Matt Walsh

A growing number of people working in education and healthcare are receiving death threats because they provide support or care for LGBTQ minors.

“The police felt fairly strongly that the threat wasn’t credible but they were in full agreement that you have to take it seriously,” Nordin said. Major governing medical bodies, including the [American Medical Association](https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-reinforces-opposition-restrictions-transgender-medical-care), [American Psychological Association](https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-gender-identity-change-efforts.pdf), the [American Psychiatric Association](https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/About-APA/Organization-Documents-Policies/Policies/Position-Transgender-Gender-Diverse-Youth.pdf), and the [American Academy of Pediatrics](https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/19021/AAP-continues-to-support-care-of-transgender?autologincheck=redirected?nfToken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000), have endorsed gender-affirming care for youth. In the spring, Nordin was re-elected onto the board, and the far-right, anti-trans candidates were defeated. “I’ve seen a lot of chilling effects from doctors who are unwilling to defend gender-affirming care as bills move through state legislatures this year.” And this is part of a pattern: An investigation by VICE News in collaboration with researchers from the nonpartisan think tank Advance Democracy, which tracks extremism online, found widespread and explicit calls for violence online against those who are trying to protect LGBTQ kids. politics](https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d383z/anti-trans-violence-2022), with conservative politicians and influencers seemingly scapegoating LGBTQ people as a way to incite fear and activate voters. “I didn’t want to be close to my family, just in case.” Articles about Eau Claire had popped up in far-right media channels, from local blogs to national behemoths like Breitbart and Fox News, after a presentation by an educator went viral for including a note that parents aren’t entitled to know their kids’ identities, such as sexuality, and that teachers need to prioritize support for students. “It’s very easy to imagine a mass shooting in the U.S. I am going to kill you and your entire family,” said the email, which was reviewed by VICE News. Nordin, president of the Eau Claire Area School District, went straight to his wife and showed her the email. “I am going to kill you and shoot up your next school-board meeting for promoting the horrific, radical transgender agenda.