Missouri pol says ‘unpatriotic lesbian’ Brittney Griner should be in Russian jail, not Olympics

A Missouri Republican candidate for secretary of state, Valentina Gomez, has called WNBA star Brittney Griner an “unpatriotic lesbian” and said she should be back in a Russian prison rather than competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Gomez commented in a 20-second video posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.

“Brittney Griner should be rotting in a Russian prison, not going to the Olympics,” she said. “Caitlin Clark is the only reason why we even watch women’s basketball,” Gomez continued. “She deserves to go to the Olympics, unlike this unpatriotic lesbian.”

Gomez captioned the post with “The Olympics are about meritocracy, not DEI.”

USA Basketball cited experience as the reason that Clark was not included on the U.S. women’s Olympic roster, according to the Associated Press. Despite Clark’s immense popularity and skill, the selection committee felt she lacked high-level experience. The team includes seven players from the group that won gold in Tokyo, including Griner.

Gomez has a history of inflammatory remarks against LGBTQ+ people and policies she deems “weak and gay.”

Griner, who was arrested in Russia in February 2022 for possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil, spent 10 months in detention before being released in a high-profile prisoner exchange. During her detention, Griner faced severe conditions and homophobic treatment.

Gomez’s remarks have drawn significant backlash on social media. One user commented, “Nobody should be ‘rotting in prison’ for marijuana,” while another wrote, “I like you but no one should be rotting in prison over weed.”

In May, Gomez urged Americans not to be “weak and gay” in a campaign video, saying, “In America, you can be anything you want, so don’t be weak and gay. Stay fucking hard.” The footage showed her running through a neighborhood of St. Louis with high LGBTQ+ representation while holding a gun. Earlier this year, she posted a video of herself using a flamethrower to burn LGBTQ-themed books, promising to “BURN all books that are grooming, indoctrinating, and sexualizing our children” if elected.

Her platform also includes “protecting children against the transgender agenda,” “securing the Second Amendment,” and opposing vaccine mandates. Gomez’s primary election is set for August 6, where voters will decide if her provocative campaign tactics will secure her a place in the general election. She is one of several candidates seeking the Republican nomination for secretary of state. The current officeholder, Republican Jay Ashcroft, is running for governor to replace term-limited fellow GOPer Mike Parson.