South Dakota just became the first state in the country to pass an absolutely stupid bill which will negatively affect our transgender children:
Which leads me to be exasperated at my lgbt brothers and sisters for continuing to run about in a panic over an attack which has served to diminish and defeat us for decades - i.e. the lgbts will harm children lie.
Allow me to draw a diagram:
Our mistake as a community is we don't take preventive measures to take on these lies and stomp them out BEFORE they can be used against us. The lie about gays harming children is a perfect example of one we don't combat until we have to deal with it like in South Dakota and Houston.
By then, we get swamped by hype and hysteria.
Perhaps our "game plan" should be pointing out that in lieu of facts, religious right groups and their supporters exploit the fear that we will harm children. And also pointing out that until folks stop falling for it, they can count on continuously being fooled by it.
By a 15-20 vote, the South Dakota state senate passed a bill on Tuesday to ban transgender students from using school restrooms that correspond with their gender identity. After passing the state house earlier this month, House Bill 1008 is expected to head to Gov. Dennis Daugaard in the coming days. Provided that he signs it, South Dakota would be the first state in the country to pass such a law — likely teeing up a clash with the federal government, which has taken the position that such policies constitute illegal discrimination.Meanwhile, some lgbt activists are scrambling for a way to refute the "bathroom" argument in this latest way the religious right exploits the fear of children being harmed.
Sen. Brock Greenfield said on the senate floor that the legislation is a response to the Obama administration’s push for transgender rights in public schools.
. . . He cited constituent concerns about “co-mingling” of individuals of different birth sex, saying it was “inappropriate.” “Do you feel it appropriate for a 13-year-old girl to be exposed to the anatomy of a boy?” he asked.
The ado about bills like this and the supposed safety of children is something the lgbt community can expect to unfortunately hear for while. After their overwhelming victory in Houston against a pro-lgbt ordinance using the same argument (that males will be allowed in women's restrooms and boys and girls will shower together), religious right groups and their supporters have gone practically buck wild in defaming and portraying the transgender community as predators.
Which leads me to be exasperated at my lgbt brothers and sisters for continuing to run about in a panic over an attack which has served to diminish and defeat us for decades - i.e. the lgbts will harm children lie.
Allow me to draw a diagram:
Religious right lies never change:
But the scapegoat of their lies do:
Our mistake as a community is we don't take preventive measures to take on these lies and stomp them out BEFORE they can be used against us. The lie about gays harming children is a perfect example of one we don't combat until we have to deal with it like in South Dakota and Houston.
By then, we get swamped by hype and hysteria.
Perhaps our "game plan" should be pointing out that in lieu of facts, religious right groups and their supporters exploit the fear that we will harm children. And also pointing out that until folks stop falling for it, they can count on continuously being fooled by it.
The religious right has always and will always exploit the fears that are inherent in the religious population. They are uneducated and there is very little we can do about it. What we can do is to get behind every federal lawsuit to squash these legal morons in their tracks.
ReplyDelete