Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) snapped at a reporter Thursday afternoon after she was confronted over the Democrats’ double standard over the term “sexual preference,” which she made a big deal out of during the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
“I have no agenda,” Barrett said during the hearing. “I do want to be clear that I have never discriminated on the basis of sexual preference and would not discriminate on the basis of sexual preference.”
Hirono fired back at Barrett, claiming, “It is used by anti-LGBTQ activists to suggest that sexual orientation is a choice. It is not. Sexual orientation is a key part of a person’s identity.”
Barrett caved and immediately apologized, saying, “I certainly didn’t mean and would never mean to use a term that would cause any offense in the LGBTQ community. So, if I did, I greatly apologize for that, I simply meant to be referring to Obergefell’s holding with regard to same-sex marriage.”
The entire ordeal was so over the top that Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary quietly changed the meaning of the word following the hearing to claim that it was “offensive,” all because some Democratic Senators said that it was.
As recently as last month, Webster’s Dictionary included a definition of “preference” as “orientation” or “sexual preference.” TODAY they changed it and added the word “offensive."
Insane – I just checked through Wayback Machine and it’s real.
(via @ThorSvensonn & @chadfelixg) pic.twitter.com/oOq1SNtCP2
— Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) October 14, 2020
National Review reporter John McCormack caught up with Hirono late this week and pressed her over the feigned outrage from Democrats by pointing out that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has recently used the term and asking her if Biden should apologize.
Hirono refused to answer the question and, when repeatedly pressed, she snapped, “Oh, stop it. The world is in flames.”
Transcript of McCormack’s exchange with Hirono:
National Review: Senator, last week at the hearing you mentioned that you thought it was “offensive and outdated” when Amy Barrett used the [term] “sexual preference.” It turns out that Joe Biden said it in May. Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it in 2017. Some of your colleagues on the Judiciary Committee said it maybe in 2010, 2012. Do you stand by that criticism?
Mazie Hirono: Well, of course.
National Review: Do you think Joe Biden should apologize for saying that in May?
Mazie Hirono: Well, look, it’s a lesson learned for all of us. But when you’re going on the Supreme Court and you’ve been a judge, as one of my judge friends said, you should know what these words mean.
National Review: Should Joe Biden apologize, too, like Amy Coney Barrett did?
Mazie Hirono: Joe Biden is not up for the Supreme Court.
National Review: He’s up for the presidency. So, he shouldn’t apologize?
Mazie Hirono: People will decide.
National Review: You don’t want to call on him to apologize?
Mazie Hirono: Oh, stop it. The world is in flames.
On Twitter, McCormack highlighted the exchange as an example of Hirono’s “logic and principles.”
The logic and principles of Senator Mazie Hirono: https://t.co/IVQI1sgA4f pic.twitter.com/6Dh7HKnqgR
— John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) October 23, 2020
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