Gay Bashing Lawmaker Says Comments Were Taken Out Of Context, NDGOP Disavows

Gay-bashing Republican lawmaker Dwight Keifert (R-Valley City) is now trying to claim that his infamous Facebook post calling homosexuals “metally ill” [sic] was taken out of context:

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – A North Dakota Republican state lawmaker is defending a Facebook post in which he called the recent Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage a victory for the mentally ill.

Rep. Dwight Kiefert of Valley City tells KOVC-AM that his post was taken out of context. He says he was trying to invite a discussion about whether homosexuality is a mental illness.

Kiefert did not return telephone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Here’s the audio from KOVC, which reports Keifert as saying “he was trying to invite a discussion about whether or not there is medical proof that homosexuality is or is not a mental illness.”

Below is Facebook post again. Maybe someone could explain to me what sort of context there is which changes the meaning of what he said? Or how this is an invitation for a discussion? Because I’m starting to get the idea that Keifert maybe doesn’t know what the word “context” means.

Meanwhile the NDGOP is, to their credit, continuing to disavow Keifert’s remarks. “Regardless of how you feel about same sex marriage the comments of Rep. Keifert are incredibly unfortunate,” party Vice Chairman Jim Poolman told me when I broke this story last week. “I don’t believe, once again, he speaks for a significant part of our party. I frankly find it disturbing.”

NDGOP Chairman Kelly Armstrong, himself a state Senator from Dickinson, says Kefiert’s “rants” don’t represent the party.

Sen. Kelly Armstrong is chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party. He says “Kiefert’s thoughts are not the party’s thoughts.” …

Armstrong says Kiefert’s “rants don’t serve the public good.”

Looking at this situation politically, it’s hard to imagine Keifert continuing in the Legislature. His district is up for re-election this cycle, and it is not exactly a solidly Republican area. In fact, of the three members of the District 24 delegation, Keifert is the only Republican.

The other two members are Democrats, Senator Larry Robinson and Rep. Naomi Muscha. Keifert won election in 2012 by a scant 52 votes.

Given all the heat attention Keifert has drawn to himself, both with this debacle and his objection to a Muslim invocation at the state House earlier this year, I suspect he’s going to have a hard time getting re-elected if he chooses to run again.