this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2026
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Pritt was initially elected to the state House as a Democrat in 2022 but changed his political affiliation to Republican the year after. Republican Party chair Elgine McArdle said in a statement that Pritt had realized that the “Democratic Party of today is not the Democratic Party that our parents grew up with.”

State Republicans have filed numerous bills seeking to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender minors, ban trans student-athletes from playing on sports teams that match their gender identity, and nullify cities’ non-discrimination ordinances.

In 2023, Pritt voted for a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. State Sen. Mike Azinger (R) said that the bill was needed because gender is “self-evident” and that the bill was needed to stop doctors who want to “chop up a child,” even though gender affirming surgery is almost never performed on minors and the bill banned non-surgical interventions.

Why is it always the ones you most suspect?

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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

FYI - A lot of the discussion here about the headline is now irrelevant that the source saw the light and corrected it:

"GOP lawmaker arrested after allegedly sexually abusing a middle schooler in a classroom"

OP - If you can update your headline to match, that would be great!

And, yes "having sex" in this context, is rape apology.

[–] Sunflier@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I'd gladly do so if you add an expressed permission in the rules to guaruntee that some other mod in the future doesn't bjtch about making that sort of change (especially if this happens again to another article down the road). Add text to rule 1. Like add a rule 1a that says something like:

The original poster may update their Lemmy post's titles to match an updated article title ONLY IF the origional source has updated the article's title subsequent to the original posting on Lemmy.

Make that change, and I'll happily update it. I just want to shield myself and future posters from arbitrary and capricious moderators.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (7 children)

We require submissions match the source headline.

The title in the original source changed, it's on you to make sure your title stays updated.

If you're in reading comments, you can double check and fix the title at the same time.

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[–] Zephorah@discuss.online 125 points 1 month ago (46 children)

“Having sex”? There’s no “having ses” with a middle schooler. Its rape. He allegedly raped a child in a classroom.

Why do reporters nearly always defend these men with their word choices?

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 43 points 1 month ago

Why do reporters nearly always defend these men with their word choices?

Rape culture.

[–] GalacticSushi@piefed.blahaj.zone 35 points 1 month ago

Same reason they constantly describe Epstein victims with the oxymoronic term "underage women."

[–] Angular@crazypeople.online 8 points 1 month ago

Rapists protecting rapists.

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[–] plz1@sh.itjust.works 78 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I just sent this to their contact us page.

This article https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/gop-lawmaker-arrested-after-allegedly-having-with-middle-schooler-in-a-classroom/ Titled as "allegedly having sex with middle schooler" is trash rape culture wording. You cannot "have sex" with a child. That is rape. Period, Your readers expect better than to white wash crimes against children like this. Statutory rape is rape. Sex with a child is rape. There is no consent, and thus, no obligation for you to sugar coat article wording like this. Please do better.

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 37 points 1 month ago

I sent a message through their contact page as well. Thank you. I hope they respond appropriately.

I’m surprised they allowed this to be published as is considering the source.

[–] StupidBrotherInLaw@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They changed it to 'allegedly sexually abusing.'

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[–] the_riviera_kid@lemmy.world 40 points 1 month ago

Oh would you look at that? Once again it's not a trans person, gay person or a drag queen.

[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 34 points 1 month ago (8 children)

"having sex with"

Nope, he raped a child.

[–] SaraTonin@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

At least they didn’t go with the newest “ugh” term - “underage woman”. If she’s underage, she’s not a woman

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 month ago

There's people unironically defending the use of the phrase "having sex with a middle schooler" in this very thread.

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[–] QueenHawlSera@piefed.social 18 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] Thebeardedsinglemalt@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] axx@slrpnk.net 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)
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[–] cavitationfetishist2@quokk.au 17 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Why is every conservative a pedophile?

I remember the conservative men I knew in childhood, and they were all woke by modern standards. Some beat their wives bloody, one spent a friend's college fund on sex workers (jokes on him; last I heard she was the best in the business and the rest of us got student debt), several were known rapists, my aunts talked about office parties being 'dangerous', and marital rape was just kind of an assumption.

But so few of them were pedophiles. Like I completely avoided being raped as a child. What happened? Was I just an unfuckable kid? Were all my friends whose families weren't religious just unfuckable kids?

[–] psycotica0@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but yes, you were an extremely unfuckable kid. I hacked into their mailing lists, meeting minutes, and records, and you would not believe how much time they spent talking about you. One of them said he was feeling very desperate once, and had an opportunity with you, but before he could go through with it he realized he was better than this and it turned his life around and fixed his low self-esteem. The meeting minutes made a point of highlighting that when he was discussing his rock-bottom moment, that he may stoop so low as to assaulting you, the assembled people audibly said "eww" and gasped. When he said he couldn't bring himself to do it, everyone applauded.

Sorry champ. But the good news is you grew out of it, like that classic kid's story, The Unfuckable Duckling!

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[–] aarch0x40@piefed.social 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Republican Party chair Elgine McArdle said in a statement that Pritt had realized that the [Republicans more aligned with his personal interests]

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[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago

"Democratic Party of today is not the Democratic Party that our parents grew up with.”

Joins the Republican party and rapes kids.

[–] habitualcynic@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago

That’s called rape and pedophilia. Coward ass journalists today.

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

PEDO PARTY

If Dems were good at messaging, which they aren't, they'd blast this everywhere imaginable to make the name really stick.

If Republicans can make the public believe Haitian immigrants were cooking and eating people's pets then Dems can make people believe something that's pretty obvious at this point.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Dems are complicit controlled opposition

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[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They forget the part where you need to be filthy rich to get away with this.

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)
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[–] Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago

There are many times I wish people would resist arrest, this is one of those times

[–] Manjushri@piefed.social 10 points 1 month ago

“While every person is entitled to the presumption of innocence and due process under the law, charges involving the exploitation and abuse of children strike at the core of the public trust,” Holstein said. “The people of his district deserve representation that is beyond reproach, and these allegations make it impossible for him to effectively serve.”

Yes, he should resign from office for the good of the party. It's very hard to bury this kind of thing while the rapist is still in office.

Also, yet another one for the pile:

Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 61 - 1500 and counting.

[–] godsammitdam@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Pedocon theory is a theory like gravity at this point.

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[–] BadmanDan@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (4 children)

“Pritt had realized that the "Democratic Party of today is not the Democratic Party that our parents grew up with."

Not the glaze the Democrats, but I’m assuming this guy is Gen X or elder Millennial. All the Dems have done since the 80s/90s have done is move left on social services/regulation (slowly) and become more inclusive.

Today’s Dems are objectively better than the era his parents grew up with.

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[–] BigMacHole@thelemmy.club 6 points 1 month ago

DEMONRATS are just ANGRY he's not One of THEM now! FREE PRITT! He did NOTHING wrong!

-Republicans!

[–] FrowingFostek@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Man, thats why you gotta watch these kids when they're on games like Roblox. Pedos are always lurking.

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