Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s appointment of an anti-Catholic bigot to a state council on women’s issues:

Gail Gordon Donegan is a local political activist. She is also a vicious anti-Catholic bigot. Now, thanks to Gov. Ralph Northam, she is an appointee to the Virginia Council on Women. It is an appointment the governor must withdraw—at once!

It would be hard to outdo Donegan’s vile tweets for pure, sustained hatred of Catholics, Catholic priests and Catholic teachings. A sampling:

“Abortion is morally indefensible to Catholic priests bcuz it results in fewer children to rape.”

Christmas is “the one time of year the Catholic Church is allowed to focus on a little boy.”

“Go tell a Catholic they have dirt on their forehead.”

“Saw a bumper sticker: ‘You can’t be both Catholic & Pro-Choice.’ Add: You can be a pedophile though!”

This is the kind of thing one would expect from a Klansman, not a responsible advocate for women’s issues. There is no place for this kind of hate speech in the halls of government.

A statement from a Northam spokeswoman that the governor “certainly does not condone this language” is woefully inadequate. Northam must rescind his appointment of Donegan. Anything less will make him complicit in her anti-Catholic bigotry.

Contact Gov. Northam’s press secretary Alena Yarmosky: alena.yarmosky@governor.virginia.gov