Video of Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright speaking at the Greenville-Spartanburg Republican Women’s meeting shows the county’s top law enforcement officer threatening bodily harm to any transgender women who uses the ladies’ restroom in his presence. The video was posted by a conservative podcaster and shows the sheriff discussing South Carolina’s proposed ban on public accommodations nondiscrimination protections for transgender people.

Wright expressed his unequivocal support for the measure while attendees laughed along with his remarks disparaging transgender people. The sheriff, who carried his firearm but wasn’t dressed in his official uniform, acknowledged the presence of the media but continued on with his threat to violently attack an unarmed civilian.

“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t even know why there’s an issue about which bathroom to use,” he said. “Because if you are a guy and you go into bathroom with my wife, I’m gonna make the news — I know there’s three cameras rolling — I’m gonna whip your tail if you go in there with my wife while she’s trying to use the bathroom, or my granddaughter. That is bologna,” Wright says.

“So, I don’t really understand why there’s an issue in any legislation, or state senators or whatever gotta make that stuff. I mean, the men’s room is for the men. The girl’s room is for the girls. We were taught the symbol when we were little and we couldn’t read. Wearing a dress is supposed to be a chick. Supposed to anyway. Unless you’re raising money for something. Listen, I’ve dressed up like a girl to raise money for under-privileged kids. But I was the only one who didn’t take it seriously. I didn’t shave. I tried to look like a man dressed up like a chick.”

South Carolina Republican state senator Lee Bright has introduced legislation mirroring North Carolina’s controversial law that would require transgender people to use the restroom associated with their birth gender. Republican Governor Nikki Haley has said she opposes the law as unnecessary.

Watch video of the sheriff’s comments below.

https://youtu.be/gEgDPn0-iGY