Joe.My.God. LGBT News
First, a reminder from Media Matters back in February:
Before the group’s founder Jaimee Michell rode the recent surge in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric to guest spots on Fox News and right-wing podcasts, she and her fellow GAG chair David Leatherwood were pro-Trump operatives employed by right-wing communications firms representing other conservative figures who have attempted to capitalize off of the anti-LGBTQ fervor of the last two years.
This recent employment history underscores the far-right pedigree of both Michell and Leatherwood — a record that includes promotion of the QAnon conspiracy theory, intimate involvement with the efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, and emphatic support for the violent actions of the January 6 insurrectionists.
Leading up to the 2020 election, Michell had frequent online communication with Ali Alexander, the founder of the “Stop the Steal” movement that heavily pushed conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election. Michell would go on to be intimately involved in Alexander’s movement, being listed alongside right-wing activist Alex Bruesewitz as a contact for the Stop the Steal rally in Wisconsin under her online account, “TheGayWhoStrayd.”
And today it’s all falling apart.
One of the most wild revelations coming out of the backlash over the anti-trans and anti-gay ad released by the DeSantis team is that the Gays Against Groomers org is basically a Ron DeSantis astroturf organization.
Confirming what we all thought all along. https://t.co/tTJJtNvHji
— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) July 5, 2023
Important context as a Gays Against Groomers founder quits over allegations that cofounder Jaimee Michelle is on the DeSantis payroll: more than 23 members of the org have quit recently, including the Director of Operations, Director of Chapters, and NY Chapter leader. https://t.co/7f5KPREAu4 pic.twitter.com/UVYfMkTuxm
— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) July 5, 2023
It’s also pretty clear the homophobic DeSantis ad created a pretext for some influencers who had no problem with this agenda a year ago but did have a problem with him losing. Here, for example, is David Leatherwood appearing in a pro-DeSantis ad last year https://t.co/8OxeNYTrkQ
— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) July 5, 2023
Not the draft you sent my team. Some highly relevant omitted info. Hmmm… you can’t play it both ways.
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) July 5, 2023
The conflict rose to a fever pitch as it spilled across twitter. Caitlyn Jenner revealed that Gays Against Groomers’ leader is on DeSantis payroll! pic.twitter.com/kwoJCTcj3s
— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) July 3, 2023
My departure from GAG is directly related to the Founder’s outspoken support for DeSantis, in light of his recent ad that is extremely anti-gay.
While I respect everyone’s right to their own opinion, the homophobia coming from the DeSantis campaign is not something I want to be…
— David Leatherwood 🇺🇸 (@brokebackUSA) July 5, 2023
They’re telling on themselves as they eat their own pic.twitter.com/g2a3GIhsJn
— nat (@natattack960) July 5, 2023