Two Democratic Senators Strip Support For LGBTQ Center Following 'Libs Of Tik Tok' Smear

Two Senate Democrats have rescinded their support for $1 million in federal funding for a Philadelphia LGBTQ center, after pressure from right-wing social media accounts.

Pennsylvania Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey had previously pushed for the funding to go towards expanding and renovating the William Way LGBT Community Center, which offers counseling, senior services and arts programming.

But late Tuesday, Fetterman’s office issued a letter withdrawing support for the funding after Libs of TikTok, a right-wing social media account run by Chaya Raichik, highlighted the center’s alleged involvement with kink and BDSM-centric events. Other conservative operatives had alsojoined in the attacks.

On Tuesday, the influential anti-trans Twitter account Libs of TikTok posted screenshots of the recipients of funding requested by Fetterman and Casey and a post about a BDSM event at the center. The social media post said the center hosted “s*x k*nk parties,” but the event description calls it an “interactive theater night” about fetish culture where sex is not allowed.

Renee Gilinger, a director at the center, told HuffPost she was disappointed to learn that the withdrawal of funds came as “a result of lies and distortion about our Center shared by political extremists.”

“These extremists falsely state that sexual behavior is allowed in rental programs of the Center, which is inaccurate and against our Center’s code of conduct,” Gilinger said over email.

The Libs Of TikTok account is infamous for drumming up fear and anger over LGBTQ issues and other culture war topics. Police have reported an uptick in bomb threats and harassment of individuals and institutions after the account targets and posts about them.

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