Fox News picks up video from CRT alarmist to claim Disney is sexualizing children

[Nevilledog]

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nikki mccann ramírez
@NikkiMcR
·
Mar 30, 2022
If you’ve been seeing the word “grooming” a lot lately it’s because much like “CRT” became a boogyman for any discussion of race, the right is now explicitly attempting to associate any positive discussion of the LGBTQ+ community with child sexual abuse

Media Matters
@mmfa
Timcast IRL panelists attack marriage equality, suggest it has led to normalizing “grooming” https://mediamatters.org/tim-pool/timcast-irl-panelists-attack-marriage-equality-suggest-it-has-led-normalizing-grooming…

nikki mccann ramírez
@NikkiMcR
Good writeup here on just some of where this is coming from. Fox News picked up a video from CRT alarmist Chris Rufo to claim Disney is sexualizing children, via @MiaGingerich

mediamatters.org
Fox News picks up video from CRT alarmist to claim Disney is sexualizing children
4:22 PM · Mar 30, 2022

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-news-picks-video-crt-alarmist-claim-disney-sexualizing-children

Fox News is hyping a new smear campaign from a notorious peddler of disinformation about “critical race theory” (CRT), using leaked videos from a staff meeting at Disney to claim the company is attempting to “sexualize our children” in order to push a “progressive LGBT agenda.”

The videos were posted to Twitter by Chris Rufo, a senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute and a key proponent of panic over CRT. Rufo similarly targeted Disney last year over its policies on anti-racism. This time, Rufo’s fearmongering is in defense of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which was signed into law on March 28. Although the legislation explicitly bans discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools between kindergarten and third grade, its vague language would allow the state to limit conversations on LGBTQ issues and history across all grades. As The Trevor Project notes, this law aims at “effectively erasing LGBTQ identity, history, and culture — as well as LGBTQ students themselves.” The bill has been widely condemned by civil rights organizations and the Biden administration.

Disney faced backlash this month after it was revealed the company initially contributed to state politicians responsible for the new bill. At the same time, employees at Pixar accused Disney of censoring LGBTQ storylines in their films. These controversies, along with what was perceived by employees as a poor response from CEO Bob Chapek, lead to a walkout earlier this week by Disney employees, after which Disney came out strongly against the Florida legislation, vowing to help repeal it. The videos Rufo released earlier this week feature Disney executives recounting increasing acceptance of LGBTQ storylines and minority characters, committing to adopting more gender-inclusive language, and condemning the legislation in Florida.

Fox News pundits have widely embraced the discriminatory legislation, framing it as protecting children in Florida from “grooming” – a term referring to the sexual exploitation of minors. The false conflation of sexual orientation and gender identity is a tactic long utilized by bigoted misinformers seeking to sow hatred of the LGBTQ community. In reaction to the videos Rufo released from Disney’s internal meeting, Fox News is now targeting the company with accusations of sexualizing children and pushing a “woke agenda.”

*snip*

[bucolic_frolic]

1. What sort of looney sits around and hyperventilates about the tenuous connections he cooks up?

All worked up over a fictitious concept. I just don't get it.

[grumpyduck]

2. The Mouse has very deep pockets

and lots of legal types. Sue the shit out of Fox!

[blue neen]

3. There's a war going on in Florida,

and Fox decided to back the Ron DeSantis side.

So, now we know what to expect for 2024.