That sort of conservative rhetoric has become common in recent years because the LGBTQ community is more visible in mainstream media, Titone said.
“There is a nonstop attack on trans people that never seems to go away,” Titone said. “Right-wing groups are now trying to influence a very specific group of people, which are Latinos.”
Democrats are especially concerned about the mailers’ potential impact on voters in Colorado’s 8th congressional district. Latinos make up 40 percent of the district’s population, and the race is considered a toss-up between Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and Democratic state Rep. Yadira Caraveo.
“Everyone is going after Latinos because we’re the fastest growing demographic,” Marquez, the CLLARO director, said. “It’s fine to come and provide information to our community, but when you’re telling us lies we have a problem.”
Latino and LGBTQ advocates are working to debunk the false claims
Advocates in the LGBTQ and Latino communities have launched efforts to combat election misinformation in the fliers and radio ads. During an Oct. 27 news conference in Denver, speakers called the campaigns transphobic and debunked several false claims.
“You can’t do operations on prepubescent kids,” said Ruby Lopez, a coordinator with Out Boulder County, in reference to the mailers’ misinformation about irreversible surgeries. “And there are aspects of gender-affirming care that are reversible.”
Lopez, a trans woman, said scare tactics like the ones used by America First could shape the perspectives of parents who don’t verify the information on them.
“This type of care can save trans kids’ lives,” Lopez said. “I feel for these kids who are afraid to come out to their families who are silenced even more by messaging like this.”
Lopez said parents should seek information from scientifically-backed resources such as the American Medical Association, which labels gender-affirming care as medically necessary.
The World Health Organization defines it as an umbrella term for a range of social, psychological, behavioral, and medical practices meant to affirm someone’s gender identity when it conflicts with the one they were assigned at birth. Types of care can range from name changes to medication to surgery.
Treatment should be catered to an individual’s wants and needs, according to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
Research has found gender-affirming care to be beneficial. In one survey, young trans patients who received gender-affirming medications, including puberty blockers and hormones, had a significantly lower risk of depression and anxiety. Youth in one study who received medications had a 73 percent lower risk of suicidality than those who did not take medication.
Critics of America First’s postcards say they leave out that vital information.
“We shouldn’t blindly believe what’s coming to us over the internet or in the mail as truth,” Lopez said. “They’re typically trying to gin up fear.”
In response to the mailers, advocacy groups across Colorado plan to step up educational efforts in the remaining days before the election. That includes hosting a series of online webinars about media literacy for Spanish speakers, said Marquez.
“We’re going to teach them how to detect misinformation and disinformation in social media and in mailers,” he said. “And then we’re looking at more long-term solutions because we know this type of misinformation will keep coming.”
CLLARO is partnering with the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials to offer the “Defend La Verdad” webinars. Slots are available for Nov. 1 and 3. A sign-up form is available online.
