Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community in the United States have branded Lauren Boebert, a far-right Republican congresswoman from Colorado, a hypocrite in light of her past anti-LGBTQ+ statements after offering prayers to victims of the recent shooting mass club Q in Colorado Springs.
The shooting at the LGBTQ+ club that left five people dead took place on the eve of Transgender Remembrance Day. ACLU-Colorado senior political strategist and trans activist Anaya Robinson called Boebert’s condolences “dishonest” and blamed inflammatory comments on the community for such tragedies.
Robinson said: “Certain languages and statements are the things that perpetuate this violence and hatred. Changing course… dehumanizing individuals and communities because of who they are and who they love – it makes it accessible to hurt them.
According to a study by the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School, “transgender people are more than four times more likely than cisgender people to experience violence, including rape, sexual assault and assault. serious or simple fact”.
Boebert has been outspoken about his stance against same-sex marriage, which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a constitutional right in the landmark 2015 case, Obergefell v. Hodges.
On her official government website, Boebert says she opposes “efforts to redefine marriage as something other than the union of a man and a woman.”
Boebert also took aim at drag shows, which became the focus of far-right sectarian conspiracy theories and a target of violence and protests. On Twitter, she once wrote, “Take your kids to CHURCH, not bars.
Boebert, who has been in office since 2021 and narrowly won re-election in the 2022 midterm elections, also has a history of pushing anti-LGTBQ+ policies into legislation.
In 2021, Boebert introduced a bill to block funding for research into gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth. Boebert called the research “evil” and spread conspiracy-based misinformation about the National Institute of Health (NIH), which she called the “National Institute of Horrors”.
On social media, Boebert aims to shock — equating gender-affirming treatments and surgeries with “child grooming.”
It’s a comparison that advocates at Glaad, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights organization, have called “dangerous”.
Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of Glaad, told the Guardian: “Boebert’s vile anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and glorification of guns and violence is a toxic combination – researchers who study extremism say it’s like a hot skillet on a burner with popcorn kernels ready. to pop – anyone listening can be encouraged to pop.
“Boebert led the creation of a culture of anti-LGBTQ hate in Colorado and beyond. The lies Boebert spews about LGBTQ people are absolutely despicable. Instead of offering his thoughts and prayers, how about Boebert instead stopping his barrage of anti-LGBTQ hate and working to enact stronger gun safety reforms? We need politicians who will represent us all and keep us safe, not politicians who put our lives at risk just to support their careers. »
In his official statement on the Club Q shooting, Glaad wrote, “Our hearts are broken for the victims of the horrific tragedy in Colorado Springs and their loved ones. This unspeakable attack robbed countless people of their friends and family and the sense of security of an entire community.
“You can draw a straight line from the false and vile rhetoric about LGBTQ people propagated by extremists and amplified on social media, to the nearly 300 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced this year, to the dozens of attacks on our community like this.”