Joe Biden told a crowd in New Hampshire that he was accused of being gay in the 1970s because he supported women’s rights.
Speaking at a town hall that was supposed to center around healthcare on Friday, the Democratic presidential front-runner recalled his early support for women’s rights and how his stances were perceived at the time.
“An entire generation was energized. We finally finished the Voting Rights Act. We finally got the Civil Rights Act back on the road,” he said. “We finally were in a position where we started to begin the women’s movement, and began to treat women — I remember because I was such a big supporter of the E.R.A. in 1972, quote — to show you how things have changed, thank God — ‘Well, you know why Biden is for the E.R.A., he’s probably gay.’
“Not a joke,” Biden, who was married to his first wife Neilia in 1972, added.
The former vice president also touched on his own political awakening during major events in the 1960s and 1970s, pointing to the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. and asking the audience to “imagine what would have happened if, God forbid, Barack Obama had been assassinated after becoming the de facto nominee.”
“What would have happened in America?” he asked.
In the same speech, Biden also claimed that 40 students were shot when Ohio National Guard members opened fire on Vietnam War protesters at Kent State in 1970. However, four students were killed while nine others were injured. His remark followed a string of gaffes that have some Democrats worried about his 2020 chances.
