This isn’t a far-right smear campaign

Plenty on the left are sickened by Benjamin “Bussy” Doyle, too

It’s time we stop pretending that Benjamin Doyle’s grotesque online behaviour is some misunderstood art project or just another battleground in the culture war. No, this isn’t some orchestrated "far-right smear campaign" as Tom Peters from the World Socialist Web Site (WSBS) desperately argues in his latest apologia disguised as journalism. This is revulsion. Genuine, bipartisan, grassroots disgust at an elected official who made jaw-droppingly inappropriate decisions and still refuses to take responsibility.

Let’s get this straight: people aren’t outraged because Doyle is non-binary. They’re outraged because Doyle, a sitting Member of Parliament, thought it was acceptable to publicly share content that veers into what many reasonable people consider child endangerment territory. And to do so under the banner of a name like “BibleBeltBussy.” Yes, bussy. That slang term has very specific, sexually explicit connotations - boy pussy. When you mix that with photos of your children and captions like “Bussy Galore,” you’re not being edgy. You’re being deeply, disturbingly inappropriate.

This isn't a morality tale told by bed-wetter conservatives. This is a moment of moral clarity coming from people across the spectrum, including liberals, progressives, centrists, and yes, even LGBT individuals who are mortified to see their identities and causes tainted by someone acting with such reckless abandon online.

And let’s talk about the elephant in the room that Peters conveniently sidesteps. The disturbing elements of pedophilic symbolism found in Doyle’s posts. These aren't "unremarkable family photographs" - they're loaded with implications that anyone with an ounce of internet literacy can decipher. The same goes for the writing Doyle has done on scat. Yes, Doyle wrote about scat. You don’t get to write about feces in a sexual context, joke about your kids with sexual innuendo, and then claim victimhood when people start asking questions.

Peters and others can scream "homophobia" and "transphobia" until they’re blue in the face. But identity is not a shield from criticism. Especially not when it comes to protecting children. Defending Doyle under the guise of protecting the LGBTQ+ community does a disservice to that community. We are not talking about pronouns here. We are talking about boundaries, ethics, and the complete absence of judgment from a public official.

And then there are the rumors, which, let’s be clear, are still unconfirmed, circulating about Doyle being associated with MAP (Minor-Attracted Persons) rhetoric. If there's any truth to them, even a whisper, the response from political leaders should not be "restorative conversation." It should be an immediate investigation. The fact that Doyle’s response is to light a lavender-scented candle and invite Winston Peters to a drum circle is not just cowardly. It’s offensive.

Uncle Winny, was absolutely right when he said Doyle should be talking to the police, not trying to stage a group therapy session. Because when a politician uses sexually explicit language in conjunction with imagery of their children, the police are exactly who should be involved.

Tom Peters’s article reads like a defense brief for someone he knows crossed a line but wants to shield because they’re "one of ours." That tribalism is precisely what’s rotting modern political discourse, on both sides. The left is not immune to corruption, nor is it absolved from scrutiny simply because it drapes itself in the banners of inclusion and equity.

This isn’t about smearing a queer MP. This is about holding someone accountable for behavior that would get any other adult fired, investigated, and probably placed on a watchlist. The fact that Doyle still holds office is a disgrace.

You can dress it up in anti-fascist rhetoric, pretend this is all about a media diversion, or quote Marx until the cows come home. But none of it changes the simple, horrifying truth: Benjamin Doyle has shown a shocking lack of judgment and an even more shocking lack of remorse.

And the public, left, right, and center, has every right to be outraged.