US Rep. Lauren Boebert said she was tired of being blamed for the deadly shootings at Colorado gay clubs as the left pointed out her anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
The Colorado congresswoman went against her critics in an interview with OAN, saying she has long been accused of influencing mass shooters since taking office.
“I’ve been accused of almost every mass shooting since the left learned my name,” Boebert said. “Whether it’s Uvalde or the shooting of the King Soopers in Boulder, Colorado, or the shooting in Buffalo, New York.
“Or even Paul Pelosi getting hammered,” she added, referring to the home invasion attack that saw House Speaker husband Nancy Pelosi hospitalized. “I was blamed for all of this.”
Nancy Pelosi had blamed MAGA Republicans for the deadly Colorado shooting when 22-year-old Anderson Aldrich killed five and injured 19 during a drag show on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Following the sentencing by the House Speaker, US Reps Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Brianna Titone directly credited Boebert for their anti-transgender comments, and the local Denver Post ran a scathing comment on their hateful remarks.
However, Boebert scoffed at the criticism, saying: “This all has to end, this blame game. I think the left is mad because I won my election and that’s why they’re trying to find something to take action against me.
US Rep. Lauren Boebert has slammed critics who have blamed her for spreading anti-LGBTQ rhetoric that she says has fueled violent attacks like the recent Colorado Springs shooting
Among those who slammed Boebert were US Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Brianna Titone (above). Titone is a congresswoman from Colorado and the state’s first openly transgender legislator
Boebert, a vocal Trump supporter who won a close race for re-election, has been embroiled in controversy over her repeated criticism of trans people and gender-affirming grooming.
Lawmakers had referred to US Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Rachel Levine, a transgender woman, as a “groomer” and referred to the health official by her former male name.
It’s a practice referred to by transgender people as “dead naming,” which many find offensive.
The LGBTQ community faces a wave of threats and violence. In a recent study from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino, researchers found that reporting of hate crimes against LGBTQ people in major cities increased by 51 percent in 2021.
Titone, the state’s first openly transgender lawmaker, slammed her Colorado congresswoman after the shooting, tweeting, “Thanks for the ‘thoughts and prayers’ but that doesn’t make up for the damage you directly did to this species.” of attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. They spread phrases and insults and contributed to the hatred towards us.
“There’s blood on your hands,” Titone wrote. “Just quit.”
Ocasio-Cortez followed suit, writing: @laurenboebert, you have played an important role in spreading the anti-LGBT+ hate rhetoric and anti-trans lies while you have spent your time in Congress blocking even the most sane gun safety legislation.
“You don’t come here to ‘thoughts and prayers.’ Look within and change.’
Boebert scoffed at the criticism, saying the left was just upset by their narrow re-election win for Congress. She also said she would double down on her comments against transgender people, calling them “groomers.”
Pictured: A mugshot after the shooting shows the face of Anderson Lee Aldrich after they were beaten and restrained as they opened fire at Colorado gay nightclub Club Q, killing five and injuring 19
Boebert called the criticism of her “disgusting” and in a radio interview with KOA on Tuesday doubled down on her anti-transgender community comments, describing trans women “as men who dress up as caricatures of women.”
The congresswoman also wondered why the media focused on stories about her rather than the heroes who stopped Aldrich, or why red flag laws weren’t triggered when the suspected shooter was arrested last year.
“It’s unfortunate that people aren’t talking about the two heroes who risked their lives to stop this vile shooter, nor are they talking about enforcing the laws that are in the books,” she told KOA. ‘Why wasn’t this Red Flag law enforced?’
Boebert had specifically opposed a federal version of her state’s Reg Flag law, which allows a court to temporarily confiscate a person’s firearms if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others.
One of the far right’s first vocal critics of the shooting was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (pictured November 22).
“These incidents occurred in the context of conservative media figures’ fear-mongering against queer people,” suggested MSNBC host Chris Hayes
NBC reporter Ben Collins reported how the scaremongering spread to LGBTQ community events, including Drag Nights
After the mass shooting, Speaker Pelosi addressed the nation, blaming the transphobic rhetoric being circulated by the far right.
“Today and each day let us offer comfort to the bereaved loved ones, honor the memory of those killed and continue to fight to save lives from the evil forces of hate,” Pelosi said. “This fight remains more urgent than ever as right-wing extremists target the most basic rights and freedoms of transgender Americans.
“Whether spreading dangerous rhetoric from cable newsrooms or openly bullying schoolchildren from the halls of power, MAGA Republicans are cruelly undermining the safety and well-being of our transgender community.”
A number of media commentators, including MSNBC reporters, also blamed the far right.
“It’s a campaign driven by members of Congress and conservative influencers on social media, as well as the right-wing’s favorite television network, Fox News,” said MSNBC political reporter Nicolle Wallace.
“They spewed anti-LGBTQ rhetoric against the US military, against gay men and women for most of Fox News’ television hours in a regular clip,” she continued.
MSNBC evening host Chris Hayes shared this view: “These incidents occurred in the context of conservative media personalities who incite fear of queer people,” he suggested.
Tucker Carlson used his monologue on his show to name liberal TV reporters who had accused him and Fox News of fomenting anti-LGBTQ sentiment
Pictured: a tribute to the five victims of the Colorado Springs shooting
Mourners paid their respects at the makeshift tribute near Club Q on Tuesday
Along with Boebert, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson condemned the criticism of him and the right, pointing to court records that alleged shooter Aldrich reportedly identified as non-binary and using she-she pronouns.
‘Do you remember [when you were told] Anderson Lee Aldrich was inspired by hatred of the non-binary community that he encountered on that show,” Carlson asked his viewers.
‘Do you remember that? Well actually turns out we discovered last night that Anderson Lee Aldrich – drum roll please – is part of the non-binary community. He doesn’t hate her. He is a!’
The Colorado shooter’s motive remains unknown, Aldrich faces five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of biased felonies causing bodily harm, more commonly known as hate crimes.
Many have questioned Aldrich’s non-binary identity, suggesting it may have been a ploy to evade hate crime charges