Meet Cyrus Western.
He’s an antigay, er, “family values” state legislator from Wyoming who recently came under fire for congratulating his state’s first Black sheriff, Albany County Sheriff Aaron Appelhans, on his new appointment by tweeting a racist GIF.
The GIF was from the movie Blazing Saddles and featured actor Cleavon Little, playing a Black sheriff, asking, “Where the white women at?”
Casper Star-Tribune reports:
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Western, who deleted his tweet after an outpouring of criticism, said that it was intended to be a reference to the film and was not intended to disparage Appelhans. In the film, Little played protagonist Sheriff Bart, a former slave who challenges the racist sensibilities of an all-white town in a satirical lampooning of the racism often obscured by Hollywood’s depictions of the Old West.
After deleting the tweet, Western issued an apology, calling his actions “dumb and uncalled for” and saying he left Appelhans a voicemail apologizing for it.
“I’d like to issue a retraction,” Western wrote. “My remark about the new Albany Sheriff was dumb and uncalled for.”
“What I did was insensitive, and, while unintended, I recognize that it was wrong,” he added. “I hope he accepts my apology.”
What I did was insensitive, and, while unintended, I recognize that it was wrong. I hope he accepts my apology.
— Cyrus Western (@CyrusWestern) December 16, 2020
In a followup interview, Western called his actions “stupid” and said he “wasn’t really thinking.”
“There was never any kind of malice or anything,” he explained, “and it was only afterwards I realized that it was really dumb.”
But this isn’t the first time Western has done something “really dumb.”
Last year, he voted against a bill that aimed to protect LGBTQ workers from discrimination. And on his campaign website, he bills himself as a “family values” candidate with an “an uncompromising stance on the conservative principles.”
Appelhans tells the Casper Star-Tribune that he has accepted Western’s apology and that he believes the lawmaker “definitely knows what he did was wrong.”
“We definitely had a conversation about—how do I say it—his tweet and the connotations of it as well, racist connotations,” he said. “I basically told him I have expectations for him and I’m looking forward to him meeting those expectations and be better.”
Related: Nazi enthusiast Madison Cawthorn spews more coded racist nonsense because he just can’t help himself
Jay002
He looks like the principal from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Godabed
Who was well known pedo, so the comparison is probably more accurate than we all think. Family Values… Sure Jan. Wait for him to be caught with some underaged thing in a motel or car.
Cam
The qualifications now to be a Republican.
Racist – check
Bigoted – check
Sexist – check
rand503
Homophobic — check
Mister P
No one can make this stuff up. I guess writers just can’t force themselves to think of stupid and racist things. That has to be left to republicans.
jerkinns
He looks so gay in that screen capture
Creamsicle
If you know someone well enough to make this kind of joke with them, then do it over a private channel. Maybe it’s just because it’s a Blazing Saddles reference, but I’m willing to chalk this up to a man trying to get in on Internet humor by using a gif reaction.
I get that he’s an anti-gay legislator, but this is a very human moment, and he immediately apologized for the way he represented his voters.
Of course, having commented that, I won’t be surprised if this is just the tip of the iceberg.
barryaksarben
little ginger cracker. What a horrid person.
Openminded
I love the tone of Appelhans comment to the press. It sounds like a very polite way of saying “I put this cracker in his place”.