Politics

PayPal Allows ‘Minor-Attracted Persons’ Group To Stay On Platform After Banning ‘Gays Against Groomers’

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Laurel Duggan Social Issues and Culture Reporter
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PayPal banned an account that draws attention to adults who expose kids to sexual content but still allows Prostasia, an organization that provides support for “minor-attracted persons” (MAPs), to hold an account and use its services to fundraise.

PayPal permanently banned the Gays Against Groomers account Tuesday, as did Venmo, which PayPal owns, according to documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Prostasia, an organization that runs a support groups for people who are sexually attracted to children to help them avoid acts of abuse, still raises money using PayPal and lists the service on the donation page of its website.

“While we’re not allowed to conduct business on PayPal, guess who is… an organization that offers a support group for ‘MAPs,'” the Gays Against Groomers Twitter account wrote. “@PayPal banned us for being against pedophilia, but allow actual pedophile groups to use their services unabated.” (RELATED: Legislators Move To Ban Child Sex Changes After Explosive Report)

Prostasia aims to reduce child sexual abuse through various initiatives including support for “MAPs,” whom it views as “stigmatized;” it provides chatrooms for “MAPs” to talk to each other so that they can “come to terms with their attractions in a harm-free and law-abiding way,” according to its website.

The Gays Against Groomers Twitter account, which has more than 100,000 followers, also aims to  prevent child abuse by drawing attention to instances in which children are exposed to sexual content or inappropriate relationships with adults. Jaimee Michell, who runs the account, also seeks to distance the gay community from initiatives targeting children, which she feels are causing stigma against gay people who don’t support things like drag queen story hour.

Many of the videos reshared by the Gays Against Groomers account involve transgender people, drag queen performers or efforts to transition children to the opposite sex (a practice Michell is critical of). Her account has drawn criticism from some LGBT activists who view her work as harassment against transgender people.

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