It seems that not even the self-proclaimed ‘alt-right’ can defend pedophilia. Racism, sexism, misogyny and other antiquated bigotries aside, the newest wave of radical conservatives has denounced at least one abhorred practice, and as such, has denounced who was once a prominent figurehead for their movement.

Milo Yiannopoulos appears to defend sexual relations between adults and children in a resurfaced video, saying, “Some of those relationships between younger boys and older men — the sort of coming of age relationships; the relationships in which those older men help those young boys to discover who they are and give them security and safety and provide them with love and a reliable sort of rock…”

During the same interview, he also seemingly defends an inappropriate relationship he had during his youth, stating, “I’m grateful for Father Michael…”

After being questioned about his apparent justification of pedophilia, Yiannopoulos explains himself, claiming he was not defending pedophilia — that he was defending cross-generational relationships occurring after puberty. According to the former alt-right idol, pedophilia occurs only when the younger party has not reached puberty; sexual relations that involve adults and minors below the age of consent who are sexually developed are permissible.

Clearly, others, including the alt-right, Breitbart News and the Republican Party, do not feel similarly. Shortly after the video depicting Yiannopoulos’s concerning comments gained widespread attention, he was uninvited from speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, lost his controversial book deal with Simon & Schuster and resigned from Breitbart, where he previously held a position as senior editor.

“Milo Yiannopoulos’s bold voice has sparked much-needed debate on important cultural topics confronting universities, the LGBTQ community, the press and the tech industry,” claimed a Breitbart News company statement. “Milo notified us this morning of his decision to resign as editor of Breitbart Tech and we accepted his resignation.”

The denouncement of Yiannopoulos deserves a relieved exhale from many, including conservatives, liberals, and the LGBTQ community; conservatives who have watched in horror as their political views have been tarnished with a rise in bigoted ideologies being tied to them, liberals who have been unable to halt the encroach of ‘alt-right’ rhetoric into debate, and LGBTQ individuals who have watched one of their own work so fervently to sabotage their fight for respect and equal treatment.

This fiasco follows a recent incident where Yiannopoulos issued complaints about being unable to speak at the University of California, Berkeley after violent protests threatened the safety of himself and others. The protests occurred as a result of his history of giving inflammatory addresses. Many influential figures rallied around him, including President Trump, who accused UC Berkeley of censorship. The jump from receiving public support of the President of the United States of America to the rescinding of an invitation to speak at a basic republican convention is staggering.

How the mighty have fallen.

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