TEDx pedophilia controversy

Screencap from the video

On 5 May 2018, the University of Würzburg in Germany held an event with the theme of “Future Societies”, featuring Mirjam Heine, a medical student who gave a controversial presentation on “why our perception of pedophilia has to change.”

Heine’s most controversial comments were seized upon by right-wing and christian websites, under headlines such as “TEDx Speaker: Pedophilia Is an Unchangeable Orientation,” which led some viewers to believe Heine had condoned “an illegal and harmful practice.” Although Heine did make a comment about pedophilia’s being an “unchangeable sexual orientation,” she offered it within a preventionist context.

As Breitbart says of the "controversy":

Ms. Heine “believes that no one is responsible for their sexual orientation, for their feelings, but that everyone is responsible for acting upon this sexual orientation,” the website reads. “She also inquires how all of us can gain if we distinguish clearly between our feelings and our actions. Since pedophiles can’t change their sexual desires, they must learn to control them to not act upon them.” “Let me be clear here, abusing children is wrong without any doubt. But a pedophile who does not abuse children has not done anything wrong,” Heine said in her lecture.

This controversy was a precedent to the MAP Flag controversy of the same year. Mirjam Heine has not been involved in any further activities related to this subject since the controversy

References

• Christians For Truth - Article with talking points re. Alfred Kinsey etc. inserted.
• Snopes Fact Check - May contain inaccurate claims about the MAP Flag.