this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2023
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A Republican aide has claimed that LGBTQ+ organisations are training eight-year-old children how to use butt plugs and dildos.

In a recently resurfaced speech, Erin Mazzoni, who reportedly works for the campaign of Franklin, Tennessee Republican mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson, alleged that children are being given sex toys by LGBTQ+ activists.

Mazzoni told a meeting of the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen earlier this that she’d moved to Tennessee from Bucks County, in Pennsylvania, after apparently discovering that an LGBTQ+ organisation was teaching children how to use sex toys, which, she claimed, caused the community to “fall apart”.

Between sobs, she said: “It started out as Pride coming in, and I thought everything would be OK. It ended with a Rainbow Room where eight to 12-year-old kids were given butt plugs and dildos and trained.

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[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 191 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (7 children)

We have actual victims speaking up to let us know that the Catholic Church and other Christian communities are abusing children. If LGBT groups are allegedly doing the same, where are the victims' testimonies? Where are the hundreds, if not thousands of victims coming forward with their own stories that can be investigated so we can bring these alleged gay pedophiles to justice?

[–] Uranium3006@kbin.social 53 points 2 years ago

Because organized religion is so powerful they can get away with mass sexual assault of children among other crimes. Conservatives don't oppose child abuse, they're afraid the "wrong" people Are doing it

[–] vivadanang@lemm.ee 33 points 2 years ago

IMHO that's the big picture: Conservatism doesn't want people focusing on the overwhelmingly factual and documented abuses by the church and GOP.

This is a list of confirmed GOP sex offenders and their crimes. It's past 1,100 now.

I don't think I need to point out the well documented history of sex offenses in the church, but here's a quick list of recent travesties:

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/02/1102621352/how-the-southern-baptist-convention-covered-up-its-widespread-sexual-abuse-scand https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/investigation-reveals-widespread-sexual-abuse-and-cover-ups-by-archdiocese-of-baltimorehttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/02/us/catholic-church-sex-abuse-investigations.html

So please, FOCUS ON THE GAYS! LITTERBOXES! TRANS TRAINERS! Think about anything but the crimes conservatives and religious pedos please please please.

Projection writ large, across our entire society.

[–] papalonian@kbin.social 15 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I'm on your side of the argument, but I don't think this is a fair take. We know from history that it's very difficult for victims to come forward in these cases. Your Catholic Church example is a good case of this; the adults we're hearing from were children when the abuse took place. Look at the Me Too incident. Hundreds if not thousands of victims all coming forward years after the fact because they feared the backlash. I genuinely doubt there are groups like the woman described in existence, but if there were, it's understandable that we wouldn't be hearing about it right away.

[–] xanu@lemmy.world 49 points 2 years ago (3 children)

The Catholic Church has the power and influence to cover those things up and pressure victims into silence. Hollywood has a huge power imbalance as well. Where in the world does the LGBTQ+ community have such power? The only answer these fascists can give is "the Jews".

If there was large scale abuse going on in the LGBTQ+ community, it would have been found out for sure; especially considering how many hateful zealots spend their retirement actively hunting the imaginary abuse. (I'm also not saying there's no abuse because well, humans suck. just that it isn't large scale, organized, and actively defended like churches and corporate hierarchies)

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[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 21 points 2 years ago

If a lone person with political motives to damage the Catholic Church's reputation alleged they were abusing children, I'd be demanding the same evidence of victims' testimonies. No one should be believing allegations of sexual assault without evidence, of which victim testimonies are key. Same with the Me Too movement. I'm a therapist and not at all unsympathetic to how difficult it is for victims of sexual assault to go public with their stories, but from a societal perspective, we should all be skeptical of allegations made without evidence. Is it possible these LGBT groups are abusing kids and we won't find out until 15-20+ years from now, when those kids decide to come forward with their stories? Sure. But until then, accusations with clear political motivation should be disregarded, and that's true whether you're talking about LGBT groups or the LDS Church.

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[–] BeautifulMind@lemmy.world 173 points 2 years ago (5 children)

"Lady sobs because she imagined things that don't happen"

This kind of performative rhetoric, invented to assign wicked or demonic qualities to your scapegoat, is not a new thing. It's just a retread of the blood libel, the red scare, the lavender panic, reefer madness, and today's bathroom panics. All of them were lies told to justify violence and the criminalization of things that could be used to persecute their targets.

[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 16 points 2 years ago (1 children)

*things she made up

I'm about 90% sure she's just acting and doesn't believe a word of her testimony.

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[–] Cryophilia@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago

She was probably rubbing one out as she imagined them

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[–] FartsWithAnAccent@lemmy.world 131 points 2 years ago (1 children)

So, if the past is any indicator, in the next few months we're going to learn she's been molesting kids with butt plugs and dildos.

[–] Daft_ish@lemmy.world 32 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Only because she was possessed by satan worshipers.

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[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 87 points 2 years ago

This is meant solely to hurt people. At best it’s satanic panic level insanity. At worst it’s an attempt to prepare people to commit atrocities.

[–] rustyfish@lemmy.world 73 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I think someone should check her browsing history and hard drive.

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[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 72 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Oh I see we're on Projection

[–] joneskind@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I once met a Mormon dude who tried to put his thumb in my ass for alignment purpose.

« Not gay if I’m the doctor » he said.

« You’re not a doctor you bigoted fuck » I replied.

Got my first appointment for prostatic exam next week. Can’t wait.

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[–] spider@lemmy.nz 13 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Indeed; these people often have an army of skeletons in their closets.

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 61 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The only story I know about using buttplugs on children was that one instance where the child had to use a buttplug from their parents in order to keep the Devil out of their asshole.

Christians are much worse than any drag queen.

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[–] jdadam@lemm.ee 48 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It really is amazing how people just believe whatever outlandish story they hear. Had an elderly woman tell our state legislators at a local forum that teachers where I work were literally locking children into closets and teaching them to be gay. Legislators response: "Mumble, Mumble, yeah... we need to do something about these teachers."

Lady, if we had the power to "indoctrinate" children, we wouldn't have any late homework again, let alone tolerance for people different from yourself.

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[–] iByteABit@lemm.ee 47 points 2 years ago

I love how conspiratorial republicans get when the state is threatened with welfare and humanitarian measures, but when other republicans make insane claims no one asks for a source

[–] holiday@lemmy.world 46 points 2 years ago

Every accusation...

[–] vivadanang@lemm.ee 43 points 2 years ago (4 children)

How do these public lies not lead to consequences? Isn't lying while testifying in a public setting perjury?

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[–] Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org 39 points 2 years ago

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, so come on Mazzoni, provide said extraordinary evidence!

Odds are that at the most she can manage is evidence of 1-2 pedos being caught doing something vaguely adjacent to it and also claiming to be some flavor of LGBTQ, like how the GOP notion of drag queen story time is shaped entirely by that one library event in the UK (which is probably still the entire top page of Google results for "rainbow dildo butt monkey") and trans people by Jessica Yaniv.

[–] gamer@lemm.ee 38 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Lol this is the first result when I searched this lady's name. Apparently she is a serial liar.

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[–] LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world 37 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] Daft_ish@lemmy.world 17 points 2 years ago

Take a break, but when you come back be ready to teach the children about sex swings and ball gags.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 36 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I am just so tired of Republicans and of the way our stupid system gives these crazies outsized influence.

Not one of them should be allowed into office.

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[–] IchNichtenLichten@lemmy.world 31 points 2 years ago

"Excuse me, can you direct me to the aisle with the children's sex toys?" - nobody, ever.

[–] foggy@lemmy.world 31 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I mean...

Hey kids: if you're using a dildo or any insertable, be aware that that hole is deeeeep. Save yourself an embarrassing ER trip. Make sure your toys have a flared base.

Also, using a condom on your toy is a great way to keep it clean, but you should still go e it a good warm soap antibacterial rinse after every use.

If it's hurting just stop.

Consent always.

Play safe.

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[–] AnonTwo@kbin.social 28 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I feel like when making claims like this, you should be expected to prove that what you're saying...you know...happened.

Surely there's a news article or 2 of people being arrested for child grooming that were in the LGBTQ+ community if this actually happened. Cause if there isn't then she's talking about a crime she didn't actually report.

Or you know, it didn't happen.

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[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 28 points 2 years ago (1 children)

These people are either mentally ill or acting. Maybe a bit of both.

Insanity is the expected norm in the Christian Republican MAGA crowd. They've lost contact with reality completely.

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[–] Zink@programming.dev 26 points 2 years ago

Tell me this is an unlikely root cause:

  • closeted LGBTQ+ conservatives fulfill their desires with LGBT porn.

  • in their mind, the most depraved fantasies they fulfill with porn compose the entire LGBTQ+ world. That’s all they know of it.

  • projection intensifies

[–] lobut@lemmy.ca 25 points 2 years ago

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayirah_testimony

The Nayirah testimony was false testimony given before the United States Congressional Human Rights Caucus on October 10, 1990, by a 15-year-old girl who was publicly identified at the time by her first name, Nayirah. The testimony was widely publicized and was cited numerous times by U.S. senators and President George H. W. Bush in their rationale to support Kuwait in the Gulf War.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 24 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Do the REPs have a kind of internal championship challenge like "Who can come up with the most outrageous lies?"

Just like QAnon is probably a student hoax challenge on who can create the most unbelievable fringe theory that conservatives still swallow line hook and sinker.

And: I wonder which parts of the darknet she (regularly?) consumes that gave her such ideas?

[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 22 points 2 years ago (1 children)

She seems really stuck up. I know something that could help...

[–] Zanothis@lemm.ee 18 points 2 years ago

Replacing the stick up her ass with a butt plug?

[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 21 points 2 years ago

Literally Satanic Panic.

Can we just skip ahead to the point in humanity when we’re past all this? It’s exhausting.

[–] crashoverride@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago

Damn that's the fakest crying shit I've heard in a long time

[–] aDuckk@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago

And then the board and all in attendance burst into mocking laughter that she would never forget for the rest of her life. Right?

[–] Blake@feddit.uk 15 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I remember when I was around 13-14 years old we had sex education class and we had to put a condom on a dildo. We all thought it was great fun.

This isn’t really related to whatever this woman is talking about, she’s probably just making shit up, but it just reminded me of that and I thought I’d share.

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[–] agent_flounder@lemmy.one 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

People need to do outbursts when people say insane bullshit like this-- along the lines of "WHAT?! ARE YOU FUCKING HIGH LADY??"

[–] edgemaster72@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

And someone to stand behind them with a posterboard that says [citation needed]

[–] obvs@talk.macstack.net 11 points 2 years ago

Ma'am, that sounds like an awfully specific word choice for you to be using there...

[–] blazera@kbin.social 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

so yeah none of us believe her...but I cant understand the people that supposedly do. If I heard allegations of some organization doing all this child sexual assault...Im immediately calling the cops or making sure the alleger has, finding out specifics of organization and people's names involved. Why is it not immediately being treated like a criminal allegation, and instead being used in a political speech?

[–] IronCorgi@kbin.social 10 points 2 years ago

Because everyone knows she is full of shit, some people just pretend to believe her because it allows them to do what they want: Attack queer people and act like it was justified.

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