Anti-LGBTQ+ attacks by US extremist groups surge as right spews vitriol

Further west, a crew of Proud Boys interrupted a drag queen event in California, intimidating parents and children and screaming transphobic and homophobic insults. In Texas, a state plagued by anti-trans politics, a group of rightwingers screamed abuse and threatened attendees at an adults-only drag brunch.

The situation has echoes of violence prompted by the QAnon conspiracy theory, which states that a cabal of Democrats and celebrities run a child sex ring. A number of believers of the theory have been arrested for committing crimes based on the made-up theory.

The Anti-Defamation League said the claim that members of the LGBTQ+ community are pedophiles has helped fuel extremism in recent weeks, and it has not escaped notice that many of the threats against LGBTQ+ people have come from white nationalist groups.

But despite the noise generated by the right wing, polls suggest they are at odds with the general population.

The order falls short, however, of the Equality Act, which would place a federal ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in public spaces and federal programs. The legislation passed the House in 2021, but has stalled in the Senate.

Kirby York said proper prosecution of people who attack LGBTQ people or communities, or use hate speech, is important.