Milo Yiannopoulos resurrected a dangerous old myth about gay men and pedophilia

[Eugene]

Source: Vox

Milo Yiannopoulos resurrected a dangerous old myth about gay men and pedophilia

This kind of myth has been used against gay people — and
other minority groups — time and time again in America.

Updated by German Lopez Feb 20, 2017, 1:25pm EST

Internet troll and Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos is in the news again — after he was caught defending the sexual abuse of children.

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One of the reasons Yiannopoulos’s latest comments are so abhorrent is that he, as a gay man, is tapping into a pernicious myth that surrounds the LGBTQ community: the idea that gay men are sexual deviants who approve of all sorts of abhorrent behavior, including pedophilia and child sexual abuse. Yiannopoulos, perhaps inadvertently, played into this myth by arguing that there’s an upside to sexual molestation.

“In the homosexual world, particularly, some of those relationships between younger boys and older men — the sort of ‘coming of age’ relationships — the relationships in which those older men help those young boys to discover who they are and give them security and safety and provide them with love and a reliable sort of rock,” Yiannopoulos said.

The myth is far from new. As retired University of California Davis professor Gregory Herek explained: “Back in 1977, when Anita Bryant campaigned successfully to repeal a Dade County (FL) ordinance prohibiting anti-gay discrimination, she named her organization ‘Save Our Children,’ and warned that ‘a particularly deviant-minded [gay] teacher could sexually molest children.’”

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Read more: http://www.vox.com/identities/2017/2/20/14668372/milo-yiannopoulos-gay-pedophilia-myth

[meadowlark5]

1. When I saw that video

I thought he had just done a huge disservice to the LGBT community. He was basically telling the frightened, paranoid Christians what they believe to be true about gay men. What an idiot.

I saw him on Bill Maher and he kept saying "words don't hurt" to Bill about all of the horrible things he says about people. WTF? Words can hurt a lot!

[hrmjustin]

2. He is a disgrace to our community!

I despise him.

[njhoneybadger]

3. I wonder how much they're paying him

I see a pattern now.

[dlk]

4. The Vast Majority of Pedophiles are Heterosexual White Males

Statistically, the vast majority of pedophiles are heterosexual, white males. This is the last great taboo in our culture that is in serious need of being addressed.

[putitinD]

5. Another GOP sideshow...Milo is probably not even gay. Breitbart is using him because he

embodies everything they HATE. Designed to confirm all their fears about gay people. I believe Milo is nothing more than a paid actor. His job is to get the Trump base all fired up against gays. They are probably building the detainment camps as we speak!

[meadowlark5]

6. Once all the deportations are complete and the Muslim ban is in effect

Trump and prez Bannon will need new scapegoats. LGBT and women will be moved to the top of the hit list.

[putitinD]

7. +1

[Daemonaquila]

8. Indeed.

The question is, was this another stunt? When this was taped, was he hoping for more attention from the GOP and the media? Did he want to start a new episode wherein his bizarre character (I refuse to believe that he's in any way authentic in how he presents himself - he's an invention and a troll through and through) suddenly became a darling to the religious right, expecting to suddenly and publicly "see the error of his ways" and become a fire and brimstone anti-gay crusader after "reforming?" Regardless, now that it's out, he probably sees some profit in this, even if it takes playing a bad guy in the alt-right's WWF sh**-show. The obvious angle is to be the worst caricature of "gay masculinity" for them to hiss and boo at.

[pansypoo53219]

9. i think this may be in his FUTURE when he isn't a hot twink anymore.

[Odoreida]

10. This dangerous old myth is a dangerous *current* blood libel.

It is practically an article of faith in religious right circles.

[Fearless]

11. Who is this random person?

I ask myself, should I care?

No. I don't care.

He is a nobody.