A far-left LGBTQ magazine, The Advocate, bashed Charlie Kirk as a “far-right” activist known for “attacking queer rights, targeting transgender people, and framing equality as a threat to American values” hours after he was assassinated.
Senior national reporter Christopher Wiggins wrote the piece as reactions to the fatal shooting poured in on social media, beginning with “Charlie Kirk, the far-right activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University.”
“Kirk cultivated national influence by attacking queer rights, targeting transgender people, and framing equality as a threat to American values,” Wiggins continued, before sharing statements from LGBTQ organizations.
A spokesperson for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) highlighted that Kirk’s student group, Turning Point USA, platformed people who “regularly spoke against transgender people,” including Riley Gaines and Chloe Cole.
“Political violence is unacceptable and gun violence is an epidemic from coast to coast that needs urgent action. Reforms to reduce gun violence are supported by a majority of Americans. No one should have to fear for their lives because of who they are,” the spokesperson told The Advocate. “It is also a demonstrable fact that Charlie Kirk spread infinite amounts of disinformation about LGBTQ people. Lies and vitriol about transgender people were a frequent part of his rhetoric and events. We need leaders and all those with platforms to prioritize safety over disinformation, irresponsible politics, and profit.”
The article was met with criticism on social media, with commenters calling it “proof” that far-left journalists do not actually oppose gun violence:
“Yes lets keep using inflammatory rhetoric,” another X user sarcastically wrote. “The guy who was willing to talk was assassinated. You are creating an environment where talking is no longer going to be considered. You absolute. Moron.”
Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking to a crowd of students at Utah Valley University. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead at 31 years old. The suspect is still at large.
Live updates on the assassination of Charlie Kirk are being published here.
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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