In addition to what everyone else said, conservatives have been using queer people as a wedge issue since the lavender scare. This didn’t create the initial hatred, but it definitely amplified it.
The radicalization of the right is the biggest reason for the current rise of hate. The extremists have gotten much more extreme, and the “moderates” don’t disagree with them enough to really care to stand up to them.
In addition to what everyone else said, conservatives have been using queer people as a wedge issue since the lavender scare. This didn’t create the initial hatred, but it definitely amplified it.
The radicalization of the right is the biggest reason for the current rise of hate. The extremists have gotten much more extreme, and the “moderates” don’t disagree with them enough to really care to stand up to them.