LGBT Rights Group Demands Sanders Renounce Rogan Endorsement

(Bloomberg) -- The Human Rights Campaign is calling on Bernie Sanders to renounce an endorsement from radio host Joe Rogan, who has made derogatory comments about African Americans and LGBTQ people.

Rogan, who hosts “The Joe Rogan Experience,” one of the most downloaded podcasts, said he would “probably vote for Bernie,” adding “I believe in him. I like him a lot.”

In response, HRC President Alphonso David said in a statement that while Sanders’ campaign has been “unabashedly supportive of the rights of LGBTQ people,” Rogan “has attacked transgender people, gay men, women, people of color and countless marginalized groups at every opportunity.”

The statement from the largest LBGTQ advocacy group and lobbying organization in the U.S. pointed to instances in which Rogan had compared African Americans to “Planet of the Apes,’’ and repeatedly misgendered transgender people, including referring to MMA fighter Fallon Fox as “that tranny.”

Sanders has appeared on Rogan’s show, as have fellow Democratic candidates Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard.

(Disclaimer: Michael Bloomberg is also seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. He is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)

This post is part of Campaign Update, our live coverage from the 2020 campaign trail.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Max Berley at mberley@bloomberg.net, Ros Krasny

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