On Nov. 20, 2022, Anderson Lee Aldrich entered an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado. Opening fire with a long rifle, he slaughtered five people and injured 25 others in the process. Thanks to the heroic actions of army veteran Richard Fierro, the gunman was subdued, and his savage act of terror was stopped prematurely.

Some have claimed to show support for those affected by the shooting, but the hollowness of their words is quite apparent. Among them is Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert, infamous for peddling conspiracy theories, embezzling campaign funds and her indirect contributions to the January 6th insurrection.

Boebert offered nothing of substance in response to the shooting of five people and extended “thoughts and prayers” to the victims and their families. She also attempted to denounce the “lawless violence” of the attack. While Boebert can pretend to care all she wants, her thoughts and prayers mean nothing, especially given her history of anti-LGBTQ+ zealotry.

The vitriolic, bigoted rhetoric that Boebert launches at the LGBTQ+ community is precisely the kind of hatred that leads to acts of terrorism against queer people. In response to the Equality Act — which aims to counter discrimination based on sex, gender and sexuality — Boebert whined about how it would supposedly lead to “supremacy of gays.”

While conspiracy theories may be her forte, Boebert has demonstrated that she does not understand the concept of equality. The Equality Act is designed to prevent people like her from continuing to make attacks against us and our rights. Conspiracy theories about supremacy and dominance may only lead to further aggression against the LGBTQ+ community.

For someone who claims she has a great deal of concern for children, her actions and bigoted diatribes speak louder than anything. Boebert continually advocates for legislation that harms transgender youth, not to mention her disgusting obsession with the bodies of transgender youth.

Whether or not she wants to hear it, Boebert neither has authority over the bodies of children, nor should she be spending so much time focusing on them. Moreover, I cannot stress enough how she should stop trying to ban gender-affirming healthcare.

While she may not be able to understand the intricacies of gender-affirming healthcare, there are qualified individuals who do. I strongly suggest Boebert stop trying to impose her beliefs and lifestyle upon the LGBTQ+ community — we don’t need yet another religious fanatic trying to lecture us on how to live and who to love.

LGBTQ+ rights are not contingent on whether or not conservatives are capable of understanding that not everyone is heterosexual and cisgender. They do not have to understand us, but that does not inherently prevent us from coexisting. To put it another way, it is not our problem if Lauren Boebert cannot grasp the concept of a transgender person.

When rightfully condemned for fueling the flames of anti-LGBTQ+ hatred, Boebert doubled down on her bigotry, trying and failing to absolve herself of responsibility for encouraging violence against us. Though she denies her role in this tragedy, Boebert needs to understand that her words and actions have consequences.

Much like how Ron DeSantis’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation contributed to hatred against queer people, Boebert’s overzealous campaign against the LGBTQ+ community is precisely the kind of rhetoric that motivates people to go to a nightclub, commit a hate crime and perpetuate the “lawless violence” she pretends to decry.

By making hateful, virulent comments about LGBTQ+ people and gender-affirming healthcare, Boebert has directly contributed to the rising tensions in our community that led to the deaths of five people in Colorado Springs. She has helped spread anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in this country, and sadly the result has been an act of domestic terrorism.

Their blood is — and remains — on Boebert’s hands and those like her. While Boebert may not have personally pulled the trigger, her ideology helped load the gun for Anderson Lee Aldrich that night.

Nobody wants or needs Boebert’s thoughts and prayers. What we need is for her to end her fervent campaign of anti-LGBTQ+ indoctrination, rather than shamelessly masquerading as someone who cares about our safety.