NICOLE RUSSELL: Trans lawmaker shamed into dropping pedo-normalization bill in Minnesota amid backlash

Minnesota has been devolving into liberalism for years, but the latest policy attempt which would expose children to pedophiles–and protect them under the law–showcases a bizarre turn, even though it's failed so far.

In February, Rep. Leigh Finke, the first transgender state legislator in Minnesota, introduced a bill called the "Take Pride Act." The bill would remove language from Minnesota's state Human Rights Acts that says pedophilia is not included in the protected "sexual orientation" class.

"Sexual orientation' does not include a physical or sexual attachment to children by an adult," the Human Rights Act says. Finke's bill would strike that language, meaning sexual orientation may include a physical or sexual attachment to children by adults, and pedophilia would be a protected class as a sexual orientation. Minnesota Republicans, a minority in both the state House and Senate, were not happy.

"Under the Human Rights Act, the definition of sexual orientation says that sexual orientation does not include physical or sexual attraction to children by an adult — or, more simply described, pedophilia. The Democrats' decision to strike this language is disturbing and inexplicable," House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said in a statement.

"House Republicans will be presenting an amendment today to clarify that pedophilia is absolutely not a protected class under the Human Rights Act. We sincerely hope Democrats will join us in ensuring our children are protected," she added. Republicans were able to intervene and "managed to get the language normalizing pedophilia stripped out of the bill in a vote," according to a local source.

So far, the bill appears to be dead. Still, that doesn't change the outright attempt by lawmaker Finke to normalize pedophilia.

A local conservative outlet says that according to information provided to them, "Proponents of the change argue that the current language perpetuates a stereotype that gay people are attracted to children."

Even if that were true, removing such important language from the Minnesota Human Rights Act seems like it would have far more devastating effects than the mere rumor perpetuating a stereotype. In fact, in many ways, this remains the heart of the issue.

Before Obergefell v Hodges, the Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage, conservatives were wary of it. Not because they didn't want gay people to find love, but because the legal state sponsorship of unorthodox marriage seemed like a slippery slope toward legally recognizing–or just even normalizing–other kinds of unorthodox, but eventually harmful, behaviors. 

Following Obergefell, several things happened that indicated that the LGBTQ community was dissatisfied with the mere legal recognition of gay marriage: It seemed like they actually wanted to force others to believe in it too, even at the expense of dishonoring their own religious conscience. 

It's only been eight years since that  decision, yet the transgender contagion has swept through teenagers across America and Bostock v. Clayton County arrived–the Supreme Court case codifying gender identity into law as a protected class. The slippery slope wasn't just a fallacy, it was an actual descent into progressive ideology via the law.

So here now, we arrive to pedophilia and there are few barriers, guidelines, or even guideposts left: "Why can't pedophilia just be another protected sexual orientation? Who are you to say it can't be? If a person identifies as a pedophile but doesn't act on those desires, shouldn't he be admired, lauded in fact, and at least, recognized under the law as just another member of the community of people who want equality under the law? If not, why not?" Come the questions from activists and allies.

Of course, conservatives vehemently disagree this should be the case. One would think protecting children would be a bipartisan effort, a place of agreement. In the case of this Minnesota bill, it really doesn't seem like it was until Republicans caught it and changed it.

Finke is now saying the bill wasn't a big deal and that a Fox News Digital piece on it gave it enough traction that the lawmaker is now receiving death threats.

Death threats are wholly unacceptable but this too is true: Nobody should be able to normalize pedophilia via policy, nor should they be lauded for doing so. I'm glad Minnesota Republicans were able to strip the vital language from this bill and stop it dead in its tracks.