Caiden Cowger is a 14-year-old West Virginia boy with a radio talk show named after himself. If this doesn’t already sound strange, wait until we get to the next part! The Caiden Cowger Program episode broadcasted on May 26 included virulent anti-gay commentary centered around the idea that President Obama, the man who didn’t even believe in gay marriage for the majority of his political career, is making kids gay:

“President Obama, Vice President Biden is [sic] making kids gay,” Cowger declares. “If you’re encouraging you’re making kids gay. You are saying that it is all right to follow this belief, it is completely natural, there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s not immoral.” In a follow up to his May 26th broadcast, Cowger backs up his argument by quoting scripture. He maintains that those who claim that he “speaking bigotry” are blaspheming against the bible by saying that the bible “is full of bigotry.”

On his radio show’s Facebook page, Cowger also specifically mentions Obama, stating  that “normal politicans kiss babys [sic] but this guy believed in aborting them.” The rant Cowger broadcasted on the 26th also described homosexuality as “sickening,” and included a segment in which he blamed the “It Gets Better” campaign – the extremely popular and famous social media effort to end gay bullying and suicides – for creating a tolerant and welcoming environment for the gays. I’m so glad we live in a tolerant and welcoming environment, y’all!

In the episode’s video footage, Cowger speaks (with rife grammatical errors) in front of a CCRadio logo and behind a PC. He recalls memories of his former friends who “became gay” through encouragement from the President and Dan Savage. He refers to homosexuality as a “perverted belief” and describes it as both immoral and a choice- “no matter what Lady Gaga says.” He laughs to himself prior to justifying gay bullying as attempting to “teach them to word of God.” Cowger, who knows a lot about being gay as a heterosexual homophobic man, goes on to declare that being gay is something people do for fun, and that is not a legitimate identity.

For reference, Cowger has interacted with Herman Cain and even once introduced him at a campaign event.

Cowger is undeniably one of the most articulate, intelligent, and influential voices of this generation.

His radio information can be found on Facebook, where he tells the story of his rise to Internet fame and names Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. “I make up my own mind. People don’t do that for me. I can make deside my own beliefs,” Cowger states. He continues, “Just because your young doesn’t mean you’re a brainless zombie! Some kids care too. I focus my life on real things like politics, not a stupid VIRTUAL video game. That is not going to get you any where in life. And before you liberals ask, I wrote this my self.”

The conservative tween’s show is broadcast on CCRadio, RSTR, and Spreaker Web Radio. His mere existence prompts multiple questions.

First of all, what movement is being led by a 14-year-old who failed middle school English class? Is it the conservative movement? For the record, Cowger has over 4,000 fans on Facebook. If this is the face of the conservative movement’s future, I am pretty sure gay world domination is in our very near future. Everyone please send flowers to the Caiden Cowger Program.

And secondly, who the hell are the 4,000 people listening to this? Even more concerning than the idea that a pre-pubescent boy feels the need to pass judgement on queer individuals publicly in a way that condones violence and hate is the fact that he has an audience of adults and other young adults. How is it that despite the amazing contributions queer people have made to the fields of academia, politics, and art, a kid who wears long-sleeved A&F shirts in his mom’s office to record YouTube videos has the right to disparage the entire community?

Cowger’s original footage is hard to find on YouTube: his follow-up tirade about how the Bible, a book that gives permission for slavery and the selling of women as property, is not bigoted has been deleted by the manager of his account. But on YouTube lives some of the most rewarding footage of all: video responses to his words by people within his age range. Hopefully, these kids with good background music are the future and Cowger is merely a relic of the past.