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U.S. NEWS Monday 19 deceMber 2022
Anti-LGBTQ hate thrives online, spurs fears of more violence

By DAVID KLEPPER speech — let alone the
Associated Press calls for violence that they
In the days after a gunman spark — reach the volume
killed five people at a gay they have now,” extremism
nightclub in Colorado last researcher Rita Katz wrote
month, much of social me- in an email to The Associ-
dia lit up with the now fa- ated Press.
miliar expressions of grief, Katz is co-founder of SITE
mourning and disbelief. Intelligence Group, which
But on some online mes- monitors far-right internet
sage boards and platforms, sites and has identified doz-
the tone was celebratory. ens of threats against LG-
“I love waking up to great BTQ groups and events in
news,” wrote one user on the U.S. in recent months.
Gab, a platform popular SITE released a bulletin
with far-right groups. Other Thursday detailing death
users on the site called for threats against drag per-
more violence. formers after one ap-
The hate isn’t limited to peared at the White House
fringe sites. On Twitter, You- bill signing of the Respect
Tube and Facebook, re- for Marriage Act.
searchers and LGBTQ ad- Attendees congregate at a rally against gender-affirming care at War Memorial Plaza in Nashville, Researchers at the Cen-
vocates have tracked an Tenn., Oct. 21, 2022. ter for Countering Digital
increase in hate speech Associated Press Hate, a nonprofit with of-
and threats of violence di- line, and online threats are threats. The party’s theme? and elsewhere pushing for fices in the U.S. and United
rected at LGBTQ people, turning into threats of real Ugly Christmas sweaters. tougher regulations that Kingdom, studied the so-
groups and events, with violence offline.” “And they’re still coming would force tech compa- cial media messages that
much of it directed at trans- Hospitals in Boston, Pitts- after us? It’s just straight up nies to do more. spread immediately af-
gender people. burgh, Phoenix, Washing- bigotry and hatred at this There’s no simple explana- ter the Colorado Springs
The content comes after ton, D.C., and other cit- point,” said Jessica Patter- tion for the increase in hate shooting in November and
conservative lawmakers in ies have received bomb son, one of the organizers of speech documented by found many examples of
several states introduced threats and other harassing the event, who noted that researchers recent years. far-right Trump supporters
dozens of anti-LGBTQ mea- messages after mislead- groups calling for violence Socio-economic stress celebrating the carnage.
sures and amid a wave of ing claims spread online against LGBTQ groups of- caused by the COVID-19 The users who didn’t praise
threats targeting LGBTQ about transgender care ten espouse other bigotries pandemic, increased polit- the shooting often claimed
groups, as well as hospitals, programs. In Tennessee, too. “They just have to hate ical polarization and resur- it was faked by authorities
health care workers, librar- masked members of a someone.” gent far-right movements and the media as a way to
ies and private businesses white supremacist group The transphobic content have all been blamed. make conservatives look
that support them. showed up recently at a targeting events such as So have politicians such bad.
“I don’t think people un- holiday charity event at Patterson’s is just a sub- as Donald Trump, whose Online hate speech has
derstand the state of dan- a bookstore because the set of the hateful content brash use of social media been linked to offline vio-
ger that we’re living in right evening’s entertainment about Jews, Muslims, wom- emboldened extremists on- lence in the past, and
now,” said Jay Brown, se- included a drag perform- en, Black people, Asians line. many of the perpetrators of
nior vice president at the er. An upcoming holiday and others that has internet “I’ve been tracking hate- recent mass shootings were
Human Rights Campaign party at an adults-only gay safety advocates and an fueled extremist communi- later found to be immersed
and a transgender man. “A nightclub scheduled for Fri- increasing number of law- ties for more than 25 years in online worlds of bigotry
lot of that is happening on- day was also the subject of makers in the United States but I’ve never seen hate and conspiracy theories.q

Biden marks 50th anniversary of death

of wife, daughter

By COLLEEN LONG trailer on Dec. 18 of that raw openness around
Associated Press year as they went out to grief and his ability to em-
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — buy a Christmas tree. The pathize with fellow Ameri-
President Joe Biden and couple’s two sons, Beau cans who have experi-
his family held a private and Hunter, who were just enced loss have become
memorial service Sunday about to turn 4 and 3 at defining traits of his politi-
to mark the 50th anniver- the time, were also in the cal career.
sary of the car crash that car and were seriously in- Biden married Jill Jacobs
killed his first wife and their jured. The tragedy almost in 1977 and they had a
baby daughter. prompted Biden, also age daughter, Ashley. Both
Biden, who had just been 30 when the accident women joined him on Sun- President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk between
elected to the Senate happened, to give up his day, as did Hunter and tombstones to attend Mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine
in November 1972, was fledgling political career. many of the president’s Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del., on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022.
not in the car when his But on the advice of oth- grandchildren among Associated Press
wife, 30-year-old Neilia, er senators he stayed in others at St. Joseph on
and their 13-month-old office, commuting back the Brandywine Roman out toward the graves car- cancer in 2015 at 46.
daughter, Naomi, were and forth from Washing- Catholic Church. After the rying two large wreaths. He is also buried at the
broadsided by a tractor- ton to Delaware. Biden’s service, the family walked Beau Biden died of brain cemetery.q