Lauren Boebert condemned for response to Colorado Springs shooting

A conservative Colorado congresswoman faced blowback for her statement of concern in response to the shooting at a gay nightclub in the state when Twitter users accused her of trafficking in the same hate that has been blamed for the attack.

Lauren Boebert tweeted after a shooting overnight at Club Q in Colorado Springs that “the news out of Colorado Springs is absolutely awful. This morning the victims & their families are in my prayers.

She added, “[t]his lawless violence needs to end and end quickly”.

But her remarks fell on deaf ears; Twitter users quickly noted that Ms Boebert was deeply entrenched in the resurgence of right-wing hate against the LGBT community. The freshman congresswoman, who holds a thin lead in a reelection bid headed for a recount, has more than once tweeted approvingly about the right-wing hate account LibsOfTikTok, which shines a spotlight on private citizens and businesses that are seen as members of or allied with the gay community; teachers and drag performers who interact with children are among the owner’s favourite targets. Those targeted by the account are subjected to relentless abuse from thousands of followers; in one recent high-profile case, the Boston Children’s Hospital received bomb threats after it was maligned by the account.

Just a few months ago, Ms Boebert tweeted that the LibsOfTikTokAccount had “discovered the most effective way to highlight the inconsistencies of Leftist logic” after it received a suspension from the platform.

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