Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego is defending leaked text messages in which he mocked colleagues’ appearances and gender expression. In the texts, Gallego responded to a meme of Representative Rosa DeLauro saying, they aren’t wrong, and wrote, “Dem women look like Dem men and Dem men look like women.” He hasn’t denied the messages, calling them heartbreaking athat they were shared, and saying they reflect what he’s been saying the whole time about Democrats needing “a bigger tent.” Though long considered a pro-LBGTQ+ ally, Gallego has drawn sharp criticism. Trans journalist Erin Reed wrote that his comments mirror tired, corrosive rhetoric from the far right.
