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Well, well, well, if it isn't yet another conservative Christian Republican obsessed with LGBTQ+ people's sex lives who turned out to be a convicted pedophile. Who could've seen this coming?
The Philadelphia chapter of far-right Christofascist activist group Moms For Liberty is quickly becoming notorious for the ruckuses they raise at school board meetings in their bids to oust the supposedly pedophilic LGBTQ+ people "grooming" children in schools.
There's never been a word of truth to those allegations, of course—it's all just propaganda to push their far-right political agenda. But it now seems it's in part projection, too.
Because it turns out Phillip Fisher Jr., a pastor and outreach leader for the group’s Philadelphia chapter, was convicted of child sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy in 2012.
Moms for Liberty has been behind waves of far-right political attacks on schools, administrators and students in recent years, most notably in their efforts to get books covering LGBTQ+ topics and the history of race removed from school and public libraries.
They, like most prominent Republicans nowadays, justify these efforts by routinely accusing LGBTQ+ people and their allies of pedophilia and alleging that such materials in libraries are used to that end.
The Philadelphia chapter has made national news multiple times for its efforts in suburban Bucks County, where they routinely hijack school board meetings.
@cbsdschoolboardwatch Watch Moms for Liberty Protect Bucks PAC members laugh, mock, verbally harass, and heckle public speakers at the central bucks school board meeting.#savecbsd #momsforliberty #danahuntersgottogo #buckscountypa #centralbucks
Pastor Fisher was an integral part of the group's expansion in the area, and headed up efforts to connect the group with local faith leaders.
He claims the conviction, to which he pled guilty to having anal and oral sex with the boy, was part of a "railroad job" by a former political opponent and conspiracy theorist, Lyndon Larouche, in retaliation for his attempts to leave Larouche's organization.
He has characterized it as a "blip" on his record that he has made no effort to hide. He told the Philadelphia Inquirer:
“I never went out of my way to hide anything. I’m in the database. It’s an easy search.”
But chair of the Philadelphia Moms for Liberty chapter Sheila Armstrong told that same publication she was shocked by the revelation, given how active Fisher has been in the group.
On social media, people were disgusted by the news, though not exactly surprised.
Far right "groomer" rhetoric about queer folks and the left is projection and deflection, part one billion\n\nhttps://t.co/NDC2lgH5HK— (@)
Well, well, well - a LEADER of a Moms for Liberty group - a pastor who coordinates the faith-based outreach, nonetheless - turns out to be a registered sex offender.\n\nStanding by for reaction from Ron DeSantis, Bridget Ziegler, Christian Ziegler, etc.\n\nhttps://t.co/wL9AvGeBZg— (@)
Fisher also claims that he entered the Larouche organization as a "victim" of "human trafficking" and that he chose to plead guilty to the charges in order to escape the county jail he was held in, where he claims he experienced violence.
Since his release from prison, he has been very active in Philadelphia-area Republican politics, including helping stage rallies for presidential candidate Donald Trump.