Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness faced criticism from some of his supporters this week are declaring that not all people who vote Republican are racist.
Following Tuesday’s primary results, Van Ness took to Twitter to urge Democrats not to nominate hard-left candidates in primary races for the upcoming midterm elections.
“Luckily a lot [of] extreme right people won yesterday, meaning that if we can come up w center left candidates we can take back the house & senate, not to mention many state legislatures,” he wrote on Twitter after Tuesday’s primary races. “It is so important for the left to not go too left or we are done for.”
Luckily a lot to extreme right people won yesterday, meaning that if we can come up w center left candidates we can take back the house & senate, not to mention many state legislatures. It is so important for the left to not go too left or we are done for.
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) August 15, 2018
“Not all republicans are racist. Just like not all democrars [sic] are evil, we have to stop demonizing each other,” he continued. “Unless you’re actually racist then you suck, Trump is Racist – not all his voters are necessarily we gotta remember we are all in this together.”
Not all republicans are racist. Just like not all democrars are evil, we have to stop demonizing eachother. Unless you’re actually racist then you suck, Trump is Racist – not all his voters are necessarily we gotta remember we are all in this together.
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) August 15, 2018
However, his advice appeared to go down badly with many of his followers, who accused him of demonizing the left and pandering to racists:
https://twitter.com/jizzywinks/status/1029752151533338627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1029752151533338627&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thewrap.com%2Fqueer-eye-star-jonathan-van-ness-attacked-online-after-saying-not-all-republicans-are-racist%2F
Ah, yes… “mutual understanding” with racists…. pic.twitter.com/sFkoIZ70hS
— Backwoods Barbie (@LGBTMayo) August 15, 2018
Jonathan, electing Centrist & Conservatives Democrats is what neutered the ACA from being as effective as it could have been. With more progressives instead of DINO's, we could have had a Public Option. This is EXTREMELY bad advice. Left-punching from you is so disappointing.
— CFO, Surefire Intelligence (@BobbyLibby) August 15, 2018
yeah totally, my jewish ass needs to stop demoniz–https://t.co/Ik71RWTvzc
— hannah moskowitz👭 (@hannahmosk) August 15, 2018
take it from a fellow white gay person; we still have a LOT of privilege here, and there are a lot of people we need to be listening to. and telling your fans, who are largely minorities, that they need to recognize the very fine people on both sides is not the way.
— hannah moskowitz👭 (@hannahmosk) August 15, 2018
And what is there to compromise over? A failing system that serves only the privileged? Gurl bai! pic.twitter.com/7zxYUMXnUB
— crazy sticks to me, like ribs (@OldGenQueer) August 15, 2018
I'm all for unity, but I disagree equating that to democrats "not all being evil" is ridiculous. Republicans are crafting racist policy and defending a racist president. It's an exponentially larger percentage of Republicans that are racist than Democrats that are evil.
— So-Called Saul (@socalledsaul) August 17, 2018
I hear you but what do I need to compromise on? My access as a woman to healthcare? My husband’s rights as an immigrant? My friends rights as members of the LGBTQ community? My friends of color’s safety? None of the things I want are extreme. I shouldn’t have to compromise.
— Sally Kay (@sallykbrockman) August 15, 2018
However, Van Ness refused to back down on his claims, arguing that the only way to heal the political divide is through compromise and mutual understanding.
“Being able to compromise is what’s missing from both sides of the American political situation & the sooner we all get to a place of mutual understanding the sooner we will get out of this mess,” he wrote.
Also if you’re upset at a tweet I made leave gurl bai! Being able to compromise is what’s missing from both sides of the American political situation & the sooner we all get to a place of mutual understanding the sooner we will get out of this mess.
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) August 15, 2018
The 31-year-old hairdresser, who also stars in the web series Gay of Thrones, also took to Periscope to explain his remarks, declaring that the left must learn not to demonize conservatives.
“I decided to tweet political things today and you know that can go one of two ways,” he said in the clip. “Left people are not necessarily inherently evil and right people are not necessarily inherently evil and our ability to notice gray area and to notice what compromise means and how much compromise has led us to where we are is important… We have to be able to not demonize the right.”
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) August 15, 2018
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
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