A Mississippi state senator has been labeled a “trimmer” after a photo surfaced showed him wearing a pink onesie at a 2020 cancer fundraiser.
Senator Jeremy England – a married man with two children – has since responded to the criticism, revealing that the costume was “embarrassing” on purpose, not just for Halloween, but also to raise money for breast cancer research.
The event, England said, was part of the aptly named Real Men Wear Pink breast cancer awareness program and was held to raise money “for a good cause” — not to trap children, as some have claimed.
Passed wearing a tutu and matching pink leotard in the circulating snaps, the Republican added that he joined the program to appease his grandmother, who is a breast cancer survivor.
The statement came after an attack by conservatives poured onto social media to falsely accuse the 40-year-old of promoting pedophilia — amid an increasingly divisive GOP primary in which England supports the incumbent party.
Senator Jeremy England, 40, has been labeled a ‘trimmer’ after a photo surfaced showed him wearing a pink onesie at a 2020 breast cancer fundraiser
A married man with two children, the Republican legislature has since dismissed that criticism, which came from fellow Republicans during a particularly divisive GOP election, suggesting he was promoting pedophilia with the all-pink costume
It started on Tuesday when a person supporting one of the incumbent lieutenant governor’s opponents posted the since-deleted image of tutu-clad England — along with the pointed caption above. The term’s latest victim, “groomer,” has become a smear claim that anyone who ignores gender norms around children encourages pedophilia. England rejected these claims this week
In statements to the press and social media, he refuted the claims of the “caretaker,” saying he would “don that costume again in a heartbeat to raise money for breast cancer awareness.”
He also claimed that the backlash only began after an advertisement aired on local television on Tuesday expressing his support for Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann’s re-election.
Shortly after it aired, he received a text message from Senator Melanie Sojourner, who is supporting Senator Chris McDaniel — both Republicans — in the August lieutenant governor primary.
Soon after, a person supporting one of Hosemann’s detractors posted the since-deleted image of the tutu-clad England on Twitter — along with the pointed caption: “Hosemann and his trimmer weirdos.”
The term — a buzzword thrown around by a plethora of leftists in recent months — has become a slur claiming that anyone who flouts gender norms, especially around children, encourages pedophilia.
That said, people in positions of power are also common victims of the descriptor, with England – seen in the skintight pink bodysuit in the resurfaced shots – being the latest to be criticized.
On Wednesday, following the post’s spike in popularity, England took to Facebook to explain where the nearly three-year-old image came from — and why he thinks it’s now resurfacing.
“The photo is one of me in my pink costume,” wrote the legislator – who was elected in 2020 to represent the state’s District 51.
“This photo was shared on Twitter by another McDaniel supporter who calls me a ‘Groomer.'”
“So now I’m being attacked personally.”
He continued, “But as I’ve said before, this is the way the McDaniel camp works.
“Well, I hope they packed lunch and invited everyone, because I’m fighting back.”
In a later interview with The Associated Press, he added, “I consider that one of the worst, dirty forms of politics — which is, of course, where we are now in this race.”
Prior to the backlash, England said he received a text message from Senator Melanie Sojourner publicly supporting another Republican for the primary. It contained no words – just the photo of him wearing the tutu – and was, according to England, ‘a threat’
England posted about the episode on Facebook and he revived his fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. By Saturday, he had raised about $5,600
Hosemann faces two challengers in the Aug. 8 primary: Senator Chris McDaniel, who has run two unsuccessful U.S. Senate races in the past decade, and Tiffany Longino, a low-spending schoolteacher on her first run for public office.
If no one wins a majority on August 8, the race will move to a second round on August 29.
In a new Hosemann TV ad, England explained how he supported McDaniel in 2014, but now supports Hosemann.
England said shortly after the ad aired, he received a text from state senator Melanie Sojourner, who publicly supports McDaniel.
England said the message contained no words – just the picture of England wearing the tutu.
“It was clear she sent that to me as a threat,” England wrote on Facebook.
England responded to Sojourner with a “HaHa” on the photo, writing that he had worn the costume in his neighborhood to raise money for breast cancer research as part of the American Cancer Society’s “Real Men Wear Pink” effort.
The following day, another McDaniel supporter posted a similar photo of England on Twitter, referring to “groomer weirdos.” The tweet has been deleted, but England has kept a screenshot of it.
England posted about the episode on Facebook and he revived his fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. By Saturday, he had raised about $5,600.
In response to questions from the AP, Sojourner said the tone of the text exchange between her and England “has no intention of threatening and/or bullying Senator England.” She said he smiled and liked her messages.
“As the prankster of the Senate Chamber, Senator England’s new decorum is both tongue-in-cheek and bizarre,” Sojourner said. ‘Sen. England is crying purely to score political points for its commander-in-chief, Delbert Hosemann.’
Sojourner said she doesn’t know if the person calling England a “trimmer” is associated with the McDaniel campaign.
McDaniel said in a statement to the AP: “To be clear, I do not condone vitriol aimed at Senator England, nor the toxicity that our modern political environment produces. Campaigns are won and lost by volunteers, but it is impossible for any campaign or candidate to monitor every volunteer on social media.”
During the 2014 U.S. Senate campaign, some McDaniel supporters entering a nursing home without permission and photographed Cochran’s wife, who suffered from dementia. Images of her briefly appeared online.
McDaniel said he had nothing to do with the incident. McDaniel refused to admit defeat in the GOP primary after the Cochran campaign courted black voters who usually vote in Democratic primaries.
Republican-led Mississippi will elect state officials this year, including a governor and a lieutenant governor. While candidates for the two jobs run like a ticket in some states, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected separately in Mississippi.
The lieutenant governorship is one of the most powerful positions in the Mississippi government. The person presides over the senate of 52 states, appoints the leaders of the senate committee and has a lot of leeway to decide which legislation lives or dies.
In the November 7 general election, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor will run against Democrat D. Ryan Grover, who reports that he has spent no money on his campaign so far.