LGBTQ+ groups are calling for a Illinois Republican to resign after audio was leaked of her making racist, homophobic comments about her Black, gay opponent.
In a recent call with an individual who identified themselves as a prospective donor, incumbent Amy Grant described Ken Mejia-Beal, her Democratic rival in the State House District 42 race, with a series of discriminatory dog-whistles. For instance, she claimed that Mejia-Beal is “just another one of the Cook County people,” which is coded language referring to his race. Cook County has the largest Black population of any county in the United States.
Grant made the connection more explicit by adding: “The only thing we need is another person on the Black Caucus.”
The first-term lawmaker, who represents the majority white suburb of Wheaton, went on to say in the recording that Mejia-Beal is “afraid to come into the district” because “he’s afraid of the reaction that people might give him.”
”Not because he’s Black, but because of the way he talks,” she said. “He’s all LGBTQ.”
Advocacy groups and LGBTQ+ leaders immediately condemned the remarks after they were revealed in a Monday press conference held by Democratic leaders. Openly gay lawmaker Greg Harris, who serves as majority leader of the Illinois House, called the behavior “outrageous and despicable” in comments reported by the Chicago Sun Times and the local ABC affiliate WLS-TV.
“I always hoped we’re better than this, but these days, I guess we’re finding now it’s OK to say out loud the things that people used to just whisper in the shadow,” said Harris, who gave Mejia-Beal $57,800 from his own campaign after the leak. “Maybe that’s good, because maybe we find out now who people really are.”
Equality Illinois, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ organization, called on Grant to “drop out of the election.” “Homophobia and bigotry must have no home in DuPage County or anywhere in Illinois,” the group said in a statement.
While Grant apologized for the comments, she did so in a brief press release posted to her Facebook page. The statement is two lines in total: “I deeply regret the comments I made about Ken Mejia-Beal and reached out to apologize to him this morning. These comments do not reflect my heart or my faith.”
As other outlets have previously noted, there’s so much unused space in her letter that the blank parts are significantly larger than her actual mea culpa.
Meanwhile, Grant claimed she reached out to Mejia-Beal to apologize personally, but her opponent clarified that he had not spoken to her directly. Instead the Democratic hopeful said in a statement he had received a “phone message” from Grant “reading that same message.” He added that the brief apology lacked “any acknowledgement that the statements… were also a grievous insult to every member of our community.”
“Grant makes it clear that she sees only the color of my skin and my sexual orientation — and that in her mind disqualifies me as a leader and even disqualifies me as a member of our community,” he said. “[…] Where is Representative Grant’s apology to those who hear her comments and wonder if they fit into her vision of our community?”
Grant has not stated whether she intends to remain in the race following the controversy.
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