Gays Against Groomers protested on the same side as Neo-Nazis

Gays Against Groomers, the far-right-funded anti-LGBTQ+ organization headed by self-described lesbian activist Jaimee Michell, is claiming the presence of Neo-Nazis at a protest they organized in Wisconsin was a “false-flag” operation mounted by the FBI.

The group of disaffected lesbians and gay men showed up to protest the Pride in the Park event in Watertown, Wisconsin on Saturday, claiming the family-friendly gathering was an effort by “groomers” to “sexualize” and “indoctrinate” young children.

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“Shame on the parents that brought their kids here,” the Gays Against Groomers Twitter account posted from the event, with video showing a drag queen dancing among a couple of hundred attendees. “This is NOT family friendly.”

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“Watertown is a tiny little town. The population is slightly over 20,000 people. This is not just happening in the big cities. It’s a cancer that has spread everywhere.”

What the real-time posts from the group don’t reveal are dozens of Neo-Nazis protesting right alongside them.

Gays Against Groomers organized a protest of a "Pride in the Park" event in Watertown, Wisconsin. Armed neo nazis with AR-15's showed up. pic.twitter.com/Zte7HOpEca

— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) July 30, 2023

It’s unclear when the black and khaki-clad group, all disguised under full face masks, showed up to join Gay Against Groomers. The self-loathing group only acknowledged the Nazis’ presence afterward, in a flurry of posts denying any association with them, and then claiming they weren’t really Nazis at all.

An amateurish press release posted after the event claimed the group was “disheartened and outraged by the unwanted intrusion of extremist ideologies at an event intended to protect and advocate for the well-being of children.”

“GAG wishes to reassure supporters and critics alike that it does not endorse or align itself with any political or extremist ideology, and we cannot control who chooses to ambush us in public.”

That declaration came shortly before the group’s Wisconsin chapter posted video of the neo-Nazis marching toward the event.

“The ‘nazis’ you’re seeing all over Twitter had staged this. They have their own camera crew. Smells like a stunt!”

This is was what our chapter leader for @GAG_Wisconsin @DeplorablePhag got on video. The "nazis" you're seeing all over Twitter had staged this. They have their own camera crew. Smells like a stunt!#GaysAgainstGroomers pic.twitter.com/3cUcEJLPxD

— GAG Wisconsin (@GAG_Wisconsin) July 30, 2023

GAG fan Johnny E agreed in the comments.

“100% a stunt and they have zero credibility and looks like the same pack of feds just changed shirts and flags,” echoing a common claim on the right that neo-Nazis who show up to their protests are actually federal agents in disguise. There is no evidence to back up that claim.

Minutes later, the Gays Against Groomers national account agreed with the Wisconsin claim and provided as “evidence” the proximity of two FBI offices.

“Regarding the Wisconsin event today and the sudden presence of a ‘Neo-Nazi’ group, it has come to our attention that Watertown, WI is directly in the middle of 2 FBI offices very close by.

“Out of all the protests that happen around the country, ours that we have been promoting for weeks in a little Wisconsin town was swarmed with these people. It’s pretty transparent what is going on. We are incredibly effective and the opposition is doing everything they can to smear and discredit us.

“Groomer Inc. and their cohorts will do whatever they can to silence us. It isn’t going to work.”

Aaaaand just like clockwork, the corporate groomer press is running with it. We’re also highlighted in the article of course. https://t.co/J9XRMgcKaE

— Gays Against Groomers (@againstgrmrs) July 30, 2023

The final attempted distraction from the Nazi/GAG alliance came in the form of a claim later in the evening from Michell, the group’s MAGA and QAnon-based founder and chief recruiter, that common ground had been found with the “groomers” they came to protest.

“We actually had about a half hour long conversation with a group of trans activists, and it turns out we got them to see our position as reasonable, and they ended up agreeing with us — that no child should be medically transitioned,” Michell asserted, without evidence or confirmation from any of the event’s organizers.

“They also conceded that drag shows for kids opens the door to sexual content and behavior becoming normalized to them.”

“While the culture war wages mightily,” said Michell, “it is important to remember that there is a lot of common ground that can be found, and that rational and calm dialogue can produce great results.”

“Hearts and minds, and all that jazz.”

Michell added: “Oh, and I got them to understand and agree that all these bills being passed are in fact not ‘anti-trans’ but rather pro-child protection.”

“They went into the conversation believing the lies about us being a transphobic hate group and left agreeing with us on many issues.”

“Win.”