Kansas state senator: 'Homosexual agenda' exists

A Kansas state senator and congressional candidate suggested Friday that a “homosexual agenda” exists during an early morning debate over adoption legislation.

Sen. Steve Fitzgerald, a Leavenworth Republican, spoke in support of a bill that would ensure faith-based adoption agencies can refuse placements to LGBT couples if doing so would run counter to the organizations' religious beliefs.

The Senate passed the bill shortly before 2 a.m., sending it to Gov. Jeff Colyer, who said he will sign it.

“‘There is no homosexual agenda.’ I was being told that when people were saying that there was one. And now we find out there is an agenda. And what was once tolerated is now becoming dominant and is intolerant. Totally intolerant,” Fitzgerald said.

The legislation provoked strong reactions on both sides, with opponents saying it is discriminatory and supporters saying it only codifies existing practice among adoption agencies.

Fitzgerald’s speech went well beyond the bill to consider the fate of Western civilization. He said there is “a lot of concentrated effort at destroying Western civilization.”

A fundamental of civilization is the family, he said.

“What’s the family based on? Marriage. What’s marriage? A man and a woman. No it’s not a theory. No it’s not an opinion. No it’s not a doctrine. It’s an ontological truth,” Fitzgerald said.

He added: “So this is a way station on the way in our decline, the decline of our civilization.”

Fitzgerald has a track record of provocative comments. Last year, he compared Planned Parenthood to a Nazi concentration camp after being told a donation to the organization had been made in his name.

Fitzgerald is running for Congress in the 2nd District against several other Republican candidates.

This story was originally published May 4, 2018 at 2:37 AM with the headline "Kansas state senator: 'Homosexual agenda' exists."