TOPEKA – Equality Kansas on Tuesday asked the leadership of the House of Representatives to take disciplinary action against the Republic of Cheryl Helmer for “inflammatory” comments about a transgender member of the House.
Helmer, a Republican from Mulven, said in an email on April 23 from her legislative account to a transgender student that she did not like sharing a toilet in the Statehouse with MP Stephanie Byers, a Wichita Democrat. Helmer described Byers as “a huge transsexual woman.”
Helmer also falsely claims that “the little girls in primary, secondary and high school… were raped, sodomized and beaten in the toilets by these alleged transsexuals, who may or may not be real.”
Tom Whitt, executive director of Equality in Kansas, sent a letter to the leaders of the House, urging them to “take immediate and appropriate action.”
“Helmer’s comments are outrageous, offensive and slanderous,” Whit wrote. “She is doing her best to perpetuate dangerous, hateful stereotypes of the LGBTQ community – stereotypes that have led to hate crimes against community members and self-harm by vulnerable LGBTQ Kanzani.”
Whit’s letter was addressed to House Speaker Ron Rickman, Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, Pro-Tem Blaine Finch, Minority Leader Tom Sawyer and Assistant Minority Leader Jason Probst.
Kansas Reflector on Monday first reported Helmer’s email to Brennan Rifle, a graduate student at the University of Kansas who identified himself as transgender. Helmer did not answer questions from Kansas Reflector, but the spokesman cited the story in posts on his Facebook page.
“Come on! My mailbox is full!” Helmer wrote in a post on Tuesday: “First, you have to remember that the media only publishes what the Liberal Left wants to hear, so they don’t tell you about allegedly transgender boys acting like girls who have harassed, raped, sodomized , injured in the toilets in school lockers and which may also be under the pretext of competing in athletic competitions for girls against girls.
Helmer also said that Kansas Reflector should instead write about “all air cargo with illegal immigrants in Mexico that have arrived in the last few days.”
“They stay in a downtown hotel at the taxpayer’s expense ($ 800) per room, plus all free meals and free laundry,” Helmer wrote. “And they have those nice big I-phones!”
In a letter to House leadership, Whitt cited a 2015 investigation against MP Valdenia Win, a Kansas City Democrat, who said supporters of the immigration bill were “racist fans.” Lawmakers rejected an attempt to expel or reprimand Winn.
Whitt’s letter said Helmer’s comments “went far, far beyond anything that Representative Wynn said in 2015.”
“Fanaticism, transphobia, homophobia and hatred have no place in the Kansas legislature,” Whit wrote.
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