1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to you as one of your LGBTQIA+ constituents, and I am outraged by your vote to honor Charlie Kirk. This is a man who publicly called for people like me to be stoned to death and spoke approvingly of lynching. By voting for a remembrance day in his name, you did not act in neutrality—you legitimized his hatred. As a gay man, I no longer believe you represent me or my community. Kirk’s rhetoric was not a slip of the tongue, it was central to his public platform. Honoring him sends a message that our lives are expendable if it means appeasing those in power. There is no national day of remembrance for the children murdered in school shootings. There is no national day for the victims of violence in our own communities. Yet you found time to honor Charlie Kirk, a man who built his career by dehumanizing us. That choice reveals your priorities. I am not asking you to act after the fact. I am telling you that my trust is broken, and you will not have my vote again. You had the chance to stand against fascism and hate speech. You chose not to. I hope you reflect on what this decision says to your LGBTQIA+ constituents who now feel betrayed by you.