Equality Pennsylvania, SEIU call on PA House Speaker Mike Turzai to strip Metcalfe of chairmanship after homophobic outburst

HARRISBURG - December 5, 2017 -- On Tuesday, House State Government Committee Chairman Daryl Metcalfe went on a homophobic rant against minority Chairman Matt Bradford, who briefly touched Metcalfe's arm during a committee meeting.  Among other things, Metcalfe said, "Representative Bradford, I'm a heterosexual. I have a wife, I love my wife. I don't like men, as you might. But stop touching me all the time." Later, he said, "It's like, keep your hands to yourself. Like, if you want to touch somebody, you have people on your side of the aisle that might like it. I don't."

Equality Pennsylvania and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania released the following statements:

"It is past time for Speaker Turzai to remove Daryl Metcalfe as the chair of the House State Government Committee.  His rant against Chairman Bradford is simply the latest in a long series of homophobic and xenophobic actions, including bottling up anti-discrimination legislation in committee, and inviting white nationalists to testify and invoking a legislative rule to prevent State Representative Brian Sims from speaking about marriage equality, yet now he openly declares his heterosexuality in a committee meeting," said John Dawe, Interim Executive Director of Equality PA.  "Metcalfe has turned his committee into an embarrassment and disgrace.  It's time for Speaker Turzai to act."

"Speaker Turzai has a responsibility to ensure that the state House is accountable to Pennsylvanians of all colors, creeds, and orientations.  Chairman Metcalfe has failed on all counts," said Matthew Yarnell, President of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.  "Enough is enough, Speaker Turzai.  Remove Chairman Metcalfe immediately."

Media: A recording of Metcalfe's tirade can be viewed at http://eqpa.org/metcalfe17.

Equality PA is the Commonwealth's leading organization Advancing Equality and Opportunity for LGBTQ Pennsylvanians