Arnie 'girlie men' jibe sparks sexism row

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called lawmakers “girlie men” prompting criticism from Democrats that the remark was sexist and homophobic.

The Terminator movie star turned politician dished out the insult at a rally on Saturday as he claimed Democrats were delaying the state budget by catering to special interests.

“If they don’t have the guts to come up here in front of you and say, ‘I don’t want to represent you, I want to represent those special interests, the unions, the trial lawyers…' if they don’t have the guts, I call them girlie men,” Schwarzenegger said in Ontario, California.

Democrats said Schwarzenegger’s remarks were insulting to women and gays and distracted from budget negotiations. State Senator Sheila Kuehl said the governor had resorted to “blatant homophobia".

“It uses an image that is associated with gay men in an insulting way, and it was supposed to be an insult.

“That’s very troubling that he would use such a homophobic way of trying to put down legislative leadership,” said Kuehl, one of five members of the Legislature’s five-member Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus.

“It’s ironic that the governor would try to find a metaphor for weakness when his real problem is that we’re being too strong,” she added.

At a rally yesterday in Stockton, the governor gave a speech almost identical to the one he delivered in Ontario – but without the “girlie men” remark. Spokesman Rob Stutzman said the line was dropped because Schwarzenegger had already sent the message he wanted to send, not because he regretted his remarks.

“It’s a forceful way of making the point that legislators are wimps when they let special interests push them around,” Stutzman said. “If they complain too much about this, I guess they’re making the governor’s point.” He said Schwarzenegger would not be apologising.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, a Democrat, said that while he wasn’t upset by the remark, his 13-year-old daughter was.