Mark Robinson Waves Hand By Groin, Says Young Women Must 'Get This Under Control'

WASHINGTON ― In a newly unearthed video from 2022, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) scoffs at the idea that young women should have access to birth control and, repeatedly waving his hand near his groin, says they just need to “get this under control.”

During a January 2022 appearance at Hilltop Baptist Church in Thomasville, North Carolina, Robinson ― who is now the GOP nominee for governor ― also took aim at programs that provide sexual education and birth control to young women.

The North Carolina Republican has a long history of making sexist , homophobic and otherwise offensive remarks, in addition to peddling wild conspiracy theories . He has modeled himself after former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Robinson in March.

“Particularly we love to tell our young women that. We want to empower you,” he said mockingly in his 2022 remarks. “We want to help you to build up your mind so you can be empowered.”

Robinson proposed what he called “a novel idea” to the audience.

“Why don’t you use some of that building up of your mind and building up of empowerment to move down here, to this region down here,” he said, moving his hand in circles around his stomach and crotch. “Get this under control.”

“See, because this region right here, that’s the only region on your body that can make life and take life,” he continued. “If there’s anything we need to be telling our young people, it’s they need to be responsible with their reproductive systems. That means you don’t lay down and act like you’re making a baby til you’re ready to have a baby.”

Robinson then dismissed the idea of educating young women about sex and birth control.

“All this giving out of birth control and advising people how,” he said. “Here’s how you don’t have a baby: You don’t have what you do to make a baby until you’re ready to have that baby.”

The video doesn’t show the faces of attendees at this church event, but a handful of them can be heard agreeing with Robinson on that last point.

“You be responsible with your body. That’s a novel idea,” he said. “Has not reached our school system, sadly.”

Robinson’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment about whether the GOP gubernatorial nominee supports young women having access to birth control, or about why he thought it was appropriate to wave his hand by his crotch and say women need to control themselves.

Here’s the video clip of Robinson’s remarks:

Robinson is running against Democrat Josh Stein, North Carolina’s attorney general. The state’s current governor, Roy Cooper (D), is term-limited out in November.

Stein is leading in all the recent polls against Robinson, per the polling aggregation site FiveThirtyEight.