GOP Lawmaker Accused of Anti-Gay Slurs About Malcolm Kenyatta
Pennsylvania State Rep. Aaron Bernstine denies using an anti-gay slur and claiming Kenyatta lost weight due to AIDS.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Butler) has been accused of unleashing a homophobic rant in which he called openly gay State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) an anti-gay slur and “joked” that the Democrat had lost weight due to AIDS.
According to PennLive, witnesses said Bernstine made the remarks following a confrontation with a member of the Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council during a September 29 Democratic fundraiser at McGrath’s Pub in Harrisburg.
Kenyatta, a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, was not present at the event.
Michael Ford, the council’s secretary/treasurer, told PennLive that Bernstine appeared to be there solely as “an agitator” and to be “intentionally disruptive.” Ford said that during their confrontation, Bernstine allegedly insulted Kenyatta and council president Robert Bair, who was seated at another table.
Ford said Bernstine called Kenyatta a “gay, black [slur]” and asked, in a joking manner, if anyone knew why Kenyatta — who has intentionally lost a substantial amount of weight over the past few years — was now “so skinny,” before saying the weight loss was due to Kenyatta having AIDS.
“You could say whatever you want about me and Rob and the building trades, but when you start talking about a guy that ain’t even there in, like, a way that’s really derogatory, that’s not cool,” Ford said. “You can’t talk like that to people or about people. It’s terrible.”
House Democratic leaders and a Republican caucus spokesperson condemned the alleged conduct.
“These reports of a member spewing hateful, vile language about another member are shocking, offensive and deeply disappointing,” House Democratic leaders said in a statement to York, Pa.-based FOX affiliate WPMT. “He should be ashamed of himself and apologize for his embarrassing and hateful behavior.”
A House Republican caucus spokesperson told WPMT that the alleged conduct is “troubling and does not comport with the values and professionalism Pennsylvanians expect of their state lawmakers.”
The chairs of the House’s Equality Caucus and Black Caucus issued a joint statement calling for Bernstine to resign.
“Representative Bernstine must be held accountable for his words and actions, which have made him unfit to serve,” the statement said. “Our constituents deserve a legislature that takes its responsibilities seriously and holds its members to a standard of decorum and decency worthy of public service. We are calling on all House members, but especially Republican leaders, to denounce his behavior, to join us in demanding his resignation, and for Republican leaders to identify the steps they will take to guard against this kind of pathetic behavior within their caucus.”
Bernstine did not respond to requests for comment from PennLive or local TV stations, but denied the allegations to the Butler Radio Network, which operates three radio stations in the suburban Pittsburgh area.
“The allegations attributed to me are false,” Bernstine told Butler Radio. “This is a political attack.”
Bernstine, now serving his fifth term in the House, has faced controversy before.
In 2017, he drew attention for a post on X — then known as Twitter — in which he allegedly threatened to run over protesters with his car if they blocked a road with “negative intentions.” He later defended the post, saying liberal groups were exaggerating it and that he was referring only to protesters who “threaten” drivers. He also argued that not stopping one’s car amid a rowdy group of protesters should be considered a form of self-defense.
In 2020, the USA TODAY Network reported on a Snapchat video in which Bernstine encouraged his then-5-year-old son to smoke a cigar, telling him to “hit it harder, breathe in” and urging him to use a vulgar word for vagina. He also asked another boy to play an adult-themed game, according to Spotlight PA.
Republican legislative leaders condemned the videos and urged Bernstine to resign. He later apologized for “jokes that went too far.”
Last month, Bernstine faced criticism for a since-deleted comment about a Pennsylvania man’s deceased daughter, according to Raw Story. The man, Mark Wiley, had criticized the late right-wing activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk under a post on Bernstine’s campaign Facebook page marking the anniversary of Kirk’s assassination, according to Primetimer.
In response to Wiley’s comment, Bernstine’s campaign page posted a photo of his deceased daughter, Chloe, misidentifying her as his wife, with the caption: “Don’t worry about that guy… he has to lay next to this every night,” according to screenshots shared on Threads.
“That is my daughter you Tiny shit bag,” Wiley replied.
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