Sex, race and violence

Created
Wed, 05/04/2023 - 02:00
Updated
Wed, 05/04/2023 - 02:00
The right wing obsessions Greg Sargent takes a look at Marjorie Taylor Greene’s grotesque 60 Minutes interview and the history of LGBTQ and pedophile slurs: CBS anchor Lesley Stahl was shocked to hear that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene stands firmly behind her frequent claim that Democrats are “pedophiles.” On “60 Minutes,” Stahl pressed Greene on her use of the slur, and the Georgia Republican defiantly responded that it’s the truth: “They support grooming children.” “They are not pedophiles,” Stahl rejoined incredulously. “Why would you say that?” Stahl has been roasted online for granting Greene a plum “60 Minutes” interview, which aired Sunday night. But the real problem with this exchange is thatStahl did not show any signs of understanding the longtime role of the “pedophile” insult in right-wing discourse as an expression of deliberate bigotry against transgender Americans. As a result, Stahl squandered a high-profile opportunity to explainto a large prime-time audience what Greene and others really intend when they use this smear. The “pedophile” slur, a companion of the term “groomer,” is regularly applied by Republicans and right-wing media figures to Democrats and others who stand up for transgender rights, including gender-affirming treatment for adolescents. Greene cheerfully flaunted this use of the term on “60 Minutes,” which left Stahl utterly flummoxed: Not only did Greene casually conflate “sexualizing children” with transgender care, but she alsois being despicably dishonest by reducing gender-affirming care to “surgeries.” Yet this conflation of support for trans youth with pedophiliaslipped by, unrebutted, to a national audience. No wonder Greene told Semafor she was pleased with…