In a now-deleted episode of her new podcast, MTG Battleground, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) took aim at transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, accusing her of being a pedophile. While no specific accusations of child abuse were made, Greene referred to Mulvaney as “one of the biggest pedophiles in America today.” Mulvaney is a hugely popular influencer with millions of followers on social media, where she documents her transition and shares positive and uplifting content with her followers.
However, the right-wing has long criticized Mulvaney for a variety of reasons, including carrying tampons in her purse and doing interviews on the floor with celebrities. The latest round of criticism came after she did a sponsored Instagram video for Bud Light, which led to weeks of outrage from conservatives.
Many on the far-right have a history of using accusations of pedophilia as a way to attack those they disagree with. Greene herself has been associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory, which claims that Donald Trump was fighting a secret international cabal of Satan-worshipping child sex abusers that included major Democrats and Hollywood celebrities.
While Greene has walked back her support for QAnon, she continues to use the accusation of pedophilia as a way to attack her political opponents. In fact, she recently called President Joe Biden a pedophile on 60 Minutes with Lesley Stahl, despite there being no accusations of child sex abuse against him.
It’s clear that for Greene, the word “pedophile” is nothing more than a vile insult to be hurled at those she disagrees with. However, such baseless accusations can have serious consequences for those who are targeted, especially members of the LGBTQ community who are already marginalized and vulnerable. It’s important to hold elected officials accountable for their words and actions, and to call out bigotry and discrimination wherever we see it.