Threats against Bay Area LGBTQ+ community have authorities on alert
SAN LORENZO (KPIX) -- Several high-profile incidents and threats against the LGBTQ+ community in the Bay Area and across the country have law enforcement on high alert.
On Monday, a group of LGBTQ supporters rallied in front of the San Lorenzo library, two days after a group of men likely associated with the Proud Boys disrupted a drag queen storytelling event, shouting homophobic slurs.
Also over the weekend, more than 30 members of a white nationalist group were arrested for allegedly planning to violently disrupt a pride event in Idaho.
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office said both attacks were likely coordinated online.
In San Francisco, State Senator Scott Wiener vowed to continue to fight for the LGBTQ community after his staff received a hate-filled email with a subject stating, "he will die today."
The threat read, in part, "The left is continuing to groom kids, we see time and time again drag queen events are involving minors in explicit ways." It also stated, "we placed bombs in his office and his house... we will kill you."
"This escalating rhetoric by politicians, by right-wing activists, it has a consequence, words have consequences," said Sen. Wiener. "I get death threats all the time and they've been escalating."
No bombs were found at his home or office. But Wiener, a gay politician, says he's been targeted for years for his work on behalf of LGBTQ people and people with HIV.
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"It's politics that's actually putting real human beings at risk, and it's just tragic," he added.
The latest incidents come as San Francisco celebrates Pride month and two weeks before the first Pride parade since 2019.
"We have always taken the safety of the community very seriously especially after, as we're marking 6 years after The Pulse tragedy when we lost so many lives. And, you know, even before Pulse, and especially since Pulse, we have always been very vigilant when it comes to the safety of our community," said San Francisco Pride board president Carolyn Wysinger.
San Francisco Pride said it's working very closely with law enforcement during this year's celebration.
