Sorry to sound like a pearl-clutcher but I've led a sheltered life
You're not a pearl clutcher. I have not had a sheltered life. Some of my former colleagues in Bangkok were open peadophiles. I lost work because I would not be sanguine about sexually abused, prostituted 8 year olds being left in the school's reception for them to collect once they finished teaching.
Just trawling the tweets and other bits and bobs, to connect the dots between people, has an affect. I went for nap and got stuck in a two hour "unable to escape loop" of surreal, disturbing shit, with people who resembled and sounded like the Ugly Sister Bar Manager in Shrek. Except they appeared to be made of sponge.
Even my "lost faith in humanity a long time ago" psyche needed a clear out.
You're not a perl clutcher. Just a normal person doing what people should do when their instincts ping. Listen, and take note. Because if they don't listen and take note they'll end up like other colleagues of mine. Who silenced their instincts as they left work, and "adjusted" to walking past children waiting to be raped, as their "new normal".
Nobody needs a new normal of that kind to creep in by degrees, via
- a carefully, gradually lowered bar of what must be accepted
- a carefully, gradual erosion of Truth withnsocial sanctions for people who don't won¡t convert to the faith
...and for that new normal become our reality. So don't you feel for a minute you are over-reacting and a prude. People like you, preferably in their millions, are about the only hope we've got.
I know that might sound dramatic. But never under estimate people's ability to "adjust" to absolutely horrible shit, and then "adjust" some more as the (intended from the onset) mission creep marches forward. And what it can mean for the most vulnerable in society.
The world is largely a horrible place. Predators are a lot more common than most people realise. And they have long wanted out from the shadows.
Not cos they genuinely care what we think of them.
My experience was they believe we are fascists (cos that's what they called me) who are all authoritarians out to stop their lovely healthy love, and out to stop them from giving the poor succour via employment opportunities. But they do want far, far fewer barriers to access potential victims. With far, far, far fewer risks. And they don't think there is anything wrong with that objective. To me they presented it as anti-fascist social justice before social justice ever became a thing.
And they have been wanting this for a very, very long time. This is not their first foray into achieving their aims.
The trouble is, by using Trans Issues as Trogen horse, this time they are getting close.
*NB i am in no way accusing all, or any specific transpersons of being peadophiles, or paedopile sympathisers. Some are. But the bulk money and the power over political entities behind the TRA movement is, IMO, coming from men who largely have no interest in frocks.
But they do have a lot of interest in what TRA success politically, socially and legally will leave in its wake. Namely the erosion of hard won protections, a lowered disgust response from the public, a weaponised version of Socially Acceptable Lip Service to A New Enforced Truth and children's ability to consent to life changing actions to be lowered as far as possible.
And all of that is happening right now.