College Student Threatens To Kill Matt Gaetz Unless He Backs Off LGBTQIA+ Rights
They say allies come in all shapes and sizes, but DNA never endorses the perpetuation of violence or threats, although we’re not not grateful for Allan Poller’s defence of LGBTQIA+ rights, however misguided his approach was.
Poller is a 24-year-old college athlete who drunkenly called Republican Representative Matt Gaetz in March of this year threatening to kill him if he keeps attacking gay rights. His method is madness but his actions appear to be motivated by fear.
If you push a group far enough, they’re going to react
Allan Poller was a New Hampshire college freshman at Keene State College when, on the night of March 29, he left a voicemail on the machine of a politician understood to be Matt Gaetz. Poller admitted to leaving the voicemail in question in court on Thursday, October 12.
The voicemail says: “Hi, my name is Allan Poller, A-L-L-A-N P-O-L-L-E-R, phone number []. And I just want to let you know, Representative [Name], if you keep on coming for the gays, we’re gonna strike back and I guarantee you, you do not want to f**k with us. We will kill you if that’s what it takes. I will take a bullet to your f**king head if you fuck with my rights anymore. And then if you want to keep going down that path, you know who’s next.”
Representative Gaetz later reached out through a spokesperson to confirm that he was the intended recipient of Poller’s voicemail.
Poller says that he decided to call Gaetz’s Washington, D.C. office that night after drinking and becoming angry after watching TikTok videos. After the investigation which saw cooperation from the FBI, Capitol Police and the Keene Police Department concluded, Poller was taken into custody on April 3.
The rising level of anti-LGBTQIA+ vitriol in the US legislature is being witnessed around the world. Politicians like Gaetz are responsible for much of the conservative noise in this regard with the representative introducing bills to allow prayer in public schools, voting in favour of a bill that would out LGBTQIA+ children to their parents, and he voted against the Respect For Marriage Act, which would have codified same-sex marriage.
U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled Allan Poller’s sentencing for January 18, 2024.
