By Ann Rostow –
The Kids Are Not Okay
Like many of you, I’m becoming inured to the daily assaults on the country where I was born and grew up. Heavy machinery busting up the East Wing of the White House? Oh well. Supreme Court says it’s okay to send National Guard troops to Portland? What did we expect? Blameless officials indicted for nothing, while George Santos is pardoned? How much time do we have left? Three years and three months? Wake me when it’s over.
But one particular story this week shocked me out of my complacency, and that was the 2,900 pages of chats on Telegram between leading members of the Young Republican National Federation that were released by Politico. The chats include the vilest comments you can imagine, casually bandied about between about a dozen people over a seven-month period between young Republicans from New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont.
As Politico reports: “William Hendrix, the Kansas Young Republicans’ vice chair, used the words ’n—ga’ and ’n—guh,’ variations of a racial slur, more than a dozen times in the chat. Bobby Walker, the vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans at the time, referred to rape as ‘epic.’ Peter Giunta, who at the time was chair of the same organization, wrote in a message sent in June that ‘everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber.’” Much hilarity about gas chambers ensued. Giunta was referring to an internal leadership vote, and later called his opponents: “Minnesota – f——ts … . Arkansas—inbred cow f—ers Nebraska—revolt in our favor; blocked their bind and have a majority of their delegates Maryland—fat stinky Jew … Rhode Island—traitorous c—s who I will eradicate from the face of this planet.”
The examples go on and on and on. And, I must say, three photos in Politico show men who are not exactly candidates for Best in Show. They look like incels, which makes you wonder what lies at the heart of their hatred of their fellow human beings. They tossed antisemitic, antigay, and anti-Black comments around to the delight of their chat buddies. They were violent, joking around about killing people, and even confessed to using party funds for their own expenses after the group’s budget went into the red.
After the messages came to light, several of the participants apologized in that “sorry if I offended anyone” style. Others suggested the texts were doctored. It seemed as if the chat was released either by one of the warring factions in their various power plays, or by a good Samaritan—I can’t tell.
One of these chatters, Paul Ingrassia, is under consideration in the Senate for a job as the head of the White House Office for the Special Counsel. According to Politico, Mr. Ingrassia had remarked in January of 2024: “MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs … . No moulignon holidays … . From kwanza [sic] to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth … . Every single one needs to be eviscerated.” He also admitted he had a “Nazi streak” from time to time. He faces a committee hearing today, October 23.
Reacting to this whole story, Vice President Vance said: “Kids do stupid things, especially young boys.” The Young Republicans membership includes people aged 18 to 40.
For Shame!
Part of me has been assuming that our current horror show will come to an end in January 2029, much as it appeared to do in January of 2021. Trump will be gone, some nice Democrat will take office, and our healing will start to take hold. The pendulum will swing back from MAGA towards normalcy and articles will flow about learning lessons. I also recall tales of the McCarthy era, which, because I know next to nothing about it, seemed to end abruptly after someone thundered: “Have you no shame?” And that was it! Like something out of a Frank Capra movie. Hey guys! Has anyone tried that?
Another, more cynical part of me recognizes that the damage we’ve seen has been a team effort and there are a lot of people who will remain committed to a country run by white Christian men. People with no sense of history, no head for economics, a lizard-type intelligence and a deeply disordered inner life. In the chat released by Politico, we just saw some of them. There are many more.
I do think, however, that there’s a majority that supports reasonable immigration laws, which include room for Dreamers, workers, students, families, refugees, and asylum seekers. A majority that believes in the rule of law and the promise of Democracy. A majority that sees the U.S. as part of the global community, both in terms of economics and in terms of foreign aid. It may take years or decades, but if this majority—the left and the broad center—can convey a shared vision of the American future, I think we can break the hold of the far right and perhaps see some of those “young boys” hang their greying heads in shame one day.
Lost and Found
Here’s a story out of The Advocate that illustrates both sides of our divided country. In Oklahoma City, the head of the Oklahoma City University Counseling Center made a comment after Charlie Kirk’s murder:
“As a target of Charlie Kirk,” wrote Paula Schonauer, who is transgender, “I must admit there is a grudging satisfaction that one who has wielded hate and stochastic terrorism is getting a taste of his own medicine. As a citizen of the United States, I am appalled by gun violence and I send to his family thoughts and prayers.”
The backlash descended at once. “What a disgusting inhuman … pig you are,” “You are gross and a waste of humanity,” and so forth. Schonauer wrote back: “Do not shame me for feeling a certain amount of vindication at the death of an oppressor. I certainly know that some people will rejoice at my demise.”
Schonauer, 59, had already gone through the experience of transitioning as a police officer, a former Officer of the Year in the Oklahoma City Police Department. A Gulf War veteran as well, she had to fight for her police job after transitioning in the late 1990s. She retired from the police in 2014, was named to her current post in 2023, and was recently named one of the university’s Influential Women of 2025. Nonetheless, she was fired for her Kirk remarks, her boss telling her with tears in her eyes.
By this time, Schonauer had been doxxed. Demoralized and a little crazy it sounds to me, she got in her truck and headed out to a rural area with her service revolver, ready to end it all. En route, her truck broke down near a McDonalds and a family reached out to help her, offering two bottles of coolant and some reassuring words. Whatever they said, it gave the beleaguered woman some hope for the future and moved her to abandon her suicidal mission.
I was about to decry her use of the term “stochastic terrorism,” which sounded deliberately erudite and sort of meaningless, but, when I investigated, I learned that “stochastic terrorism” is a specific phrase used to describe groups or individuals who use media to trigger acts of random violence from their listeners. Who knew? Well, I guess Paula Schonauer, for one.
Pot Pourri
What else is new? Well, here’s a satisfying story out of Nevada, where a 62-year-old pompous ass got pulled over for using his phone while driving a state vehicle. The driver was William Scott, chief of investigations at the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, a post that he apparently thought made him above the law. Calling the traffic cop a “faggot,” however, lost him his job.
Scott was belligerent from the start, telling the officer who asked for his ID: “I am a retired police captain the Metro—and I am the chief of investigations right now with the AG’s office.”
Unimpressed, the officer noted that, given this background, Scott should know the law. Scott then threatened to call the sheriff, “Kevin,” and told “Kevin” that he was being given a hard time. Later on, The Advocate reports, the officer came back with a ticket and Scott tried to get out of his car.
“Sit in the car! Stop!” said the officer. “Every second I spend with you tells me there’s no way you’re a retired cop.” After more arguing, Scott said: “Bye, I have enough money to pay for mine, faggot.”
“OK, very classy,” said the officer. “I’m so glad you’re retired and not with the department anymore.”
I don’t know. I just love that story—a puffed up bully with a mediocre career that he thinks makes him a big shot gets put in his place by cool-sounding traffic cop.
We also have an Ohio pastor charged with child rape, who allegedly abused a child for over six years. Silas Shelton, who looks like a serial killer in his mug shot, once lectured everyone about a book series that “wrongly encouraged children to explore their sexuality,” reports The Enquirer in Cincinnati. “I tell you, I got sick reading that stuff,” Pastor Silas said of the Heartstopper series at a local book fair in 2023. He also frowned that parents “aren’t allowed to talk about the health risks of being gay.”
You know what? Parents are allowed to talk about the health risks of any old thing their parents warned them about. Swimming on a full stomach! Pogo sticks for girls! Hot water from the tap! Whatever!
Finally, I should mention that the Supreme Court did not look favorably on our arguments in favor of Colorado’s right to outlaw conversion therapy two weeks ago. I told you about that case, as I’m sure you recall, but in subsequent days most analysts agreed that the Court was happy with the idea that conversion therapy was protected by the therapist’s right to free speech.
Sigh.
arostow@aol.com
GLBT Fortnight in Review
Published on October 23, 2025
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