人兽性交

GAG is led by Jaimee Michell, the group鈥檚 president, along with several organizational 鈥渓eaders,鈥� although the leadership has experienced turnover in 2023. For example, former secretary and Florida chapter leader David Leatherwood and executive director Frank Rodriguez 鈥減arted ways鈥� with GAG in July and April 2023, respectively. Leatherwood鈥檚 departure was a reaction to Michell鈥檚 support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after his campaign released a deeply homophobic and transphobic ad and came amid that Michell was paid by the DeSantis campaign.

GAG has more than a dozen chapters in the United States and abroad. While the group is known for its online presence, it also engages in such direct actions as rallies, leafleting and billboard advertising, lobbying and legacy media outreach. Beginning in 2023, the group also engaged in electioneering by soliciting and endorsing candidates for elected offices, starting with a local election in Virginia.

The group embraces anti-人兽性交 ideologies by describing almost all expressions of 人兽性交+ identity as 鈥渟exualized鈥� and potentially harmful to young people. GAG also racializes transphobia by insinuating trans identity is a threat specifically to white children and is promoted by groups like Black Lives Matter. The group鈥檚 leaders have also adapted a rhetorical and political strategy from the anti-人兽性交+ movement intended to use trans rights as a wedge within 人兽性交+ communities. The strategy involves claiming civil rights are a zero-sum game between gay people, on the one hand, and trans or gender-nonconforming people on the other. The group regularly spreads vicious anti-trans disinformation, pseudoscience and conspiracy theories, and has attacked anti-racist and 人兽性交+ inclusive education practices. The group also supports censoring 人兽性交+ people, topics and images such as Pride flags in schools.

GAG has used its national and chapter-led social media accounts to attack trans people, and to engage in harassment and intimidation campaigns against individual teachers, doctors, politicians, businesses and institutions of American civil society including schools and hospitals. The group characterizes these people and institutions as
鈥済roomers鈥� because they support gender-affirming health care and/or because they offer spaces for 人兽性交+ people to express their identity openly, such as space for drag performances (the satirical sendup of gender roles).

The group鈥檚 social media strategy is akin to other right-wing and anti-人兽性交+ propaganda outlets and often employs false equivalencies, innuendo and the by claiming absurd or false stories are representative and generalizable, then relying on anti-人兽性交+ prejudice to fill in any gaps in their claims. In September 2022, the group鈥檚 Google account was , following similar suspensions from payment-processing PayPal and Venmo. The company cited its policy against promoting 鈥渉ate, violence, or discriminatory intolerance鈥� to justify the suspension. In July and August 2022, the group鈥檚 X (formerly Twitter) account was for using the term 鈥済roomer鈥� to refer to 人兽性交+ people; it has since been reinstated, however. In December 2022, the company Printful ended its relationship with the group, it shares 鈥渉omophobic, transphobic misinformation that harms 人兽性交+ communities.鈥� GAG raises money by soliciting donations and retailing merchandise through 鈥� including a version of the that replaces stripes representing 人兽性交+ people of color and trans people with the GAG logo.

In Their Own Words

鈥淭he modern alphabet movement which we see today has opened the door for predators to infiltrate and masquerade behind and be able to prey on children free of criticism.鈥� 鈥� X (formerly Twitter),

鈥淭here is definitely a pedophilia element to it.鈥� 鈥� GAG Illinois chapter leader on opposition to Gays Against Groomers,

鈥淲E ARE ECSTATIC THAT WE ARE DOOMING THE ALPHABET MAFIA!鈥� 鈥� GAG North Carolina X (formerly Twitter),

鈥淚n our opinion, jail is far too kind. But it鈥檚 a good start!鈥� 鈥� GAG X (formerly Twitter) in response to a call to imprison anyone who provides gender-affirming care to young trans people,

鈥淭he gay rights movement was a bunch of based gays fighting the establishment to secure their rights. This new thing 鈥� is demonic. It is evil. It is designed to sexualize children and drive them insane. We will remember this when we meet our enemies.鈥� 鈥� GAG Illinois X (formerly Twitter) featuring a picture of the black, brown, white, Light blue and pink stripes of the Progress Pride Flag replaced by the GAG logo,

鈥淚f the American people do not do something soon, it will be legal to f*** kids. The government will eventually enforce it. These monsters are coming after ALL children. They are consuming them. The 鈥楾rans Bill of Rights鈥� will be the end of all things good and beautiful.鈥� 鈥� GAG Illinois X (formerly Twitter),

鈥淗eteronormativity is an immutable truth.鈥� 鈥� GAG X (formerly Twitter),

鈥溾�楾ransgender rights鈥� is an anti-gay genocidal hate cult run by child predators whose goal runs antithetical to ours. [...] Gay people are being legally, socially, and hormonally mandated out of existence in the name of 鈥榯ransgender rights.鈥� They have officially declared war. [...] We never consented to chopping up children for a bloodthirsty terrorist cult. We never consented to Baby Blue and Baby Pink stripes on our flag, groomer. [鈥�] We are being given no other options, other than burning this cult to the ground. Roll up your sleeves and get to work. The adults in the room are cleaning up the absolute mess that 鈥榞ender identity鈥� has created. You鈥檙e either with us or against us. This ends now.鈥� 鈥� GAG website, 鈥淭he Transgender Bill of Rights: Gay Erasure and the End of Childhood Innocence.鈥�

鈥淲e are about to fight a civil war over whether or not kids are being groomed by drag queens.鈥� 鈥� GAG X (formerly Twitter),

鈥淭here is no such thing as queer youth.鈥� 鈥� GAG X (formerly Twitter),

鈥淭he modern trans movement is radicalizing activists into terrorists. [...] Trans terrorism is on the rise. [鈥�] This sends a message: if you don鈥檛 let us mutilate children鈥檚 genitals, then we will shoot yours.鈥� 鈥� GAG then-Secretary David Leatherwood, 鈥淩eal America with Dan Ball,鈥� in response to the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tennessee,

鈥淣o demographic has the civil right to castrate other people鈥檚 children. Standing against these lunatics is not a political issue 鈥� it鈥檚 a moral issue. [鈥�] It is time for gay adults, most of whom want nothing to do with this groomer circus, to overthrow the parasitic cult that is committing human atrocities in our name. [...] It is not discriminatory to condemn the sadistic behavior of brainwashed psychopaths who murder and disfigure children in the name of 鈥榗ivil rights.鈥欌�� 鈥� GAG ambassador Ethan Harsell, 鈥淒eranged Trans Extremist Attacks Nashville Christian School 鈥� Our Opinion,鈥� GAG website,

鈥淭here鈥檚 a new slippery slope at play here, and it leads directly to kids being able to consent to sex with adults. Gender ideology is a trojan horse to pedophilia.鈥� 鈥� GAG X (formerly Twitter),

鈥淓very year, THOUSANDS of children are exposed to displays of sexual depravity at Pride events, and MILLIONS applaud it. This year, Gays Against Groomers will not stand for this destruction of childhood innocence. Be seeing you REAL soon.鈥� 鈥� GAG Illinois X (formerly Twitter),

鈥淲hen our children tell us they can fly, it is our job as grown-ups to listen and to believe them, and push them off a cliff to affirm them. That鈥檚 what it means to be a good parent.鈥� 鈥� GAG X (formerly Twitter),

鈥淲hat鈥檚 happening would put Josef Mengele 鈥� I think that was his name 鈥� you know, the Nazi doctor. This puts him to shame.鈥� 鈥� Jaimee Michell on One America News (OAN) discussing gender-affirming health care,

鈥淭here seems to be a perverse race to the bottom attitude with youth today. [...] At every turn, students seem to be seeking one or more forms of victim status. This inevitably bleeds over into 人兽性交+ identification.鈥� 鈥� Alex Chrostowski, GAG Washington chapter leader, 鈥淒isruptive Behavior in the Classroom and Queer Theory,鈥� GAG website,

鈥淪how me one person who鈥檚 had all these surgeries and treatments who has made it to old age. I鈥檒l wait.鈥� 鈥� Lisa Bella, 鈥淚鈥檇 Rather Have a Trans Daughter Than a Dead Son,鈥� GAG website,

鈥淲hat would my life look like had I been 鈥榯ransed鈥� (transed 鈥� verb 鈥� assuming someone who is attracted to the same sex, or has interests of the opposite gender, that they are trapped in the wrong body. Example: 鈥楬aley got transed into being a dude cause she likes football and vagina.鈥�) Well, I know I wouldn't be as healthy as I am now. I wouldn鈥檛 be as grounded, stable, secure. I wouldn鈥檛 accept myself for who I am. I鈥檇 have LOADS of identity issues, and my dating pool would be cut to 0.鈥� 鈥� GAG ambassador Haley Shane, 鈥淲here Have all the Tom Boys Gone?鈥� GAG website,

鈥淭he modern day 鈥楾rans Rights Activists鈥� are largely to blame for providing a safe space for predators to hide in. Once an understood rarity, these trans activists are now attempting to encourage children to follow in their footsteps as early as possible.鈥� 鈥� Judith Rose, GAG director of communication, 鈥溾�楪roomer鈥� is NOT an anti-人兽性交+ Slur,鈥� GAG website,

鈥淪traight people really don鈥檛 have a voice in this because they鈥檙e instantly written off as hateful and bigots and all of the phobics in the world. ... And they鈥檙e gonna have a much harder time calling us those things [鈥済roomers鈥漖. So it鈥檚 going to take those of us within the actual community to finally you know, put it into it. And that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to do.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that any kid [鈥�] should be learning about this stuff [sex education] until they鈥檙e well into their teen years. I mean, like 16, 17, 18.

鈥淲hen the trans movement really started rising, and I think that that is what led, what really started to push things [鈥�] over the edge.

鈥淚 mean, Pride Month, you cannot look anywhere for two seconds, and not see a rainbow. It鈥檚 like, you know, gay people make up about 7% of the country. And, you know, the whole country and the whole world is being blasted with this for 30 days. But you know, America only gets one day.鈥� 鈥� Jaimee Michell interviewed on 鈥淕ays Against Groomers Founder Discusses New Coalition to Stop the Sexualization of Children鈥� episode, Wendy Bell Radio,

Background:

Gays Against Groomers Inc. was incorporated in Wisconsin in September 2022 and received tax-exempt status from the IRS in March 2023. The group was founded by Jaimee Michell, the president and director of marketing who previously worked for a conservative social media firm, X Strategies 鈥� a 鈥渨as previously implicated in a scheme involving paying online influencers as young as 14 years old to run ads for Trump insiders, including the campaign鈥檚 Election Defense Fund.鈥� Michell also has a history of spreading QAnon and 2020 election conspiracy theories through her social media accounts. Michell鈥檚 fianc茅e, Sasha Leigh, serves as GAG鈥檚 treasurer and human resources manager, according to the group鈥檚 website. Other members of GAG鈥檚 leadership and former leadership, including David Leatherwood (former GAG secretary) and Marky (Mark-David) Hutt, previously led pro-Trump social media pages.

By its own admission in early 2023, GAG has 鈥渁ssisted in passing sixteen regulations, laws, and guidelines that ban 鈥榞ender identity.鈥欌�� It continues to engage in disingenuous youth advocacy against trans rights to protect white cis-supremacy.

#SaveOurChildren and continuing QAnon conspiracy

GAG operates on the premise that 人兽性交+ people and their allies who support gender-affirming health care, champion inclusive education policies and oppose restrictions on 人兽性交+ expression in public are 鈥済roomers鈥� of children, a slur often used to justify repression of minoritized groups by dominant members of society. GAG, however, is notable because it is led by many self-identified gays and lesbians, some of whom often claim to have been victimized by the same slurs they hurl at others.

The deployment of 鈥済roomer鈥� rhetoric against trans people and their allies is a continuation of QAnon conspiracies 鈥� and GAG leaders鈥� involvement with the movement prior to founding GAG. Michell, for example, has QAnon conspiracies and trafficked in QAnon rhetoric including the infamous 鈥淧izzagate鈥� conspiracy, which claimed Democratic politicians were hiding a child sex-trafficking ring at a pizza restaurant in Washington, D.C. The conspiracy, of course, famously led to a 2016 .

QAnon fueled the renewed popularity of the slogan , which is in anti-人兽性交+ hostility but has been used to defame and delegitimize almost all minoritized groups鈥� calls for civil rights by implying minoritized people are more likely to harm children. Like before them, contemporary right-wing extremists adopted the phrase as a litmus test of loyalists and ignited a campaign of anti-人兽性交+ legal, legislative and physical violence across the country. GAG鈥檚 leadership has argued that perpetuating the myth that 人兽性交+ people harm children helps defend gays and lesbians. , in an interview with Tucker Carlson, said, 鈥淪aying that 鈥榞roomer鈥� is an anti-人兽性交+ slur, that is doing irreparable damage to us [gays and lesbians] as a whole, and it鈥檚 putting a really large target on our backs.鈥�

GAG has attempted to the energy of QAnon conspiracies by enlisting its leaders from among the QAnon movement, but also by adherents of other conspiratorial and extremist ideologies including COVID-19 and anti-vaccination conspiracies, 2020 election conspiracists, antigovernment militias, anti-Muslim extremists and white supremacists, and hate groups such as the Proud Boys. On July 10, 2023, for example, the primary GAG X (formerly Twitter) account retweeted a GAG member from Arizona who shared: 鈥淏eing a part of [GAG] is the most powerful F-U to the deep state I can muster.鈥� The 鈥渄eep state鈥� is an antigovernment conspiracy popularized by such right-wing figures as Alex Jones in reference to a supposed cabal of liberal elites who are working to destroy the U.S. from within the government.

In an extension of the 鈥済roomer鈥� rhetoric 鈥� which GAG uses to target those who advocate for gender-affirming care or 人兽性交+ rights 鈥� GAG also spreads disinformation about trans people and gender-affirming health care under the same false pretense of protecting children. For example, GAG has compared gender-affirming care to Nazi eugenics, tweeting on April 11, 2023: 鈥淭he majority of children who receive 鈥榞ender-affirming care鈥� are severely mentally ill or autistic. Many of these kids end up sterilized. The people doing this are eugenicists. They are eliminating the 鈥榰ndesirables.鈥� This has happened before.鈥� The tweet linked to an article that discusses the use of medical sterilization by Nazi eugenicists. GAG鈥檚 Jaimee Michell has also perpetuated the same .

In a tweet on the same day, GAG shared a graphic picture of a person who has ostensibly undergone 鈥渂ottom surgery鈥� or genital reconstructive surgery (although there is no way to verify the authenticity of the photo) with a caption suggesting the presence of a post-operative infection. In the tweet, GAG claims, 鈥淪urgical procedures like THIS [sic] are being performed on kids,鈥� even though no major American medical organization recommends bottom surgery for minors as part of a gender-affirming health care plan.

From QAnon to its anti-trans disinformation campaign, GAG relies on the false characterization that it is protecting children. By limiting health care options, restricting 人兽性交+ representation in schools and engaging in intimidation campaigns, GAG is maintaining homophobic and transphobic oppression that jeopardizes the health and safety of children and the stability of American civil society.

Weaponizing 人兽性交+ voices against marginalized groups

GAG bills itself as a grassroots group of gays and lesbians. The group鈥檚 former director of chapters, Mario Estrada, even claimed he left the group because it became a 鈥淣o Straights Allowed鈥� club. Claiming to represent 人兽性交+ people has given GAG some credibility in mainstream and far-right media, and among some Republican politicians, who characterize the group as whistleblowers calling out the supposed excesses and dangers of 人兽性交+ movement activism. For example, two of the group鈥檚 leaders, Michell and current co-director of chapters Chris Barrett, appeared on the Megyn Kelly podcast on July 12, 2023, and Michell makes regular appearances in Fox News stories, including a June 2023 story that apparently used Michell and GAG to support a false claim that the Progress Pride flag 鈥減romotes grooming and pedophilia.鈥� Under intense criticism, Fox News of the story, but left as an aside the statement, 鈥淪ome [are] even saying that in their opinion, it appears to reference a cult of pedophilia infecting many institutions and represents an unwanted takeover of traditional gay symbolism.鈥�

Despite its repeated claim that it cannot be anti-人兽性交+ because its members are almost exclusively 人兽性交+, the group鈥檚 foundational ideologies 鈥� and the rhetoric it uses 鈥� are grounded in the assumptions that 人兽性交+ identity is not normal. In an April 2023 tweet, for example, the group explicitly said, 鈥淗eteronormativity [the assumption that people who are not heterosexual are abnormal] is an immutable truth.鈥�

Similarly, GAG claims it is not anti-trans; however, the group seems to tokenize trans participants in its activism and rhetoric, appearing to view trans experiences as valuable only when they can be co-opted or used to extoll negative experiences associated with transition-related health care. For example, on its website in response to the question 鈥淲hy won鈥檛 GAG denounce the T entirely?鈥� 鈥� which implies the group already partially denounces trans identity 鈥� the group says that trans 鈥渧oices are vital in exposing how transitioning can affect a child. [...] They have first hand experience with the medications and procedures that we as gay people do not. We must work together to end the transing [sic] of children being done in our names.鈥�

GAG founder Jaimee Michell has also claimed that trans people represent 鈥渏ust another way to try to get lesbians to somehow want to be with men鈥� and admitted 鈥渢he notion鈥� of trans people experiencing same-sex attraction 鈥渕akes me cringe, it makes me uncomfortable.鈥� While claiming to 鈥渨elcome trans voices that align with our mission,鈥� the statements appear to deny the humanity and existence of trans people who do not share their goals of ending gender-affirming care and drag performances. Even then, GAG鈥檚 leadership appears to have internalized the transphobia the group regularly promotes.

GAG has, in fact, partnered with 鈥� people who previously benefited from gender-affirming care, but stopped transitioning and now work to end gender-affirming care for others 鈥� and with trans people who seek to deny gender-affirming care to others. Anti-人兽性交+ groups often the narratives of detransitioners for their own gain and overstate the frequency of detransitioning 鈥� research that shows that as many as 80% of trans people who detransition do so because of negative social pressure, not because they no longer identify as trans.

For example, GAG participated in an October 2022 rally in Anaheim, California, featuring anti-trans detransitioner Chloe Cole. And in March 2023, GAG rallied in support of Missouri鈥檚 gender-affirming care ban 鈥� authored by the anti-人兽性交+ hate group Family Research Council 鈥� alongside Scott Newgent, a self-identified trans man who advocates against gender-affirming care, to put pressure on state legislatures to adopt the ban and pressure the Washington University Transgender Center to end gender-affirming care. At the rally, GAG Missouri chapter leader Chris Barrett dismissed trans identity, claiming most trans kids are 鈥渏ust gay鈥� kids who are being forced to transition by their parents and permissive medical practices. GAG used similar rhetoric at the Anaheim, California, rally where participants held signs reading, 鈥淪top Transing [sic] Gay Kids.鈥�

Michell has also gender-affirming care and public expressions of 人兽性交+ identity contribute to negative attitudes toward gays and lesbians and suggested stemming the tide of anti-gay sentiment motivates her anti-trans activism. Michell has claimed that gays and lesbians have previously 鈥渁chieved equality鈥� and that the recent work of 鈥淭Q+ activists鈥� is about achieving 鈥渟upremacy,鈥� forcing radical ideologies and 鈥渋nsanity鈥� on society, especially children. GAG鈥檚 former secretary, David Leatherwood, , 鈥淚 am so resentful that these radical trans terrorists have hijacked the LGBT community and are now destroying the reputation of gay and lesbian Americans.鈥�

GAG鈥檚 director of communications, Judith Rose, is , blaming 鈥渕odern day 鈥楾rans Rights Activists鈥欌�� for 鈥減roviding a safe space for predators to hide in.鈥� Rose claims gays and lesbians were 鈥減erfectly happy with what the community had already achieved鈥� prior to the legalization of same-sex marriage. Since then, Rose claims, the gay and lesbian 鈥渘arrative鈥� was 鈥渉arnessed by something dark and sinister that opened the door for pedophiles and child grooming.鈥�

In the wake of the mass shooting at Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, GAG鈥檚 violent anti-trans rhetoric escalated. GAG ambassador Ethan Harsell, who unsuccessfully ran for the North Dakota House of Representatives in 2022, for example, equated trans people with the Taliban, calling them a 鈥減arasitic cult,鈥� and said GAG 鈥渃ompletely rejects this monstrosity of a movement.鈥� Harsell also trans rights activists 鈥渙penly encourage鈥� violence and called on 鈥済ay adults鈥� to 鈥渙verthrow鈥� trans rights claiming it is, 鈥渘ot discriminatory to condemn [...] brainwashed psychopaths who murder and disfigure children.鈥� Harsell said gays and lesbians will 鈥渘ever forgive鈥� trans people for existing alongside gays and lesbians.

In an April about a bill introduced in the U.S. House known as the 鈥淭rans Bill of Rights,鈥� GAG said of 鈥淭QI+鈥� people (an acronym GAG sometimes uses to refer to trans, intersex and other queer people): 鈥淭hey have officially declared war鈥� on gay people who 鈥渁re being legally, socially, and hormonally mandated out of existence in the name of 鈥榯ransgender rights.鈥欌�� The same post calls trans people part of 鈥渁 bloodthirsty cult鈥� and refers to all trans people as 鈥済roomer[s].鈥� The group appears to advocate 鈥渂urning鈥� trans people 鈥渢o the ground,鈥� advising readers to 鈥渞oll up your sleeves and get to work.鈥�

The group has claimed to represent 鈥渕illions鈥� of gays and lesbians like Harsell who want to 鈥渞eclaim the community we once called our own鈥� and has to 鈥減ut an end鈥� to the 鈥渋nsanity鈥� of the modern 人兽性交+ movement鈥檚 鈥渁lphabet religion.鈥� On their website, however, the group claims a little over 100 actual members. Both statements make clear the group views gays and lesbians as the only legitimate heirs of the Gay Liberation Movement and demonstrates its contempt for the racial diversity inherent to the 人兽性交+ movement and its gender-critical motivations.

Other members of the group echo this rhetoric, reading it into public comments and legislative hearings across the country. Alex Chrostowski, GAG Washington leader, for example, before the Washington state legislature on March 16, 2023, against HB 1469 鈥� a bill that would prevent the state from cooperating with other states that seek to prosecute Washington health care providers who offer reproductive and gender-affirming care services 鈥� saying, 鈥淲e do not approve of this being passed in our name.鈥�

Trans identity as a threat to white cis-supremacy

GAG members have also attempted to use their gay identities to claim space to criticize other civil rights movements and attack democracy 鈥� often positioning themselves as legitimate victims and others, such as Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters, as responsible for their own oppression.

David Leatherwood, for example, has previously white privilege is a 鈥渞acist lie,鈥� posts calling BLM a 鈥渢errorist organization,鈥� 鈥渧iolent,鈥� and 鈥渄angerous,鈥� and bragged about 鈥溾�� on Jan. 6, 2021. Michell has referred to George Floyd, whose by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin an international interest in the BLM movement, as 鈥淔entanyl Floyd鈥� in . In 2020, GAG New York chapter leader Marky Hutt (Mark-David Hutt), who also founded the LGBTrump Facebook group, was twice in one weekend for defacing a Black Lives Matter mural. In a tweet about the vandalism, he wrote, 鈥淲e need to STAND UP and take our country back鈥� from the anti-racist movement.

Michell has also been of trafficking in 鈥済reat replacement鈥� rhetoric and Nazi symbolism, and GAG North Carolina leader Brian Talbert 鈥� who founded Deplorable Pride 鈥� to kill 鈥渆very single鈥� Muslim in a post citing a claimed threat against Christians in Trinidad and Tobago and used other derogatory anti-Muslim language in online comments.

The racist remarks and attacks on BLM are accompanied by GAG鈥檚 that BLM illicitly funds gender-affirming health care and that trans identity is a threat to white cis-supremacy. Calling all expressions of 人兽性交+ identity 鈥渟exualized鈥� and thus inappropriate for certain audiences is a convenient vehicle for censoring information and controlling the lives and bodies of students as well as the medical treatment options for parents of trans children. However, GAG has also explicitly linked their false claims to racialized fears that 鈥渢ransing鈥� is targeting white children, specifically.

Connecting the group鈥檚 anti-inclusive education ideology 鈥� which motivates their to 人兽性交+ subjects in public schools 鈥� with racialized fear on behalf of white children, GAG ambassador Sara Higdon, who is also sometimes listed as the communications director for Trans Against Groomers, has trans identity is most likely to develop among 鈥渦pper middle class white kids of progressive parents鈥� (even though trans people are more to identify as Latinx). Higdon claims 鈥渃ritical theory鈥� in schools has 鈥渃onditioned鈥� these white children to believe they are an 鈥渙ppressor鈥� and the only way to 鈥渆scape鈥� their oppressed status is to 鈥渏oin an oppressed class鈥� by identifying as trans.

GAG Washington leader Alex Chrostowski continues this line of thought, claiming, 鈥淭here seems to be a perverse race to the bottom鈥� in which students seek to 鈥減rove their own claims about how 鈥榙isadvantaged鈥� they are鈥� by feigning mental illness and displaying 鈥渋ncreasingly disruptive attitudes or behaviors in class.鈥� These behaviors are brought about, Chrostowski claims, by access to information and a permissive social climate that 鈥渃elebrates any divergence from the norm, ie white, straight, cisgender鈥� and treats whiteness and heterosexuality as 鈥渋f they are to be barely tolerated.鈥�

GAG鈥檚 response is a totalitarian approach, including censoring educational material and focusing on 鈥渢echnology鈥� that 鈥渕ust be severely limited and controlled鈥� to prevent young people from accessing information about 人兽性交+ identity. The ideology draws on the theory of rapid-onset gender dysphoria, which claims trans identity is transmitted through social contagion. Combined with a racialized fear that trans identity can undermine white cis-supremacy, GAG justifies eliminating the perceived threat to white children by censoring information about 人兽性交+ experiences, controlling access to all technology and banning gender-affirming health care.

Intimidation campaigns

GAG has engaged in threats and intimidation, targeting individuals, advocating violence against trans people, and participating in events with other groups known for anti-人兽性交+ violence. In December 2022, Moms for Liberty hosted a rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, GAG鈥檚 Jordan Toste and Anthony Rai (aka Conservative Ant) as speakers with Proud Boys in attendance. GAG鈥檚 former director of chapters Mario 鈥淧resents鈥� Estrada is closely affiliated with Proud Boys, the hate group whose former leaders have been convicted of seditious conspiracy and whose chapters have targeted 人兽性交+ and reproductive justice events with violence and intimidation across the country, having appeared at events with the group and in wearing Proud Boys paraphernalia.

In a blog post announcing he 鈥減arted ways鈥� with GAG, Estrada claimed credit for 鈥渃reating a ground team that could [...] coordinate and build rapport within local communities.鈥� However, Estrada lamented in his farewell message, 鈥淲as I wrong for wanting to take an internet movement into the real world?鈥� 鈥淎bsolutely not,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut the real world and the internet are very different places.鈥�

Throughout 2022 and 2023, GAG members staged in-person events, participating in demonstrations, protests, testifying in legislatures, and sometimes disrupting local school board meetings. Estrada admitted that the group paid for at least some of his travel expenses when he traveled longer distances to participate.

Michell, too, participates in this 鈥済round team,鈥� in 2023 at the Moms for Liberty Summit in Philadelphia. The 鈥済round team鈥� has also included rallies with Moms for Liberty chapters across the country, the antigovernment group No Left Turn in Education, and the antigovernment militia Three Percenters in Washington.

As Estrada also admitted, the internet and 鈥渞eal world鈥� are different places. Like other anti-人兽性交+ social media accounts, GAG鈥檚 social media pages intimidate people by posting personally identifiable information, and leveling accusations against individuals, including doctors.

人兽性交+ Politicians

In December 2022, Erik Bottcher, an openly gay New York City Council member, reported harassing phone calls and protests outside his office after attending a drag story hour. Bottcher later reported that two women who 鈥渨ere a of Gays Against Groomers鈥� graffitied his office and, while he was attending synagogue, entered his apartment building, and were arrested for trespassing. The women used the same rhetoric employed by GAG to demonize 人兽性交+ people in public life. On Dec. 20, 2022, Bottcher a video of the people he identified as drag story hour protesters assaulting one of his neighbors.

In March 2023, GAG shared a doctored photo of openly gay California state Sen. Scott Wiener holding a book with the title altered to read, 鈥淪B 107 How to Legally Kidnap Children by Scott Wiener.鈥� The tweet was in reference to a bill Wiener authored to trans kids and their families who might flee persecution in other states. In 2022, Sen. Wiener repeatedly death and bomb threats using the same dangerous 鈥済rooming鈥� rhetoric spread by GAG. In April 2023, the group again targeted Sen. Wiener, calling him a 鈥渄isgusting pedophile鈥� who 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 belong in office鈥� and calling on its members to 鈥渇ight heinous groomers like him and defend innocent children.鈥�

Pride, 人兽性交+ Spaces and Events

In March 2023, GAG鈥檚 social media pages targeted a drag brunch event in Washington state, identifying a brewery and threatening to 鈥渓aunch a full-scale operation against you鈥� [...] 鈥渟hould you not heed this warning鈥� to age-restrict the event. The same night, the business was vandalized. After the vandalism, GAG鈥檚 Washington chapter leader, Alex Chrostowski, posted a video noting that 鈥渋t is very likely鈥� the vandals targeted the business because it was hosting a drag show. The group鈥檚 director of communications, Judith Rose, later tweeted that age-restricting the drag show was one of GAG鈥檚 鈥渕any accomplishments鈥� and that there was 鈥渕uch more to come.鈥�

The group continued to share locations and contact information for venues hosting drag and pride events throughout 2023. In the months before 2023 人兽性交+ Pride season 鈥� typically beginning in June commemorating the events of the Stonewall Uprising in June 1969 鈥� GAG鈥檚 leadership posted a series of ominous messages directed toward attendees of the year鈥檚 Pride celebrations across the country.

On March 18, Michell tweeted, 鈥淭his summer鈥檚 culture war is gonna look a lot different this year now that we鈥檙e in the game.鈥� The same day, the Illinois chapter, led by Patrick Sheridan, added: 鈥淭his year, Gays Against Groomers will not stand for this destruction of childhood innocence. Be seeing you REAL soon.鈥� The tweets were accompanied by a donation solicitation and an image that read, 鈥淗elp us Fight Pride; we have big plans to combat the radicals鈥� war on children this Pride Month, but we need your help!鈥� The image features two white children holding Progress Pride Flags 鈥� which include Black and Brown stripes representing 人兽性交+ people of color.

A longer message posted by the group鈥檚 primary X (formerly Twitter) account indicated GAG planned to rent billboard trucks, fund anti-Pride protests in 鈥渆very major city during June,鈥� book booths at Pride events, 鈥渁nd so much more.鈥�

In one of the most ominous and violent messages from GAG in the run-up to 2023 Pride season, the group posted an unattributed article in April 2023 in response to the introduction of a measure in the U.S. House of Representatives called the Transgender Bill of Rights. At the conclusion of the post, the group calls on its members to 鈥渞oll up your sleeves and get to work,鈥� 鈥渂urning this cult [trans people] to the ground,鈥� adding, 鈥測ou鈥檙e either with us or against us.鈥�

The post specifically listed 人兽性交+ rights groups who supported the introduction of the Trans Bill of Rights and identified the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) as a lead contributor to the bill. The post falsely claimed, 鈥淥ne of the people in charge of Movement Advancement Project (MAP) [...] openly identifies as a pedophile herself.鈥� The post showed what appears to be a doctored photo using the MAP logo juxtaposed with a byline from someone not affiliated with the group. GAG鈥檚 only justification for making the false claim appears to be that the person they identified claimed to be a minor-attracted person, designated by the acronym 鈥渕.a.p.鈥� in internet slang, which is the same three-letter acronym generated from the first three letters of the Movement Advancement Project鈥檚 name.

Some online commenters pointed out the false claim when GAG turned the blog post into a X (formerly Twitter) thread containing the same false allegations. One tweet (#3) in the five-part thread that shared a suspicious image linking the Movement Advancement Project with an unknown social media platform GAG purported to be that of 鈥渙ne of the people in chart of Movement Advancement Project鈥� was eventually deleted, although GAG did not respond to users鈥� queries as to why.

Within four days of posting the thread, it received more than 100,000 views and was followed by a Facebook post two days later. A subsequent tweet by the GAG Illinois chapter account that shared the image naming the Movement Advancement Project received over 150,000 views and included the message: 鈥淚f the American people do not do something soon, it will be legal to f*** kids. The government will eventually enforce it. These monsters are coming after ALL children. They are consuming them. The 鈥楾rans Bill of Rights鈥� will be the end of all things good and beautiful.鈥�

After the X (formerly Twitter) thread went live, some GAG social media followers turned to Movement Advancement Project鈥檚 social media posts to leave harassing messages, repeating the false claims originating with GAG鈥檚 blog.

In April 2023, the group admitted on X (formerly Twitter) that its members had put up stickers with the message 鈥渘o child is born in the wrong body鈥� with a QR code linking to GAG鈥檚 website throughout West Hollywood, California. The WeHo Times , 鈥淭he graffiti in West Hollywood happened a week before WeHo City and the Los Angeles LGBT Center team up with over 40 人兽性交+ organizations, faith groups, queer and trans activists, and drag artists host Drag March LA on Easter Sunday.鈥�

On May 20, 2023, GAG鈥檚 North Carolina chapter reported on X (formerly Twitter) that their leader, Talbert, had been 鈥渢respassed from鈥� a local business where GAG has sponsored an ongoing protest over the venue鈥檚 drag show. Talbert was previously photographed holding a sign that read, 鈥淒rag queens who perform for children deserve prison,鈥� and later filmed himself confronting patrons and accosting a woman and her daughter outside the same venue, calling the unidentified person 鈥渕entally deranged鈥� and accusing her of 鈥済rooming鈥� her child for attending an event at the venue.

In September 2023, GAG shared a video featuring Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes and U.K. anti-Muslim activist Tommy Robinson, who lauded the organization for 鈥渄riv[ing] that big wedge for the world to see between the gay community and this mad sexualization of children.鈥� In the video, Robinson claims common cause with the group, saying, 鈥淭hey鈥檙e called all the same things鈥� as Robinson. He also said he was in contact with GAG.

The same month, GAG announced plans to host a national 鈥淪top the War on Children Rally鈥� in October 2023, mimicking an event protesting 人兽性交+ inclusion in schools. GAG with 13 organizations: Mom Army, Dad Army, Fathers for Freedom, Moms for America, Partners for Ethical Care, Our Duty, Blexit Foundation, Freedom Forever, Leave Our Kids Alone, Veterans for Child Rescue, Freedom Angels Foundation, Patrice鈥檚 Kids and Parents on Patrol.