George Takei and Cher celebrate anti-LGBT+ Republican Larry Elder’s humiliating California defeat
Failed gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder. (Getty/ Mario Tama)
George Takei and Cher celebrated anti-LGBT+ Republican Larry Elder’s stunning defeat in California: “The enemy at the door has been vanquished!”
Tuesday’s (14 September) gubernatorial recall election was a tense moment for all Californians, but especially the LGBT+ community.
With the emergence of anti-LGBT+ Republican Larry Elder as a front runner, California queer folk feared that rights and protections won under Democratic incumbent Gavin Newsom could be under threat.
Luckily, Newsom came out on top.
At the latest count, 64 per cent of those who voted said “no” to recalling Newsom should not be recalled. Of those who voted for his removal, about half backed Elder to replace him.
Cher was among those who took to Twitter to celebrate his victory, writing: “Oh Happy Day, Oh Happy D-a-a-y…
“The enemy at the door has been vanquished!!”
?Oh Happy Day??????,
Oh Happy D-a-a-y…
The Enemy At The Door Has Been Vanquished‼️
— Cher (@cher) September 15, 2021
Star Trek legend George Takei tweeted: “Overheard: The vote was so lopsided, it’s basically Elder abuse.”
“I did my own research,” he added. “And wow it’s crazy but Larry Elders’ victory was stolen in California because Nikki Minaj’s cousin’s testicles are swollen. Don’t bully.”
Larry Elder has a long history of anti-LGBT+ comments, and said slave owners deserve reparations
Failed Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder has long history of anti-LGBT+ remarks, and has repeatedly used male pronouns when referring to trans women, including fellow candidate Caitlyn Jenner.
Following the Pulse nightclub massacre in 2016, Elder wrote on Twitter: “If the Orlando terrorist was gay, does that disqualify the massacre from being a hate crime?”
If the #Orlando terrorist was gay, does that disqualify the massacre from being a hate crime?— Larry Elder (@larryelder) June 15, 2016
A year later, when Playboy featured its first-ever trans playmate, he tweeted: “Playboy to feature its first ‘transgender’ Playmate?!? Jeez!!!
“If Hef weren’t dead, this would have killed him.”
More recently, in an appearance on The Candace Owens Show, Elder shockingly argued that slave owners should be paid reparations for setting their slaves free.
He said: “When people talk about reparations, do they really want to have that conversation? Like it or not, slavery was legal.
“Their legal property was taken away from them after the Civil War, so you could make an argument that the people that are owed reparations are not only just Black people but also the people whose property was taken away after the end of the Civil War?”
