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Democrat Erik Bottcher, a gay New York City Council Member, has spoken out after his apartment building was broken into and vandalized by protesters with the anti-trans group Gays Against Groomers, which claims to be "a coalition of gays against the sexualization, indoctrination and medicalization of children."
Last week, Bottcher posted a video of the "pure hatred and bigotry" he witnessed outside the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea.
Bottcher filmed several protesters outside the event, including one who held up a sign declaring that "there are only two genders."
You can see his video below.
\u201cToday I witnessed pure hatred and bigotry outside Drag Queen Story Hour at a public library in Chelsea.\u00a0\n\nInside, I witnessed a loving and peaceful reading of children\u2019s books to kids.\u00a0\n\nWarning: this video contains foul language and hate speech.\u201d— NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher (@NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher) 1671302473
Mere days later, he posted an update announcing that protesters with "Gays Against Groomers" had vandalized the hallway outside his district office in his apartment building with homophobic slurs.
A defiant Bottcher shared the photos but refused to be deterred by the hateful display, writing:
"We will not be cowed. We will not be silenced. We will continue to stand up against hate."
You can see Bottcher's tweet below.
\u201cToday people who call themselves \u201cgays against groomers\u201d vandalized the hallway outside our district office. We will not be cowed. We will not be silenced. We will continue to stand up against hate.\u201d— NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher (@NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher) 1671492170
Bottcher's post comes amid a wider conservative pushback against drag queen story hours, which conservatives have alleged are an opportunity to "indoctrinate" children into the LGBTQ+ community rather than an opportunity to impart values of inclusivity and acceptance.
The attack on his office from Gays Against Groomers offers a further example of the ongoing "groomer" hysteria that has gripped the right-wing, who've accused LGBTQ+ people of building relationships, trust and emotional connections with children so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them.
The local news outlet AM New York later reported that two women—44-year-old Erica Sanchez and 27-year-old Anna Morgan—had been arrested and charged with criminal tresspassing after vandalizing Bottcher's office and home.
Many have come to Bottcher's defense in the aftermath of the hateful incident.
\u201cMy colleague @ebottcher district office & home were attacked in a gross display of anti-LGBTQ harassment. \n\nI stand w/ him, his staff & the @DragStoryHour performers. \n\nHate won\u2019t win in our city. We can & must do better to protect queer NYers from acts of violence like this one\u201d— Council Member Marjorie Vel\u00e1zquez (@Council Member Marjorie Vel\u00e1zquez) 1671572204
\u201cUtterly disgusting. \n\nSorry you and your staff have to go through this crap, Erik. These monsters have no soul and no humanity. Sending solidarity from southern Brooklyn in support of true compassion and love for all.\u201d— Andrew Gounardes (@Andrew Gounardes) 1671577221
\u201cI stand with Erik.\u201d— Tim Kirk (@Tim Kirk) 1671548229
\u201cUtterly vile bigotry from people who want LGBTQ people exterminated.\nThis can't be allowed to stand.\u201d— Kara & Deb (@Kara & Deb) 1671556264
\u201cSending you and your staff solidarity and support from Brooklyn. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. Thank you for all that you do for the LGBTQ community and all of NYC. Hate has no place here.\u201d— Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn (@Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn) 1671558764
\u201c@ebottcher I\u2019m so sorry you experienced this, Erik. We are all standing with you.\u00a0We will never tolerate this disgusting and hateful behavior in New York.\u201d— NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher (@NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher) 1671501041
\u201cI stand with my friend @ebottcher, Drag Queen Story Hour, and the LGBTQ+ community against this disgusting display of hate.\n\nElected officials have a responsibility to condemn this false, dangerous rhetoric that\u2019s being used as a new way to discriminate against the community.\u201d— Rep. Nadler (@Rep. Nadler) 1671508833
\u201cThis is outrageous. Completely outrageous. \n\nErik, you stand up for our city every single day and these cowardly bigots have no place here.\n\nThank you to the NYPD for your quick work and sending the message that this hate will not go unchallenged.\u201d— Mayor Eric Adams (@Mayor Eric Adams) 1671506438
Gays Against Groomers has made headlines in recent weeks, particularly after founder Jamiee Michell claimed gender-affirming medical care is to blame for last month's mass shooting at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
During an appearance on Fox News personality Tucker Carlson's program, Mitchell ignored the medical consensus on how gender-affirming medical care has successfully lowered lifetime suicidal ideation among transgender people.
Mitchell proceeded to absolve the alleged shooter, saying the LGBTQ+ community will continue to be the target of similar attacks so long as the “evil agenda” of gender-affirming care is allowed to continue.