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If you thought all the recent talk about LGBTQ+ people being "groomers," a dog-whistle for "pedophile," was just a bunch of fringe rhetoric, think again.
Former Republican President Donald Trump signaled in a speech yesterday that he is planning to announce his third presidential run for 2024.
And among the highlights of his speech was taking a page out of Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' book and calling LGBTQ+ people "sickos" who are "pushing sexual content on kindergartens." Which, for the record, is not happening.
It seems Trump is adopting the virulent anti-LGBTQ bigotry and fear-mongering that has been the all-consuming obsession of the Republican Party in recent years and making it the official Party platform--not that anyone should be surprised.
During the speech, Trump discussed LGBTQ+ people in tandem with "the sexualization of children," and called for the full force of the state to be used to stop this non-existent crime wave from happening.
And then, of course, he launched into the right's favorite pastime, transphobia. See his speech below, but be warned it may be disturbing to some viewers.
\u201c"A society that cannot protect its children is a society that will not be able to protect anybody. This is a hallmark of cultural and social decay against which we must fight back," Trump says of "the sickos pushing sexual content in kindergarten and puberty blockers to children"\u201d— X Strategies LLC (@X Strategies LLC) 1658866712
In his speech, Trump claimed:
"A society that cannot protect its children is a society that will not be able to protect anybody."
"This is a hallmark of cultural and social decay against which we must fight back."
He then went on to talk at length about healthcare treatments for trans people he admitted himself he knows nothing about.
“The sickos who are pushing sexual content in kindergartens or providing puberty blockers to young children who have no idea what a puberty blocker is – neither do I, by the way... are not just engaged in acts of depravity in many cases they are breaking the law and they should be held fully accountable."
Puberty blockers are not given to young children and are only prescribed once a patient has actually begun puberty and after extensive psychological counseling. Their effects are fully reversible.
Anti-LGBTQ and especially anti-trans disinformation campaigns and accusations of pedophilia leveled at LGBTQ people and allies have become cornerstones of the Republican Party since Trump left office, and Trump has clearly gotten the memo.
After doing a bit of disinfo himself, Trump called for those facilitating healthcare for trans patients to be prosecuted for doing so.
“Federal, state, and local government should aggressively enforce existing statutes to stop the perverted sexualization of minor children. You have the statutes.”
On Twitter, many people found Trump's speech abhorrent.
\u201cTrump went on a rant describing members of the LGBTQ community as \u201csickos who are pushing sexual content in kindergartens or providing puberty blockers to young children\u201d implying the same people are involved in \u201csexualization of minor children\u201d \n\nOh word?\u201d— flexghost. (@flexghost.) 1658944634
\u201c"sickos who are pushing sexual content in kindergartens, providing puberty blockers to young children who have no idea what a puberty blocker is \u2013 neither do I, by the way." -says Trump, fondling his own daughter.\u201d— Chip Franklin.com (@Chip Franklin.com) 1658942971
\u201c#Trump in his usual, arrogant, lying, and bombastic style declared that #LGBTQIA people are "sickos" who are attempting to push sexual content on kindergartens. He even pushed a lie a la @Rep_MTG style where trans women had 30-foot arms. #DementiaDonTrump needs to be committed.\u201d— David S. Polugar, \ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \u0414\u0430\u0432\u0438\u0434 \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0433\u0430\u0440 (@David S. Polugar, \ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \u0414\u0430\u0432\u0438\u0434 \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0433\u0430\u0440) 1658996754
\u201c@gayety Another day of wishing nothing but the worst for the orange bastard \u2764\ufe0f\u201d— Gayety (@Gayety) 1659050047
\u201cI hope every LGBTQ person and supposed ally who voted for the orange monster realizes he always hated us.\n\nDonald Trump describes LGBTQ people as \u201csickos\u201d in speech signaling 2024 run https://t.co/1eO7pJlTdw\u201d— Race Bannon \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 \ud83c\udf0a \u270f (@Race Bannon \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 \ud83c\udf0a \u270f) 1658953173
\u201c\ud83e\udd14At least he is not pretending. He is a sick, evil, flaming ahole.\nDonald Trump describes LGBTQ people as \u201csickos\u201d in speech signaling 2024 run https://t.co/iE7DG8rzaQ \n\u262e\ufe0f\ud83c\udf0a #WednesdayMotivation \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08#LGBTQIA #Pride #NOH8 #Resistance #FBR #StrongerTogether2022 #BlueWave #Motivation\u201d— Thomas (@Thomas) 1658941766
\u201cThis is Trump at his most insane while lying continuously. \nThis is #ChristianTheocraticTerrorism - fomenting violence.\nDemonizing #GayFolk should be unlawful.\nIt isn't.\nRt\n#DonaldTrump describes #LGBTQ people as \u201csickos\u201d in speech signaling 2024 run https://t.co/KLZw9KIyUM\u201d— Jackson Medcalf-Eichholz (@Jackson Medcalf-Eichholz) 1658973250
\u201cHe and his followers are the sickos. Quite heartless too. \n\nDonald Trump describes LGBTQ people as \u201csickos\u201d in speech signaling 2024 run https://t.co/W66XxJx2SX\u201d— Susie Mecum (@Susie Mecum) 1658954400
\u201cThe far right has decided to rerun the 2004 playbook. Attacking LGBTQIA+ folks, racing to the lowest common denominator. All gains LGBTQIA+ Americans have made are at risk. Queer folx and allies have to stand up now more than ever.\u201d— Proud Owls \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83e\udd89\ud83e\udd89 (@Proud Owls \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83e\udd89\ud83e\udd89) 1658936621
Recent trends indicate the right's sustained campaigns against LGBTQ people are succeeding in moving certain cohorts of the left toward the far-right.
Trump isn't good at much, but if there's one thing he has a talent for it's knowing which political trends to jump on.