UPDATED: Pedophile support group loses access to PayPal following Gays Against Groomers complaint

Editor's note: After publication of this article, TheBlaze has learned that the PayPal and Venmo donation buttons on the Prostasia Foundation's website appear defunct.

A spokesperson for Prostasia issued the following statement:

PayPal has caved to a misinformation campaign today, by denying access to financial services to child protection organization Prostasia Foundation. Prostasia is an expert- and survivor-led organization dedicated to the prevention of child sexual abuse. Part of our mission includes countering misinformation against marginalized communities such as LGBTQ+ people, sex educators, and prevention professionals, who are falsely smeared as groomers or pro-pedophilia. We oppose the hateful agenda of groups who spread such harmful smears. At the same time, we express our serious concern about the lack of transparency and accountability that PayPal shows towards customers of all political views, especially those who are most marginalised. Prostasia thanks its diverse members and donors for their support, and reaffirms our commitment to continuing our stigma-free prevention mission.

A spokesperson for PayPal said the company takes action against accounts that violate its Acceptable Use Policy.

"PayPal has a long-standing and consistent Acceptable Use Policy. We take action when we deem that individuals or organizations have violated this policy. Per company policy, PayPal does not disclose specific account information for current or former customers," the PayPal spokesperson told TheBlaze.

This article was updated on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, at 8:20 p.m. EST.

Original story below.

In an update shared after Gays Against Groomers was permanently banned from using PayPal, the anti-child-sexualization group revealed the payment processing company permits groups that support pedophiles to use its services.

Gays Against Groomers posted screenshots last week that show an organization called the Prostasia Foundation is permitted to use both PayPal and Venmo to process donations to its partner the "MAP Support Club." MAP stands for "minor attracted people," a euphemism for pedophiles. Both groups advocate for the acceptance of pedophilia as a sexual orientation, rather than a depraved perversion.

"While we’re not allowed to conduct business on PayPal, guess who is… an organization that offers a support group for 'MAPs,'" Gays Against Groomers tweeted. "@PayPal banned us for being against pedophilia, but allow actual pedophile groups to use their services unabated."

Prostasia is a California-based progressive charity that claims to fight child sexual abuse in a "balanced" and "evidence-based" approach that reduces "harms caused to children and others" by "our society's predominantly reactive child protection agenda." The group states that "peer support for stigmatized populations," or pedophiles, is believed by some experts to reduce sexual abuse.

The separate organization MAP Support Club is "a community for minor attracted people to find friendship and understanding among peers." The support club operates a chat-based "peer-support network" for adolescents and adults who feel sexual urges toward children. Prostasia partners with MAP Support Club and says it serves as the organization's legal point of contact.

"Since the average age at which minor attracted people discover their attractions is 14 years old and since a large proportion of CSA is committed by adolescents against younger minors, this is an important endeavor in helping teenagers come to terms with their attractions in a harm-free and law-abiding way," Prostasia's website states. "Adults and teens cannot message each other on MSC."

MAP Support Club runs its own staff, according to Prostasia, which has created open source software to help monitor chatrooms for illegal child pornography "as an additional safeguarding measure."

Critics like Canadian writer Anna Slatz have attacked Prostasia's mission, highlighting how the organization seeks to mainstream pedophilia by campaigning against child pornography bans, advocating for the legalization of child sex dolls, and funding research for "fantasy sexual outlets" for pedophiles.

Gays Against Groomers complained that an organization that literally defends pedophiles is permitted to use PayPal and Venmo while their group, which opposes indoctrinating children with "radical gender theory," is accused of hatred, intolerance, and discrimination.

PayPal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.