Limbaugh: Pedophilia Next for 'Left' After Same-Sex Marriage

Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show Monday that he believes there is a movement trying to "normalize" pedophilia and compared that movement to society's "normalization" of marriage equality, Politico reports.

"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," he said on his radio talk show "The Rush Limbaugh Show." "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."

The conservative commentator added, "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 also discussed a recent opinion piece that appeared in the British newspaper the Guardian that has caused a ruckus in right-wing circles. "Paedophilia: Bringing Dark Desires to Light," written by John Henley on Jan. 2, delves into the science behind pedophilia and examines the brains of pedophiles.

The article discusses Jimmy Savile, a British television host who made headlines when he died in 2011 after authorities claimed he molested hundreds of young women. "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," the article stated.

When Limbaugh referenced the piece, he said about it, "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."

In November 2012, Kevin Clash, who was the puppeteer for Elmo for 28 years, resigned from "Sesame Street" amidst allegations that he had sex with underage youth. In fact the Associated Press and every other major medium had blanket coverage of the accusations and his consequent resignation from the show.

Not so for Limbaugh, who warned listeners, "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." (It's questionable whether Limbaugh's listeners, who constitute the fringe Right, have ever "pooh-poohed" gay marriage.)

He also referenced Jerry Sandusky, the Penn State assistant football coach who was sentenced to prison for at least 30 years after he was found guilty of abusing several 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," Limbaugh continued. "And in fact, it's just a different sexual orientation?'"

Limbaugh isn't the only ultra right-winger who believes there is a movement afoot to normalize adult-youth love. A number of readers on Free Republic commented on the Guardian article. "This is what is next on the prog agenda once the homo normalization fight is won. It will begin with a 'grassroots' assault on Age of Consent Laws. Unless something changes, they will win this fight too" was a typical comment.

Additionally, Right Wing News criticized the Guardian piece in a Jan. 6 article and wrote, "The paper seriously presented pedophiles as but a misunderstood minority that do no real harm," and "Guardian feature columnist Jon Henley uncritically quotes convicted pedophiles like Tom O'Carroll who said that children enter into such "relationships" voluntarily."