Progressive members of the chattering class often make arguments that are so utterly dense that one could be forgiven for wondering if their IQ is lower than my shoe size. Alleged journalist Taylor Lorenz is no exception given the miles long list of silly statements she has made over the years.

In my years of covering braindead comments made by folks on the hard left, I have often asked myself this question: Are they really this stupid or do they just think we’re all stupid enough to buy into the tripe they spew on the airwaves and interwebs?

While I am sure that stupidity plays into much of this, I have decided that, for most of these people, the latter likely accounts more for what we have seen over recent years.

Let’s take Lorenz’s recent comments about how members of the LGBTQ community are treated in places like the Gaza Strip and West Bank, which have been prominent in the news because of the war between Israel and Hamas. The alleged journalist planted her foot so deep into her esophagus that even podcaster Don Lemon had to correct her.

During a recent exchange on her show, Lemon asked how folks like her can “reconcile the way marginalized groups are fighting for what’s happening in Gaza” when “they would not have any freedom” if they lived in the region.

Lorenz responded by stating, “They don’t have freedoms in Texas and Florida.”

Lemon countered by pointing out that even though he is a gay man, nobody would throw him off a roof if he went to Texas.

Don Lemon calls out Taylor Lorenz for falsely equating the 'lack of freedoms' between people in Texas / Florida and Gaza:
DL: "Taylor, how do you reconcile the way marginalized groups fighting for what's happening in Gaza, yet in Gaza, they would not have any freedom."
TL: "They… pic.twitter.com/4pJQhAbTAo

— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) May 3, 2024

So, let’s pause for a second and look at what happened here. Lemon brought up the fact that Hamas routinely oppresses members of the LGBTQ community in the Gaza Strip, as does the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in the West Bank. Yet, Lorenz’s response was to deflect by bringing up Texas and Florida, pretending that somehow, people living in those states are living under similar conditions.

I refuse to believe that Lorenz is actually dumb enough to believe the silliness that came out of her mouth. Even a child could tell that this is a lie.

This brings up the next question: Does Lorenz actually believe those watching the show are stupid enough to believe that living in Texas and Florida is akin to being a Palestinian living under the thumb of a terrorist group?

Probably not.

Unlike other lies progressives tell, I don’t believe this particular tall tale was intended to deceive anyone as it would be like going on television and telling the audience that grass is blue, tortoises are fast, and Joe Biden is a stellar president.

From where I sit, I think Lorenz had a knee-jerk reaction that is common for progressives: They must defend those they deem to be marginalized and oppressed no matter what. In this case, their premise is that Israel is run by white elites who are oppressing the brown Palestinians who were simply minding their own business.

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, there are plenty of Israelis with dark skin and Palestinians with lighter skin. But we know this matters not to the virtue-signaling progressive crowd. I wrote about this in an earlier piece.

Folks in Lorenz’s orbit can never criticize the actions of people they view as oppressed, even if it means defending people who throw people off of buildings for their sexuality and gender identities. To them, these folks can never be the bad guys. Only those who live in red states or Israel are worthy of condemnation, even though I’ve never seen anyone in Texas or Florida treat members of the LGBTQ community this way.

This is why Lorenz answered as she did. She knows her comments were false. She knows the audience knows her comments were false. But she must play the part anyway, like any good progressive pundit should do. Otherwise, she might not be invited to those fancy cocktail parties so she can show off how she is still wearing a mask even after COVID-19 has passed.