Vile attacks from Bernie Sanders supporters force trans actress Angelica Ross off Twitter
Trans actor Angelica Ross has taken a break from Twitter following backlash for her comments against Bernie Sanders. (Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)
Pose actor Angelica Ross has been forced off Twitter after she called out US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders for skipping both of the LGBT+ forums.
Ross became the first trans person to host last week’s LGBT+ forum, which invited ten hopefuls to outline their policy to improve the lives of queer Americans.
However, Sanders informed organisers he would not be able to attend the forum as well as the next LGBT+ forum in October.
Bernie Sanders’ absence a “huge misstep,” says Angelica Ross.
Ross spoke to The Guardian after the forum to share her thoughts to this, saying it’s “telling us all we need to know” about the Vermont senator.
She slammed Sanders, calling it a “huge misstep” and accused the lawmaker of attending “photo opps” instead of the forum.
Sanders had, according to Ross in a tweet, “prior commitments to visit HBCUs [historically black colleges and universities] in North Carolina and Prestige Barber College (a black barbershop) and will be touring the civil rights museum.”
Senator Bernie Sanders campaigns at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill campus. It was the reason he was not able to attend the forum. (Preston Ehrler/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
By the following morning, Ross announced she was “taking a break” from her Twitter and that her team will now run her accounts.
This followed her comments to The Guardian, which, when she shared on Twitter, saw her mentions be flooded by Bernie Supporters.
Many highlighted his opposition to the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which denied federal recognition to marriage equality.
While others accused Ross of “bias” for calling out Sanders and not other absent frontrunners.
Was he (Bernie) not already committed to a major climate change forum? I don’t think he skipped this forum because he doesn’t believe in equal rights for all.
— Chris (@Chr1stopherMc) September 21, 2019
One Twitter user summarised: “Was he (Bernie) not already committed to a major climate change forum? I don’t think he skipped this forum because he doesn’t believe in equal rights for all.”
Ross slammed by both Democrat and Republican supporters.
But Ross also experienced a deluge of hate from red-tie wearing supporters, too.
When The Advocate posted a tweet with part of Ross’ opening statement at the forum, it incited backlash from Trump supporters.
In the clip, Ross says: “One of the reasons I’m here tonight is because the Trump administration […] is harming transgender Americans.”
While she received applause both online and offline for her comments, some Twitter users slammed her.
https://twitter.com/RealPaulHoward/status/1175241610700808192
Transgenderism calls God a liar. It says “I know better than God” and “I was born the wrong sex” “I was born a man but identify as a woman and vise-versa” These lies come right from the pit of hell and LGBTQ wants all to embrace these beliefs as acceptable. no no no
— Alpha Faith (@TrueAlphaFaith) September 21, 2019
But many users voiced their support of Ross. One user said: “That you have been harassed is inexcusable! I have nothing but respect and good will towards you.’
Another added: “I love that you keep it 100 for everyone no matter what.”
Moreover, Ross’ fans also expressed their frustration that Sanders supports drover Ross offline.
“I’m so sorry that you were attacked,” tweeted a fan, “Take care of yourself.
“We need your voiced!” chimed in another.
“You are beautiful and you have every right to make an observation about bernie’s absences from these forums,” a user said.
What is Bernie Sanders’ LGBT+ record?
In his decades-long history with LGBT+ rights, Sanders’ was often ahead of the curve, but was silent for some of it.
Advocates of Sanders have pointed out that, as mayor of Burlington, he approved a resolution proclaiming June 25 to be Gay Pride Day.
(David McNew/Getty Images)
And across his career as a congressperson from 1990, Sanders met with local LGBT+ groups in his home turf.
Moreover, he was one of just 67 members in the House of Representatives to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act, he opposed the Clinton Administration;’s enforcement of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in 1993, and supported civil unions in Vermont in 2000.
But some community leaders said he was “invisible” on issues, such as while signing onto, he was not always a lead sponsor of bills that activists campaigned for.
Opponents have also accused the lawmaker of airbrushing his history. While perhaps not as blotchy as some of his fellow candidates, he did not voice his support for marriage equality until 2009.
Before then, he often shred away from delivering a direct answer. Instead, he voiced that it is not the role of the federal government to do so, and it should instead be settled on a state-level.
In 2013, he co-sponsored the Uniting Families Act; this bill was primarily intended to allow LGBT residents and citizens of the United States to bring their partners into the US, just as members of mixed-sex couples are able to do
