Professional homophobe Gordon Klingenschmitt strikes again
By D’ANNE WITKOWSKI
Something truly terrible happened in Minnesota. An elementary school teacher and his husband were busted for having sex with underage teenagers and filming it. Once they knew they were caught, they fled and killed themselves.
The whole story is sick and sordid and sad and I hope that all of the kids these guys hurt get the help and care they deserve and need. As for the abusers, at the risk of sounding insensitive, (string of expletives deleted).
Of course, some see it differently. Former Colorado lawmaker and current professional homophobe Gordon Klingenschmitt’s take is, “See! This is why gays shouldn’t be teachers!”
It is, of course, a ridiculous argument. But then, Klingenschmitt is a ridiculous man.
It’s important to note, though it will surely surprise and disappoint Klingenschmitt and his followers, the vast majority of LGBTQ people aren’t pedophiles. They aren’t child molesters and never will be. Full stop. This is, of course, true for all humans, regardless of sexual orientation, but I feel the need to make the distinction since LGBTQ people have had to contend with the pedophile accusation since forever in large part because there are folks who forget that they are, in fact, human.
It is also important to note that the majority of child sexual abuse victims are girls who are abused by men who identify as heterosexual. Does this in any way diminish the severity of abuse when it is committed by a man against a boy? No, of course not. But it would be just as illogical to point at a specifically heinous case and declare it evidence that heterosexual men shouldn’t be teachers.
Sexual abuse is some evil shit. And there are definitely laws and aspects of society that need a-changin’! Except what Klingenschmitt would like is to see marriage equality erased, which would not protect children at all. But it would hurt gay people, which seems to be his ultimate goal.