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Conservatives use the word "grooming" to mean that they are trying to bring children into the fold of that culture, which they are openly admitting to here.
You can argue all day that this doesn't fit some dictionary definition of the word, and of course it's foremost propaganda, but then again so are all the accusations of "-phobia" which actually have actually acquired social credibility as weapons against someone's reputation. It's pure culture war, the dictionary has no weight in matters of culture war.
"You can't call me transphobic because I have first Amendment Rights", yeah try that one out for size. These words are used to energize the side you are on and demoralize and smear your opposition, I find it completely laughable that the LGBT community, which is quick to smear everyone who does not agree with their ideology, is now complaining about being on the receiving end of this tactic.
Assuming:
It's harmful for children to become transgender, i.e. they have worse psychological, health, and social outcomes if they identify as transgender.
The LGBT community intends to create propaganda geared towards children that will influence more children to identify as transgender.
The Conservative movement is completely justified in using the "grooming" accusation and viewing this propaganda as an attempt to harm their children.
Dude, you made a very, very broad claim: that "influenc[ing] the perception of children towards the LGBT movement" is somehow illegitimate. Now, you are making a very much narrower claim. It is a classic motte and bailey. And, I note, even that narrow claim it is still very, very different from the OP's initial reference to child molestation. Because that is what OP said: "Conservative politicians and pundits have increasingly referred to advocates for LGBTQ rights as “groomers,” associating people who oppose laws that restrict drag performances or classroom discussions of gender identity with pedophiles".
I have no interest in speaking in terms of legitimacy or democracy, what I said was:
Where did I say it was illegitimate? I said it is affirming the behavior that conservatives are denouncing when they use the word "grooming." When conservatives are talking about grooming, they are not merely talking about "people who oppose laws that restrict drag performances or classroom discussions of gender identity" they are talking about people who want to influence their children into embracing or even identifying with LGBT culture. That's what they mean when they use that word. The "we're coming for your children" is meant to provactively admit that, yes, this is what they are trying to do- although they of course see nothing wrong with that.
So, you are saying that, unlike said conservatives, you do not find it illegitimate?
There are two prongs to this:
1: Yes, citizens spreading their ideology is legitimate. It can also be evil, if the ideology is evil. Whether legal or not, evil should be combated, especially when it personally influences one's children. The debate then is whether the LGBT ideology is evil. It would also be legitimate for citizens to spread Nazism, but that would be evil, and I would like it fought however possible.
2: The issues around schools are entirely separate from what is considered for citizens to do. It is legitimate for someone who works as a teacher to spread their ideology, but not in their capacity as a public school teacher. It would not be acceptable for a public school teacher to secretly teach their students about God, hold prayers, tell them to hide it from their parents, bring in crosses for the kids to wear etc. The same goes for any LGBT ideology.
Yes, I agree. But I assume you agree that it is legitimate for LGBTQ people to argue that their ideology (whatever that means) is not evil, and to argue that children should be taught that there is nothing wrong with LGBTQ people. As you say, whether they win that argument, or should win it, is a different question.
No, teachers should not be indoctrinating students, either overtly or covertly. Indeed, although schools are permitted to inculcate values under current law, I am personally dubious of the legitimacy of such endeavors.
Nothing wrong in what sense and context?
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What's your understanding of the word "homophobe"? Or is that different because it's a propaganda term you like?
"homophobe" draws on associations with mental illness and unreasoning reactive bigotry, but in practice is applied to opponents of the LGBTQ+ agenda regardless of the nature or grounding of that opposition. Despite this being a very obviously bad-faith propaganda tactic, the same people who complain about "groomer" have zero compunction about calling their opponents homophobes, even here. This, presuming that we grant that "groomer" is specificaly intended to equivocate between intended sexual abuse and ideological recruitment, which I emphatically do not given the word's history of uses for gang recruitment, cult recruitment, and other sorts of attempted secretive influence- and relationship-building with the young and vulnerable for purposes their guardians would not approve of. "Groomer" is significantly more defensible than "homophobe", yet the inappropriateness of the latter has always been completely ignored, and the inappropriateness of the former is taken as an article of faith.
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