A local police chief in Arkansas has resigned after posts he allegedly wrote on the social media platform Parler threatening violence against “Marxist Democrats” and disparaging transgender people came to light.
A user on the conservative-leaning Facebook-like platform with a profile bearing the name and picture of Lang Holland, the former Chief of Police of Marshall, Ark., posted multiple derogatory posts about Democrats, transgender people, and supporters of Black Lives Matter.
One post told people when they saw a “Marxist Democrat” in public, they should “get in their face,” “throw water on them at restaurants,” and “push them off sidewalks.”
“Never let them forget they are traitors and have no right to live in this Republic after what they have done,” the post reads.
Politically-rooted confrontations are nothing new: many Republicans expressed outrages after U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) encouraged Democratic and liberal activists to engage in similar confrontations with Trump administration officials in an effort to “shame” them for their more controversial policies.
But the Parler posts allegedly written by the chief went further, threatening: “Death to all Marxist Democrats. Take no prisoners, leave no survivors!”
The user opined in other posts that if supporters of Black Lives Matter or Antifa tried to intimidate someone while voting, they should be shot in the face, reports Little Rock-based ABC affiliate KATV.
According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the user thought to be Holland also shared an illustration of former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others wearing orange prison-style jumpsuits, saying: “I pray all those in that picture hang on the gallows and are drawn and quartered!!!! Anything less is not acceptable.”
He also posted that transgender people should have no rights, calling them “mentally defective” and “perverted freaks.”
The posts in question began circulating on Facebook and Twitter Friday evening. Another Parler account was created on Friday with the username “Chieflangholland.” That user claimed to be “the real chief,” stating the other account is fake and did not represent things he stood for as a “protector of all citizens.”
Both accounts were taken down on Saturday, as was the police department’s Facebook page.
Marshall Mayor Kevin Elliott said he was surprised to learn that Holland had posted the controversial comments, saying that Holland has done an “excellent” job as chief prior to the incident.
“I called in the Arkansas Municipal League [and] my attorneys,” Elliott told The Guardian. “I got some advice on the steps I need to take and the proper direction I need to go. I called Mr Holland in, and he resigned as police chief.”
Elliott also condemned the content of the posts, saying they do not reflect the city’s positions.
“The Marshall community does not in any way support or condone bullying or threats of violence to anyone of any political persuasion,” Elliott said in the statement posted to Facebook Saturday afternoon. “We are a welcoming community that is humbly working to build a bright future for ALL our citizens.”
Two more individuals have been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgender man, in western New York.
New York State Police announced the arrests of 29-year-old Kimberly Sochia, of Canandaigua, N.Y., and 21-year-old Thomas Eaves, of Geneva, N.Y. on February 21.
Police previously arrested five others in connection with Nordquist's death: 38-year-old Precious Arzuaga of Canandaigua; 33-year-old Kyle Sage, of Rochester; 30-year-old Patrick Goodwin, of Canandaigua; 30-year-old Jennifer Quijano, of Geneva; and 19-year-old Emily Motyka, of Lima, N.Y.
A proposed bill in Arkansas would criminalize anyone who is believed to have supported the social transition of transgender youth.
The bill's prohibitions are so broad, in fact, that it could lead to the prosecution of hairdressers who give youth haircuts that don't conform to stereotypical gender norms.
Under the Vulnerable Youth Protection Act, any person found to have affirmed the gender identity of a minor that does not match the minor's assigned sex at birth could be sued by that minor or their parents for at least $10,000, plus compensatory damages and attorney's fees, for up to 20 years afterward.
U.S. Rep. Becca Balint has introduced a bill to protect and expand access to gender-affirming care for transgender individuals at a time when the Trump administration is seeking to restrict the practice.
The Vermont Democrat's bill -- the Transgender Health Care Access Act -- establishes grants to support medical education programs and professional training in transition-related care, and to expand access to such services in rural communities.
She introduced the bill on March 31, coinciding with Transgender Day of Visibility.
The congresswoman noted in a news release that in a survey of students at 10 medical schools, nearly 4 in 5 students did not feel competent at treating transgender patients suffering from gender dysphoria.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
A local police chief in Arkansas has resigned after posts he allegedly wrote on the social media platform Parler threatening violence against “Marxist Democrats” and disparaging transgender people came to light.
A user on the conservative-leaning Facebook-like platform with a profile bearing the name and picture of Lang Holland, the former Chief of Police of Marshall, Ark., posted multiple derogatory posts about Democrats, transgender people, and supporters of Black Lives Matter.
One post told people when they saw a “Marxist Democrat” in public, they should “get in their face,” “throw water on them at restaurants,” and “push them off sidewalks.”
“Never let them forget they are traitors and have no right to live in this Republic after what they have done,” the post reads.
Politically-rooted confrontations are nothing new: many Republicans expressed outrages after U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) encouraged Democratic and liberal activists to engage in similar confrontations with Trump administration officials in an effort to “shame” them for their more controversial policies.
But the Parler posts allegedly written by the chief went further, threatening: “Death to all Marxist Democrats. Take no prisoners, leave no survivors!”
The user opined in other posts that if supporters of Black Lives Matter or Antifa tried to intimidate someone while voting, they should be shot in the face, reports Little Rock-based ABC affiliate KATV.
According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the user thought to be Holland also shared an illustration of former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others wearing orange prison-style jumpsuits, saying: “I pray all those in that picture hang on the gallows and are drawn and quartered!!!! Anything less is not acceptable.”
He also posted that transgender people should have no rights, calling them “mentally defective” and “perverted freaks.”
The posts in question began circulating on Facebook and Twitter Friday evening. Another Parler account was created on Friday with the username “Chieflangholland.” That user claimed to be “the real chief,” stating the other account is fake and did not represent things he stood for as a “protector of all citizens.”
See also: Indiana city councilman apologizes for comments attacking LGBTQ people and Black Lives Matter
Both accounts were taken down on Saturday, as was the police department’s Facebook page.
Marshall Mayor Kevin Elliott said he was surprised to learn that Holland had posted the controversial comments, saying that Holland has done an “excellent” job as chief prior to the incident.
“I called in the Arkansas Municipal League [and] my attorneys,” Elliott told The Guardian. “I got some advice on the steps I need to take and the proper direction I need to go. I called Mr Holland in, and he resigned as police chief.”
Elliott also condemned the content of the posts, saying they do not reflect the city’s positions.
“The Marshall community does not in any way support or condone bullying or threats of violence to anyone of any political persuasion,” Elliott said in the statement posted to Facebook Saturday afternoon. “We are a welcoming community that is humbly working to build a bright future for ALL our citizens.”
Read more:
South Carolina gay man claims he was chased with a gun for “talking gay”
Ryan Murphy’s parents tried to “cure” his sexuality
Man arrested in Los Angeles for grisly murder of Philadelphia transgender woman
READ NEXT