Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) speaks to reporters after attending a briefing with U.S. Secret Service officials on the cocaine substance found at the White House on July 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. U.S.
The accusations came to light after a complaint was filed with the House Committee on Ethics on September 17, which included three staffers she oversaw, one of whom Boebert allegedly paid $200,000 in hush money in an attempt to keep the relationship secret.
The sworn ethics complaint, filed by David Wheeler of the political action committee American Muckrakers, identified three current staffers —former district director Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff, district chief of staff Raven Finegan, and former chief of staff Jeffrey Small — Boebert allegedly had sexual relationships with, according to reporting from theColorado Times Reporter.
Boebert released a video responding to the allegations on September 20, calling the complaint “sloppy, desperate, obsessive hack stamps under oath on a fake filing,” and a “scam.”
“This is more filthy garbage that reaches beyond me. This reaches into the homes of people who have dedicated years of service to Coloradans alongside me,” Boebert said. “I know that you’re more than willing to attack me and shame my household, but this is different, and you crossed a line.”
Boebert, who previously went viral for fondling her companion’s genitals during a showing of the family-friendly Beetlejuice musical, seems aware of the avalanche of social media reactions these allegations caused, adding, “I hate to spoil the fan fiction, but y’all needed to do better. To the rest of y’all, no, I’m not hiring.”
The Colorado Republican denied the allegations, calling them “utterly false” and a “politically motivated stunt” in a statement released to multiple media outlets and also sent a statement to the political blog Sources Say News, denying that she’s part of the LGBTQ+ community. “Well, I’m not a lesbian or bisexual, and I have never, ever been in any inappropriate relationship, nor have I ever been sexually involved with any staff.”
Wheeler, who also published allegations in 2022, claiming Boebert worked as an escort on a sugar-daddy website and had multiple abortions, is not backing down from the complaint he filed with the House Committee on Ethics against Boebert.
"This chapter in Boebert's life is the culmination of a history of criminal activity by her and her family, deception of voters and constituents, and a pattern of sexual depravity,” Wheeler said in a statement set to Newsweek. “Boebert truly believes she is not accountable for her actions, nor do the laws apply to her.”
The newest claim that the “family values” Republican not only had sexual relationships with staffers, but did so with two different women, sparked a firestorm of memes across social media, making jokes about her being a “bisexual, hush-money-paying hypocrite,” and pointing out that bisexuals don’t need this kind of “reputational damage.”
Most of the jokes stem from Boebert’s the hypocrisy of alleging having sex with women considering the far-right Republican’s long history of anti-LGBTQ+ stances, including claiming the mere existence of drag queens and transgender people “sexualizes” spaces, opposes the Equality Act, and co-sponsored legislation aimed at restricting healthcare for transgender youth.
Vivian Jenna Wilson knows what's at stake for the LGBTQ+ community. With the fast-approaching midterms, the famous transgender model is using her platform to showcase her unapologetic queerness at a pivotal moment in history.
Wilson has teamed up with Desigual on their empowering new campaign, Born to Disobey, which encourages queer people to claim their freedom and question society's traditional rules. In the viral campaign photos, she even takes a stand against the rise of AI and technology by playfully mocking a robot.
"It was such a great time participating in this campaign. The title is very charming and somewhat of an oxymoron, but systems are not fought with campaigns. They are fought with protests, activists, and societal political movements demanding sweeping changes. The midterms are coming up and we are being employed as the scapegoat to make people forget about the economy, the Iran war, and the Epstein files," Wilson tells Out.
As LGBTQ+ equality remains a hot-button topic in today's hostile political climate, Wilson is reminding her queer peers to fight back and make their voices heard at the polls this November.
"The importance of queer people building community and support networks in this time cannot be understated. With the government attempting to ban gender affirming care for trans people through an already broken and corrupt healthcare system, the repealment of anti-discrimination laws, and the demonization of queer people, we need to be there for each other right now."
Wilson understands that the LGBTQ+ community has fought for basic rights for decades, but she argues now is not the time for complacency when a potential blue wave could spark crucial progress.
"Look forward to conservatives shouting incessantly about us like kids whose ball went over the fence. Unfortunately, because they are completely incompetent, they have decided to try and distract everyone with how ookity-spookity trans people are."
While the transgender model is proactively creating opportunities and safe spaces for her chosen family, Wilson also reminds everyone to lean on one another through every major milestone. She also hopes to see every queer person expressing themselves as freely as they'd like.
"Many of us, including myself, end up having most of our typical teenage experiences in early adulthood. I think there's a specific beauty in that. Fashion has helped me figure out who I am, and made me more confident in my aesthetic and how I'm facing the world. To be honest, the people I met in fashion have likely had more of an impact on me than fashion itself. You are not alone. Find queer community however you can will always be my advice. Just be careful, safety should always be your priority."
Right-wing personality Laura Loomer spent the weekend testing whether any racist invective was too crude for Donald Trump’s political orbit. Marjorie Taylor Greene, of all people, decided there was.
In a video posted to X Friday, Loomer named Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon, U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley, former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Loomer wrote that the five Black women were “all ghetto, entitled, race-obsessed, destructive black BITCHES who are completely unfit for the power they hold.”
Nixonresponded by recalling Loomer’s promotional appearance eating dog food.
“Girl. You ate dog food on camera,” Nixon wrote. “In the words of @IAMQUEENLATIFAH, ‘Who you calling a bitch?’”
Loomer escalated, invoking “Ebonics” and writing that she might need to “bark” at Nixon and “tug” her leash to make the Black lawmaker understand. When Nixon told Loomer to call her “Representative” — or, after November, “Senator” — Loomer replied, “Ok Shaniqua.”
That set off Greene, the former Georgia congresswoman who resigned in January after breaking with Trump.
Greene described Loomer’s rhetoric as hateful, racist and demeaning. She accused Trump and theRepublican Party of keeping Loomer in their “inner circle” and said the attacks were damaging Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, who faces Nixon in November.
“I 1000% denounce Laura Loomer and her nasty, hateful, racists comments,” Greene wrote. “This is Trump’s new MAGA and Republican Party and I want nothing to do with it.”
Loomer responded by proving Greene’s point. Across at least five additional posts Sunday, she repeatedly deployed variations of the same slur, branded Greene “Marjorie Traitor Greene” and declared, “I am free to say whatever I want.”
In onepost, Loomer used the slur five times and said “ghetto” Black women in Congress had “gotten away with way too much.” In another, she attacked Nixon’s bookstore for distributing emergency contraception and sexually shamed its patrons.
“I meant every word I said about Angie,” Loomer wrote.
Nixon, a Jacksonville state representative, defeated retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman recently in a stunning Democratic primary upset. If elected, she would become Florida’s first Black U.S. senator.
The Advocate recently reported that Loomer demanded the identification of an unnamed transgender “Biden holdover” in the White House intelligence directorate. Veteran CIA officer Julia Curlee was removed soon afterward. Curlee does not know whether Trump ordered her removal but believes an administration insider fed Loomer information and used her as a conduit.
The Advocate also reported days ago that Loomer took credit for alerting immigration authorities to British far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, who was detained after overstaying his visa on Friday. Yiannopoulos, who was deported to the U.K. Saturday, previously interned for Greene — a connection Loomer revived while attacking her Sunday.
Loomer holds no government position, but her proximity to power is documented. Trump has praised her, met with her in the Oval Office and dismissed officials she targeted.
JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP via Getty Images / Abdul El-Sayed YouTube
The campaign trail is heating up!
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee making waves as he advocates for equal rights and liberal policies in his quest to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate.
The progressive politician, who recently bested moderate Rep. Haley Stevens in the state’s Democratic primary, made headlines again this week after his appearance on Fox News in an interview with conservative host Jesse Watters. As Watters tried to turn the conversation toward transgender children’s bodies, El-Sayed effortlessly shut him down in a viral moment.
"Do you really want to have this conversation?" El-Sayed asked. "Are you circumcised?"
After initially answering yes to the question, Watters replied, "That’s a personal question, doctor."
Without any hesitation, the doctor and former public health official quipped, "So you probably should want to move on."
Democrats are praising El-Sayed's argument and ability to flawlessly outsmart Watters' hateful transphobic rhetoric. As a result, many supporters are flocking to his social media and enjoying his popular workout videos.
El-Sayed uses the gym as a major source of motivation for physical and mental health. In a few of his videos, the politician shows off his workout routine and even cheekily shows some skin while flexing his muscles.
In the YouTube video above, El-Sayed teams up with popular streamer Hasan Piker as the two hit the gym together and bond over their intense regimens.
It’s no easy task keeping up a perfect physique while on the campaign trail during an election year, but as a doctor, El-Sayed wants to serve a healthy example in the world of politics.
In a separate YouTube video, El-Sayed visits a popular Michigan gym called "Detroit Body Garage" and works out alongside Terra Castro. She serves as the founder, owner, and head coach of the fitness nonprofit.
Clearly, El-Sayed also has a strong team behind him as they had no problem holstering the doctor in the air as part of Zara Larsson’s popular “Midnight Sun Challenge” on TikTok.
The aspiring senator is wisely using all aspects of his platform to connect with a vast range of potential supporters as the mid-term elections quickly approach. Will he be part of a blue wave in November? Let’s see.