Neidert, 22, a self-described Christian nationalist, was hired amid threats against Texas’ LGBTQ+ community and ahead of the state’s legislative session next year that is expected to focus on anti-trans legislation, the Texas Tribune reported.
Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas, expressed concern about hiring Neidert, saying that Tinderholt’s choice isn’t supported by all Texans.
“We have to pay attention to what politicians do, not just what they say,” Martinez said in a statement to Newsweek. “Hiring a person who promotes violence against the LGBTQ+ community is not only irresponsible, it places members of Rep. Tinderholt’s constituency in harm’s way. All Texans deserve to feel supported or at least respected by their representative. Tinderholt’s choice does not reflect that responsibility.”
Tinderholt’s decision comes amid a wave of threats against the LGBTQ+ community in Texas and across the country, with far-right movements targeting drag events.
Last month, the nationalist group Proud Boys announced plans to disrupt a drag storytime event in Columbus, Ohio, at a time when the LGBTQ+ community was shaken by the Colorado shooting in which five people were killed and 19 injured at Club Q, a gay nightclub that held drag performances.
In additions to protests held by far-right movements against LGBTQ communities in conservative-led states, some prominent right-wing figures have touted anti-gay and anti-trans rhetoric that suggested that members of the community were “grooming” children at gay shows.
“Grooming” accusations have been previously made by Neidert’s twin sister, Kelly Neidert, the founder of Protect Texas Kids, an anti-trans group that opposes drag and LGBTQ events in the state.
Kelly Neidert has called for “rounding up” people who go to pride shows, according to the Texas Tribune. Jake has expressed similar anti-gay remarks.
“You want to force kids to see drag shows, I want to ‘drag’ you to the town square to be publicly executed for grooming kids. We are not the same,” he wrote on Twitter in June, the Texas Tribune reported, citing screenshots of his accounts that were posted by Living Blue in Texas. Jake Neidert’s Twitter account was suspended this summer.
“Hateful extremists like Jake Neidert are stirring up trouble without regard to the cost,” Martinez said. “Giving a platform to hate and divisive politics is a public safety issue. Just this past week armed protesters and counter protesters in San Antonio had a shouting match from opposite sides of the street about a drag show.
“In a state with open carry, situations like these are extremely volatile. Every tweet and every statement from Jake Neidert now falls on Rep. Tony Tinderholt’s head. We’ll be watching closely to hold him accountable.”
The decision to hire Neidert at Tinderholt’s office has sparked outrage among other advocates and members of the LGBTQ+ community in Texas.
“It is a frustrating thing to both be appalled and not surprised,” said Democratic state Representative Erin Zwiener, who is also a member of the House LGBTQ Caucus, according to the Texas Tribune. “And while it’s sure alarming to know that there’s someone working in my building who has called for my execution, it feels just par for the course.”
Adri Perez, the organizing director at the Texas Freedom Network, which advocates for LGBTQ equality, expressed concerns about Neidert playing a role in spewing hate against the community through his position.
“Neidert has publicly pushed transphobic campaigns that we know spew hateful narratives that yield very real violent results,” Perez said. “Neidert does not share the collective interest of Texans and should not be allowed to use public funds and time to push his hateful and violent ideology at our State Capitol.”
One of the extreme conservatives in the Texas House, Tinderholt previously proposed legislation that would apply the death penalty to those who get and perform abortions. His conservative views have been echoed in a state, whose governor, Greg Abbott, long pushed for abortion bans.
This year, Abbott signed a letter stating that a number of gender-affirming procedures in children are considered to be child abuse under Texas law. He also ordered the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to “conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of any reported instances of these abusive procedures in the State of Texas.”
Newsweek reached out to LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Texas and Tinderholt’s office for comment.
