“Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van Ness is under fire with some fans for saying that not all Republicans are racist and urging both political parties to compromise.
After the primary elections on August 14, Van Ness spoke out on Twitter about the results.
“Luckily a lot to extreme right people won yesterday, meaning that if we can come up w center left candidates we can take back the house & senate, not to mention many state legislatures. It is so important for the left to not go too left or we are done for,” Van Ness tweeted.
Luckily a lot to extreme right people won yesterday, meaning that if we can come up w center left candidates we can take back the house & senate, not to mention many state legislatures. It is so important for the left to not go too left or we are done for.
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) August 15, 2018
“Not all republicans are racist. Just like not all democrars are evil, we have to stop demonizing eachother. Unless you’re actually racist then you suck, Trump is Racist – not all his voters are necessarily we gotta remember we are all in this together,” he added.
Not all republicans are racist. Just like not all democrars are evil, we have to stop demonizing eachother. Unless you’re actually racist then you suck, Trump is Racist – not all his voters are necessarily we gotta remember we are all in this together.
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) August 15, 2018
His tweets sparked criticism from some people on Twitter who didn’t agree.
https://twitter.com/jizzywinks/status/1029752151533338627
Im not left punching – I’m just born and raised in Trump country and I know what it takes to calm that type of person and it’s not this.
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) August 15, 2018
take it from a fellow white gay person; we still have a LOT of privilege here, and there are a lot of people we need to be listening to. and telling your fans, who are largely minorities, that they need to recognize the very fine people on both sides is not the way.
— hannah moskowitz updates (@hannahmosk) August 15, 2018
Van Ness defended himself against the critics saying that “compromise is what’s missing” from Democrats and Republicans.
“Also if you’re upset at a tweet I made leave gurl bai! Being able to compromise is what’s missing from both sides of the American political situation & the sooner we all get to a place of mutual understanding the sooner we will get out of this mess,” he tweeted.
Also if you’re upset at a tweet I made leave gurl bai! Being able to compromise is what’s missing from both sides of the American political situation & the sooner we all get to a place of mutual understanding the sooner we will get out of this mess.
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) August 15, 2018
Van Ness later posted a video clarifying his earlier tweets.
“I decided to tweet political things today and you know that can go one of two ways. Left people are not necessarily inherently evil and right people are not necessarily inherently evil and our ability to notice gray area and to notice what compromise means and how much compromise has led us to where we are is important,” Van Ness says.”We have to be able to not demonize the right.”
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) August 15, 2018