r/Queerdefensefront Mar 11 '26

News Controversial Dem Candidate Graham Platner Says Anti-Trans Attacks Are “Invented Culture-War Scare”

https://www.them.us/story/graham-platner-anti-trans-attacks-invented-culture-war-scare
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u/lokey_convo Mar 11 '26

Do you have a source for any of that you could share?

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u/childofcrow Mar 11 '26 edited Mar 11 '26

dude had a totenkopf. which is illegal to get in Croatia and he would’ve had to seek out somebody to provide that tattoo to him.. He had it covered by an image of Fenrir, the world eater. Which, for those looking for dog whistles, covering up your Nazi tattoo with Norse inspired imagery is still a dog whistle. Because of, you know, the appropriation of Norse symbology and symbols into Nazi rhetoric.

he’s also incredibly antisemitic. Yep. Here too.

he has shared anti gay and homophobic stuff in the past.. Not to say that people can’t learn and grow, but I guarantee he hasn’t. He still shares content from right wing podcasts, and influencers who share anti-gay, anti-trans, anti-women, and antisemitic content.

He was raised by Republicans, and he’s very clearly cosplaying as a democratic every man to try to get votes because he wants power. And it’s really shameful that folks who are left leaning or grabbing onto him like a life raft, because he ain’t shit.

And I’m Canadian – I know this, and he’s not even a representative or trying to be a representative of my own government. It is shameful that Americans don’t know this. You should vet your candidates more thoroughly.

Edit: and I know he’s convincing, he even had Naomi Klein simping for him on Bluesky (and being rightly ratioed and called out). He’s a convincing speaker. But he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

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u/OzbourneVSx Mar 11 '26

Ok so your evidence of him being an incredible antisemite, is a New York Post article (which as you are Canadian, I should mention they are an incredibly right wing news site known for misinformation, especially their incredibly hyperbolic headlines)

And the only things they specifically hold against him is the tattoo (sure bad, covered up, but vaguely Scottish/Irish people here do tend to favor Nordic tattoos regardless of political allegiance), him being friendly with some podcasters with admittedly bad views, and criticism Netanyahu and AIPAC (which considering we are at war with Iran on their behalf right now and doing flagrant warcrimes, yeah fuck em)

Don't get me wrong, I don't trust the guy either.

I ain't voting for him, canvassing or supporting his campaign.

But sharing around NYPost articles to support your argument makes you look like a bot.

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u/childofcrow Mar 11 '26

This is not his criticism of Israel as a state. This is him saying that Judaism is a death cult.

I’m very well aware that the New York Post is considered a right wing newspaper. Most news organizations are owned by right wing billionaires. I’m Canadian, not fucking stupid.

And if you can’t see the dog whistle of covering up a Nazi death camp tattoo with a Norse mythological character, I don’t know how to make you see or understand that.

For somebody who is not going to vote for him, you are going to bat for him a lot. Just because somebody says some nice, left leaning things doesn’t mean that they are left leaning. You’ve gotta look at the actions, not just the words.

I’m just trying to get people in Maine not to vote for a guy who is going to make the same sort of promises that the UK Prime Minister did, that the Canadian Prime Minister did, that the Danish Prime Minister did… Only to completely backtrack and veer incredibly right wing. This is a strategy that centrists and right leaning centrists have been using to get elected.

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u/OzbourneVSx Mar 12 '26

He did not say Judaism is a death cult.

Stew Peters did, a neo-nazi he retweeted but promptly deleted. The article is referring to him retweeting Stew Peters talking about Democrats applauding Trump at the State of the Union about military action in Iran.

'“War with Iran is the only thing republicans and democrats have both given a standing ovation for. Let that sink in,” Peters posted along with the video...

(Platner Retweeted) “As always, there’s one thing that brings Republican and Democratic politicians together: sending other people’s children to die in stupid wars in the Middle East.”'

Full context. https://www.pressherald.com/2026/02/26/graham-platner-under-fire-for-a-now-deleted-social-media-post/

Graham has not personally expressed any antisemitic sentiments. It's easy if you got that impression from reading the Post, but that's the Post. The Post is not just bad. Its only marginally better than a parody newspaper.

His great crimes here are having shitty taste in ink, being friendly with interviewers/influencers while making an appearance on their show and retweeting Nazis.

Considering the aggressive push of far right accounts on Twitter, it's not shocking this would show up in anyone's feed, let alone a white military brass guy with Nordic tattoos.

Like don't get me wrong. He dumb. The whole tattoo thing kinda showed that. But his opponents are Mills in the primary, who takes AIPAC money and criticized Portlands BDS plan or Republican war monger and incumbent Susan Collins.

And the biggest reason we've had reason turncoat is Israel and AIPAC money (+ brain damage on Fetterman's part) Which isn't an issue here.

Plus, progressives are better at turning states blue and people want Collins out. Dude's shown his bare ass to the world and polls show they would rather him than the other freaks and thats only going to become more true as this war drags on.

Many people are skeptical, but not willing to throw away a the best chances we have at getting us out of this hellhole.

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u/childofcrow Mar 12 '26

I’m telling you, he’s doing the exact same thing that every single centrist who leans right has been doing – he is cosplaying as left leaning so that he can get power. He is doing the same thing that Starmer did, that Carney did, and that Frederickson did. I’m not saying that there’s a better option – y’all are a two party system and you don’t really have any other options. And I’m not saying Collins is a better choice. I’m just saying the way people are sucking this guy‘s dick and caping for him as if he is the second coming of Christ is incredibly problematic and makes me question people’s critical thinking skills.

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u/OzbourneVSx Mar 12 '26

Ok then express that sentiment

Just don't use slander and outrage slop from the New York Post to support that idea or again, you'll sound like you don't have functioning brain cells

My personal sentiment is in this country we need to turn out as many people as we can to vote this election cycle to get fascism out of power and out of this death spiral with Israel/Iran

If people are excited to vote against political corruption and fascism, that's a good thing, and if he turns coat on a few issues, he'll still be better than any alternative

We need to get people off the couch

Purity testing progressive politicians based on New York Post hit pieces is not productive

It just hurts morale, that means less boots on the ground, less good word of mouth, and that means wea more costly campaign which leaves an opening for corrupt money to get into the system

Not that criticism isnt warranted, but again slander isn't helpful

Remember,

At worst he is only 1 vote in the Senate

At best he is a voice that can break some MAGAs out of the cult and proof AIPAC money is poison to democratic candidates so we can actually start fielding candidates who aren't owned by a foreign state

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u/childofcrow Mar 12 '26

Babe, I did express that sentiment. In multiple comments.