The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has made the decision to discontinue its use of Twitter after requests to remove a series of offensive and hateful comments went unanswered. The comments were posted in response to a tweet about employees from the office participating in the West Hollywood Pride parade. The office had shared a photo on its account showing a group of employees holding gay pride flags as they marched in the annual parade. The picture included Joseph Iniguez, who is gay and serves as the chief of staff for George Gascón, as well as Tiffiny Blacknell, the director of communications.
Among the 90 replies to the tweet, there were derogatory remarks labeling the employees as “pedophiles” or “groomers.” Additionally, explicit and offensive images, including deformed male genitalia and a swastika, were posted. Blacknell stated that the office reported numerous hateful comments to Twitter but received no response. She expressed deep concern over the deluge of homophobic and transphobic slurs, sexually explicit content, and graphic images. Despite reporting them, the comments remained visible on the office’s account for more than 24 hours. Consequently, the district attorney’s office has decided not to support a platform that promotes such hateful rhetoric.
Blacknell mentioned that the office will continue to maintain a presence on Instagram and TikTok. This incident is part of a wider trend of controversies surrounding Pride-related events, which have faced violent and extreme backlash across the country. Videos have circulated online showing individuals vandalizing pro-LGBTQ+ displays at Target stores, and altercations have occurred outside a North Hollywood school and a Glendale school board meeting. While some of the local backlash revolves around concerns about sex and gender education in schools, there have also been instances of overt bigotry, with individuals equating gay and transgender lifestyles with pedophilia. Notably, members of the extreme right-wing Proud Boys organization, which played a significant role in the January 6, 2021 insurrection, were observed at the Glendale protest.
Growing concerns about Twitter serving as a platform for spreading bigoted rhetoric and disinformation have arisen since Tesla CEO Elon Musk acquired the company last year. Musk’s tenure has been marked by several embarrassing incidents, including a flawed rollout of a paid verification program and the problematic launch of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ bid for the Republican presidential nomination, which experienced repeated crashes. Earlier this month, one of Twitter’s top executives resigned due to the platform’s handling of transgender topics.
In response to inquiries from The Times, Twitter’s media account generated an automated poop emoji, which reflects an official policy announced by Musk himself in March. As a result, a number of celebrities, including Hall of Fame professional wrestler Mick Foley and actress Whoopi Goldberg, have chosen to quit Twitter.
We need to run Gascon out of CA. Enough damage to society has been done.
Imagine if we had the same “hate speech” laws as non Constitutional countries like Canada.. Gascon would salivate at the chance to prosecute the masses for wrong think while facilitating social decay.
While no fan of Gascon, he is correct to reject Twitter. An insidious social media platform that is ultimately a demeaning way to communicate by user and recipient.
Ship this political hack DA to Washington DC where he could fit right into the justice department of the Biden crime family.
SHHHHHH!!!!!!! Don’t give them any ideas!
Can’t believe only two of the commenters below express outrage over these hate-filled comments. Seems the rest are so blinded by their own hatred for Gascon they either can’t see or don’t care about the spread of hate agains the LGBTQ+ community. Very sad.
Calling his staff who participated in an LGBTQ+ Pride parade “groomers” and “pedophiles” is not criticism, it’s hate and no one deserves it, regardless of their boss’ policy positions.
When you want to shake your junk in front of children, you’re a groomer and a pedophile. If you bring a toddler to a parade with a BDSM display or several, GUESS WHAT.
This guy deserves all the criticism and then some.
Twitter under Mr Musk is a cesspool for some.
This is prime evidence of that.
“remarks labeling the employees as “pedophiles” or “groomers.” Additionally, explicit and offensive images, including deformed male genitalia and a swastika”
This is the Republican party in 2023. Disgusting.
There’s not one reference in the article that the commenters are Republican. Not one.
Pretty sure most were Democrats. I don’t think most people liked what they saw at that parade.
Wish he would drop his office as well. Horrible man and horrible office.
yup.
Has this guy heard of the Constitution? Gascon is an elected official subject to 1st Amendment protections which includes social media platforms. His staff cannot remove or censor comments on his platforms used for official purposes, but comments violating platform TOS can be removed.
This played out locally when the mean girls tried to censored critics on their platforms but were instructed not to by the City Attorney after multiple complaints were filed by weho citizens.
“His staff cannot remove or censor comments on his platforms used for official purposes”
Why are you even mention this when it didn’t happen? They chose to leave twitter after the disgusting remarks (that clearly violated TOS) were not taken down. 1st amendment has nothing to do with his office choosing to not have a presence on twitter!
Providing context to the decision, GEG. This is just Garscon appeasing the machine behind him, signaling his alignment with the ah or at strategy of pressuring private companies to enforce censorship at the governments beheast… that sounds a bit fascist (in the real meaning of the word, not Blackrock’s definition)
Enforcing Elon’s own TOS is not censorship.
Twitter is as bad as Gascon. Always has been. We’re better off without Twitter and Gascon.
Wouldn’t that be nice.
Buy the DA a ticket back to San Francisco and get out of our lives. He’s turned Los Angeles County into nothing but a crime center. Of course he’s left wing semi-communist ridiculous hack. Loved by Shyne and Erickson.
His policies help destroy San Francisco and what did the good people of Los Angeles do? They gave him a job down here to do the same thing to this county.