Gay senator Scott Wiener receives terrifying bomb threat after calling out DC ‘homophobia’
Senator Scott Wiener received death threats, which he thinks is linked to his LGBTQ+ advocacy. (The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images/Liz Hafalia)
Openly-gay US state senator Scott Wiener’s San Francisco home has been searched by police after a death threat was made to his home and office.
The threat was sent via email to The San Francisco Standard about 6am on Tuesday (6 December) with the subject line “Scott Wiener will die today”, the paper reported.
The email, which was sent under the name Zamina Tataro, claimed bombs had been placed at Wiener’s home, as well as threatening a shooting at his Sacramento office.
It also called the Democratic senator a paedophile and accused him of grooming.
Police did not locate any explosive devices.
In a statement on Twitter, Scott Wiener said the incident was “mostly related to” his support of LGBTQ issues – something he has previously been threatened and harassed about.
He particularly pointed to exchanges with Republican senator Marjorie Taylor Greene or where he’s mentioned her, or right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
“The extreme homophobic and transphobic rhetoric that has escalated on social media and right-wing [sic] media outlets has real-world impacts,” he said.
“It leads to harassment, stalking, threats and violence against our community.”
Scott Wiener said he would “always fight for the LGBTQ community” and “never let these threats stop that work”.
He said the threat was “concerning”, noting it is the second bomb threat he has faced this year.
Wiener told NBC’s Bay City News if his personal safety is at risk, “so be it”.
“I’m doing this to try to make people’s lives better, and there’s no way I’m ever going to back down from these bullies.”
He said the use of language like “trying to groom children” is on the rise in the US, with people targeting drag queens and events like drag story hours, where drag queens read children’s books.
Wiener isn’t the only politician whose safety has been put at risk.
In late October, US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was assaulted with a hammer by a man who broke into the couple’s San Francisco home.
The alleged suspect, David DePape, is reported to have an online presence riddled with transphobia, anti-LGBTQ+ views and extremist conspiracy theories.
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