Democratic lawmaker called his primary opponent an anti-gay slur

Al Jacquet
Photo: YouTube screen capture

Florida state Rep. Al Jacquet (D) has apologized for calling his primary opponent, Omari Hardy, a ”batty boy” — a Caribbean anti-gay slur — in a public Facebook video Jacquet published last Friday. Hardy, who is not gay, has rejected Jacquet’s apology as insincere.

Near the end of Jacquet’s hour-long Facebook video, which he created to refute a Palm Beach Post story questioning his official residence and election violations, he said, “I hear they got ‘Sleepy Hardy.’ That’s all good. That’s the union boy. The batty boy, union boy.” Hardy currently serves as Lake Worth Beach City Commissioner.

Related: Florida Republicans sneak in 4 anti-LGBTQ bills just hours before filing deadline

Hardy said of the slur, “I have heard that term slung around before and I knew what it meant immediately. It appalled me that a member of the Florida House of Representatives and member of the Florida Democratic Party, which for years has stood up for LGBTQ rights, would use that kind of language.″

Jaquet’s slur was also condemned by gay state Rep. Shevrin Jones (D) and local gay mediator Rand Hoch who serves as president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.

Jaquet later apologized, saying, “In the heat of the moment, I said something I should not have said. I apologize for my words that have offended some of my colleagues.”

However, Hardy called Jaquet’s apology insincere, adding that the politician didn’t contact him directly to offer it.

“This was not genuine and sincere apology… not that I expected him to do it,” Hardy said….

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