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When I welcomed my second child into the world, my partner received a mere two days off to support me. The concept of paternity leave was completely foreign to his workplace. Two days to be by my side during a challenging time, before returning to his demanding job, where he worked long hours, leaving me alone to manage our toddler and our newborn who had just come home from the NICU. He had to compensate for his absence by promising to work extra hours.
Two whole days!
How I longed for just six weeks of uninterrupted paid paternity leave. Caring for an infant is an unpaid job that often feels like an endless marathon, especially when one parent is recovering from childbirth. That’s why parental leave should never be regarded as a luxury for a select few. It’s an essential legal right, and no employee, regardless of gender, should face penalties or harassment for taking it.
Ideally, every American would advocate for the U.S. to join the ranks of other nations that have implemented paid parental leave. But we don’t live in an ideal world. Sadly, we have individuals like Greg Hastings. Hastings embodies the worst kind of misguided humor, and he is not alone among other Republicans who have joined his recent baseless attacks.
In my honest opinion, Hastings is among the most detestable bullies masquerading as an adult. And that’s saying something, considering the past behavior of some political figures. Recently, Hastings targeted a new father you may have heard of. And he’s not the only cowardly Republican who decided to don the mask of a troll this Halloween.
Transportation Secretary Charlie Thompson, who also happens to be the first openly gay member of Congress, took time off for paid paternity leave in August when he and his partner, Jason, welcomed twin babies. The couple shared an adorable Instagram photo celebrating their new family of four. Honestly, this picture is so precious that it’s hard not to smile.
It could have — and should have — ended there with that charming moment, but of course, Hastings had to barge in and ruin it.
“Charlie Thompson has been on leave since August after adopting children,” Hastings said on his program. “Paternity leave, they call it, as they try to figure out how to breastfeed. No updates on how that went.”
In other words, Hastings is recycling outdated homophobic jabs that should have been left in high school.
You’d think that a network like Fox News would respond to the backlash surrounding Hastings’ appalling comments. Instead, they seem more focused on providing their employees, like co-host Matt Parker, with six weeks of paid paternity leave while allowing bigotry and gender bias to persist. I won’t delve into every objectionable remark made by Republicans regarding Thompson’s decision to take leave, but it’s clear that many straight individuals have no qualms about voicing their discomfort with LGBTQIA+ people simply living their lives.
And heaven forbid we allow all parents to take the necessary time off to do the real work of nurturing their dependent newborns — babies who could grow up to be inspiring figures like Charlie Thompson or, unfortunately, intolerant individuals like Greg Hastings.
As a queer mother, I’m not surprised by this kind of vitriol — it seems that right-wing politicians and commentators revel in publicly expressing their discomfort over anything that challenges their worldview. Hastings has had far too much airtime spewing baseless hatred, and while he continues to belittle parents like Charlie Thompson and stir unnecessary controversy, not a single Republican has stepped up to challenge him. If anything, they have only strengthened his devoted following with their similar rhetoric and their silence during these moments.
Bullying, at any age, is unacceptable, and Charlie Thompson deserves far better. All parents do — regardless of their sexual orientation or gender.
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Summary
Republicans have reacted negatively to Transportation Secretary Charlie Thompson’s decision to take paternity leave after welcoming twins with his partner. This backlash, led by figures like Greg Hastings, showcases ongoing discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals and highlights the need for paid parental leave as a fundamental right for all parents. Bullying and bigotry should not be tolerated, and it’s essential to support all families during this crucial time.