GOP lawmaker turns being smeared as a “groomer” into cancer fundraiser

A Republican state lawmaker accused of being a “groomer” for carrying pink to lift breast most cancers consciousness is popping the tables on his accuser and wielding the smear to lift extra money.

Mississippi State Senator Jeremy England stated in a Fb put up on Wednesday that he was “being bullied” and “receiving threats” after being referred to as a “groomer” in a tweet by a fellow Republican who helps a special candidate for Mississippi lieutenant governor than the one backed by England.

The “groomer” smear is usually used to falsely declare that people who find themselves LGBTQ+, or those that transgress gender norms, are by some means participating in or encouraging pedophilia. It has change into an more and more fashionable type of tradition struggle rhetoric amongst anti-LGBTQ+ conservatives.

The smear in opposition to England was primarily based on images of the state senator wearing a pink outfit whereas he was collaborating in a 2020 fundraiser for Males Put on Pink, an American Most cancers Society initiative meant to lift consciousness for breast most cancers and fund analysis to finish the sickness.

England stated the accusation was sparked by his assist of Republican Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, who’s dealing with rival GOP candidate and Mississippi State Senator Chris McDaniel in a major election August 8.

The images of England had been apparently circulating amongst Republicans shortly earlier than the looks of a tweet accusing the lawmaker of being a “groomer.” The now-deleted tweet was from Hardy Case, a volunteer for McDaniel and a marijuana legalization activist, in keeping with the Mississippi Free Press.

“Hosemann and his groomer weirdos haven’t got an opportunity on August eighth,” Case tweeted alongside a picture of England within the outfit.

When England responded to the tweet to clarify the explanation that he wore the costume, Case reportedly stated that it was nonetheless “not acceptable” as a result of “grown males ought to by no means costume up like girls” and “Mississippians do not care what group it’s.”

Newsweek reached out for remark to England and the American Most cancers Society by way of electronic mail and Case by way of the web site of his firm Beringia Hashish on Thursday.

England stated in his Fb put up that he “would don that costume once more in a heartbeat to lift cash for breast most cancers consciousness.”

“I’ve no disgrace within the photos being shared, I solely want it was being shared to assist elevate cash for breast most cancers consciousness as meant.”

England determined to make use of the incident to lift extra funds to combat breast most cancers, importing pictures of himself within the costume to a fundraising web page on the American Most cancers Society’s web site.

By Thursday night, the fundraiser had gathered virtually $2,900, $1,300 greater than had been raised when the Free Press article was printed solely hours earlier.

McDaniel advised the information outlet that he was not concerned within the effort to smear England, saying that “generally volunteers behave in unreasonable methods” whereas additionally seemingly condemning England for going “to Fb to air soiled laundry.”