Most Duck, but GOP Embraces Watson ‘Gay Guatemalan’ Joke

Most Duck, but GOP Embraces Watson ‘Gay Guatemalan’ Joke

Most elected officials and political leaders in the state are either keeping clear or denouncing a joke Rep. Bob Watson, the House Republican leader, made about a “gay Guatemalan” at a Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce event last week.

In his remarks, Watson, R-East Greenwich, said the state is pursing the wrong priorities this year—instead of dealing with the economy, he said the General Assembly was focusing on gay marriage, illegal immigration, marijuana laws, and the expansion of gambling. He concluded with the following remark: “I suppose if you are a gay man from Guatemala who likes to smoke pot and gamble, you probably think we’re onto some good ideas here.”

Yesterday, pressure mounted for Watson to apologize. Two immigrant advocate groups, the Guatemalan-American Alliance and the Immigrants in Action Committee held a news conference to denounce the remarks. Also, a spokesman for Lincoln Chafee said the Governor believes the comment “was not helpful or productive, especially in light of the Governor’s believe that a welcoming, tolerant state encourages economic development and job creation.”

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Democratic Party speaks out

The Rhode Island Democratic Party also added its voice to the growing chorus of criticism.

Chairman Ed Pacheco told GoLocalProv he believes Watson was trying to say that he feels the state’s focus on gay marriage and immigration reform is “misguided.”

“Frankly, I think that reflects the narrowness of the Republican agenda. What they fail to see is that all of the issues he was poking fun at are connected to each other as well as to the economic issues at hand,” Pacheco said. “And while the priority remains the economy, governing requires attention to the entire complexity of the political, economic, social, environmental, and cultural spectrums. In their desire to dismiss all other issues in order to avoid making important decisions, Republicans miss the mark and do a disservice to all Rhode Islanders.”

However, other state general officers as well as the leaders of both chambers of the General Assembly decided to steer clear of the brewing controversy and declined to comment.

State Republicans: ‘Lighten up’

Leaders of the state GOP, on the other hand, not only defended his remarks—but embraced them.

“I think Bob’s comment was fine. It was not meant with any ill intent as much as anti-Republican forces want to make it sound like that,” said Gio Cicione, the state party chairman. He said most in the audience had taken it as a joke and laughed at what Watson had said. “That should be the end of it. People should lighten up,” Cicione concluded.

Travis Rowley, the chairman of the Young Republicans, went further in praising Watson for catching the attention of Democrats.

“Watson's comment was hysterical,” Rowley told GoLocalProv. “I’m only upset that I didn’t come up with it.”

He added: “Representative Watson has spent almost two decades offering Democrats serious warnings of their destructive policies. The entire Democrat Party refused to listen to him, and now everything is crashing down all around them. So if creating the image of a homosexual Guatemalan sitting at a blackjack table with a joint hanging off his lips is what the Republican leader feels he had to do to finally get their attention, then so be it.”

Watson did not respond to a request for comment.