Rep. Matt Gaetz fumbled on the proper understanding of what "bisexual" means during Thursday's U.S. House Judiciary Committee hearing and Human Rights Campaign legal director, Sarah Warbelow, who identifies as a bisexual, was on hand to help him out.
"If a woman is with men and women, then they're bisexual, right?" Gaetz asked during the hearing, which focused on the effect the Roe v. Wade reversal will have on basic human rights.
"That is not true, sir," Warbelow responded. "An individual who is attracted to people of both sexes; both men and male and female; is someone who's bisexual. They can be in long-term, monogamous relationships."
Gaetz, who The Advocate points out has never advocated for LGBTQ rights at any length before, "made the bizarre argument that the availability of abortion makes it harder for LGBTQ+ people to become parents."
"I worry that if the LGBTQ community and advocacy organizations for same-sex couples somehow reorient to be a pro-abortion enterprise, that could actually result in fewer same-sex couples having access to the family formation that gives them fulfilled lives," Gaetz said to Warbelow during the hearing. "Are you concerned about that?"
"What I would be concerned about is forcing women to carry a pregnancy simply to satisfy another couple's desire to have a child," was Warbelow's response.
Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.
"Let's be clear: same-sex couples can and do create families in many ways, including adoption and more. No person should be forced to have a child against their will just to benefit another," The HRC tweeted in a share of video from the hearing, which you can see below:
Let's be clear: same-sex couples can and do create families in many ways, including adoption and more.
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) July 14, 2022
No person should be forced to have a child against their will just to benefit another. pic.twitter.com/n5TVIH7WtP
Gaetz called into question whether fewer lesbians become pregnant through sexual assault than same-sex couples who want to adopt, which Warbelow commented "I think that's impossible to know."
Further confused down the line, Gaetz brought the following question to the table:
"You're saying that lesbian women are also capable of being into men?"
Warbelow corrected Gaetz again by reminding him that they'd been discussing bisexuals, not lesbians.
BREAKING: Bisexuality redefined in the House Judiciary Committee... pic.twitter.com/pSIA4VdzfJ
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) July 14, 2022
