On behalf of OUT NW, I want to apologize for a series of Facebook posts I made on my
personal page. As the editor-in-chief, sometimes I forget the role and responsibility that
comes with the title of being in that position. On Saturday, when the assassination
attempt was made on President Trump, I allowed myself to make comments publicly
that should never have been said. For that, I want to take this opportunity to talk about
it.
As Americans, we all have our opinions and fears about the upcoming election. For us
in the LGBTQ+ community, it is even more intensified by the hatred toward us and the
attempt to remove many of our rights across the country. When the news broke that an
attempt on President Trump’s life happened, many, including myself, would have, in a
sense, felt an ease of not fearing what might come out of a second term from this
president. In no way does this equate to condoning the action taken by the shooter.
As significant events like this happen, it is easy to get wrapped up personally in the
sensationalism of the moment, especially ones that can conjure up deep emotions like
fear. Social media so easily connects us all as a primary form of communication; it can
sometimes feel like personal conversations within our personal circles. This allows a
false security that what we say is insular. We many times type before we think. I was at
fault for this on Saturday, and since I have removed my posts, I am publicly apologizing
if it offended anyone.
In my position, I have learned that in public forums such as Facebook or X, I must be
critical of myself from here on out because of my responsibility to the community. My
personal opinions need to be kept private and I need to look at all things moving forward
in an ethical journalistic manner without the personal perspective shading what I put out
publicly.
Here at Queer Publishing and Out NW, we condemn all political violence, period. There
is a difference between protesting and violence. It is our standpoint that violence in any
form is not to be tolerated. No person should be physically hurt for what they believe or
feel. Words, words can hurt, and there is no way of protecting everyone from how what
is said may impact them. This is why, we strive to not be overly political in our news, and
when we are, we try to keep a fair and balanced approach in the best way to serve the
LGBTQ+ community.
Our hearts and prayers go to the families of the victims of this shooting, including
President Trump. The loss of Corey Comperatore’s life is to be mourned, and he was a
hero to the community he served as a firefighter. This is a time to try to heal. We all
need to heal. Our community’s fear of the “other” divides our country. Hopefully, this
moment will allow us to learn and grow as a country, if anything, to start looking at our
neighbors not as enemies but as opportunities to learn and grow to respect.
Again, I apologize for the words posted and am using this opportunity to learn about my
role and the responsibility that comes with my privilege as Editor-in-Chief at Out NW. My
Motto has been and always will be Unity above all else.
Sincerest Respect,
Michael Montgomery
