Little boy talks to Michele Bachmann about his gay mom

Eight-year-old Elijah and his mom attended a Michele Bachmann book signing. As Bachmann greeted the little boy, he told her, "My mommy's gay but she doesn't need fixing." The expression on Ms Bachmann's face at that juncture is the definition of priceless.

Activist Elijah With Michele Bachmann (via Beth Pratt)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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http://www.facebook.com/gamelab2021 Nick Johnson

Question is why? Its clear the kids coached. What would prompt the kid to say that?
- Cowicide
  
  Why? Perhaps aside from the mother’s prodding, it also has something to do with the ongoing intolerance and hatred spewed by people like Bachmann?
  
  But, I guess we’ll just ignore that sick, horrific part of the equation and focus on the moral fiber of the mother instead… yes?
  
  Is that how this works?
  
  Somehow I think the child will survive being prodded to defend his mother and goose this hateful woman. I worry more for the safety of the woman and child because they live in a world where people like Bachmann dehumanize them and are enablers for sick people to hurt and humiliate them.
  
  Also everyone should read the backstory from a person WHO WAS THERE:
  
  I took the video. We were standing in line, and his mom was ready to leave because we didn’t know what WE were going to say.
  
  When we turned to leave, Elijah grabbed her coat and pulled her back, telling her to stay cause he wanted to tell Michele something. If anything, it was the other way around. He just got stage fright—and his mom wasn’t going to let him back down, because he was going to regret it.
  - Islington
    
    Can’t we address both?
- Brainspore
  
  Coached, possibly. But I have very little doubt the kid understands and believes every word he said:
  
  • He knows his mommy likes women instead of men.
  • He knows some people think this is wrong.
  • He knows he loves his mommy just the way she is.
  
  What is left to understand? It’s not like someone is using him to debate the merits of the Glass-Steagall Act here.
Brainspore

It would almost be worth Bachmann staying in the Presidential race if it meant more moments like this one. Almost.
Mormon Nailer

I actually like the way Bachmann bends down to listen to the kid, it’s not what I would have imagined from her crazy staring eye persona, and I detest the mother forcing her obviously shy and somewhat unwilling son to make her point for her.
- Cowicide
  
  I detest the mother forcing her obviously shy and somewhat unwilling son to make her point for her.
  
  Save it, concern troll. Some of us actually detest the pure hatred and intolerance spewed from Bachmann (and her evil ilk) that inevitably leads to children growing up with self-loathing, depression and suicide.
  
  That is, if they aren’t first beaten to death by other people influenced by these evil cretins.
  
  I hope you get therapy for the terrible toll this child and mother have exacted upon your being. You poor, poor person.
  
  Also everyone should read the backstory from a person WHO WAS THERE:
  
  I took the video. We were standing in line, and his mom was ready to leave because we didn’t know what WE were going to say. When we turned to leave, Elijah grabbed her coat and pulled her back, telling her to stay cause he wanted to tell Michele something. If anything, it was the other way around. He just got stage fright—and his mom wasn’t going to let him back down, because he was going to regret it.
mmechanic

While sympathetic to the cause of marriage equality, I’m skeptical about this one. Seems like one of those cases where the kid is clearly too young to understand what he’s saying, and a parent put the idea in his head. I thought the young man who spoke up for his moms in Iowa was the real deal. Of course, it’s always fun to make Bachmann cringe.
millie fink

Awesome bit of activism there, kiddo!

From the mouths of babes. . .
http://twitter.com/writebastard Ian Wood

Food for thought.
millie fink

Do we know that the parent forced the child to do this? Even if the parent encouraged this bit of activism, couldn’t it have been the result of many conversations on this topic, and thus, a thorough understanding on the kid’s part of what he was doing? And even a desire on his part to do it?

I’ve known plenty of eight year olds smart enough to realize that someone hates their parents for no good reason. And to realize what a “president” is, and what kind of power that important-looking woman could have over gay issues (and thus, over their parents’ lives if their parents are gay) if she ever became one.
insert

According to Slate, this was all Elijah’s idea, to the point where he demanded that he and his mother stay so he could tell this to Bachmann, and his mother only pushed him to do it after he got “stage fright.”
marilove

For those claiming that the mother made the boy do this, there was a comment left by her or a friend of hers that was also there on another site (man I wish I could remember exactly where, but I was distracted at the time and didn’t bookmark it, but I think it was another YouTube video of this), and apparently this WAS the boy’s idea, initially, but then he got stage fright, so what you see is the mother encouraging him to do what he originally wanted to do. That’s what they say, anyway, and I’m inclined to believe them. Kids can certainly make these sorts of decisions on their own.
- chgoliz
  
  He may have wanted to do it in the safety of his own home, but as soon as it was clear that he wasn’t comfortable, they should have cut their losses and walked away.