Okay, this got me curious. From the wikipedia article on viruses:
Viruses are considered by some biologists to be a life form, because they carry genetic material, reproduce, and evolve through natural selection, although they lack the key characteristics, such as cell structure, that are generally considered necessary criteria for defining life. Because they possess some but not all such qualities, viruses have been described as “organisms at the edge of life” and as replicators.
To give this dude credit, from the rest of the quote in the article it sounds like he’s genuinely standing up against this sort of hate, and I expect it’s at a very tangible personal cost. I find it almost unbelievable that anyone who genuinely opposes hate of a sort that’s become a part of the absolute fabric of modern conservatism could still be a Republican, but apparently this dude is the exception. I hope he has the sense to get out now, but I’ll take what genuine progress I can get given I’ve largely written off most conservatives as a lost cause.