A photo of California State Senator Scott Wiener holding a book has been manipulated to suggest that he promotes child abuse. Social media users are sharing the doctored image as evidence that Wiener is a danger to children. The book in question, which has been digitally altered, is titled “SB 107: How to Legally Kidnap Children”. The actual book Wiener was holding, as confirmed by his spokesperson, is “Gender Pioneers: A Celebration of Transgender, Non-Binary and Intersex Icons,” by transgender artist Philippa Punchard.
The doctored photo was posted to Wiener’s Twitter account, along with several others from the same event at the San Francisco Public Library, on March 4th. The senator tweeted that they were celebrating books and drag queens, while noting that more and more states were banning them.
Wiener authored SB 107, which became law in California in September 2022. The bill aims to provide legal refuge to displaced transgender youth and their families. It allows courts to take temporary jurisdiction of a child if they have been unable to obtain gender-affirming health care.
A spokesperson for Wiener said the altered photo was an attempt to incite violence against the senator. He added that the posts sharing the doctored image played on some of the ugliest tropes against the LGBT community and Jews, in this case, and that they were attempting to use the senator’s strong stance on LGBT youth rights to incite hatred and violence against the entire LGBT community.
False narratives that suggest activism and education about the LGBTQ community are intended to groom children for abuse have become increasingly prevalent on social media in recent years, particularly in conservative circles. The Associated Press has debunked numerous false claims that promote these fictions.
Despite being debunked, social media users continue to share manipulated images and false claims about Wiener and his work on transgender rights. The doctored photo of Wiener holding a book is just one example of how misinformation can spread quickly and have serious consequences.