Anti-LGBT Texas lawmaker tweets, 'A man reaps what he sows,' after Orlando shooting
In the wake of the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, people have taken to social media to share their grief and demand for stricter gun control legislation.
However, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tweeted something truly shocking on Sunday morning: an image that appeared to imply that the victims deserved the attack.
Long after national news outlets began reporting on the Orlando shooting, Patrick tweeted an image of a Bible quote saying, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."
The response on Twitter was one of universal horror and disgust. Patrick is a vocal opponent of LGBT rights issues including marriage equality. As of this writing, the front page of his website is a petition titled "Keep boys out of girls' restrooms," championing the wave of anti-transgender "bathroom bills" sweeping the country this year.Three hours after the tweet was posted, a spokesman for the lieutenant governor told Austin reporter Ken Herman that Patrick "approved the Sunday post several days ago," indicating that it was a scheduled tweet. Another Sunday morning Bible quote was posted half an hour later.
Despite this, the original "man reaps what he sows" tweet is still online, continuing to provoke outrage from mourners.
Photo via Dan Mayer/Wikimedia (CC-BY-SA)