Never seen this particular conspiracy theory before. I think if it were actually a mainstream democrat or progressive theory you'd see it brought up pretty ofte

Never seen this particular conspiracy theory before. I think if it were actually a mainstream democrat or progressive theory you'd see it brought up pretty often given pro football's clashes with racial and social justice advocates in the last decade instead of one NYT op-ed from years ago. If you look up the author of that op-ed piece, she's a lawyer and devoted anti-sex-trafficking advocate, so it is most logical to just view it as an op-ed representing her personal interests and point of view, not representative of The Times, or The Democrats, or The Mainstream.