Matt Lavietes reports for NBC OUT that a Californian business owner was allegedly shot and killed for displaying a pride flag. "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," Lavietes writes, "a trope that has recently had a resurgence."
Here's Lavietes messaging Chaya Raichik, the woman behind Libs of TikTok, inviting her to comment on "criticism that your online posts about the LGBTQ Pride flag have incited violence, including and similar to the California store owner." Whenever journalists write "critics say," that means they're about to express their own opinion.
NBC and trans activists are blaming a murder on @MattWalshBlog and myself because we dared criticize shoving the progress pride flag down the throats of children.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 24, 2023
Thr media is truly the enemy of the people. They deserve your disgust and contempt. pic.twitter.com/0aIu9zbUfi
"So, are you an accessory to murder?"
That whole story is extremely sketchy anyway. If that guy was really that bothered by the pride flag, he would have been in 20 violent confrontations per day in California.
— John Hawkins (@johnhawkinsrwn) August 24, 2023
Sue NBC. Period.
— SeldenGADawgs (@SeldenGADawgs) August 24, 2023
The murderer wasn't white, so they gotta pin this on someone else!
— raf (@defi_raf) August 24, 2023
When will they be releasing Audrey Hale’s manifesto?
— Ryan (@drrdwellington) August 24, 2023
"When asked about the post, Raichik said in a message to NBC News, 'Why are you comparing anyone who criticizes the progress pride flag being shoved down the throats of children, to a violent murderer?'" Good question.
Sticks and stones can break bones, but words will literally genocide the most celebrated minority in the history of the world. 🙄
— Jason Jones (@jonesville) August 24, 2023
A vitriolic Alejandra Caraballo, a trans activist, is their go-to in this article. She definitely knows how to hate on this platform. We owe more to the victim of this atrocious hate-filled murder. @NBCNews @Esqueer_ pic.twitter.com/rOIzRTBUna
— KDugan1850 (@KDugan1850) August 24, 2023
The whole mainstream media has her on speed-dial.
That is exactly what victim mentality people do. Blame others.
— GuideByGrace (@GuideByGrace) August 24, 2023
They have not provided ANY evidence that shooting was over a pride flag yet they write as if there was.
— JR Moore (@J_Moore1292) August 24, 2023
“tHe pOLicE sAId so”
There has to be more than that, or this suspect would be shooting Californians all day every day.
Also that woman was shot by her brother so, call me crazy, that might have been something other than an alphabet issue.
— Faye Hausendorff (@FayeH321) August 24, 2023
Why don't they mention that it was her BROTHER that shot her??
— Will Ryan (@MeRtLe1212) August 24, 2023
She was shot and killed by her own brother. So tell him to go back and research first. Then he can come back and ask you something. How about they find out what happened in their family that the brother felt bold enough to kill his sister
— CC (@TheDocsPond17) August 24, 2023
And they alone get to decide what is and is not "reasonable criticism."
— Behavioral Sink Repairman (@stromhawkgt) August 24, 2023
As we learned this Pride Month, you can burn the American flag as free speech, but it's a hate crime to damage a pride flag.
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