Fox News says LGBTQ+ Pride flag shows support for “grooming & pedophilia”

Fox News published a now-deleted tweet and article falsely claiming that the intersex-inclusive Progress Pride flag — recently flown at a White House Pride event — shows support for “pedophilia.” Online commenters have denounced Fox News for endangering LGBTQ+ people’s lives.

The now-deleted tweet, published on Wednesday afternoon, said, “White House flew controversial new transgender flag that promotes grooming and pedophilia, say critics.”

Related:

Republican filed bill to ban Pride flags, fly Confederate flag in government buildings

The legislator’s spokesperson said he filed the amendment by accident. Yeah… “whoops.”

The linked article referred to the flag as “a mysterious and divisive new symbol of pride” that is an “homage to the cult of pedophilia infecting many institutions and represents an unwanted takeover of traditional gay symbolism,” it cited “critics” as saying.

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The two so-called “critics” quoted in the story were Jaimee Michell, the lesbian founder of the anti-transgender hate group Gays Against Groomers, and Maj Toure, a little-known rapper who opposes Black Lives Matter.

Michell told Fox News that the flag represents “an ideology, a political statement of indoctrinating kids and trans kids and pushing kids to sterilize and mutilate themselves.” For Toure’s “criticism,” Fox News cited his now-deleted TikTok video in which he pointed to the flag and said, “This goes into what’s called minor-attracted person or youth-attracted person. Pedophile flag.”

In reality, the flag’s colors represent the LGBTQ+ community and the fight for progress that remains ahead for the community’s queer people of color, transgender, and intersex individuals. Fox News displayed the flag on its own network during a 2022 Pride Month promotion.

Fox News' actual promo for Pride Month vs. Fox News programming pic.twitter.com/kOIPzNhsSC

— Media Matters (@mmfa) June 3, 2022

The article, which remains active on Fox News’s website, doesn’t mention that Republicans, conservatives, and the network’s own TV hosts have largely been responsible for spreading the lie that LGBTQ+ people and allies want to “groom” children for sexual abuse and transgender-related surgeries. Similar rhetoric has led to violence and death threats against educators, healthcare providers, drag queens, libraries, politicians, parents, and countless other community members.

Criticizing Fox News’s article, transgender civil rights activist Alejandra Caraballo tweeted, “They are just saying it with their whole chest now. Fox News is straight up saying the pride flag promotes ‘grooming and pedophilia.’ The ‘say critics’ part is bullshit and they know it.”

They are just saying it with their whole chest now. Fox News is straight up saying the pride flag promotes "grooming and pedophilia." The "say critics" part is bullshit and they know it. pic.twitter.com/8P5Jje8Jkx

— Alejandra Caraballo 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇷 (@Esqueer_) June 14, 2023

Twitter user Benjamin Siemon wrote, “This is Fox. Outright lies and dehumanization. This is why people are storming into Target stores threatening employees when Target has carried pride merch for years. Nothing is different this year except that right wing media has decided to put our lives in danger. Sickening.”

This is Fox. Outright lies and dehumanization. This is why people are storming into Target stores threatening employees when Target has carried pride merch for years. Nothing is different this year except that right wing media has decided to put our lives in danger. Sickening. https://t.co/vOEDFKmtD6

— Benjamin Siemon (@BenjaminJS) June 14, 2023

The LGBTQ+ media watchdog group GLAAD called Fox News’s story an “untrue, vile lie.” Matthew Gertz, a senior fellow at the media watchdog group Media Matters, posted an image of Fox News’s deleted tweet and the company’s own rainbow-colored logo that Fox News included in a 2022 corporate social responsibility report.

Left: Fox News claiming the pride flag the White House used promotes pedophilia.

Right: Fox’s parent company promoting its inclusiveness in 2022 by wrapping its corporate logo in the very same flag in a corporate social responsibility report. https://t.co/xhq4Myio5i pic.twitter.com/HOzHKRkW4k

— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) June 14, 2023

Ari Drennen, media critic for Media Matters, wrote, “Fox News just tweeted and then deleted an article conflating the Progress Pride flag with pedophilia… Meanwhile, here’s one of their top on-air personalities defending an adult having sex with a 16 year old literally 23 days ago.” A video clip in Drennen’s post showed Fox News host Greg Gutfeld praising a “heroic” adult teacher for sleeping with her 16-year-old student.

Fox News just tweeted and then deleted an article conflating the Progress Pride flag with pedophelia (archived below). Meanwhile, here's one of their top on-air personalities defending an adult having sex with a 16 year old literally 23 days ago. https://t.co/2wAZczoRUp pic.twitter.com/sZqOAKSqAT

— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) June 14, 2023

Fox News’s own coverage suggests that it isn’t interested in covering news about actual child sex abusers. A recent report found that the network devoted over two hours to the conservative backlash regarding Target’s Pride merchandise but only spent 22 seconds covering a report alleging that 450 clergy members from the Illinois Catholic Church abused almost 2,000 children between 1950 and today.