Pose actress Angelica Ross has taken a break from Twitter after she was attacked by supporters of 2020 Democratic presidential contender Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
Ross hosted Friday’s LGBTQ forum and called Sanders out for missing the only two LGBTQ forums for the Democratic primary candidates before the event and in a later interview.
Related: Ryan Murphy’s new show ‘Pose’ will feature the largest transgender cast in TV history
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But by Sunday morning, she was ready to call it quits with the social media platform.
“Going to take a break from social media for a while and let me team run my accounts,” she tweeted.
Going to take a break from social media for a while and let me team run my accounts.
— Angelica Ross (@angelicaross) September 22, 2019
Last week on Twitter, she tweeted that she found out that Sanders was going to be visiting a black barbershop and HBCUs instead of going to the LGBTQ Forum.
In an interview with The Guardian after the forum, she called it a “huge misstep” for the senator to skip both forums and accused him of attending “photo ops” instead.
“You don’t show up for both of our LGBTQ events?” Ross said. “That’s obviously telling us all we need to know.”
“I’m going to risk being super real here for a second,” she continued. “When you’re on the campaign trail, what’s happening a lot – and what a lot of these candidates have to avoid – is being seen as looking for a photo op. To be seen in certain communities and spaces. I heard that he was not only visiting the [HBCU’s] but also visiting an old black barbershop.”
“I’m already struggling as a black trans advocate to get folks in my own black community to understand that being black and being LGBTQ are not mutually exclusive. What I hope Bernie would learn is you don’t have to pander to just one aspect of the black community. If he would have been at the LGBTQ forum tonight, he would have seen we were talking about issues affecting people of color. I think it was a huge misstep on his part. And I’m not here for any of the excuses. I say: ‘Make it up to me. Make it up to us.'”
Her mentions on Twitter started being flooded with Sanders supporters accusing her of lying.
They also accused her of “bias” for calling Sanders out and not the other frontrunners, even though the other frontrunners were all attending at least one of the forums.
So are you insinuating Bernie DOES NOT care about the LGBTQ community? If so ,then you are using your platform to spread MISINFORMATION about a man who has always been on the side of the LGBTQ community. You dont have to like him but dont play loose with the truth.
— Rosewood (@yesroeroe) September 22, 2019
To question Bernie Sanders stance on lgbtq rights is the most ridiculous thing ever and shows your bias against him. He's been an ally before it was cool and socially acceptable, while every other candidate just hopped on the equality train. Warren was a Republican not to longago
— Giovanni Godoy (@GProphet2430) September 21, 2019
She was also getting criticized by supporters of Donald Trump this weekend because of her role in the LGBTQ forum. The Advocate posted a tweet with part of her opening statement at the forum where she criticized the Trump administration for its attacks on transgender people.
Trump supporters accused her of lying and used transphobic invective to attack her.
As someone who has supported the gay community for decades, has a gay sister & HAD a living gay brother, & has countless LGBTQ friends & associates to say @POTUS ' s admin is "harming transgender Americans" is not correct! Feel free to dispute or correct me #DontLieAndDontDecieve
— Paul (@RealPaulHoward) September 21, 2019
Ahhhh are you a man or a women guess your just nuts
— Jay AZ🇺🇸 (@AzYager1) September 21, 2019
Transgenderism calls God a liar. It says "I know better than God" and "I was born the wrong sex" "I was born a man but identify as a woman and vise-versa" These lies come right from the pit of hell and LGBTQ wants all to embrace these beliefs as acceptable. no no no
— Alpha Faith (@TrueAlphaFaith) September 21, 2019
All this for being a black transgender woman who publicly spoke out for LGBTQ equality.
Her fans are supportive of her taking a break, but they’re also disappointed that it came to this.
Hey, @jack: How come it’s so hard to get hateful people off Twitter because “free speech,” but trolls get to silence the free speech of people who already struggle IRL to have their voices heard? Why won’t you clean up the trash on YOUR platform?
— Anoosh (@AnooshInTheSun) September 22, 2019
I'm so sorry that you were attacked. Take care of yourself. ❤
— Berners are inauthentic cops.🥀🍩 (@AYFKMPEOPLE) September 22, 2019
I understand. But come back soon. We need your voice!!! #hugs
— Blair LM Kelley (@profblmkelley) September 22, 2019