Right-wing YouTuber Matt Walsh thinks kids are being ‘recruited into the LGBT+ ranks’. The backlash was swift and precise
(YouTube/Matt Walsh)
Right-wing YouTuber Matt Walsh is facing a severe backlash after claiming that the media, Hollywood and even the US school system “actively recruit” children into the “LGBT ranks”.
Matt Walsh took to Twitter after a Gallup poll revealed that more Americans identify as LGBT+ than ever before. He claimed this was because the media and the education system are brainwashing kids into being LGBT+.
“The number of kids who identify as LGBT, especially trans and bisexual, has absolutely skyrocketed,” he tweeted.
“If you think this is a natural or organic development, you’re deluded.
“The media, Hollywood and the school system actively recruit children into the LGBT ranks.”
The number of kids who identify as LGBT, especially trans and bisexual, has absolutely skyrocketed. If you think this is a natural or organic development, you're deluded. The media, Hollywood, and the school system actively recruit children into the LGBT ranks. pic.twitter.com/xqzZ5OaJ8U
— The Honorable Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) February 24, 2021
Matt Walsh, who makes regular appearances on Ben Shapiro‘s The Daily Wire, argued the rise in people identifying as part of the LGBT+ community – especially trans people – is the result of “social engineering”. He added that the supposed “LGBT lobby” “poses the greatest threat to our children”.
The LGBT+ community and allies were quick to point out exactly why Walsh’s words were not just wrong, but dangerous.
Popular gaming YouTuber JackSepticEye wrote that the rise in people identifying as LGBT+ is “called progress”. He said: “People are more comfortable being who they truly are as society heads in the right direction.”
It’s called progress! People are more comfortable being who they truly are as society heads in the right direction.— Jacksepticeye (@Jacksepticeye) February 25, 2021
Twitch streamer Karl Jacobs agreed that the uptick in young people identifying as LGBT+ is because “more people are comfortable to come out now”. He added: “By this logic, crime rates go down if there are no cops to report it, right?”
OR MORE PEOPLE ARE COMFORTABLE TO COME OUT NOW LMAOOOOOO
By this logic crime rates go down if there are no cops to report it, right?— karl 🙂 (@KarlJacobs_) February 25, 2021
Medium and Boardwalk Empire actress Patricia Arquette also commented on Matt Walsh’s faulty logic. Arquette said: “Do you have any idea how many kids are thrown out of the house for being LGBT+?
“They aren’t following a trend. Society has to stop vilifying people for the right to basic civil rights and happiness.”
https://twitter.com/PattyArquette/status/1364738903039737858
Fandom YouTuber Minerva Kelly rightly pointed out the idea that children are being recruited by “Big Gay” is a hilarious idea.
Referring to Matt Walsh’s comments, she said: “The idea that more young people identify as LGBT because your previous children are being recruited by Big Gay is so godd**n funny to me, like why do conservatives have no understanding of how social stigma works.”
https://twitter.com/doubleca5t/status/1364723062642384897
Members of the community shared their own experiences with ‘LGBT recruiters’
YouTuber Andrew Lowe ridiculed Matt Walsh’s post, joking “it’s true” that there are people recruiting children into the LGBT+ community.
“One day in middle school this LGBT recruiter cornered me in the hallway and forced a flyer into my hands that said if I joined the ranks I’d get a $50 Panera gift card, but threatened to stab me with her horn if I said ‘no’,” Lowe said.
IT'S TRUE!!!!! one day in middle school this LGBT Recruiter cornered me in the hallway and forced a flyer into my hands that said if I joined the ranks I'd get a $50 Panera gift card but threatened to stab me w her horn if I said no! It was so scary 🙁 please watch out everyone pic.twitter.com/rsFABjLyrF— Andrew Lowe (@andrewlowe) February 25, 2021
One person said they “just spoke to my bisexuality recruiter the other day”.
Ah yes, I just spoke to my bisexuality recruiter the other day.
— . (@merryberry333) February 24, 2021
According to a new report, more Americans identify as part of the LGBT+ community than ever before.
An estimated 5.6 per cent of adult Americans identify as LGBT+, according to a Gallup poll. This is a spike in the 4.5 per cent of US adults who identified as anything other than straight in 2017, the last year polling on LGBT+ issues was conducted by the organisation.
Over half (54.6 per cent) of those who identify as LGBT+ described themselves as bisexual. About one in nine (11.3 per cent) of LGBT+ Americans reported they identified as trans, while 3.3 per cent said they used another term to describe themselves such as “queer” or “same-gender-loving”.
One in six (16 per cent) of Americans born between 1997 and 2002 – also known as Gen Z – consider themselves as part of the LGBT+ community. Only 9.1 per cent of Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) identified as something other than straight.
The number continuously decreases with each older generation, and only 1.3 per cent of people born before 1946 identify as part of the LGBT+ community.
