This US Politician Wants LGBTQIA+ Activists Labelled Terrorists
A Republican lawmaker in the United States has called for the LGBTQIA+ movement to be officially classified as a terrorist organisation. The statement from Montana state Representative Lukas Schubert follows a recent deadly school shooting, linking a tragedy to an entire community.
A dangerous comment in a volatile climate.
Schubert made the declaration on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. His post was in response to an update from the anti-LGBTQIA+ account Libs of TikTok, which noted the suspected shooter may have been transgender. However, police investigators have not confirmed the individual’s gender identity or motive.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated the shooter “harboured a whole lot of hate towards a wide variety of people and groups of people.” While right-wing figures have focused on the shooter’s reported identity, official reports confirm that most mass shootings are carried out by cisgender men.
Here’s the photo of the shooter pic.twitter.com/ihiuhiJ5Jp
— Global Index (@TheGlobal_Index) August 27, 2025
Echoes of Russia’s anti-gay laws…
Schubert’s rhetoric is alarming, especially when viewed alongside recent global events. In November 2023, Russia’s Supreme Court effectively outlawed LGBTQIA+ activism by labelling the “international gay rights movement” an extremist organisation. This decision gave authorities broad powers to persecute activists and allies, a move that earned praise from some social conservatives in the US.
How seriously should we take comments like Schubert’s?
Official documents raise serious questions.
Recent changes within the US government suggest this kind of language may find fertile ground. In February, the Department of Homeland Security altered its internal documents, which now allows intelligence agents to monitor LGBTQIA+ individuals and groups as potential threats to national safety.
This move, combined with the current administration’s actions against other activist groups, shows that the framework for increased surveillance is already in place. While a single politician’s post may seem like extremist noise, the legal precedents being set both at home and abroad show why this rhetoric cannot be easily dismissed.
