Queer people do our utmost to protect Queer kids because we remember what it was like to be Queer kids - all of the 'think of the children!' remarks assume that only the Allo (i.e. not-Asexual or Aromantic,) Cis (i.e. not-Trans,) Straight kids matter and are worthy of protecting.

Like you say, they want to pretend that there are no Queer kids - because if Queer kids exist, that must mean that Queer people are just people and not whatever brand of evil they've decided to put on us this time. *sighs*