The email, signed by party chair Dave Williams, refers to members of the LGBTQ community as "evil," "woke creeps" and "godless groomers" who seek to "indoctrinate" and "harm" children. It also links to a video with the thumbnail "God hates flags," in which Pastor Mark Driscoll says elements of the rainbow Pride flag represent “the demonic realm” and “human indecency."
This is the second year in a row that Williams has sent a message attacking Pride Month on behalf of the Colorado GOP, and the continued hateful rhetoric has made some LGBTQ Republicans in Colorado feel isolated from their own political party.
"It's alienating a large group of people within the party. Not just LGBT people, but our friends, our allies, our families," says Valdamar Archuleta, a gay man who is president of LGBT conservative group Log Cabin Republicans of Colorado. "This was a massive mistake. We need to work on unifying the party and growing the party, not isolating people with divisive messages like this."
Archuleta is running to represent Colorado’s 1st Congressional District and secured an endorsement from the state Republican Party on Sunday for the primary election. But when the Colorado GOP sent the anti-Pride email the following day, Archuleta decided to reject the party's endorsement.
"I don't want to be endorsed by them in this race," he says. "I'm not abandoning [the Republican Party] and running away. But it was important for me to make a statement. ... This email is a massive misrepresentation of the Republican Party in Colorado."
Republican Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon calls the email "absolutely atrocious" and antithetical to his religious and party values. He publicly came out as a member of the LGBTQ community in 2022, identifying as an aesthete.
"Messages of hate, bigotry and government control over people's lives are not Republican or Christian," Laydon says. "Colorado Republicans who care about public safety, property taxes, reducing homelessness and supporting the constitution have kids, grandkids, friends, neighbors, or they themselves are part of the LGBTQ+ community. How do messages of hate serve them and our communities?"
Despite criticisms from party members, the Colorado GOP doubled down on its anti-Pride sentiments. The party called for people to "Burn all the #pride flags this June," in a post on X on Monday. The X account also shared posts calling Pride Month "an abomination," "demonic" and "anti-God."
When asked to respond to Republicans being offended by the anti-LGBTQ messages, Williams again re-commits. "We make no apologies for saying God hates Pride or Pride flags, as it’s an agenda that harms children and undermines parental authority," he tells Westword.
Laydon argues that it's Williams's message that harms the state's youth, as almost half of LGBTQ youth in Colorado seriously considered suicide in the past year and 60 percent reported experiencing depression due to societal stigmatization, according to a 2022 state survey by the Trevor Project.
"If you want to support kids, quit telling them that they're worthless for how God created them and encouraging them to kill themselves," Laydon says. "Thanks, Dave Williams, for the reminder to actually study God's incredible love for all people and for Coloradans, especially Republicans, to get huge Pride flags."
Pushing Voters Away?
This latest controversy comes mere weeks after the Colorado GOP made headlines for urging parents to pull their children out of public schools because the schools "turn more kids trans." Last year, Williams also publicly reprimanded four local Republican politicians for defending a transgender Montana lawmaker who was banned from the Montana House floor.Archuleta says he fears leadership's anti-LGBTQ behavior is driving members of the community and allies away from the Republican Party at a time when it is already struggling in Colorado. As Democrats hold all statewide executive offices and have near-unprecedented control of the state legislature, Republicans haven't had less political control in Colorado since 1938.
"It is pushing people away from our party," Archuleta says. "If there were races that were close, like House district races that were going to be close in Colorado, that email just lost those races for us. It's hard to overcome that. That email was blatantly hateful. There's really no condoning it in any way."
"We need new leadership, and we need to start looking for new leadership now," he adds.
The Denver Republican Party declined to comment about both the state party's anti-Pride email and the local chapter's views on Pride Month. Log Cabin Republicans of Colorado is working on a statement to be released in the coming days, Archuleta says.
In the meantime, the state's LGBTQ community is taking a strong stand against the Colorado GOP's email.
"It’s fascinating to learn that Dave Williams seems to have a direct line to God. In the Christian church I was raised in, I was taught that God doesn’t hate anyone," says Rex Fuller, CEO of the Center on Colfax, an LGBTQ community space. "At one time in our nation’s history, the Republican party was dedicated to holding our country together. Now it seems that Dave Williams is intent on tearing our state apart by issuing statements full of ignorant and hateful falsehoods. ... It is sad to see a once noble institution descend into such childish bigotry."
Nadine Bridges, executive director of One Colorado, adds: "Pride is even more significant in today's climate of increasingly discriminatory laws, harmful rhetoric and violence against the LGBTQ community. Experiencing this adversity, queer and trans joy is a radical act. Our community will continue to defy the false narratives that seek to marginalize and silence our voices."
Governor Jared Polis — the first openly gay man elected governor in the U.S. — will be celebrating Pride Month with the rest of the state, says spokesperson Shelby Wieman.
"Governor Polis is focused on creating a Colorado for All where everyone can thrive no matter who they love or how they identify," Wieman says. "The governor looks forward to celebrating Pride Month alongside his fellow Coloradans and will not let the incoherent ramblings of a politician stand in the way.”
