Lauren Boebert's past remarks on LGBT+ community resurface after Colorado shooting

Lauren Boebert expressed her concern in response to a shooting at a gay nightclub in her state of Colorado - but people were quick to highlight previous comments she's made on the LGBT+ community.

The Colorado congresswomen posted a tweet when it emerged five people were killed and 25 people were injured when a 22-year-old man - named by police as Anderson Lee Aldrich - opened fire inside Club Q in Colorado Springs, as police investigate whether this was a hate crime.

This attack happened on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, where events to honour the memory of the trans people killed were expected to take place.

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"The news out of Colorado Springs is absolutely awful,” Boebert wrote. “This morning the victims & their families are in my prayers. This lawless violence needs to end and end quickly.”

The Republican congresswoman tweeted how the victims of the tragedy and their families were in her prayers Twitter/laurenboebert

Boebert notably did not reference that the tragedy took place at a gay club or the community of people who were killed in the mass shooting.

In response, many people have accused Boebert of encouraging hate and violent rhetoric against the LGBT+ community.

The politician has positively referenced Libs Of TikTok more than once in her tweets, a far right-wing hate account that targets LGBT+ people and communities.

As a result, those who are targeted receive abuse from thousands of followers.

A recent example was when Boston Children’s Hospital received bomb threats after the account made claims (that have been debunked) about its treatment of transgender youth, The Guardianreported.

Many people were angered by Boebert's condolence tweet and were quick to display the different times she has tweeted her disdain, particularly towards trans people, and drag queens.

Plenty of people were quick to respond with Boebert's old tweets Twitter/notcapnamerica

Boebert was asked if she is going to "stop demonizing the LGBTQ community." Twitter/johniadarola

Democrat representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezreplied to Boebert's tweet, and denounced the Republican for having "played a major role in elevating anti-LGBT+ hate rhetoric and anti-trans lies while spending your time in Congress blocking even the most common sense gun safety laws."

AOC told Boebert to "look inward and change" Twitter/AOC

"You don’t get to “thoughts and prayers” your way out of this. Look inward and change," AOC added.

Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told Boebert to "get off Twitter."

Chasten Buttigieg slammed Lauren Boebert for her past comments on the LGBT community and told her to leave the social media Twitter/Chasten

"You encourage this type of hatred. Get off Twitter and start looking inward," he tweeted.

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis paid tribute to the victims of the tragedy in a statement and also referenced the anti-LGBT+ rhetoric on the internet.

“You can draw a straight line from the false and vile rhetoric about LGBTQ people spread by extremists and amplified across social media, to the nearly 300 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced this year, to the dozens of attacks on our community like this one."

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