[Guardian] Questioned about comments and actions deemed by many to be homophobic, the new Republican US House speaker, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, told Fox News his worldview was: "Go pick up a Bible."
Speaking on Thursday, Johnson said he "genuinely love[d] all people regardless of their lifestyle choices.
"This is not about the people themselves. I am a Bible-believing Christian. Someone asked me today in the media, they said, ’... People are curious. What does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun?’ I said, well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it — that’s my worldview. That’s what I believe and so I make no apologies for it."
Johnson added: "That’s my personal worldview."
Johnson’s rise to the speakership was confirmed on Wednesday, as the fourth candidate since Kevin McCarthy was ejected by the actions of a clutch of far-right representatives in his own congressional conference earlier this month.
The Louisianan, 51, won his final vote without Republican dissent but is a controversial pick nonetheless. Before entering Congress in 2016, he was an attorney for rightwing Christian groups and a state legislator. In both roles he advanced extreme views, particularly against abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. 
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