An attack ad using transphobic language against Colorado’s first transgender lawmaker, Rep. Brianna Titone, may have had the opposite effect of what was intended: The incumbent Arvada Democrat raised about $11,000 from 236 people in 36 hours.
The Facebook ad by a group called Take Back Colorado attempts to discredit the incumbent representative by claiming she supports violence and sexualizes children — both tropes used against transgender people. The group also created a website to attack Titone.
Take Back Colorado is an independent expenditure committee registered to Joe Neville, the brother of Republican House Minority Leader Patrick Neville.
The attack ad references an argument in 2012 between Titone and her then-partner. The other person later called police, who wrote a report, but no charges were filed, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records.
The ad misgenders Titone and refers to her by her “dead name,” the name she used before her gender transition in 2015.
“The claims made in this ad are dishonest and are meant to perpetuate the decades-old false narrative that the LGBTQ community is dangerous and perverse,” Titone said in a statement to The Denver Post. “The accusations made are disproven by the very police report cited in the ad and use transphobic tropes designed to spread fear about people like me. At at a time when the U.S. Supreme Court could start dismantling LGBTQ protections, the Neville brothers have revealed that their agenda truly is to roll back rights for our community.”
After Titone tweeted about the ad, supporters came to her defense — many donating to her campaign. The first-term lawmaker is seeking reelection in her swing district.
I've just seen my first transphobic attack ad and it's only going to get worse until Nov. 3. Please help me fight back against the transphobic rhetoric by making a contribution to my campaign. Thank you!#RepresentationMatters#TransLivesMatter #elections https://t.co/OIPLa6obyw
— Rep Brianna Titone – COHD27 (@BriannaForCO) October 7, 2020
Minority Leader Patrick Neville, a Castle Rock Republican, denied any transphobia in the ad, saying it simply showed “the facts.” He said he expects Democratic lawmakers to demand Titone’s resignation, as they did when former Rep. Steve Lebsock was accused of sexual harassment and when The Denver Post reported that Rep. Jovan Melton had been arrested twice for domestic violence.
Joe Neville did not return a request for comment.
In a Facebook post referencing the ad, Patrick Neville wrote that Take Back Colorado is a group “that isn’t pulling punches, works with grassroots and isn’t owned by the establishment.” Take Back Colorado works to oppose Democrats and get Republicans elected, according to its Secretary of State’s Office filing.
Take Back Colorado has most recently received attention for funding a lawsuit — so far unsuccessful — against Gov. Jared Polis over his statewide coronavirus response, including requiring mask-wearing.
It isn’t the first time Titone has dealt with issues of transphobia — even in the statehouse, lawmakers, particularly Republicans, have misgendered her. But this is the first time she’s been the subject of an ad such as this one.
Titone worries about the safety of herself and loved ones since the ad published.
“We were expecting this to happen and we just didn’t know when and to what extent,” she said.
