i'd like to talk about something that has really bothered me in the lotf fandom because the topic was brought up between me and a friend. it's mainly about how the fandom goes about groomers and how insensitive people are to actual victims.
obviously there was a lot of stuff stirring up about huntapup / vinnie (?? . I'm not 100% sure on what to refer to them as) and i personally think the way the fandom has gone about dealing with it is dismissive of actual victims. before i get too deep into this, i am a victim of online grooming. i've had pedophilic fantasies projected onto me as a child from adults on the internet. it's not just something you can easily brush off; it's a horrible thing to experience and more people need to realize victims are real, living people. i know how damaging grooming can be because i've gone through it.
when i first found out about these people in the fandom, it honestly really triggered me for a while because the way they act is so similar to my groomer. it truly did bring back terrible memories i would never want to relive. going through such a horrible thing such as online grooming or sexual assault and thinking you're joining a welcoming community just for these same people to be here is really a disheartening thing! so you think surely people have to be upset about this but.. no. they really aren't taking it that seriously
they are an awful person who should not be around minors but! the fandom seems to be focused on other things (complaining about new fans cough cough) instead of the adults in the fandom who are actively grooming children!!! the most conversation i've seen about them is either discussing if it's ragebait or just stating the obvious, that they're weird. when in reality THIS DOESNT MATTER!!! it genuinely does not matter if they are trying to pass it off as "ragebait". because last time i've checked?? ragebait isnt grooming minors and joking about rape??lol??
the day people realize that interacting with these people and GIVING THEM A PLATFORM is extremely insensitive to real victims is the day i will rest. NO! you cannot be against someone while actively reblogging their posts, interacting with them (AFTER KNOWING WHAT KIND OF PERSON THEY ARE), and just not having them blocked in general??? have we forgotten the block button exists?? you cannot possibly say "this person is a bad person i dont like them" while still interacting with them. even arguing with them is giving them what they want, ATTENTION. these kind of people THRIVE off of attention, they live for the clout because they find it funny. they find it all hilarious which is why they keep doing it. they love the attention
YES i will stop being your friend if i catch you interacting with these people, YES! IT IS THAT SERIOUS! by interacting with these groomers you are dismissing actual victims. you are giving these groomers PLATFORMS. Yes, i find it awful to have friends of groomers in fandom spaces (cough cough servers) YES i find it awful to ignore someones actions because of their art style or how interesting they are!! if you KNOW someone is friends with these groomers then you SHOULD NOT be letting them into these fandom spaces that consist mostly of minors??? if someone is okay with these groomers while being completely aware of who they are and what they are into, then yes they are also bad.
in general, i just think allowing these groomers and pedophiles (AND! friends of groomers and pedophiles!!!) to peacefully lurk in fandom spaces with no backlash is insane. we shouldnt be enabling this and just dismissing it as another weird person.. not when theyre actively harming minors 😅😅. its insanely insensitive to victims.
