CDC promotes teen chat platform to discuss LGBT topics, witchcraft without parental oversight

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is promoting a private chat platform that enables teens to discuss — without parental oversight — a range of highly fraught issues, including LGBT challenges, occult topics, dealing with difficult relatives or even finding an alternative "family" through communities that are more accepting.

On the CDC's "LGBT Youth Resources" page, one of the resources listed is "Q Chat Space," which the CDC describes as "a digital LGBTQ+ center where teens join live-chat, professionally facilitated, online support groups."

The platform is made up of live, "online discussion groups for LGBTQ+ and questioning teens ages 13 to 19," according to the Q Chat Space website.

The live chats "are facilitated by experienced staff who work at LGBTQ+ centers around the United States," the platform explains, emphasizing that its "facilitators are NOT mental health professionals."

One of the adult facilitators, introduced on Q Chat Space's Instagram with "they/xe" pronouns, is "a Black nonbinary queer asexual" and a "drag artist." Another facilitator, who uses "xe/xem, they/them" pronouns, is identified as "Black, genderqueer, gray-ace, and neurodivergent."

According to its website, "Q Chat Space is a collaboration," of Planned Parenthood, PFLAG – "the largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies" — and CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers. 

Chat topics on the platform include "Gender Affirmation Surgeries," "Drag Culture 101," "Sex Ed Night" for trans/non-binary youth, and "Having Multiple Genders."

Other topics include "Self Discovery [sic] in Astrology," "How Do Your Big Three Astrological Signs Affect Your Everyday Life?" and a chat for "youth of color" about "familiars," which are "small household pets that serve as a witch's companion."

A chat topic entitled "Finding Chosen Family" was led by the president of PFLAG Pasadena in March. Last month, there was a live chat on "Coping with Challenging Family Members.⁠"

"Some LGBT youth are more likely than their heterosexual peers to experience negative health and life outcomes," the CDC notes on its "LGBT Youth Resources" page. "It is critical," the public health agency emphasizes, "for the parents, guardians, and other family members of LGBT youth to have access to the resources they need to ensure their LGBT children are protected and supported." 

Given the CDC claim that it's "critical" for parents to have access to resources like Q Chat Space to ensure the safety and support of their LGBT children, some may be surprised to learn that Q Chat Space includes features that enable its teen users to evade parental scrutiny and oversight. 

For example, the platform offers two options for text reminders of upcoming chats — discreet or detailed. Detailed reminders include a "Q Chat Space" tag and other identifying information. Discreet reminders, however "are private, they do not include 'Q Chat Space' or the name of the chat," the platform explains. "They only say 'Reminder: You have an online discussion in about 1 hour.' or 'Reminder: You have an online discussion in about 24 hours.'" 

At the bottom of the Q Chat Space website, there is a bar with a button reading "Click/tap here for a quick escape..." accompanied by a picture of a person running towards an exit door. Clicking on the button changes the screen to Google's website. 

"It is not the role of the CDC or any school environment to educate Americans' children on gender, sex, sexual conduct, or sexual preference," Jaco Booyens, director of "8 Days," a 2014 film about sex trafficking, told Just the News on Thursday. "In fact, this particular site is highly deceiving, encouraging children to hide their activity on the site from their parents by giving them an easy exit button."

"The CDC's behavior clearly indicates their interest in indoctrinating and desensitizing America's children to sexual immorality," Booyens added. "These actions will directly result in children being sexually abused, coerced, and ultimately sex-trafficked."