In recent months the Republican Party has been slandering the LGBTQ+ community and Democrats calling them “groomers”. Allies of the LGBTQ+ community are also being targeted simply for supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Misusing the word “groomer” as a technique to score political points is appalling. It is hurting innocent people and causing a misconception of the word.

“[Grooming] is essentially a method of one person convincing another to have sex with them without using violence, like a gun or a knife. Grooming is for the purposes of the adult to manipulate the child, to get the child to cooperate with sexual activity. In my opinion, it does not constitute child sexual abuse to discuss gender identity,” said Kenneth Lanning, a retired FBI child sex crimes expert.

Robert Abcarian of the Los Angeles Times wrote, “What a perverse and cynical misuse of a word that, in the context of child sexual abuse, has a real meaning, which has nothing to do with frank discussions about sexuality and gender.”

The Republican Party has been attacking and encouraging attacks on the LGBTQ+ community stating that they are groomers simply because they dislike the fact that pro LGBTQ sentiment is being popularized especially among middle and high school students. Misusing a word that is a high accusation is simply wrong and inappropriate. There are people who suffer from grooming and it hurts not only the ones that are being accused of it but also the ones that have suffered it. It diminishes the meaning of the word when it isn’t being used correctly.

Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat in the Michigan state senate, was called a groomer by a colleague. She stated in a floor speech at the State Capitol that, “People who are different are not the reason that our roads are in bad shape after decades of disinvestment or that healthcare costs are too high or that teachers are leaving the profession. I want every child in this state to feel seen, heard, and supported, not marginalized and targeted because they are not straight, white and Christian.”

Democrats who support the LGBTQ+ community are being attacked by these hateful statements as well. McMorrow is right in her claim that people who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community are not at fault for any of the issues we’ve seen or heard about. Antagonizing people will not help solve our major issues. 

“I get ‘OK, groomer’ comments every day. Hundreds,” said Will Larkins, a 17 year old.

Young people who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community are being attacked and insulted every day. It is not okay for someone as young as seventeen to be experiencing the hatred of adults and other kids caused by a political group simply for not being like them or what is considered the norm. The misuse of the word needs to be stopped and it needs to be further addressed.