Thread by @GallagherWitt

Straight folks, listen up.

As we push back against things like #DontSayGay, the right is spinning it into “liberals want to groom your children.” Fox News is running with it. Right-wing politicians are running with it.

Don’t fall for it, but don’t ignore it, either.
/1

This is part of a push from the right to repeal marriage equality and otherwise force the LGBTQ+ community back into the closet. They are claiming we’re grooming kids, but what they’re actually doing is grooming YOU. /2

You’re being groomed to believe that we’re predators. That the mere act of acknowledging our existence is akin to showing children pornography. That we’re recruiting your kids. /3

Think about it. How often do discussions about our rights or our lives devolve into explicit discussions about sex and perversion? How quickly do conservatives routinely redirect conversations about LGBTQ+ families into how we shouldn’t expose kids to sex? /4

You’re being groomed to believe we’re predators and perverts by people who aggressively sexualize every aspect of our existence. /5

People who are absolutely comfortable showing affection to their spouse or kids in public, but condemn the same degree of affection from us as public sex acts or hurting children. /6

We’re just people who want to live our lives, but we’re surrounded by conservatives who sexualize us at every turn because it’s the most efficient way to demonize us. They know people will support them because “we have to protect the children,” so they fabricate a threat. /7

Don’t fall for it.

And don’t be quiet about it, either. If you’re an ally, push back. Don’t just let those comments slide. Make homophobes uncomfortable when they parrot lies about us. You might not change their minds, but you can get through to bystanders. /8

Don’t let yourself be groomed into buying all the lies about us.

Don’t let the Republican Party and Evangelical Christians recruit you into oppressing us. /end