Hate Groups Are Gagging Over Ron DeSantis' Latest Campaign Video

By Jen Maravegias | Politics | July 6, 2023 |

By Jen Maravegias | Politics | July 6, 2023 |

As predicted by some of us who were labeled “hysterical” and told not to “blow things out of proportion,” the 2016 election of Donald Trump opened the door for more radical, right-wing hatemongers to try to follow him into the White House after his loss.

We’ve written previously about the many ways Governor Ron DeSantis has destroyed Florida with his hateful, anti-LGBTQIA, anti-education agenda. So it will surprise no one that on the last day of Pride, the “DeSantis War Room” Twitter account posted a vile campaign video captioned “To wrap up Pride Month, let’s hear from the politician who did more than any other Republican to celebrate it.”

It’s a swing at Trump’s “support” for the LGBTQ community and uses a montage of media headlines that both complain about DeSantis’ policies and also some complaining about those complaining about DeSantis’ policies. They’re set against a backdrop of random images that include drag queens, oily bodybuilders, Brad Pitt as Achilles from Troy, Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, Leo DiCaprio from Wolf Of Wall Street, and Cillian Murphy’s character from Peaky Blinders. That drew immediate criticism from the “partners of Peaky Blinders” on social media.

I’m not linking to the Tweet but here’s an NPR article where it’s embedded. I should warn you, the soundtrack is a terrible, cut-rate techno sound bath that may cause your ears to bleed while you suffer a seizure from the video editing.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg responded to the video during a CNN interview in peak Buttigieg form.

The video also caused ripples within the…well, whatever “community” Gays Against Groomers (GAG) is. Are they Log Cabin Republicans? Are they like Jews For Jesus? Whoever they are, they did not understand that the leopard who was eating people’s faces in Florida was coming for them next. David Leatherwood (Free Thinker, Patriot Rebel, Gay) resigned from his Gays Against Groomers Board position (I still can’t get over the acronym) saying, in a Twitter post:

My departure from GAG is directly related to the Founder’s outspoken support for DeSantis, in light of his recent ad that is extremely anti-gay. While I respect everyone’s right to their own opinion, the homophobia coming from the DeSantis campaign is not something I want to be affiliated with in any way. Even by proxy thru GAG.

That statement created a stir over on that failing bird app, getting Caitlyn Jenner riled up. And it gave Media Matters reporter, Ari Drennen, the space to expose the fact that Gays Against Groomers has been hemorrhaging members since rumors started that the organization’s co-founder, Jaimee Michelle, is on the DeSantis payroll.

I will never understand how anyone in the LGBTQIA community could support any part of the Republican party. It’s a further mystery why any of them would side with that rabidly bigoted party against members of their own community. But stupid is as stupid does. And they must be really stupid to not understand that DeSantis and the GOPs attacks were never going to stop at Transgender people.

Those leopards come at you real fast, y’all.