Pennsylvania Republican state Rep. Aaron Bernstine is facing calls to resign after allegations that he directed homophobic slurs at Democratic colleague Malcolm Kenyatta during a confrontation at a crowded Harrisburg bar, and falsely claimed Kenyatta's weight loss was due to AIDS. Kenyatta, who is gay, was not present when the remarks were allegedly made. Bernstine has denied the allegations entirely, calling them a political attack.
What Allegedly Happened at McGrath's Pub
According to pennlive.com, the incident took place Tuesday night at McGrath's Pub in Harrisburg, where Bernstine allegedly directed homophobic slurs at Kenyatta, a Democratic state representative who was not in the building at the time. Michael Ford, secretary-treasurer of the Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council, said Bernstine used an anti-gay slur and falsely claimed Kenyatta had lost weight because he has AIDS. Ford and Bernstine reportedly exchanged words, though Ford and Robert Bair both said there was no physical altercation.
Bernstine has pushed back hard on the account. In a statement reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, he said, “The allegations attributed to me are false. This is a political attack.” He represents parts of Butler and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania's 8th District and chairs two House subcommittees, according to his Pennsylvania General Assembly biography.
Bernstine Says Dispute Began Over Legislation
Bernstine told WPXI that the confrontation stemmed from objections raised by trades council members over amendments he intended to introduce on legislation the organization supported. Two Republican colleagues, state Reps. Scott Barger and Josh Bashline, said they witnessed threats directed at Bernstine from union members but said they never heard him use a slur, the station reported.
Bernstine has separately alleged he was threatened during the encounter, including by individuals who told him they knew where he lived and said they could not wait to see him outside, with some allegedly threatening to kill him. He said he has reported the incident to law enforcement officials and that his office is exploring all available legal remedies, adding, “political disagreements never justify threats or intimidation.”
Kenyatta and Democratic Caucuses Demand Resignation
Kenyatta, who represents Pennsylvania's 181st District, responded Friday morning with a 94-second video posted to his X account calling on Bernstine to resign, saying his behavior falls so far beneath what it must mean to be a member of the House of Representatives. The Democratic leaders of Pennsylvania's Legislative LGBTQ Equality Caucus and Legislative Black Caucus demanded Bernstine's immediate resignation, a call the broader Democratic Pennsylvania House Delegation said it supported, per the Inquirer's report.
The delegation issued a statement backing Kenyatta and said the rhetoric attributed to Bernstine was abhorrent, adding that he had repeatedly failed to meet a higher standard of conduct expected of lawmakers. House Democratic leadership separately told pennlive.com that the reported language was shocking, offensive and deeply disappointing, saying Bernstine should be ashamed of himself and apologize. Calls for Bernstine to leave office have since broadened beyond the initial caucus demands, with the Philadelphia House Delegation and other Democratic lawmakers calling for his resignation, expulsion or censure, according to the same pennlive.com account.
Republican Caucus Calls Conduct Troubling
Even as Bernstine has denied wrongdoing, the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus issued its own statement describing the alleged conduct as troubling and inconsistent with the professionalism Pennsylvanians expect of their state lawmakers, the Inquirer reported.
This is not the first time Bernstine has faced bipartisan pressure to step down. In 2020, House Republican leaders called for his resignation after videos surfaced showing him encouraging his young son to smoke and curse, according to the Inquirer. At the time, Republican House leaders said, “we call on Rep. Bernstine to immediately resign,” as reported by WTAE. Bernstine apologized then, saying, “It was jokes that went way too far,” but said he intended to keep running for office, and he remained in his seat.
As first detailed in NBC10 Philadelphia's reporting on the growing fallout, the dispute has become a flashpoint between the two parties in Harrisburg, with no resolution yet in sight over whether Bernstine will face any formal consequences in the House.
