What is this if not grooming.

I mean if that's grooming, what is this? Grooming?

No? Because you are familiar with Star Wars and get the (lame) joke?

The cubs/bears thing is just a reference that sailed over your head... and no shame in that. Not grooming, though.

@Justhadathought since we were talking about cubs (which refers to gay men) I said sexual orientation. But my comment also goes for trans people who are rejected by their parents.

You didn't answer my question. If the word 'parent' is indicative of a child, does that mean that adults do not use this word?

People are too quick to shout grooming in this instance imo and are trying very hard to add sexual connotations onto a damn t shirt like it's a Picasso or something.

The bear isn't 'looming' and isn't 'trapping' the cub ffs. Do you honestly believe that there is a secret agenda behind this that they're hinting at with the imagery?

I know three different people who were rejected by their families for being gay and I can't emphasise enough how damaging this is for a child. Going after the support network for these children is ridiculous and this thread is dangerously close to outright homophobia.

I do hope that this much attention is being paid to every other t shirt you see and not just those marketed to the LGBTQ+ community

I'm saving my outrage for parents that reject their children because they don't agree with their sexuality

Trans is not a sexual orientation.

@Justhadathought sorry I'm confused. How is the word 'parents' a clue that it refers to children? What do you call your parents when you're an adult? I've always said parents and I'm in my late twenties..

Have to say I do think you are being wilfully disingenuous.

Most of us posting here have children; and many work with children, young people or in mental health. The imagery on the t-shirt says it all - and that is even without the words above.

A large, adult bear, behind a small, child-like one - telling them that if their parents are not accepting of their new identity then he is now their Dad. Please!

Agree, Partridge. Big and hairy men.

I mean plenty of heterosexual sex talk revolves around baby, babe, sweet child, gimme some sugar, candy, Daddy, you've been a naughty boy... are we going to take issue with that?

That stuff is overtly referring to children/parents but it's not grooming when it's between two enthusiastically consenting adults.

Which is what cubs and bears is... consenting adults.

Oh my - I meant to say 'cubs are men' not mean! Apologies.

Imo the t shirt in no way suggests grooming and I'm surprised that there's so much outrage about it tbh. I'm saving my outrage for parents that reject their children because they don't agree with their sexuality.

Also @Justhadathought you're confusing a cub and an otter (otters are slim). Cubs are mean, junior bears in fact. Basically larger cuddly men. It is 100% not a reference to children or even trans people

@Justhadathought sorry I'm confused. How is the word 'parents' a clue that it refers to children? What do you call your parents when you're an adult? I've always said parents and I'm in my late twenties...

If I see ‘Pink Flloyd’ emblazoned on a t-shirt I am going to make assumptions.

What assumptions are those? Genuinely curious.

Cubs does not mean children. It denotes men

Yes, younger men........or slim, boyish looking men....or maybe even a 12/13/14/15/15/17 year old who thinks they may be 'trans' and whose parents have difficulty accepting that.

Is this not just inspired by the man that gave out 700 hugs to young gay people that hadn't been supported by their parents? The 'free dad hugs' guy.
Still a shit t shirt either way

This. I don’t think we should read grooming into everything. The making money off of nice gestures is a bit shitty though.

I can't see anything on the initial link to suggest this is aimed at children at all. That has all been imagined by all of you

The word 'parents' is a clue......and even if not a very young child, a 16/17 year old is very vulnerable.

Not what I said at all. Sigh.

Cubs does not mean children. It denotes men.

I can't see anything on the initial link to suggest this is aimed at children at all. That has all been imagined by all of you.

This thread is coming over as homophobic, but I am sure that's not the intent.

It's homophobic to treat any bizarre behaviour as acceptable as long as it's being done by someone gay. Like OJ defending work-wanking and claiming it's homophobic to see it as wrong. Safeguarding and standards of behaviour are the same for everyone.

Free mom hugs, are these also predatory?

Good question. Here’s an interesting if slightly horrifying answer:

4thwavenow.com/2017/05/14/mtof-tells-trans-kids-to-dump-moms-on-mothers-day-and-join-the-glitter-queer-family-of-adult-trans-activists/

This thread is coming over as homophobic, but I am sure that's not the intent.

In what way? It’s dodgy ground to claim discussing clear and universally applicable safeguarding concerns is somehow ‘homophobic’ if it happens to be applied in a particular context.

I immediately thought of a paedo Papa Lazarou. "I'm your Daddy now".

You’re my son now Dave.

This thread is coming over as homophobic, but I am sure that's not the intent.

I wouldn't let my kids within a mile of any dude I saw wearing that.

Younger men are not children ffs. And bears /cubs is also about being physically "MASCULINE," I.e. large, hairy, often bearded, muscular or fat or a mix.

The opposite of children!

How are people genuinely convincing themselves that the new way to go about being a paedophile is to wear a tshirt announcing it? You sound like the kind of people who thought Chris Morris was making serious documentaries.

gingerkittykat
I had no idea about bears and cubs, exactly what does that entail?
'Bears/cubs are a subset of gay male culture (there are similar animal-related groups like dogs/pups, otters, bronies (ponies) etc.) Bears are older men, usually large and hairy; cubs are younger men who will eventually become bears.
So "I'll be your Daddy" over an image of a adult bear tightly hugging a rainbow-coloured bear cub is extremely troubling.

Given the whole bear/cub thing in various gay male subgroups, the choice of a bear is not neutral. The NSPCC guy called himself a 'cub'. When the 'rainbow bear' stuff is directed at adolescents, it's a HUGE red flag.

I would be AMAZED if any gay man you showed this to thought it would be directed at children.