Kansas Republican Ron Highland is withdrawing his support for a bill that calls gay unions “parody marriages” after an open letter from his LGBTQ daughter.
Thad Allton / The Topeka Capital-Journal via APKansas Republican Ron Highland is removing his name from an anti-gay bill he co-sponsored after his daughter — who describes herself as a “proud member of Kansas city’s LGBTQ+ community” — shamed him in an open letter posted to Facebook.
“Further isolating the marginalized among the population you serve is far from your duty. Hate has no place in public policy,” Christel Highland wrote in the letter addressed to her father. “I respectfully request an apology on behalf of my family and beloved friends that this cruel attempt at legislation impacts.”
Christel Highland told NBC News on Monday that she and her father have a “long history of writing letters to each other about things we might not be comfortable discussing in person.” She ended her Feb. 20 letter by saying that she loves her father “in spite” of his “flaws,” adding “I cannot, however, condone your cruel actions. Shame on you.”
Ron Highland, a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, was one of seven Republican lawmakers to co-sponsor the