'There’s a movement to normalize pedophilia,' Limbaugh said. Rush ties pedophilia, gay marriage

Rush Limbaugh said Monday that there is a movement to “normalize pedophilia,” and referenced the push for same sex marriage while also discussing the Jimmy Savile and Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandals.

“There is a movement on to normalize pedophilia, and I guarantee you your reaction to that is probably much the same as your reaction when you first heard about gay marriage,” the conservative commentator said on his radio program Monday, according to a show transcript. “What has happened to gay marriage? It’s become normal — and in fact, with certain people in certain demographics it’s the most important issue in terms of who they vote for.”


He continued: “So don’t pooh-pooh. There’s a movement to normalize pedophilia. Don’t pooh-pooh it. The people behind it are serious, and you know the left as well as I do. They glom onto something and they don’t let go.”

Limbaugh was discussing an article written by Jon Henley of the United Kingdom newspaper The Guardian on Jan. 2. In the piece, Henley writes about the late-British television host Savile — who authorities say molested hundreds of young people.

Henley wrote in the column: “This is radical stuff. But there is a growing conviction, notably in Canada, that paedophilia should probably be classified as a distinct sexual orientation, like heterosexuality or homosexuality.”

Earlier in the column, Henley wrote: “There is, astonishingly, not even a full academic consensus on whether consensual paedophilic relations necessarily cause harm.”

Referring to Henley’s column, Limbaugh said: “They make the case that kids enjoy it, adults enjoy it; what’s wrong with a little love? The same things that were said about gay marriage. Look at the Elmo story, the puppeteer at PBS. Three or four young people, kids, were hit on by that puppeteer. Look how little attention that story got. In fact, that story was laughed off. It wasn’t a big deal at all.”

Kevin Clash is the puppeteer who helped popularize the character Elmo on “Sesame Street.” In November, he resigned from the program amid allegations that he had sex with minors, according to The Associated Press.

Limbaugh added: “I just want to remind you, now, when you first heard about gay marriage — and I don’t mean to pick on gays. It’s not what I’m saying. It’s just something that was such a tremendous departure from accepted norms of the day. When you first heard about gay marriage, you pooh-poohed it.”

Limbaugh then referenced Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach who is imprisoned for at least 30 years after being convicted of abusing multiple boys.

“Can you imagine if Jerry Sandusky had had this information at his trial? What do you think the reaction would be to Jerry Sandusky’s defense saying, ‘Hey, look, it’s normal. The kids love it, he loved it, nobody was hurt. And in fact, it’s just a different sexual orientation?’” Limbaugh said.

He continued: “Now, what do you think’s behind this? What kind of people do you think are behind this, this effort to normalize pedophilia? Which is what? The abuse of kids, is it not? Who’s behind that? What is their objective? They want us to all think that pedophilia is just another sexual orientation.”

This article tagged under: Rush Limbaugh

Gay Marriage