Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee deleted a caustic social media post targeting the LGBTQ community Tuesday after facing blowback from lawmakers in both parties, attributing the message to a communications staff member who he said would face consequences.
The now-deleted post from Ogles' official congressional account read: "Homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month." It arrived as Pride Month began.
Ogles responded to the backlash by posting that "a member of my comms team" was responsible for the message. "The post was stupid, hurtful and a complete distraction from my America First focus. The employee has been reprimanded," he wrote on X.
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York became one of the first GOP members to publicly criticize Ogles, calling the post "idiotic" and pushing back directly. "Homosexuality exists. In America. In fact Andy, you have family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and constituents who are gay and lesbian," Lawler wrote. "It doesn't make them less than or somehow unworthy of being an American."
Lawler told NBC News he also sent Ogles "choice words" via private text message.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas rejected the sentiment as well, telling TMZ that "for all of recorded history, homosexuals have been part of humanity." Cruz, who described himself as "quite libertarian by nature," added that "the behavior of consenting adults is their business."
Democrats wasted little time condemning Ogles. Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts called him a "bigot" who has no place in America, while Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan labeled the post "horrific and disgusting," countering that the LGBTQ+ community "makes America great."
House Speaker Mike Johnson did not respond when asked about the incident Wednesday.
This is not Ogles' first brush with controversy over divisive remarks. Earlier this year, he declared that "Muslims don't belong in American society," a statement that similarly drew criticism from lawmakers across the aisle.
The episode reflects a broader shift in Republican attitudes on LGBTQ issues. A Gallup poll found that support among Republicans for same-sex marriage recognition fell from 55 percent in 2021 to 37 percent in 2026.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Blaming staffers is becoming the default escape hatch for inexplicable posts, but Ogles' pattern of inflammatory rhetoric suggests the problem runs deeper than a single rogue communications hire."
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