Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vows to always champion LGBTQ+ rights after clash with homophobes
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has vowed to always champion LGBTQ+ rights. (Getty / Envato)
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has promised to always champion LGBTQ+ rights after homophobes caused chaos at a New York event.
During a recent speaking event on 19 October in the Astoria neighbourhood of Queens, Ocasio-Cortez shrugged off hecklers chants in the best way possible – by dancing.
A video of the incident has since gone viral on social media, with Ocasio-Cortez reposting it and adding: “These homophobes were yelling Westboro Baptist-style anti-LGBT+ slogans.
“What do you think I’m gonna do? Take them seriously?”
In the video a group of anti-LGBTQ+ protesters can be heard shouting “AOC has to go” in unison to the sound of a beating drum.
But the Democrat from New York didn’t allow the hate speech to bring her down, she instead referenced the 14th congressional district of New York she represents and in social media post stated: “But NY-14 will always have a champion for LGBTQ+ people on my watch. Period.”
These homophobes were yelling Westboro Baptist-style anti-LGBT+ slogans. What do you think I’m gonna do? Take them seriously?😂💃🏽🪩
If you want to associate w/ their views, that’s your business.
But NY-14 will ALWAYS have a champion for LGBTQ+ people on my watch. Period. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️💕 https://t.co/aFTp8hv8SH
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 23, 2022
A different recording of the event showed one of the hecklers ranting at Ocasio-Cortez about how a policy providing affordable housing for LGBTQ+ seniors would discriminate against heterosexual people, The Guardian reported.
In that same video, hecklers who aggressively chanted “vote her out” were drowned out by supporters of Ocasio-Cortez who shouted “AOC”.
Another participant in the chaos shouted “there’s only two f**king genders”, while another held up a sign in support of political opponent Tina Forte.
Forte, who is running against Ocasio-Cortez in the midterms, is a rightwing candidate from Rockland county whose campaign which vows to “stop socialism”. Ocasio-Cortez is, however, predicted to easily win reelection to a third term during on 8 November.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has always been one to champion positive change and she previously blasted a Republican lawmaker who said trans men cannot get pregnant during an abortion rights hearing.
She noted that Republicans “need therapy” for their “fixation” with women, LGBTQ+ people and herself.
The trailblazing congresswoman also shut down transphobes by telling them they can “stay mad” or “grow up” after she was mocked for using the phrase “menstruating person”.
