Source: The Advocate
North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is no stranger to posting hateful anti-LGBTQ+ content on social media, but more highly offensive posts written by him have recently been uncovered by The Advocate.
These posts are just a small part of his long history of disgusting rhetoric – such as calling the LGBTQ+ community “perverted,” “unnatural,” “sinful,” and “demonic,” just to name a few.
According to The Advocate, these posts show Robinson repeatedly using the term “British cigarette” as a euphemism for an extremely offensive homophobic slur, likely as a way to get around Facebook’s community guidelines on hate speech. Robinson has used the term at least three times on Facebook.
The first time he used the term appears to be in 2017 when he mocked Facebook’s community guidelines by writing, “So apparently, using the British word for cigarettes violates Facebook’s ‘community standards.’ LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!”
In 2018, he asked if domestic violence crimes involving transgender people should be considered violence against women. “Will the feminists raise hell over it? I’m asking for a British cigarette.”
Later that year during the Winter Olympics he wrote, “I can’t watch these Olympics. There are entirely too many British cigarettes smoking up the screen.”
Going back to 2017, Robinson stopped short of using the f-slur, writing, “Why does Facebook think it’s okay to insult God by using his rainbow as a symbol of perversion, but doesn’t think it’s okay to insult homosexuals by calling them fa……oooops. Better watch myself.”
In another 2017 post, this one about football, he used an altered form of the f-slur, writing, “They might as well make this ‘f@g’ uh-um I mean, flag football.”
In another 2018 post – this time in response to a nonbinary person asking where to use the bathroom – Robinson posted a picture of himself that read, “GO OUTSIDE WITH THE DOG!!!“
Telling transgender and nonbinary people to use the bathroom outside is something that Robinson seemingly still believes because he made similar comments back in the winter while speaking to supporters in Cary and Greenville.
In Cary, he told the crowd that if a transgender woman goes “in the women’s bathroom in the mall, you will be arrested — or whatever we got to do to you.”
In Greenville, he said, “If you are confused, find a corner outside somewhere to go. We’re not tearing society down because of this.”
In early June, Robinson told supporters that, “[Republicans] were right on HB2 and continue to be right on it.”
HB2, also known as the “bathroom bill,” was passed by the Republican-led legislature in 2016 and signed into law by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory in March 2016. The law required people to use the bathroom that matched their sex at birth and also blocked municipalities from passing non-discrimination ordinances.
HB2 led to international embarrassment and, according to a 2017 Associated Press analysis, cost North Carolina at least $3.76 billion in lost business over 12 years.
The Advocate reached out to Robinson and his campaign for comment on the story but did not get a response.
Emma O’Brien, the Democratic Governors’ Association’s states press secretary, responded to The Advocate’s request for comment:
“Mark Robinson wants the government to be inside your bedroom, exam room, and to tell North Carolinians who they’re allowed to love and how they can live their life. His long track record of attacking North Carolina’s LGBTQ+ community is incredibly dangerous and also threatens to kill jobs and hurt the economy. This November, voters will reject Mark Robinson’s hatred and extremism.”
