GOP lawmaker falsely accused drag queens of pedophilia. Now he has to pay $200K. He had to issue a public apology as well.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/08/gop-lawmaker-falsely-accused-drag-queens-of-pedophilia-now-he-has-to-pay-200k/

33 Comments

  1. >A Republican state representative in New Hampshire has been ordered to pay two drag queens he defamed $100,000 each and publicly apologize for calling them pedophiles.

    >State Rep. David Love (R) settled with the drag queens, Robert Champion and Michael McMahon, after a two-year court fight following Love’s accusation that both men had inappropriate relationships with children.

    >The plaintiffs filed suit after Love made the accusations in February 2022 while introducing a bill that would mandate library employees and volunteers obtain criminal background checks. Both Champion and McMahon had participated in drag queen story hours.

    >Champion and McMahon’s win follows other successful defamation lawsuits addressing drag queens accused of sex crimes against children.

    >In May, a jury awarded [Idaho drag performer Eric Posey](https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/05/rightwing-influencer-forced-to-pay-1-1-million-to-black-drag-queen-she-lied-about/) more than $1.1 million in damages after a right-wing influencer falsely accused him of “flashing his genitalia” at children. In January, a judge in the U.K. ordered a conservative commentator to pay *Drag Race UK* queen Colin Seymour, aka Crystal, $200,000 after [falsely calling him a pedophile](https://deadline.com/2024/04/laurence-fox-libel-payment-drag-race-star-1235894635/).

    >Love’s library bill in the New Hampshire House failed to leave committee and was unanimously deemed “inexpedient to legislate,” according to state records.

    >Following the settlement, Champion told [*The Washington Post*](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/08/26/drag-queens-new-hampshire-settlement/): “When you say things that are that damaging or harmful about someone, they’re not going to just sit there and let it happen.”

    I love this! Between Imane Khelif suing both Elon & JK Rowling and this, people are finally starting to fight back against the groomer libel.

    The people who say these damaging and defamatory acts deserve to lose and have to pay. We’re not taking this anymore. We’re not going back to the Briggs Initiative with Anita Bryant. The Christian nationalists will have to just get past their hate and start learning to love everyone as themselves, like Jesus said.

  2. OppositeDifference on

    >State Rep. David Love (R) settled with the drag queens, Robert Champion and Michael McMahon, after a two-year court fight following Love’s accusation that both men had inappropriate relationships with children.

    Actions have consequences. I hope this financially breaks him.

  3. old_and_boring_guy on

    If only it wasn’t so profitable for them to lie, that might actually impact his life.

  4. “After being provided with inaccurate information, information that I failed to verify, I publicly accused Robert Champion aka Monique Toosoon of being a registered sex offender-”

    Either he can’t own up to making his own assertions and blames others for giving him ‘false information’ or he really is as stupid as he looks and just believes whatever people tell him. Good thing he got what was coming to him.

  5. > The lawmaker also accused McMahon, as Clara Divine, of “rubbing butts” with children

    Uh.

    Huh.

    This guy thinks about children the same way homophobes can’t stop thinking about men licking each other.

  6. This is the best tl;dr I could make, [original](https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/08/gop-lawmaker-falsely-accused-drag-queens-of-pedophilia-now-he-has-to-pay-200k/) reduced by 84%. (I’m a bot)
    *****
    > A Republican state representative in New Hampshire has been ordered to pay two drag queens he defamed $100,000 each and publicly apologize for calling them pedophiles.

    > Love accused Champion, who appeared as Monique Toosoon in a story time event in Nashua in 2019, of being a "Convicted sex offender." The lawmaker also accused McMahon, as Clara Divine, of "Rubbing butts" with children and "Just really going way too far" at another event in Derry in 2021.

    > Champion and McMahon's win follows other successful defamation lawsuits addressing drag queens accused of sex crimes against children.

    *****
    [**Extended Summary**](http://np.reddit.com/r/autotldr/comments/1f2q7m6/gop_lawmaker_falsely_accused_drag_queens_of/) | [FAQ](http://np.reddit.com/r/autotldr/comments/31b9fm/faq_autotldr_bot/ “Version 2.02, ~692962 tl;drs so far.”) | [Feedback](http://np.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%23autotldr “PM’s and comments are monitored, constructive feedback is welcome.”) | *Top* *keywords*: **Champion**^#1 **drag**^#2 **McMahon**^#3 **Love**^#4 **children**^#5

  7. Now let’s work on the big fish making false statements like this that ruin others lives…

  8. ladycatbugnoir on

    >The lawmaker also accused McMahon, as Clara Divine, of “rubbing butts” with children

    Rubbing butts? Is a a 7 year old that doesnt has a very vague understanding of sex?

  9. Wait, GOP people call democrats pedophiles constantly. As a democrat voter and non-kid lover, shouldnt I get paid now, too?

  10. It’s garbage he’s allowed to say he relied on false info that he failed to verify and, gee golly, he sure is sorry and it won’t happen again but who could’ve known?! He’s a lying bigot. Period.

  11. “After being provided with inaccurate information, information that I failed to verify….”

    He knew exactly what he was doing. It’s one of the GOPs greatest hits. Spread false information until something sticks. Radicalize your base to attack people you don’t like or agree with. Villainize certain groups of people and tell people we need to fear them. This guy is an asshole.

  12. SoggyBoysenberry7703 on

    He’ll probably make some half assed apology that doesn’t explicitly state that drag queen’s are still not anything but immoral.

  13. > He had to issue a public apology as well.

    Could they not have made him wear a dress?

  14. Good!

    I’ve been called a pedo on Instagram for supporting Harris and meta won’t even remove the comments as they apparently don’t violate their policy.

  15. This is disgusting regardless of whether you align with his politics or not. Baselessly calling out people as pedophiles belittles actual, legitimate accusations of it.