LGBT grooming conspiracy theory

The notion that LGBT people, or those supportive of LGBT rights, are engaging in child grooming and enabling child sexual abuse is a far-right conspiracy theory and anti-LGBT trope. Although the belief that LGBT individuals are more likely to molest children has no basis in fact, this assertion has existed for multiple decades in the U.S. and Europe, going back to before World War II. The trope became more widespread during partisan political campaigning in the 2020s. Despite originating with the far-right, this claim has been pushed by a growing number of mainstream conservatives, especially in the United States, and has since spread to other countries, including Australia, Canada and the UK.

The use of groomer and pro-groomer as slurs against the LGBT community rose to prominence in the early 2020s, particularly in the wake of anti-LGBT curriculum bills. The conspiracy theory behind the trope draws on older forms of prejudice against LGBT people to argue that LGBT people are systematically using LGBT-inclusive sex education and campaigns for LGBT rights as a method of normalizing pedophilia and indoctrinating children. Transgender people in particular have received targeted attacks using or alluding to the trope, whereas the older theories tended to target gay men.

Experts characterize these accusations and conspiracy theories as baseless, relying on homophobic, biphobic and transphobic notions; and label them a moral panic. Advocates for children's rights have protested that the conspiracy theories frustrate proper support for abuse survivors, and LGBT rights organizations have condemned the use of such notions as encouraging discrimination in the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Hungary, Uganda, and elsewhere.

One survey by Courier Newsroom, a left-leaning think tank, found that 55 percent of likely American voters oppose the conspiracy theory, while 29 percent believe it. Results were divided greatly on the basis of political party.