The intern who helped save former Rep. Gabby Gifford’s (D-AZ) life after she was shot near Tucson, Ariz. in 2011 is calling on those mounting an anti-gay smear campaign against him to apologize and attend sensitivity training.
“I hope they’ll apologize and do what I’m asking and attend sensitivity training,” Daniel Hernandez Jr. told TPM in a phone interview on Tuesday, offering to even join the session himself.
Hernandez, who was elected last year to the board of Tucson’s Sunnyside Unified School District, is facing a recall effort and opponents have circulated flyers throughout the community attacking him for being gay and for supporting gun control.
Board president Louie Gonzales, who is facing a recall effort himself, told the Huffington Post Monday that he wasn’t behind the flyers, accusing Hernandez and his allies of distributing the material to drum up support ahead of the recall.
“I’m not going to get sucked into the back and forth with him, I’ve already said there needs to be an apology,” Hernandez told TPM.
During a forum on immigration reform in Mesa, Ariz. on Tuesday, Hernandez personally delivered a letter to Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) requesting a sit-down with gun violence survivors who have been pressing for expanded background checks on purchases of firearms. Hernandez said Flake promised he would take a look at it. He added that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who was also in attendance at the forum, was previously receptive to the idea.
