You need to stop giving regressives the benefit of the doubt. They will couch their rhetoric in as much plausible deniability as you’re willing to extend them, exactly so that you’ll go into the comments and carry water for them.

You and I both know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this will be prime fodder for AM talk radio, pulpits, and other bastions of the culture war. They are out there right now saying, “This is sad, but the boy [sic] was confused and was groomed by society.” Framing it as grooming, dead naming, etc. is all a way for them to muddy the waters and poison the well. If it isn’t blood libel, it’s a single step away. Here’s one example, I am sure you can find more if you look: https://twitter.com/Jermont_II