Michigan Sen. Mallory McMorrow Fires Back At Colleague For Allegations Of ‘Grooming’ Kindergarteners

Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D) had a strong response to her colleague Sen. Lana Theis‘ (R) accusation that she wanted to “groom and sexualize kindergarteners” in a fundraising email.

On Tuesday, she gave a speech on the Senate floor.

“Senator Lana Theis accused me by name of grooming and sexualizing children in an attempt to marginalize me for standing up against her marginalizing the LGBTQ community… in a fundraising email, for herself.”

“Hate wins when people like me stand by and let it happen. I won’t,” she added.

The back-and-forth began last week after McMorrow critiqued Theis’ prayer in which she said that “children are under attack” because societal messages reach them before their parents can teach them about it, referencing Florida’s recently passed Parental Rights in Education “Don’t Say Gay” bill that restricts education regarding sexual orientation and gender identity for children in kindergarten through third grade.

“Without sharing or repeating closed-minded harmful words from a sitting Senator under the guise of a ‘prayer,’ to every child in Michigan – you are perfect and welcome and loved for being exactly who you are,” McMorrow tweeted in response to Theis’ prayer.

In McMorrow’s address, she went on to explain her background, noting why she, “a straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom” could see the difference between service and “performative nonsense.”

Watch the video and read McMorrow’s full speech in the Twitter thread linked below.