An elected official in California has been temporarily shielded from attacks by a right-wing extremist. San Jose City Councilmember Peter Ortiz recently obtained a restraining order against Robert Saenz, the owner of a popular Instagram page called “ESSJ Times.”
The action comes in response to Saenz’s posts on the social media platform, which Ortiz says have put him and his girlfriend in danger and has incited hateful messaging toward the LGBTQ+ community, The Mercury Newsreports.
The “ESSJ Times” Instagram account, with more than 66,000 followers, features content about crime and public safety in San Jose. Recently, Saenz began to obsessively post transphobic content, including controversial material regarding medical treatment for transgender children. He used the term “groomer” in these posts, a term that falsely associates legitimate medical care for transgender youth with child abuse and fosters violence against the LGBTQ+ community. The account also spread propaganda from the extremist group Gays Against Groomers.