
“Let’s have a serious talk about the Don’t Say Gay legislation,” Pohutsky said in the first of eight tweets. “I knew I wasn’t straight way before I realized what that meant.”
Pohutsky said the hateful legislation is not about protecting anyone.
“It’s the opposite. It is meant to bully and isolate children and once again subject the LGBTQ+ community to the otherism we had worked to overcome, starting with the youngest among us.”
In her tweets, Pohutsky talked about growing up and hearing about the murders of Matthew Shepard and Michigan’s own Scott Amedure. Attending Catholic schools, Pohutsky said the absence of any mention of gay people in her school spoke volumes in itself.
“Not talking about the existence of the LGBTQ+ community didn't make me any less queer, but it did give me no other option than to accept what society was telling me: that the lives of LGBTQ+ people were worth less than straight people and they deserved what happened to them.”
In 2020, Pohutsky told PrideSource, "I know that the act of being an openly bisexual member of the legislature matters in terms of visibility. When I was just beginning my first run in 2017, I remembered talking with my team about how my sexuality might be used against me. Sure enough, homophobic ads featuring photos of me at Pride declaring that I did not understand my district’s values came shortly before the general election.""Although my district wasn’t swayed," she continued, "I can’t help but think that if I had more LGBTQ elected officials to look to, that prospect wouldn’t have seemed so intimidating.
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