We begin with Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, responding to calls for him to resign. The Greensboro native says he will not leave his office. This all stems from comments Robinson made at a Randolph County church back in June. He spoke about the ELG Dek plus community and explicit images in books available in some libraries. Since then, his office has received threats, many with explicit language. We want to warn you the story we're about to show you includes mature and graphic content. Here's 21 sternos Kevin Kennedy. Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson not backing away from recent comments. When I stood on that. In that pulpit on that Sunday, and referred to filter, I was not talking about any person. I was talking about materials that are being presented to our children that are absolutely inappropriate. These statements made back in June surfacing now there's no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling me about transgenderism. Homosexuality, idiot at Phil. And yes, I called it filled at a news briefing in Raleigh this afternoon. The Lieutenant governor sharing drawings from books, he says, are in some school libraries were not called any person filled. We're not calling anyone anything less than human. We're talking about materials, inappropriate material, several members of the LGBTQ community calling for Robinson to apologize or resign. He did neither. Doubling down on his past comments. The message I'm going to leave you with is this. We are not resigning and not only are we not resigning, we are not gonna stop until the schools in North Carolina are safe from this kind of filth. Those words. And the ones previously spoken, upsetting to Corey Hennessy? Think about how you're hurting people. And think about the people that you're supposed to be protecting as a person in power in the political scene, Hennessy is the director of education for the LGBT Center. If you're going after the fact that you feel uncomfortable or that you, you know, think that these are adult themes. Talk about all of it, not just the the LGBTQ. I could community the Lieutenant governor, saying, it doesn't matter if the sketches and books said some North Carolina schools showed two men, two women, or a man and a woman calling it highly sexual, but the only images shown on this day are two men, or According to him, two boys that doesn't sit well with Hennessy. Absolutely don't believe that he is. In the minds of going, you know, wanting to support the community, so I'm calling his words Hateful Robinson defending his actions, also sharing what he says is hateful and email and voicemail. His office recently receiving the N word used several times. Here's the voicemail. North Carolina speaking governor Mark Robinson, hanging from the highest tree. If he wants to call me and tell me why I am filled, I would love it for those hoping for some sort of a mea culpa. They didn't get it. Robinson vowing to continue his fight to rid schools of materials like this. Kevin Kennedy two wants to know now those three books. Robinson mentions are titled George Lawn Boy and genderqueer, the one with the explicit images Durham and Orange County schools say they each have one copy of the last book, but they're not part of curriculum. We asked to try in school districts if they have the books. Which is Salem Forsyth told us today the only one available to students is George. The district says it's at 5 different schools approved for grades four and up, but it's also not part of any lesson plans in the classroom elements. Burlington says none of the books are used in lessons. And it's looking into whether they're actually in libraries we haven't heard back from Guilford County. Some faith leaders across our state wrote a letter to Robinson asking for an explanation. Yesterday they held a news conference outside of his office in Raleigh. We heard from the pastor who led the charge, particularly the calls. He did this in the context of church in the context of Christian worship. Uhm, I want folks to hear very clearly the queer community here very clearly that this is not rooted in God. It is not rooted in Christianity that we are worthy that we are not filled and that we are created in the very image of God. Several North Carolina groups have responded to Robinson's comments tonight. Equality, North Carolina released a statement that reads, in part, at a time when LGBTQ people need a supportive state. Robinson offered transphobia and homophobia instead. The North Carolina GOP tweeted in part the NC GOP stands with Lieutenant governor. Robinson resolutely defends parents ultimate authority over their children's education and opposes the inclusion of explicit and intrusive materials. Which have no place in North Carolina classrooms.
