The
Defense Secretary of the United States, Pete Hegseth, has been sharing videos stating that
women shouldn't be able to vote anymore, and that consensual gay sex should be banned.This is a high-ranking member of the Trump administration's cabinet, the man who is
in charge of the entirety of the Armed Forces in the U.S. This is a huge position of power. For him to be overtly contemptuous of women, voting rights, and queer people is
extremely scary and dangerous.Luckily, Congress has the ability to impeach members of the cabinet - and it should do exactly that, immediately. Congress must show that it values all Americans and speak out to protect them now. Sign the petition to demand that the U.S. Congress impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth!In one video that Hegseth shared, multiple evangelical pastors discuss the importance of
banning women from voting, saying they would prefer voting to be conducted as a single household collective, with a straight male head of household casting one vote for the whole family. As one pastor in the video, Doug Wilson, said, "I would like to see this nation being a Christian nation, and I would like this world to be a Christian world."
A second video with Doug Wilson advocated for the U.S. to again
criminalize homosexuality and consensual gay sex. Wilson has called queer sex and queer relationships both
"slavery to sin" and also "worse than slavery." Unsurprisingly, he as also called for an end to same-sex marriage. On separate occasions - not in the videos shared most recently - Wilson has also claimed that brutal chattel slavery of Black people in the U.S. supposedly facilitated "affection between the races."
Hegseth hasn't even tried to apologize for these videos - instead, he's doubled down. A spokesperson for the Pentagon has said that not only does Hegseth
not regret these videos or their messages, but that the Secretary
"is a proud member of a church affiliated with" these videos. The spokesperson went on to say that "The secretary very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings."
How can we trust a man with views like these to oversee one of the most powerful, imposing military forces in the entire world? Can we really expect him to
protect all Americans, when he holds views like these? It seems pretty clear that there is only one specific version of American society that he wants to safeguard. So what does that mean for the rest of us who don't line up with his ideals?
Someone who values certain types of humans over others cannot be trusted to protect all residents of this country - and certainly can't be trusted with a role as important as the Secretary of Defense. As a result, Congress needs to take action immediately. It has a duty and an obligation towards the American people. Sign the petition to demand Congress impeach Pete Hegseth now!