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By Jason Lemon
Deputy News Director
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A Republican state lawmaker in Pennsylvania is facing backlash after he appeared to compare COVID-19 vaccine mandates to rape in a Facebook post late last month.
GOP state Representative Russ Diamond of Lebanon County made the controversial social media post on August 23. The post includes a purple background of skulls, with the question: "What's it called when someone sticks something into your body against your will? Or coerces you to let them?" Diamond wrote: "There's a word for that..."
The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported on Thursday that the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) slammed the Republican lawmaker's remarks, describing them as "tasteless." The organization said it was "outraged" at the post.
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"Diamond's post dishonestly implies that the experience of vaccination is as invasive and traumatizing as sexual assault," the coalition said in a statement.
"It is wrong to tokenize the trauma of sexual assault survivors for any reason, especially for such a cheap and inaccurate analogy. When sexual violence is minimized for the sake of attempted cleverness or dramatic effect, it only accentuates the trauma and pain that survivors and their families experience every day. It reminds them that some people in society and in power still don't believe or understand them. Statements like these can silence and trigger victims while they suffer emotionally, physically, and psychologically," the organization added.
The group asked the state representative to remove his "harmful" post and to "recognize the harm these victims suffer when their abuse is used as political fodder."
In an August 25 comment on the original Facebook post, Diamond doubled down on his initial remarks. "For the woke crowd: Learn to think. In this analogy, the vaccine is akin to sexual activity, due to the physical nature of both. Voluntary engagement in either is fine. But forcing someone to do either is wrong," he wrote.
When reached for comment by Newsweek, Diamond forwarded his email correspondence with PCAR.
"My post did not compare the COVID vaccine to rape. In fact, my post mentioned neither one. The issue before us is this: Should anyone be forced or coerced into having something done to their body against their will?" the Republican asked in an August 25 email
"The hard answer is NO," he wrote.
In a follow-up email on August 26, he said PCAR's criticism of his post was "about as disingenuous as it gets."
"My post was about FORCED or COERCED vaccinations, not about just getting vaccinated of one's own free will," Diamond wrote.
"You should have at least included our email exchange so people could judge for themselves," he told the organization. "Look, maybe y'all are ok with forced or coerced vaccinations. If so, just say it and let folks know exactly where you stand."
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The Republican lawmaker's verified Facebook page showcases his strong opposition to mask mandates, as well as his substantial criticism of Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In early August, Wolf announced that all healthcare employees in the state, as well as employees in high-risk congregate facilities, would be required to be vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing beginning September 7. The Democratic governor also said on Tuesday that students, teachers and staff will be required to wear masks in K-12 schools.
As of Thursday, more than 82 percent of Pennsylvania's adult population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, according to The New York Times' tracker. More than 66 percent of the state's adults have been fully vaccinated.
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