Facebook issued an apology to a member of Congress for deleting a post of hers that was in favor of transgender rights.
The social media platform took down a video of Rep. Marie Newman, a Democrat from Illinois, in which she hung a trans pride flag outside of her office. The post, which the lawmaker says Facebook labeled as “hate speech,” was published in response to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (whose office is across the hall from hers) actively campaigning against the Equality Act, which would include “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” as classes protected under the Civil Rights Act.
HOUSE SET TO VOTE ON EQUALITY ACT AFTER HEATED DEBATE OVER GAY AND TRANSGENDER RIGHTS
“Congresswoman, this plainly should not have happened. We’ve restored this content and you have our sincere apologies,” Facebook spokesman Andy Stone said on Twitter Thursday morning in response to a post from Newman outlining the situation. Stone directed the Washington Examiner to his tweet when reached for comment.
Facebook took down our video of me putting up the Transgender flag outside my office and labeled it as “hate speech.”
Meanwhile, they’re still allowing Marjorie Taylor Greene’s transphobic video to be posted.
Supporting transgender Americans is NOT hate speech. pic.twitter.com/dU2eXUpZSy
— Congresswoman Marie Newman (@RepMarieNewman) February 25, 2021
Newman’s initial post, which was the one that was taken down, included the video of her hanging the flag and a caption that read: “Our neighbor, [Greene] tried to block the Equality Act because she believes prohibiting discrimination against trans Americans is ‘disgusting, immoral, and evil.’ Thought we’d put up our Transgender flag so she can look at it every time she opens her door.”
In response, Greene, a Georgia Republican, posted a video of her hanging a sign outside her office that read, “There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE. Trust The Science,” and the caption read, “Our neighbor, @RepMarieNewman, wants to pass the so-called ‘Equality; Act to destroy women’s rights and religious freedoms.”
Stone did not respond to questions about Greene’s post.
Newman’s support of the Equality Act is personal, as her own daughter is transgender. The congresswoman posted a video of herself advocating for the bill on the House floor, and in response, Greene called Newman’s daughter her “biological son” and said she “does NOT belong in my daughters’ bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams.”
The House is expected to vote on the Equality Act on Thursday.
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Newman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On President Biden’s first day in office, he signed an executive order focused on “preventing and combating discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation” that states, “Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports.”
