Three weeks ago, openly gay Democratic Pennsylvania State Rep. Brian Sims harassed four women and one man outside of what looks like Planned Parenthood Center City in Philadelphia. In a despicable act, the lawmaker offered $100 to people to dox three teenage girls who were praying outside the abortion clinic, making their identities, addresses, and perhaps even phone numbers public so they could be harassed even further. He also slandered them as “pseudo-Christians” because they value the babies killed in the clinic.
Sims started filming himself on Facebook and accosted the people praying.
“What we’ve got here is a bunch of protesters — a bunch of pseudo-Christian protesters who’ve been out here shaming young girls for being here. And so here’s the deal: I’ve got $100 to anybody who will identify any of these three,” he said, approaching three teenage girls. What would he do with the $100? Donate it to Planned Parenthood, of course!
“Hi,” a protective woman said, approaching him to keep him away from the teenage girls. “So we’re actually here just praying for the babies,” she explained.
Ignoring the woman, Sims kept talking to the audience on his phone. “So look, a bunch of white people standing out in front of Planned Parenthood, shaming people,” he said, as if the women’s races were at all relevant.
He then argued that there’s nothing Christian about praying for the souls of unborn babies or caring for those who are the least fortunate of all.
“There’s nothing Christian about what you’re doing, nothing Christian at all about what you’re doing — nothing Christian or loving or godly about what you’re doing,” Sims insisted. “So I’ve got $100 to anybody who will identify, $100 dollars. A hundred bucks.” He repeated the offer three times in order to emphasize it, even though it seems he promised to give that $100 to Planned Parenthood, not to whoever makes these teenage girls vulnerable to harassment.
The woman and the teen girls left, but Sims approached a young man who remained. He asked the man to give him his name and address. The naive young man gave his name and the city he lives in, and then the lawmaker went on to insult and dismiss him.
“What makes you think that it’s your job to tell women what’s right for their bodies?” Sims asked.
Before the young man could answer, the lawmaker cut him off. “The truth is I’m not really asking, because I don’t care. Shame on you!” Then the coward walked away from the young man as though he were a disgusting bug squashed on the sidewalk.
“Planned Parenthood here faces attacks daily from people like this, from pseudo-Christians saying that they are here to somehow protect their own version of Christianity,” Sims insisted. He then encouraged his audience to donate $100 to Planned Parenthood.
The video is more likely to encourage viewers to donate to pro-life organizations, especially Christian ones.
Brian Sims harassed this woman, these teen girls, and the young man. He slandered their faith as “pseudo-Christianity.” He offered money to an online audience in order to make the teen girls vulnerable to harassment.
Sims did not present any evidence to support his contention that the women were “shaming young girls.” He did not show them protesting or even approaching people on their way to the abortion clinic. Instead, he himself accosted them, demonizing their faith without giving them an opportunity to respond.
Furthermore, he should know full well that the women praying at the clinic were praying for the unborn babies getting murdered inside Planned Parenthood. These women weren’t trying to “protect their own version of Christianity.” They were trying to protect the unborn — and, failing that, to pray for their souls as they get killed. They were treating unborn babies like the humans they are, and Sims was protesting them, dehumanizing the babies and mocking their efforts to help them.
Sims filmed the event on Facebook. LifeNews and LiveAction reposted the video on Twitter.
UPDATE: Watch PA Rep @BrianSimsPA offer up $100 for the identities & addresses of 3 TEENAGERS who are fighting for the lives of preborn children.
This is despicable. pic.twitter.com/96JC9b8jQB
— Live Action (@LiveAction) May 6, 2019
Sims attacked LiveAction as a group of “Bible Bullies.” He retweeted the video, adding, “You are bigots, sexists, and misogynists and I see right through your fake morals and your broken values.”
Bring it, Bible Bullies! You are bigots, sexists, and misogynists and I see right through your fake morals and your broken values. #BeReal https://t.co/kmDsrQsMmN
— Brian Sims (@BrianSimsPA) May 5, 2019
The state representative also harassed an elderly pro-life woman outside the same Planned Parenthood. In that case, he followed her around, yelling invective at her. It seems he would have done the same to the teen girls if the woman had not protected them and if he was not distracted by the young man.
Bribing to dox the girls may not exactly constitute harassment, but Brian Sims needs to face repercussions for this — a censure in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would be a good start. There should be a national outcry, with Americans calling him to apologize. This is beyond the pale.
This article has been updated to include information about the incident reported by LifeNews.
Follow Tyler O’Neil, the author of this article, on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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