Democrats were outraged Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett used the term “sexual preference” on Tuesday, a phrase their own presidential nominee uttered in May.
“Not once, but twice, you used the term ‘sexual preference’ to describe those in the LGBTQ community,” Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said of a comment Barrett made earlier in the day.
“And let me make clear: ‘sexual preference’ is an offensive and outdated term,” Hirono scolded. “It is used by anti-LGBTQ activists to suggest that sexual orientation is a choice.”
The same term was used by Joe Biden in May, when he was holding a “virtual roundtable” with African Americans in Florida.
“America’s the only nation in the world that, when we’ve gone through a major crisis, we’ve almost always been able to come get through it and come out stronger,” Biden said on May 7.
“I’m hopeful. I’m going to need you if we win. I’m going to need you to help this time rebuild the backbone of this country, the middle class, but this time bring everybody along regardless of color, sexual preference, their backgrounds, whether they have any … Just bring everybody along.” (emphasis added)
Barrett later apologized for using the phrase.
“I certainly didn’t mean and would never mean to use a term that would cause any offense in the LGBTQ community. So if I did, I greatly apologize for that,”Barrett said.
Biden has not apologized.
Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays. Listen to segments on YouTube or download full podcast episodes. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, and follow him on Parler.