Matt Walsh, Chaya Raichik from Libs of TikTok furious at being linked to Pride flag shooter Travis Ikeguchi

It's been a week since the murder of Laura Ann Carleton. Carleton was a business owner in California who was murdered by a man, Travis Ikeguchi, after a dispute about a Pride flag hanging in her shop. Ikeguchi, who was later killed by the police that same day, was discovered to have had a history of posting of disgusting and violent anti-LGBTQ messages on social media.

A Thursday article on NBC Out delved deeper into Ikeguchi's history of posting this ugliness on social media and how it ties into far-right conservatives smearing the Pride flag itself and the LGBTQ community as pedophiles:

The far right has repeatedly linked the flag to the decades-old trope that links gay and transgender people to child abusers who want to “groom” or sexualize children, a trope that has recently had a resurgence.

 “The pride flag does not deserve our respect or deference,” right-wing provocateur Matt Walsh declared in March to his 2.4 million followers on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Nearly all of the most depraved attacks on children, tradition, and common sense in modern society happen under the hideous banner of the pride flag.” A day later, Walsh dedicated an over hourlong episode of his podcast, “The Matt Walsh Show,” which is produced by the media company The Daily Wire, to the Pride flag. The episode was titled “The Pride Flag Deserves Our Disrespect.” 

 Chaya Raichik, who runs the far-right X account LibsOfTikTok, has repeatedly prompted conversations among her nearly 2.5 million followers that appear to take aim at the Pride flag. “Imagine walking into your kid’s elementary school and this is what greets you,” she wrote on X in June, along with an image of what appear to be teachers wearing rainbow Pride clothing and a person dressed in drag. “What do you do?” 

You will notice that the article mentioned two prominent anti-LGBT activists - Matt Walsh and Chaya Raichik of the infamous Libs of TikTok. Needless to say, neither was happy it. Both took to Twitter to voice their disapproval:

Apparently, Matt and Chaya are upset at being compared to a psycho killer.  That's ironic seeing that the tone of their objections mimic Ikeguchi's social media posts:

A little advice, Matt and Chaya - if you don't want to be compared to a homophobic psycho killer, then stop sounding like one.

'New York Times gets called out for pushing aside key source's lies in latest anti-trans article' & other Thur midday news briefs

NYT Treats Key Source’s Many Lies as an Aside in Latest Anti-Trans Smear​ - So-called 'whistleblower' Jamie Reed strikes again. And gets burned again. This time though, she brought the New York Times down with her. 

 Related posts about Jamie Reed: 

Families dispute whistleblower’s allegations against Missouri transgender health care center 

Whistleblower’s Claims About a St. Louis Transgender Center Are Under Fire 

Gender Clinic Workers Kept a Spreadsheet of Trans Patients’ Names. Here’s What Happened Next. 

 In other news:

Florida's Broward County says losses mount for tourism as more conventions stay away, citing fear for safety of diverse groups- Florida has to learn the hard way. 

Florida's New Anti-Trans Rule Threatens Jobs of College Faculty For Bathroom Use - And this is why.

Far-right podcaster Tim Pool blames drag queens for Hurricane Hilary, earthquake in California

The question here isn't would the LGBTQ community be blamed for Hurricane Hilary and the recent earthquake in California. It was rather who would do it now that Pat Robertson is dead.

It looks like far-right podcaster Tim Pool takes that spot. But he doesn't blame the entire community. Just drag queens.

Tim Pool says L.A. deserves to be flooded for supporting drag queens, suggests the recent storms are actually God punishing people. pic.twitter.com/OmDm9TAYZ1

— PimToolNews (@PimToolNews) August 22, 2023

For the record, a decade ago I performed twice in drag as part of charity events. If drag queens can cause natural disasters, I may have to go back to performing. I do love having power.

Also as long as we're pushing insane conspiracy theories, let me say that there is reason why Pool is almost never seen without his little black cap. Supposedly it hides the hole in his head where his brain would be if he had one. Or another face which is grosser looking than the one he shows off in public.

But that's just a theory.

Hat tip to LGBTQ Nation and @PimToolNews  

'Laura Ann Carleton's murderer was a fan of Matt Walsh and a far-right conspiracy theorist' & other Wed midday news briefs

Laura Ann Carleton

Man Who Shot Store Owner for Flying Pride Flag Was a Far-Right Conspiracist​ - No surprise here.

Rainbow Flag Killer Was Fan Of Extremist Matt Walsh - And it gets worse. Questions need to be asked of Walsh. Answers need to be demanded. 

My Child Is Leaving North Carolina Over New Anti-LGBTQ Laws - Absolutely heartbreaking story. 

PFLAG documentary spotlights Asian mothers, LGBTQ kids - Wonderful article.

Parenting With Pride: Florida support group for LGBTQ+ families created to keep far-right groups from dominating debate about parents & children

 

All of these groups (Moms for Liberty especially) constantly yammering "leave our kids alone" are deliberately obscuring the issue when it comes to families in America. If you ask them about LGBTQ families, they either ignore you or try to change the subject. They see our families and our kids as non-existent or unimportant since we don't fit into their so-called perfect, but ignorantly narrow image.

Enough is enough.

LGBTQ parents and their allies are stepping up in Florida to demand that their voices be added to the conversation.

Amid attacks on the LGBTQ community & academic freedom, parents are showing up and speaking out. Today, a new suite of resources is available to help support parents and families navigating these harmful education policies a​s school returns. Join us: https://t.co/IOA1CgZOo1 pic.twitter.com/3Z9yvnVgxS

— Equality Florida (@equalityfl) August 15, 2023

From Axios: 

 As many Florida children went back to school last week, a group of parents came together to announce a new support group for LGBTQ+ families. 

 Driving the news: Equality Florida formed Parenting With Pride to teach guardians about new laws affecting queer students via free webinars, track how those rules are implemented in schools, and provide them with resources and support.

Why it matters: LGBTQ+ youth have been the target of laws and regulations championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies over the last few years. The approach not only hurts a population of children at higher risk of depression and suicide because of how they're treated in society, advocates say, but also creates a confusing landscape for parents to navigate. 

  What they're saying: "There is a need for answers in Florida right now," Equality Florida press secretary Brandon Wolf said at a news conference announcing the group, "answers to what rights families have and can continue exercising in schools, answers to how the raft of legislation that's targeting those families will be implemented in classrooms, answers to how the system will impact their kids."

By the numbers: More than 1,000 families from Pensacola to Key West had joined the program as of last week, Wolf said. An estimated 114,000 LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-17 live in Florida, according to the Williams Institute, a think tank that conducts research on policies and laws pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity.

'Suspect named in fatal shooting of California store owner over a Pride flag' & other Tue midday news briefs

Laura Carleton

Suspect named in fatal shooting of California store owner over a Pride flag - This is what all of this hatred breeds. This was a hate crime:

 Travis Ikeguchi, 27, was responsible for shooting Laura Ann Carleton, 66, to death after "yelling many homophobic slurs" about her clothing store's Pride flag on Friday, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said at a press conference on Monday. Ikeguchi fled Carleton's store, Mag Pi, by foot and was later killed in “a lethal force encounter" with deputies on Friday. Officials said that Ikeguchi — a resident of Cedar Glen, California — had a history of making posts that were critical of the LGBTQ community on multiple social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Unbelievably Bonkers Conspiracy Theorist Running For Governor Of North Carolina​ - Mark Robinson thinks Beyonce is 'Satanic.' Of course he is an anti-LGBTQ bigot of the lowest order. 

This professor brought millions to Florida State. Now he's leaving a 'hostile' environment - Florida has to learn the hard way.

What Is Gender-Affirming Care, and Which States Have Restricted it in 2023? - So many people have false ideas about gender-affirming care (especially for trans kids) but won't even try to adequately educate themselves on the topic.

VA Republican claims he's protesting the 'grooming' of children by having them hold up 16-foot penis sign with Biden's picture

Definition of hypocrisy - Virgina Republican Ron Hedlund protesting the supposed 'grooming' of kids by the LGBTQ (most specifically the transgender community) by posting a sign of a penis with Biden's face near a group of kids. As you can see by the photos and video below, he thought it was very funny to film a video featuring two boys holding the sign. See unedited picture further down the post.

Brought to you by the Department of What Da F@k, made possible by Republican hypocrisy.

Virginia GOP Central Committee Representative Ron Hedlund recently wanted to take a stand against the so-called grooming of children by those of us in the LGBTQ community (particularly the transgender community). But his way of doing this says a lot more about Republican hypocrisy when it comes to the hysteria about 'grooming.'

 From LGBTQ Nation:

Conservative activist and Virginia GOP Central Committee Representative Ron Hedlund of Virginia got attention online over the weekend for his 16-foot penis sign with President Joe Biden’s face, which he displayed in front of a group of children. He had to be told by police to put the sign away.

 On social media, Hedlund – who goes by “The Benghazi Rabbit” – said that the point of the protest was to fight “transgenderism” in schools, a term conservatives use to refer to equal rights for transgender students and anti-bullying initiatives. Hedlund’s sign – which he calls the “Porter Penis” – read “S**T IS F**KED UP AND STUFF/BIDEN SUCKS” and had Biden’s face on a 16-foot penis with semen shooting out that was labeled “My kids.” It was displayed at the RF&P Park in Henrico County, Virginia this past Friday just outside where some children were playing a baseball game. He also had a giant “air dancer” with the words “F**K BIDEN” written on it and another sign that read “STOP GROOMING OUR CHILDREN.”

When challenged by a few people, Hedlund filmed himself making fun of them.  And as you can see by the pictures (and the video below), he actually had two boys posing with his sign while laughing it off as a joke.

If you ask me, the big joke in all of this is Hedlund and it's a bad one. I know he did it for attention and I can hear some of you maneuvering your lips to tell me that I shouldn't be giving him the attention. 

But I disagree. 

This is an awful climate we are in now with calculating social media influencers and Congressional leaders gaining attention and clout by resurrecting the lie that we are "recruiting" and "grooming" kids. These horror stories are breeding ugly repercussions either through anti-LGBTQ legislation or people losing their livelihoods. Or worse yet, violence like the murder of California business owner Laura Ann Carleton on Friday. Carleton was reportedly shot by someone who objected to a Pride flag she displayed outside of her shop.

But folks like Hedlund don't care. My guess is that they are enjoying the attention and the chaos they are causing. It's never been about protecting the children. It's been about the ability to showcase their hatred, bigotry, and embarrassingly poor taste. And as you can see by the pictures and the video, they have no problem with exploiting the children they claim to be protecting.

Editor's note - And here is the video: