Republican candidate stands by her attack of Democrat over trans grandchild
Republican Valentina Gomez is running to be Missouri’s next secretary of state. (Instagram/@valentinaformissouri)
A Republican candidate to be Missouri’s next secretary of state has defended her social media attack on a Democrat opponent with a trans grandchild.
Financial strategist and former college swimmer Valentina Gomez is one of eight candidates vying for the Republican ticket in the election.
Gomez has courted controversy for her aggressive campaigning style, including attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, which have resonated with extreme right-wingers. She has been seen on video torching queer-themed books with a flamethrower, while promising: “When I’m secretary of state, I will burn all the books that are grooming, indoctrinating and sexualising our children. MAGA. America First.” She has also urged voters not to be “weak and gay”.
Last month, she took to social media to hit out at Democrat Barbara Phifer, a former United Methodist pastor who now sits in the state house of representatives and is also running to be secretary of state.
Phifer had called out Gomez, claiming she “represents a dangerous ideology that values hate above all else”.
Gomez responded by saying: “You have a trans grandchild. That means you raised a groomer. You failed your children and they failed your grandchildren. Also, you’re irrelevant and belong in a nursing home.”
At the time, Phifer told The Advocate it was “concerning any time a person attacks a child”, adding: “First and foremost, I am a parent and a grandparent, and that’s going to be my primary responsibility in life. When you don’t have anything to give, nothing to add to a conversation, you just start throwing verbal bombs.”
Now, the war of words has hotted up further. In an email to the The Advocate, Gomez said: “There’s no such thing as a trans child. I stand by my words: she raised a groomer and failed her children. I’ve already caught one paedophile and I am coming for the rest of groomers and paedophiles [who] sexualise, groom and indoctrinate our innocent children.”
“Groomer” is a slur and part of a conspiracy theory which falsely equates LGBTQ+ people with paedophilia and is regularly used to attack the community.
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