A few months ago, we noticed that Gays Against Groomers had its own Wikipedia page. It was surprisingly much longer than we predicted it would be. And what we found was very disturbing. It was filled with incoherent conspiracy theories, fabricated stories about non-existent members, fairy tales about how we are secret billionaires who want to take over the world, bigoted slurs, and it even compared us to Adolf Hitler. The author made outrageous accusations that are not backed up by any facts or evidence. The Wikipedia page includes a reference list, indicating where they got their information. It is based on tabloids from vicious publications like Media Matters, random tweets from deranged trans activists, and a podcast episode where Imara Jones lists off some ideas that they outright admit are conspiracy theories. It is odd that someone would go through such great lengths to discredit a nonprofit organization with a noble mission. But after we did some digging, we found that it was created by a user named "TransAnarchist" and was locked for editing. We released a short statement correcting some of the odd claims that were made. Since we had no way to edit and fix this issue, we hoped that it would eventually just go away. It hasn't.
Our membership has skyrocketed since late Spring. We have accepted over 120 members so far. Our movement is stronger than ever. And we do not want anyone to be discouraged from doing activism with us based on what that website says. Since this problem does not seem like it is going to fix itself, we figured it would be best to go through these accusations one-by-one and give an official response to each of them, in order to provide clarification about who we are and what we stand for.
1.)
Accusation:
"Gays Against Groomers (GAG) is an American far-right and anti-LGBT organization known for campaigning against gender-affirming care for minors, protesting school curriculum content with LGBT themes, and criticizing Drag Queen Story Hour events."
Response:
Gays Against Groomers is a strictly non-partisan organization. We have members who come from all backgrounds and viewpoints. We have apolitical members, gays who work in politics, gun-wielding gay couples from The Bible Belt, and Michfest lesbian feminists from California who all disagree on many things. But we are willing to unite with those who think differently than us for one common cause: ending the war on children. I have voted Democrat in every election and even campaigned for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Bronx in 2018. Calling us "far-right" is absolute nonsense.
We are critical of Drag Queen Story Hour events because we feel that some of the outfits and routines are too raunchy and revealing. There is no reason for a male crossdresser wearing fake breasts to read books in front of a room full of kindergarteners. Some queer activists claim that these events promote acceptance and teach children to respect the "LGBTQIA+ Community." Taking your kid to a drag queen event to teach them how to respect "LGBTQIA+ people" is like taking them to a strip club to teach them how to respect women. The books that they are reading to these children (aged 3-11) introduce very complicated topics about gender identity, gender transition, being "trapped in the wrong body" and imply that humans can change sex. Some of these children are becoming confused and are led to believe that their body is wrong. While Drag Queen Story Hour is presented as a wholesome family event, it is vastly inappropriate for 4-year-olds to attend.
If a pair of lesbian mothers wanted to visit their child’s classroom and read a book about how every family is different and unique in order to promote tolerance, then that would be a great idea. However, we do NOT approve of pornographic material being given to children at the school library, and neither should you. Not only is that disgusting, but cartoon pornography has nothing to do with being gay and this does not benefit us in the slightest. In fact, it does the exact opposite.
We reject the pseudoscience that is being forced down children's throats. Boys and girls are being taught that men can get pregnant, gender is a spectrum that changes from day-to-day, puberty blocking drugs are safe, and biological sex is not real. They should be taught the truth: Sex is binary and immutable. Sex is determined based on whether your reproductive system is organized to produce small or large gametes, an estrogen/androgen-dominant endogenous hormone profile, and the presence of a Y-chromosome (SRY gene). We should get back to teaching kids about reality, instead of lying to them.
"Gender-affirming care" for minors must be outlawed and criminalized on a federal level. Most children who meet some of the criteria for “early-onset gender incongruence” outgrow their dysphoria and wind up being gay and lesbian adults. Gender distress will alleviate for upwards of 80% of these kids when they go through puberty. However, instead of letting them experience their natural puberty, they are being given puberty blockers and injected with steroids instead. One follow-up study of 139 gender dysphoric boys determined that 88% of them desisted and did not go through with transition and chemical castration. This child abuse is being banned all over Europe and recognized by professionals as the new gay conversion therapy. We believe that any form of conversion therapy should be outlawed, whether it is in the form of organ removal or "praying the gay away." Stop transing the gay away.
Why would anybody who claims to support the gay community be okay with sterilizing and amputating the body parts of confused children? Instead of letting them grow into healthy gay adults, they are medicalized and forever dependent on pharmaceutical drugs that cause osteoporosis, heart attacks, brain swelling, and uterine atrophy. Accusing us of being "anti-LGBT" is ridiculous. Personally, I am so thankful that I'm gay. How could I not be? I wouldn't want to be anything else. That is the main reason why I am in this fight – the popularization of this new gay conversion therapy is the most worrisome trend I have seen in a long time. I love being a gay man. And if I was growing up today, I would have been transitioned and denied that experience. Anybody who supports the needless butchering of same-sex oriented teenagers are no friend of our community. You support gay conversion therapy and abuse. This medical scandal is being shut down both nationally and internationally. When it is finally destroyed for good, we fully intend on calling out the anti-gay tyrants who promoted it, even when they had enough available evidence showing how evil this is.
2.)
Accusation:
"A spokesperson for the LGBT advocacy group GLAAD has claimed that we characterize the LGBTQ+ people as pedophiles."
Response:
If the child sexual mutilation advocates at GLAAD actually paid attention, they would see that GAG calls out the bad behavior of straight people as much as any other group. Queer ideology's hostile takeover of our institutions is having devastating effects on children. Our organization feels that it is important to fight it from WITHIN the community and working together to do what is right. For instance, we constantly point out the filth that has entered the public school curriculum. This curriculum was not created by gay people. It was created by straight people. The vast majority of corrupt teachers and counselors who we expose are straight people. The predatory pharmaceutical industry that is creating permanent patients out of innocent children is also controlled by straight people.
GLAAD has recently shifted its focus towards "trans rights" and advocating for "queer people" instead of gays. On March 24, 2013, GLAAD announced that it had formally dropped "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" from their name and would now be known only as GLAAD to reflect their work more accurately. The NGO has made it very clear that they no longer have the same values as they used to. Given the false claims that they make about GAG, they seem to be the ones who promote the defamation of gays and lesbians who disagree with child medical abuse.
3.)
Accusation:
Gays Against Groomers is only promoted by right-wing media outlets.
Response:
We want our message out to EVERYONE but the only media that will give us a voice happens to be more right-leaning. We would love to make appearances on left-wing media, but sadly, we have yet to receive an invitation from any, nor do they reply to our requests.
4.)
Accusation:
“On August 19, 2022, [Jaimee] Michell told One America News Network that they are working toward a federal ban on gender-affirming care for minors.”
Response:
This statement is correct and we are nearly halfway there.
5.)
Accusation:
“In September 2022, the Miami-Dade School Board was considering declaring October LGBTQ+ History Month as they had the year before. Before the school board meeting, Gays Against Groomers had trucks drive around the city claiming the district teaches "radical gender ideology." The truck was also parked outside the board district meeting during the vote.”
Response:
We sent a billboard truck to a Florida school board meeting to voice our dissent about gender theory being taught in the classroom. The #GAGtruck displayed some of our slogans to get our message across while it drove around Miami.
This was the first time we used a billboard truck. It was so successful that we have been sending these trucks to cities all over the country ever since. In June, we attended seven pride festivals and sent our truck to each one, playing our Pride Month ad. We received an avalanche of applications, and in the past month, our organization has grown in membership by a whopping 26%.
It is a peaceful and effective way of endorsing our message. We do not understand why anybody would take issue with it. Regardless, we would like to make it clear to our haters that if our Gay nonprofit wants to drive our Gay truck around the Gay Village and park it next to The Stonewall Inn (a downtown NYC Gay bar where the Gay rights movement originated) at the Gay parade for all of the Gays to see, then we have as much of a right to do so as any other "LGBTQIA" organization. Seeing gay and lesbian couples hunt down the truck in order to take a few pictures in front of it was out of this world. They looked so happy when they saw it for the first time. And they repeatedly thanked us for the work we do and content we create, with huge smiles on their faces. Radical gender activists can say whatever they want about us, but we know that we are doing the right thing for our community.
6.)
Accusation:
“In January 2023, the head of the Arizona chapter of GAG voiced his support for Arizona Senate Bill 1001, which would prohibit teachers and school officials from using students' preferred pronouns if they do not match their gender assigned at birth without written permission from parents.”
Response:
Nobody has the right to keep a child’s cross-sex identity a secret from their parents.
Teachers would never affirm a student's anorexia behind their parents' backs, putting them on a one-way path to liposuction. So, why are they affirming a child's perceived "gender identity?"
Supposedly, the reason for affirming their identity at school is that it "positively affects their mental health." However, recent data says otherwise. A new study surveyed 1,655 parents of children who have recently adopted a cross-sex identity. They found that after social transition, children became much worse off, showing an increase in psychosocial distress (Diaz et. al, 2023). Their mental health deteriorated considerably. Socially transitioning a child at school might actually harm children’s mental health. Social transition is directly correlated with persistence in trans identification, and these children are more likely to become sterilized with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
7.)
Accusation:
“Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard, described GAG as "a conservative funded propaganda account to push the groomer ‘libel.’"
Response:
We are a non-profit and all of our funding comes from selling our own merchandise and small donations from our supporters. Caraballo spent months harassing us at one point. Less than one week after our Twitter page launched, she/her started a conspiracy theory that Gays Against Groomers is run by Nazis and compared us to people who worked for Adolf Hitler. In actuality, our founder and president is a Jewish lesbian, and we do not appreciate that level of bigotry. Caraballo was also responsible for doxxing our founder's last name, although she was going to make it public eventually.
8.)
Accusation:
Child mutilation and gay conversion therapy advocate, Imara Jones, speculated that The Heritage Foundation was funding Gays Against Groomers, suggesting we must have a budget of close to a million dollars and stating it could not have come organically from the gay community.
Response:
As lovely as that sounds, we do not have a million dollar budget, nor are we funded by The Heritage Foundation. If that were the case, then we wouldn't need to sell t-shirts on our website in order to get the job done. A lot of the people who buy our merch and donate ARE in the gay community. Any money that we get is put towards our activism and none of us are profiting off of this whatsoever. We are all volunteers. Gay adults love the work that we are doing and express their gratitude everyday. However, child sexual mutilation activists would rather lie about us because they hate the fact that our organization's existence destroys the narrative that all of us agree with butchering children. That could not be further from the truth.
9.)
Accusation [Imara Jones]:
“Gays Against Groomers is not a nonprofit. They receive unlimited cash from a secret billionaire Christian CABAL.”
Response:
Please go see a counselor.
10.)
Accusation [Imara Jones]:
“It’s actually a giant clan, a billionaire clan. They [the Christian cabal of billionaires] shop for people from the communities that they’re targeting who are willing to essentially carry the message that they want them to carry if they give them a large enough check. And so they will go out and they’ll look for a Jaimee Michell — this is not uncommon — they’ll be actively looking for these people online or elsewhere. And once they find them, they will either engage them or platform them or say, ‘Can we introduce you to other people?’ and that’s literally how it gets started.”
Response:
Once again, we are not affiliated with any of these fascist billionaires they keep referring to. There is no evidence for this claim whatsoever. It comes from a conspiracy theory that Jones came up with for a podcast. We have no idea who any of these people are. That is psychotic. No, thank you.
11.)
Accusation [Imara Jones talking about GAG]:
"A lot of the TERFs that you see platformed, and TERF organizations, it’s all because the Heritage Foundation went and found them..."
Response:
None of us are funded by The Heritage Foundation or any far-right organizations. Jones referred to our founder as a TERF (in a derogatory way). "TERF" or "Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist" originally started out as a homophobic, anti-lesbian slur. Jones then proceeded to compare our movement to the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. Sexist, bigoted men have been referring to lesbians as "Feminazis" for decades. This is nothing new. But now the misogynists are wearing lipstick, which somehow makes them immune from criticism. Go figure. They did the same exact thing to JK Rowling for two years and she wound up being right about everything. So, we will take it as a compliment for now.
In conclusion:
Gays Against Groomers DEMANDS that this issue is addressed immediately. We want the false accusations GONE. We want the bigotry REMOVED. We will no longer tolerate fraudulent statements presenting themselves as facts. Gays deserve way better than this. And we are more than willing to help with this process, if needed. We also invite "TransAnarchist" to reach out and let us know what city they live in so we can drive our Gay truck around and ruin their day. Unlike the pronoun supremacists, we don't get easily offended over everything. But there are some instances where eventually, you need to put your foot down and set the record straight. When dealing with a bunch of liars, all you need to do is tell the truth.
References
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/12/trans-rights-activist-imara-jones-anti-trans-hate-machine-far-right-assembled/
https://twitter.com/againstgrmrs/status/1624535154466103303?s=20
https://twitter.com/againstgrmrs/status/1678129503350972416?t=U0BOgAz9qZxjHEuE7mY1QQ&s=1
Harris, R.
It's Perfectly Normal
978-0763644840
https://twitter.com/againstgrmrs/status/1678129503350972416?t=U0BOgAz9qZxjHEuE7mY1QQ&s=19
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gays_Against_Groomers
Factora, James
Every Social Media Platform Except Twitter Is Becoming More LGBTQ+ Inclusive
https://www.them.us/story/glaad-social-media-safety-index-2023-twitter-score
https://glaad.org/anti-lgbtq-hate-and-extremism-spike-during-pride-2023/
GLAAD, 2022
FACT SHEET: Evidence based healthcare for transgender people and youth
https://glaad.org/factsheet-evidence-based-healthcare-transgender-people-and-youth/
Peeples, 2013
GLAAD Affirms Commitment To Trans and Bi People, Alters Name
"Online Amplifiers of Anti-LGBTQ+ Extremism". Anti-Defamation League. January 24, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved
:a b c d e f g h "Online Amplifiers of Anti-LGBTQ+ Extremism". Anti-Defamation League. January 24, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b c Gomez, Gloria Rebecca (February 17, 2023). "GOP anti-drag bill would send performers to prison for up to 10 years". Arizona Mirror. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
:a b Wiggins, Christopher (February 21, 2023). "Gays Against Groomers Is Not a Grassroots Organization: Report". The Advocate. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
:a b c Mackey, Robert (December 16, 2022). "Emboldened Right-Wing Activists Spread Lies About Rep. Katie Porter on Twitter". The Intercept. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
Burga, Solcyre (March 5, 2023). "Here's the Status of Anti-Drag Bills Across the U.S." Time. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
:a b Owen, Greg (December 6, 2022). "Wisconsin school board member sues over new sex-ed curriculum". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b c d e f g h i Salgado, Beck Andrew (October 28, 2022). "Right-wing activist groups targeted a recent Wauwatosa School Board meeting. They're 'just getting started.'". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b c d e f g h Goforth, Claire (June 29, 2022). "Is 'Gays against Groomers' the new Libs of TikTok?". Daily dot. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b Wiggins, Christopher (December 16, 2022). "Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate Way Up on Twitter Since Elon Musk's Takeover: Study". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b c d Owen, Greg (December 26, 2022). "Gays Against Groomers spars with counter-protestors during its anti-LGBTQ+ rally in Florida". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b c d Goforth, Claire (August 25, 2022). "Why does Twitter keep suspending, reinstating Gays Against Groomers?". Daily Dot. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b Carter, Camden (July 6, 2022). "Instagram is allowing accounts to spew hate at LGBTQ people, while also claiming to support the community". Media Matters for America. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
"Jaimee Michell, who is cisgender, tells two cisgender men on Fox News that Twitter banning "trans against groomers" is "transphobic"". Media Matters for America. September 26, 2022. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
Owen, Greg (December 28, 2022). "Trans rights activist Imara Jones on the anti-trans hate machine the far right has assembled". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
Ring, Trudy (October 28, 2022). "LGBTQ+ Rights Groups Worry Elon Musk Will Allow More Hate on Twitter". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b Burkett, Eric (August 30, 2022). "LGBTQ Agenda: Use of 'grooming' slur up 400% on social media, pro-LGBTQ groups say". The Bay Area Reporter. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b c Wiggins, Christopher (November 2, 2022). "Elon Musk's Twitter Is 'Hellscape' for LGBTQ+ People, Critics Say". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b Cameron, Dell (November 11, 2022). "Elon Is Re-Verifying Neo-Nazis and Selling Blue Checks to QAnoners". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b c "Anti-trans hate group Gays Against Groomers has been banned from PayPal & Venmo". LGBTQ Nation. September 21, 2022. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
Daugherty, Eric (September 21, 2022). "Gays Against Groomers Banned by Google After PayPal, Venmo, 'Massive Attack on Our Organization'".
:a b Johns, Tim (September 15, 2022). "Pride flag murals at Castro Valley schools cause opposing rallies". ABC7News. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
Wiggins, Christopher (September 14, 2022). "Right-Wing Extremists to Protest School Board Meeting Over Pride Flags". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b Wiggins, Christopher (September 8, 2022). "Miami-Dade School Board Rejects Naming October LGBTQ+ History Month". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b Cooper, Amber (September 8, 2022). "Miami-Dade School Board Rejects LGBTQ Ideology Proposal, Parents Outraged: 'Direct Violation of Our Parental Rights Bill'".
:a b Vecerina, Michelle (December 2, 2022). "ANTIFA Plans to Counter-Protest 'Protect the Children' Rally".
:a b c Broverman, Neal (December 4, 2022). "Gays Against Groomers Headline Anti-LGBTQ+ Rally in Ft. Lauderdale". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
Weiss, Elias (January 20, 2022). "Republicans Push Anti-Trans Bill Past First Hurdle in the Arizona Senate". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
MacDonald-Evoy, Jerod; March 16, Arizona Mirror (March 16, 2023). "Arizona Senate passes anti-drag bills". Arizona Mirror. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
Mizelle, Shawna (February 5, 2023). "Republicans across the country push legislation to restrict drag show performances". CNN. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
McKellar, Katie (January 19, 2023). "Ban on transgender surgeries for kids, puberty blockers headed to Utah Senate". Deseret News. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
Salgado, Beck (August 22, 2022). "Wauwatosa schools change their sex education curriculum amid protests, will start teachings as early as kindergarten this year".
"This Gay Conservative Twitter Account Is the Latest Trying to Use Drag to Stir Outrage". Them.us. July 1, 2022. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
:a b Cooper, Alex (November 23, 2022). "Gays Against Groomers Blames Gender-Affirming Care for Club Q Massacre". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
Cravens, R. G. (March 28, 2023). "Missouri AG Advances Anti-Trans Policy, Citing Disputed Whistleblower Claims". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
Gingerich, Mia (February 7, 2023). "Grifter Gays: How conspiracy theorists and right-wing operatives created Gays Against Groomers". Media Matters for America. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
Bollinger, Alex (August 3, 2022). ""Gays Against Groomers" Jaimee Michell compares trans health care to Nazi human experiments". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
"This Right-Wing Activist Somehow Blamed Trans Health Care for the Club Q Shooting". Them.us. November 23, 2022. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.