This is my written explanation to the comments I made on the KMOV website regarding the Gay Pride parade back in March. It was just released that Anheuser-Busch had pulled funding from being a sponsor for the Gay Pride. This was about the fourth article I read, and all of them had photos of previous parades where some participants were dressed in pink tutus dancing and twirling in the streets, face paint, leather straps, drag queens, people wrapped in rainbow flags, and other bizarre costumes.

I thought it offensive that adult people were acting in such a manner. I violated one of my personal rules when I reacted to an emotional situation. I made a comment too hastily before I thought it through. I usually give myself a bit of time to think of a proper response before making an emotional statement, this time I just blurted it out. I said I was glad the Gay Pride parade was not funded by AB, then I said, “you do not need to march in the streets to show off your disability.” I am fully aware that homosexuality is not a disability. The statement was absolutely wrong on my account and I do wholeheartedly apologize for that choice of words. It was offending to both gay and perhaps even disabled persons. However, I do stand with the statement agreeing with AB pulling their funding for the Gay Pride parade.

I was making this statement as Larry Schmidt, a private individual stating a personal opinion like I have many times in the past. I was just another voice in the crowd among others with similar opinions. Chelsa Pruden, or some other LBGTQ person looked up my personal information and noticed I was on the County Board. Facebook blew up with the LBGTQ community demanding that I be removed from office and that they would have my job. They were talking amongst themselves trying to get this out to as many sites as they could. I now became political fodder for their cause. Pruden even went on an Alton radio station against me. I sent a written apology to Pruden for what I had said. She chose to ignore the apology and explanation but instead brought in locals and outsiders to conduct a rally at the April Board meeting while LBGTQ made hateful statements about me.

Pruden and her associates assumed I was homophobic and a hater of all gay people. That is further from the truth. I respect gay rights and respect gay people. Homosexuals are a part of life and have been since well before the Bible. I know and respect this. What I do not respect is the entire philosophy of the LBGTQ definition. I believe there are only two sexes, male and female. I also do not accept all the pronouns being thrown around describing all these different sexual orientations. I have made comments in the past, again as a private citizen, stating my opinion about those transsexual types of behavior. Chelsa Pruden and the LBGTQ community preach love and acceptance to all, however, anyone who does not agree with them are called haters. To me the word hate is a pretty strong word and they thrown it around pretty freely. I do not hate anyone. The LGBTQ is all love until you do not agree with them, then they are full of hate and spite because of the way you feel.

I have three cousins in their 40s and 50s who are gay, and a niece in her 20s who is gay. We love them dearly, they are part of the family and treated as such. My wife and I are also Godparents to another gay woman in her 20s who asked to be baptized in our home church. These gay people, as do most, assimilate into their respective communities and live their life as any other citizen. They do not crave special accommodation and attention. Chelsa Pruden and associates preach the loud and proud slogan like they are something special, this is what I have issues with. We are all regular people and should be treated as such.

When the attacks on me and my character were made I was somewhat taken aback. I am a peaceful, fair-minded person who tries to make good decisions but I also have opinions. I am not mean, spiteful, nor do I seek revenge. I was upset by their dialogue stating my supposed hate for them while not even knowing me. The immense chatter from the LBGTQ community made it sound like I was on the 10 most wanted list and that I was a disgusting, terrible human being that shouldn’t walk the face of the Earth .

I was on the road away from home when all these remarks were being made, and it made me feel terrible. I sent a text to my fellow board members to seek their advice because by this time it was all over social media including Carlinville Talk of the Town. Ms. Pruden and associates were trying to bully me into submission. I asked the Board members for advice, if I should step down as chairman, resign altogether, or remain where I was. Remember I was feeling pretty low at this point from all the name-calling and false accusations. The overwhelming response was to stay where you are, you’re doing a great job as chairman. I sent the text from my phone and tried to remember all 18 Board members.

There were apparently three names I could not recall at the time. A local news outlet reported in their article that I had only contacted 15 Board members and that 15 Board members are Republican and three are Democrat making it sound like I purposely did not contact the Democrat Board members. In reality, I only excluded one Democrat, the two others I inadvertently left out were Republican. That sole Democrat made the accusation of the Open Meetings violation at the April meeting. Pruden then filed a complaint against me for violation of the Open Meetings Act. I didn’t purposely exclude anyone from the text, I simply did not have a list in front of me and couldn’t think of the last three names. The AG has the reports and they still have not determined if a violation took place.

I will remain as Macoupin County Board Chairman. What you must realize is that I was voted in by the people who wanted a conservative Christian voice while respecting family values. They are not wanting extreme leftist liberals such as Ms. Pruden and her associates. I look at Ms. Pruden’s social media and she appears to go to every protest she can find that is against any conservative government policy. It seems she is always craving attention.

I have received massive public support for my views. There is a silent majority out there and they keep pretty quiet; the other small percentage tends to cry and carry on when they don’t get their way. I am constantly stopped on the streets, at restaurants, stores, social media and even written letters sent to my home telling me to stay where I’m at. Citizens are tired of the constant liberal, woke views and the last series of elections have proven that. I am the first Republican Chairman since 1969 and the Board now has a 15 to 3 majority. Nothing has changed since I made that statement; I have been chairman for five years now and show me where we did anything to hurt your cause. We represent all citizens of Macoupin County.

Again, let me reiterate, I respect gay people for who they are, they are living their life as they see fit while contributing to our community as any other person. What I don’t care for is the way the LBGTQ and Gay Pride organizations try top force their sexual orientation on our children and general population. Live your lives without trying to indoctrinate everyone else.

I would ask the media represented here this evening to publish this letter in it’s entirety because so far all the reporting has been somewhat one-sided. These are my personal views and not reflective of the entire Board.

Larry Schmidt
Macoupin County Board Chairman