A pro-“LGBTQIA+ rights” group in Virginia has allegedly begun to crowdsource funding for students “who need to leave their home” because their parents or guardians do not support their so-called gender identity.
Late last month, the group known as the Pride Liberation Project made its most pronounced statement yet, convincing thousands of Virginia students to participate in orchestrated “walkouts” to protest the draft of a new state policy that would compel students to use restrooms and play on sports teams that correspond with their biological sex and forbid schools from concealing students’ preferred names and pronouns from their parents.
Now, according to a report from the Daily Wire, such walkouts were only part of PLP’s outreach strategy. The group has also begun to offer financial assistance — and in some cases, even alternative housing options — for “outed and in-crisis students.”
The Daily Wire claims to have accessed a video of a private Zoom call and at least part of the PLP in-house messaging system, both of which seem to indicate that the group intends to raise money that it can then allocate to LGBTQ students individually.
“We’re creating this channel as a way for everyone to understand the mutual aid and support resources the PLP has available for outed and in-crisis students,” a user named aaryan reportedly posted back in July in a messaging channel entitled #resources-for-outed-students!.
Aaryan further explained that the group can afford to give such students “a couple of hundred dollars immediately” via “Venmo or Zelle.” However, he added that the group can also create an ActBlue fundraising page for individuals so that “allies” can donate to support them. Such pages in the past have collected “thousands” and “[a]ll of this money is yours,” the post claimed, likely addressing such hypothetical students themselves.
ActBlue is an online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates and causes, and the Daily Wire asserted that PLP user aaryan is Aaryan Rawal, a college-age adult who once worked for a Virginia Democratic politician.
Rawal, who reportedly created the PLP #resources channel, also pledged to help LGBTQ students find “emergency housing” in an “affirming home.” In other words, Rawal seems to be offering to separate kids from their parents or legal guardians.
“In the event you needing to leave your home, we can provide you with emergency housing from a supportive, Queer friendly adult,” Rawal reportedly wrote.
“[W]e will work with other supportive adult organizations in the region to find you someone who can provide you a kind and affirming home,” the message continued. However, the message also warned potential recipients that their new “Queer friendly” home would likely be “white.”
David Gordon of the Virginia Project, a conservative group, expressed horror at these PLP revelations.
“It is irresponsible and reckless to the extreme to be doing this with other people’s kids,” Gordon said, according to DW. “The way this operation works is nearly identical to sex trafficking.
“This could never be underwritten by any insurer,” Gordon continued. “The chance of one of these kids ending up being sexually abused is almost certain.”