Domestic extremist groups see conservatives as potential allies, Bjork-James said, and they’ve found anti-LGBTQ sentiment is one of the easiest ways to expand. BOISE, Idaho — As hate speech targeting LGBTQ people increases among some far-right influencers and others online, experts are warning that extremist groups may see the rhetoric as a call to action. The arrests came as a toxic brew of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has been on the rise in Idaho and elsewhere. “There is a very clear relationship between normalizing this hateful content and having extremist groups try to mobilize around that in hateful actions,” she said. She gets frustrated when people call the anti-LGBTQ rhetoric a “culture war,” saying it feels much more ominous.

Source: The Nation June 14, 2022 14:00 UTC