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Far-right Extremism

Right Wing Delegate Seeks to Ban Gays From Virginia National Guard

Do you remember Bob Marshall, the Virginia state lawmaker who earlier this year claimed that women who have abortions subsequently give birth to children with disabilities as punishment from God?

Marshall claimed that he never said any such thing, but then released a video proving that he said exactly that ... and for all of his trouble, he was rewarded with a slot on a Family Research Council anti-healthcare reform webcast alongside Rep. Tom Price, (R-GA), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN).

Well, now that the Senate has voted to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, you can just leave it up to someone like Marshall to react by announcing his intention to introduce legislation barring gays and lesbians from serving in the Virginia National Guard:

Responding to the federal repeal of the military policy banning open gays from serving in the armed forces, a state lawmaker in Virginia plans to fight back with legislation that bars "active homosexuals" from serving in the Virginia National Guard.

Delegate Robert G. Marshall said the Constitution reserves states with the authority to do so and that he'll introduce a bill in the state General Assembly next year that ensures the "the effect of the 1994 federal law banning active homosexuals from America's military forces will apply to the Virginia National Guard."

"With the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell,' President Obama seeks to pay back his homosexual political supporters," the Prince William County Republican said, echoing a sentiment shared by many of the repeal's most ardent opponents. "This policy will weaken military recruitment and retention, and will increase pressure for a military draft."

"The Constitution never would have been ratified if states were not [guaranteed] unqualified control of the militia, now called the National Guard," he said.