A Modern History of 'groomer' Politics
Reason magazine|February 2023
The social changes that paved the way for gay and trans acceptance have made pedophile acceptance less likely, not more.
By Jesse Walker
A Modern History of 'groomer' Politics

There was a time when a groomer was a predatory grown-up preparing to molest a kid. Then Christopher Rufo, the activist who did more than anyone else to inject the term into today's politics, redefined it as a "spectrum of behavior." Children, he tweeted in 2022, "can be groomed into a sexual identity, groomed into an ideological system, and, in some cases, yes, groomed for abuse." The rhetorical aim was clear: It was a way to raise the specter of the child molester without having to demonstrate that any specific person is a child molester.

This story is from the February 2023 edition of Reason magazine.

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This story is from the February 2023 edition of Reason magazine.

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