DENVER (KDVR) — Hate crimes against the LGBTQ community in Colorado have increased by 380% from 2018 to 2021.
On Colorado Point of View this week, host Matt Mauro discusses that dramatic increase with the state’s first transgender lawmaker, Rep. Brianna Titone, and Rep. Andy Pico, of Colorado Springs.
The lawmakers were asked whether they thought the rising violence against the LGBTQ community is linked to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in the public sphere.
“I have no doubt that there’s a correlation there, because the proof is in the statistics. More crimes, more rhetoric,” said Titone, a Democrat who represents District 27 in Jefferson County. “You don’t need to insult people, you don’t need to put them down, you don’t need to go there. You can disagree with people and be civil about it. But when you take it to that level of not being civil, that’s when you start to increase the violent attacks.”
Pico, a Republican who represents District 16 in El Paso County, weighed in.
“The rhetoric needs to dial back, but again, that goes both ways. If you take a position that says I want to be left alone and not be forced to participate in something, you know, that’s a valid point of view,” Pico said.
Watch the entire discussion on Colorado Point of View this Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on Colorado’s Very Own Channel 2.
Source: Rocky Mountain News
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