U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) is being highly criticized for her role in spreading anti-LGBTQ hate and lies after this weekend’s horrific anti-LGBTQ mass shooting in her home state of Colorado, which left dead five patrons of a nightclub that caters to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community, and another 25 injured.
Without mentioning any details, including that this was apparently a targeted attack on the LGBTQ community, Sunday morning Congresswoman Boebert tweeted: “The news out of Colorado Springs is absolutely awful. This morning the victims & their families are in my prayers. This lawless violence needs to end and end quickly.”
Among those criticizing the Republican Colorado gun-toting Congresswoman were U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Chasten Buttigieg, husband of the Secretary of Transportation, to name just a few.
“Not only is Boebert blindly pro-gun, she has also spread vicious, dangerous lies that LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. are ‘grooming’ children,” Rolling Stone reports. “A report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate and the Human Rights Campaign found that Boebert was the third most influential Twitter account in the U.S. that spread the harmful and false ‘groomer narrative.’ Her GOP colleague, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, was ranked number one. Meanwhile, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people have been rising in areas of the U.S. and internationally. Experts have been warning that increases in anti-LGBTQ hate speech online can be seen as calls to action for extremists and extremist groups.”
Rep. Boebert won re-election by just 554 votes only after her Democratic challenger conceded to avoid spending taxpayer funds for a recount.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) blasted Boebert, tweeting, “you have played a major role in elevating anti-LGBT+ hate rhetoric and anti-trans lies while spending your time in Congress blocking even the most common sense gun safety laws. You don’t get to ‘thoughts and prayers’ your way out of this. Look inward and change.”
The Atlantic’s Jemele Hill posted screenshots of Boebert’s attacks on the LGBTQ community.
Journalist and SiriusXM Progress host Michelangelo Signorile focused on Congresswoman Boebert and her allies Sunday evening.
“MAGA out in force, apoplectic at being told lord and savior Trump, & his henchman — DESantis, Kari Lake, Matt Walsh, Boebert, Greg Abbott, on & on — are responsible for inspiring the shooter at the Q nightclub in Colorado Springs,” he tweeted. “They’re furious, because they’re all guilty.”
Chasten Buttigieg put the blame at Boebert’s feet, tweeting: “You encourage this type of hatred. Get off Twitter and start looking inward.”
Kate Kendell, the former Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) had just three words for Boebert: “You did this.”
Democratic state Rep. Brian Sims of Pennsylvania responded to Boebert’s tweet, saying: “If you think for even one single moment that the entire nation, and all of the LGBTQ+ people in this country, don’t know that you, your rhetoric, your bigotry, and your hatred incited this attack, think again. You are an accomplice to these murders.”
Many accused Boebert of having blood on her hands.
“Lauren Boebert pushes the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric which encouraged the tragic violence in Colorado Springs last night,” tweeted Democratic strategist Jack Cocchiarella. “Boebert has blood on her hands.”
Colorado Democratic state Rep Brianna Titone urged Boebert to “resign,” tweeting: “Thanks for the ‘thoughts and prayers’ but that does nothing to offset the damage that you directly did to incite these kinds of attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. You spreading tropes and insults contributed to the hatred for us. There’s blood on your hands.”
Retired U.S. Air Force colonel, attorney, and former administrative law judge Moe Davis told Boebert, “Thoughts and prayers can’t wash the blood off your hands when violence explodes after you chose to strike the match and light the fuse. There’s nothing patriotic or American about domestic terrorism or those who enable it.”
Progressive communications strategist Dante Atkins: “Boebert, DeSantis, and the entire right wing have been fomenting anti-gay violence, specifically at drag shows, for years. The blood is on their hands. They may as well have loaded the guns themselves.”
Equality California political director Tom Temprano did not hold back his rage, tweeting screenshots of some of her anti-LGBTQ posts and a very strong response.