Mike Johnson Uses Fears of LGBTQ Teens to Raise Money

House Speaker Mike Johnson fears more high school students are identifying as LGBTQ in a Sunday campaign email.

Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, was voted in as speaker on October 25 after the GOP struggled for three weeks to elect a replacement for Representative Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, who was ousted on October 3. Since then, the congressman has faced criticism for his Christian views, including accusations of having strong ties to Christian nationalism, which holds that the U.S. is a solely Christian nation and that its laws and government should be tied to religious values.

In addition, Johnson became second in line to the presidency during a time of increased LGBTQ hate, violence and anti-LGBTQ legislation in America. In recent years, LGBTQ young people have been faced with hundreds of bills nationwide as conservative lawmakers have been moving to limit their rights to access health care, bathroom facilities and participation in sports.

In a fundraising email sent on Sunday entitled: "Does America need more God, Patriot?" Johnson spoke out against growing numbers of young people who are identifying as LGBTQ.

"Our culture has fallen so far since the founding of our country, and it's just getting worse. I fear America may be beyond redemption...1 in 4 high school students identifies as something other than straight," Johnson declared in the email, a copy of which was first obtained by Punchbowl News.

"What are they being taught in school?" Johnson added.

Newsweek reached out to Johnson via email for comment.

According to 2021 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25.7 percent of high school students do not identify as straight, with 3.2 percent identifying as gay or lesbian, 11.9 percent identifying as bisexual, and 9 percent identifying as something else or questioning.

The email was sent via the National Republican Campaign Committee, the primary campaign arm of House Republicans and continues to state what Johnson characterizes as a "depraved culture."

"Let's face it- we live in a depraved culture. I didn't want to believe it at first, but I fear God may allow our nation to enter into a time of judgment for our collective sins," Johnson continued, later writing: "We have much to repent for if we want to avoid the judgment we so clearly deserve."

This comes as several schools and school districts have adopted policies on transgender students including removing accommodations for transgender students.

In response to Johnson's email, GLSEN, an American education organization working to end discrimination, harassment and bullying based on gender identity, said in a statement via email, "It is reprehensible to watch the person second in line to the presidency use lies, shame and fear tactics to raise money for his campaign."

"Speaker Johnson is trying to force LGBTQ+ people, especially youth, back into the closet and reverse the decades of progress organizations like GLSEN have made toward inclusion, equality and acceptance. In the face of fear and hate, we must continue to rise up and show up at the ballot box for pro-equality candidates," GLSEN Executive Director, Melanie Willingham-Jaggers added.

As an evangelical Christian and a close ally of former President Donald Trump, Johnson has often been outspoken about putting his Christian faith at the center of his legislative career.

Before his political career, Johnson served as senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, formerly Alliance Defense Fund, from 2002 to 2010. The ADF has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which states that ADF called for the re-criminalization of sexual acts between consenting LGBTQ adults in the U.S.

However, since becoming speaker, Johnson also said on Fox News in October: "I also genuinely love all people, regardless of their lifestyle choices."

Update 12/6/23 6:36 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from GLSEN.