Antigay Watch List: Why Do Voters Love Our Villains?

When it comes to this list of homophobic candidates, voters passed on electing a few of the most wacky. But the familiar faces of many villains return.

BY Advocate.com Editors

November 08 2012 6:00 AM ET

Virginia Foxx, U.S. House of Representatives, North Carolina, 5th District
RESULTS: Reelected

Antigay Republican Virginia Foxx has won a fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina, defeating Democrat Elisabeth Motsinger.

Most of America met Virginia Foxx in 2009 during the debate over the expansion of the federal hate-crimes law. “The hate-crimes bill that’s called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn’t because he was gay. … It’s really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills.” The bill passed despite her unfortunate statement, expanding the federal definition of hate crimes to cover those based on sexual orientation or gender identity, allowing greater resources for investigation, prosecution, and prevention of such crimes.