Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Gay Nephew Of GOP Rep. Shreds His Aunt For Crying While Opposing Marriage Equality Bill

TikTok screenshot of Andrew Hartzler; C-SPAN screenshot of Vicky Hartzler giving speech on House floor
@andrewhartzler/TikTok; C-SPAN

Andrew Hartzler went viral with his response on TikTok to his homophobic aunt, GOP Rep. Vicky Hartzler.

The gay nephew of Missouri Republican Representative Vicky Hartzler called her out after she cried as she begged her Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives to vote against the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) in the spirit of protecting Americans "who believe in the true meaning of marriage" and referred to the bill as "dangerous."

The House ultimately approved the legislation, which guarantees federal recognition of any marriage between two people if it was valid in the state where they were married. It also requires states to accept the legitimacy of a valid marriage performed elsewhere but does not require any state to issue a marriage license contrary to its own laws.


Hartzler said the "misguided" legislation is an affront to "religious liberty" and "religious faith."

You can hear what she said in the video below.

Her words quickly caught the attention of her 23-year-old nephew Andrew Hartzler, who made a TikTok video informing his aunt religious institutions aren't being persecuted just because marriage equality makes it possible for people she hates to get married.

You can hear what he said in the video below.

@andrewhartzler

my aunt cried today #vickyhartzler #lgbtq #respectformarriage #religousexemption #congress #gay #missouri

Andrew Hartzler said:

"Today a United States Congresswoman, my aunt Vicky, started crying because gay people like me can get married. So despite coming out to my aunt this past February, I guess she's still just as much of a homophobe."
"Aunt Vicky, that's not right. Institutions of faith like religious universities are not being silenced. They're being empowered by the U.S. government to discriminate against tens of thousands of LGBTQ students because of religious exemptions but they still receive federal funding."
“It's more like you want the power to force your religious beliefs onto everyone else, and because you don't have that power, you feel like you're being silenced."
“But you're not. You're just gonna have to learn to coexist with all of us. And I'm sure it's not that hard.”

Andrew Hartzler also spoke to Buzzfeed News about his relationship with his aunt; the outlet noted she had "recently invited him to spend Thanksgiving at her home, but he opted not to go because he didn’t feel he’d be accepted there."

He said he wishes that his aunt could see "how harmful her words are and that she wouldn't use her political power to continue instilling religious exemptions into civil rights laws and allowing schools to actively discriminate against LGBTQ people." He added that he considers his aunt "the perpetrator of a lot of harm being done" and that "she needs to take responsibility.”

Many have praised him for speaking out.


Vicky Hartzler is one of the most virulently anti-LGBTQ+ members of Congress and has openly opposed same-sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships throughout her political career.

In 2019, Hartzler wrote an editorial in which she rejected the Equality Act, which, if passed, would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (including titles II, III, IV, VI, VII, and IX) to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit and jury service.

That same year, she sponsored an event by proponents of conversion therapy, which is defined as any attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The controversial practice has been rejected by all major medical and psychological organizations.

It is often described as "promoting healthy sexuality" or "sexual reorientation efforts" in right-wing circles as conversion therapy has come under further scrutiny.

In an interview with CNN, Andrew Hartzler said he was "subjected to conversion therapy practices" that were "totally legal because of the policies that my aunt has helped put into place."

The younger Hartzler, who works in social services and lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, said he used to be close to his aunt but that their relationship changed once he came out to her in February. He recalled she "met [me] with the same type of, 'I love you, but I don't accept you, because you're gay."

He has also publicly advocated on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community before, joining a class-action lawsuit filed last year against the Department of Education that is seeking to end an exemption in federal civil rights law that allows religiously affiliated universities that receive federal funding to "openly discriminate" against LGBTQ+ students.

More from News/lgbtq

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less