Gays Against Groomers founder blames trans healthcare for Colorado Springs Club Q shooting

A screenshot of Gays Against Groomers founder Jaimee Michell during an interview for OAN.

Jaimee Michell, founder of anti-trans, anti-drag group Gays Against Groomers, has appeared on Fox News and blamed gender-affirming healthcare for the murder of five people in the Colorado Springs mass shooting.

On Tuesday (22 November), two days after the devastating incident at Club Q, Michell suggested attacks such as the Colorado Springs shooting would continue until the “evil agenda” of gender-affirming care is stopped.

Michell said: “You know, saying that ‘groomer’ is an anti-LGBTQ+ slur, that is doing irreparable damage to us as a whole, and it’s putting a really large target on our backs. 

“And unfortunately, you know, the tragedy that happened in Colorado Springs the other night, it was expected and predictable.”

According to Michell, the so-called Gays Against Groomers saw the attack coming “from a mile away”. 

“Sadly I don’t think it’s going to stop until we end this evil agenda that is attacking children.”

It follows Carlson opening his segment by characterising gender-affirming care for trans children as child abuse. 

He then suggested teaching children about gay and trans people was sexual exploitation, but insisted he had nothing against the queer community. 

Gays Against Groomers claims to be fighting against “indoctrinating and sexualising children”, which it says includes “drag queen story hours, drag shows involving children, the transitioning and medicalisation of minors, and gender theory being taught in the classroom”.

It’s not the first time Carlson has used his platform to spread misinformation as back in September he accused LGBTQ-inclusive schools and hospitals catering to trans youth of committing “sex crimes”.  

Carlson also described healthcare officials providing vital gender-affirming care as “criminals”. He then accused hospitals that received bomb threats were “playing the victim”. 

Following Carlson’s toxic words, former FBI official Frank Figliuzzi said during an interview with MSNBC that far-right congresswoman, Lauren Boebert, and Carlson should “face civil consequences from victims” of the Colorado Springs shooting. 

The hateful broadcast follows J K Rowling facing criticism after she “liked” a tweet by anti-LGBTQ+ social media account Libs of TikTok. 

Libs of TikTok is a far-right Twitter account that has been blamed for the harassment of children’s hospitals that offer gender-affirming care, including a bomb hoax made against a hospital targeted by its anti-LGBTQ+ campaign. 

One LGBTQ+ ally standing against the right-wing rhetoric is Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC. 

AOC has slammed anti-LGBTQ+ Republicans, telling them to “connect the dots” between their hateful campaign and the deadly Colorado Springs shooting.