The American Family Association, the anti-lgbt hate group leading the bigoted boycott against Target because of the store's transgender inclusive policy, found itself in to pickles today.
First, the group had to disavow comments made by an spokesperson. During an appearance on a radio show Monday, AFA director of governmental affairs Sandy Rios said that the organization was testing Target's policy by sending men into the ladies room:
Because of her comments, AFA has been the subject of numerous mocking articles, emails, and tweets. Today, the group backtracked from Rios's comment:
In addition, the organization busied itself "liking" tweets from individuals supporting its boycott. But to me, one tweet stood out:
As you can see, it was MY tweet and as you all can probably guess, it wasn't favorable to the AFA's boycott. At all. Not even a little bit.
Rather, it was a tweet which led to a post on this blog in which I demonstrated how the "bathroom predator": talking point stemmed from an earlier failed anti-lgbt talking point, children being "trapped in classrooms with transgender and drag queen school teachers."
I think AFA figured that out quickly because the organization quickly "unliked" my tweet within minutes of favoriting it.
Who knows, maybe the person in charge of AFA's twitter account read the post after liking it.
Or maybe I got a feared reputation. Wouldn't that be fun if it were true. A so-called Christian organization of national reputation who can supposedly corral over one million signatures is scared of a single African-American gay blogger from the South.
It HAS to be my stunning imitation of Nina Simone which scares them? Right?
First, the group had to disavow comments made by an spokesperson. During an appearance on a radio show Monday, AFA director of governmental affairs Sandy Rios said that the organization was testing Target's policy by sending men into the ladies room:
“I think there’s no question that when you say that there are no barriers in the bathroom,” Rios said, “and that if men or women feel like they are men or women, the opposition of however they are equipped, and you have no restrictions, the net effect will be that people will not be stopped. We’ve already had people testing this, going into Targets and men trying to go into bathrooms. There is absolutely no barrier.”
Because of her comments, AFA has been the subject of numerous mocking articles, emails, and tweets. Today, the group backtracked from Rios's comment:
In addition, the organization busied itself "liking" tweets from individuals supporting its boycott. But to me, one tweet stood out:
As you can see, it was MY tweet and as you all can probably guess, it wasn't favorable to the AFA's boycott. At all. Not even a little bit.
Rather, it was a tweet which led to a post on this blog in which I demonstrated how the "bathroom predator": talking point stemmed from an earlier failed anti-lgbt talking point, children being "trapped in classrooms with transgender and drag queen school teachers."
I think AFA figured that out quickly because the organization quickly "unliked" my tweet within minutes of favoriting it.
Who knows, maybe the person in charge of AFA's twitter account read the post after liking it.
Or maybe I got a feared reputation. Wouldn't that be fun if it were true. A so-called Christian organization of national reputation who can supposedly corral over one million signatures is scared of a single African-American gay blogger from the South.
It HAS to be my stunning imitation of Nina Simone which scares them? Right?
The AFA fears your bigger media megaphone and uncompromising blog exposing them for the frauds they are
ReplyDeleteTHe AFA needs to be 'scurred' of you
ReplyDeleteFor decades, transgender men and women have been invisible, blending in with the millions of other cisgender men and women. If I took pictures of Penn Station during Rush Hour, and asked a cisgender person to identify the transgender women, or the transgender men, they couldn't do it.
ReplyDeleteI can spot some transgender women, but only because they are making mistakes I had learned not to make after a few months of transition - pre hormones.
But with these bathroom bills, which threaten to openly expose us to haters, tranny-bashers, queer-bashers, and other fanatic "Christians" who have gone on record in numerous public forums, promising to shoot us, beat us to a pulp, or even kill us. Some have promised to stalk us all the way to the parking lot so they can take us down outside. Of course, these fanatics don't want a transgender woman in the women's bathroom, but they would REALLY freak out if we went into the men's bathroom and put on our make-up while their sons watched. If 1 in 5 children are transgender at age 5, and the culture literally "beat the sissy out of 'em" in school, after school, even under direct supervision of teachers, often even with encouragement by coaches and religious leaders, would having transgender women in public men's rooms make it harder to beat it out of them?
Un
Thanks for providing a non-Facebook venue for comments! I am a Christian, a confessed Target Addict, who is boycotting my favorite store due to Target's decision to deprive women(and those who are indistinguishable from women) of their own restroom facility in order to make a political statement. It's been hard to break my Target habit, but Target's Facebook page is great therapy. I feel so much hatred and bigotry towards Christians such as myself (seriously. . . by definition, a bigot is "a person who is intolerant toward those holding different opinions"-- do you tolerate my opinion? )that it makes it easier to stay away from my favorite store. Kudos to all of you open minded souls who are now supporting my ex-addiction. I spent a lot of money there, so you'll have to really step up and carry the Target torch. Good Luck. And keep spewing the hatred, makes it so much easier to stay home (where you want me) and shop Amazon! Bye Target. :(
ReplyDeleteLike and liked. You said it well.
DeleteShop girl, you can shop where you want or not. Target will survive. But regarding your tired complaint about the lack of tolerance for Christians like yourself, I am not ashamed that I will not tolerate you. I will not tolerate your self-righteous sense of entitlement not will I tolerate your vicious semantic smears of transgender women. Before tolerance comes respect. And if you don't respect people's basic dignity and humanity, don't come whining about how you are being treated by those you disrespect.
ReplyDeleteDid I come across as whining? Sorry. I expect nothing more than to be disrespected and hated by you, and perhaps eventually put in a "re-education" camp by those who care. Meanwhile I'm happy to share the bathroom with anyone who truly considers themselves a woman (forgive my "vicious semantic smears"). It's just that I don't want to share it with male-men who would abuse Target's largess. Is it wrong to want a safe place to relieve oneself, un-bothered by males who are there either because they are perverts or trying to make a point as representatives of the AFA? Perhaps that is asking too much.
ReplyDeleteYes you did come across as a bit whiny and extremely rude. Why don't you do some research on transgender women and the myth of bathroom predators before making such judgements. Here is a good start on that bathroom predator idea - http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/04/21/national-expert-anti-lgbt-bathroom-predator-fears-are-very-misinformed/210001
ReplyDeleteBorn a man, will always be a man. This is a fact of life. A person who is born male can not change self into a female. Its not my problem if a person born male with added hormones does not feel comfortable using the men's room. That is his problem. He will always be a man,guy,he,him,men.
DeleteThanks for the link Black Tsunami. That article deals mostly with the risk of sexual assault from those "pretending" to be transgender. That is not my fear (nor have I heard that fear expressed much). My fear is the same fear I had as a young mother whose boys were too old for the women's restroom. Sending them into the male restroom (especially alone) was always nerve racking as I waited by the door, sometimes holding it open a crack so I could hear any shouts for help. Target has extended their transgender welcome to the women's room (which has been around awhile I guess, I don't really care) to men who "identify" as women. That leaves a big old WELCOME sign to the potential perverts who, at least in my young mom imagination, posed a threat to my young boys. Now they are welcome in the women's room as well. No need to dress like a woman, wear makeup, nothing. Just hello, come on in. Here are links to articles about boys who have been sexually assaulted in the men's room by strangers (who will now feel free to frequent the women's room as well). And by the way, this may fall into the same category as the abundance of caution involved in wearing seat belts every time I get in the car. I've never been in a wreck, but why tempt fate.
Deletehttp://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Man-Arrested-for-Sexually-Abusing-Boy-in-McDonalds-Restroom-262170001.html
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Two-Children-Sexually-Assaulted-in-Park-Bathrooms-in-South-Bay-255858611.html
Shopgirl888. I can fully appreciate where you are coming from. Men (and women) have no right to abuse a system designed to promote equality. When I use the restroom I only want to do my business in peace and then leave without any hassle, just like anyone else. I live in the UK and, to be quite frank, I won't be visiting America any time soon due to this hateful bathroom bill that appears to be sweeping the states. Such a bill will force me to 'out' myself as a transgender man (I identify as male). I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of women in a women's restroom if I was forced by such a bill to use the women's restroom due to my birth cert not reading 'male' yet. I am a regular boring human being aside from being transgender. You don't strike me as a bigot but time and time again I see hatred spewed from all sides due to misunderstandings on sensitive subjects like these. It's starting to look like a war between 'Christians' and lgbt people -on every social media site -all over the news. Its pathetic, ugly and it must stop. I am a man of faith myself and I was raised in a Christian home. My family support me 100% and I have never been happier in myself than since I was able to live in the gender I have identified with my whole life. I do not condone hatred towards a person based on their religion and the idea that my fellow Christians will turn on me for having a mismatched gender identity to the sex I was assigned at birth repulses me to my core. I don't usually voice my opinions on blogs or social media but I feel I can no longer turn a blind eye when it comes to this topic. My wish is that people will start to see the light and instead of targeting trans folk (and homosexuals) they turn their anger towards those who willfully hurt others (rape, murder etc). Many stores in the UK have the same policy regarding bathroom/changing usage as Target which are not massively publicised. No cases of abuse as a result of these 'trans friendly' policies have come to light- probably down to lack of media attention and therefore it does not reach those who might take advantage or vicious groups (like AFA) who might deliberately abuse it to try and prove a point and unjustly sear the reputation of trans folks (like me) who have done nothing but try and blend in and go about my normal ordinary life. Thank you for time.
ReplyDeleteWow, anonymous 1. That was a very "intelligent" opinion which only has value because you have a right to express it. However, in terms of facts, you are sorely lacking. But it does bring up a hole in the argument of folks like you. Do you actually believe in that "bathroom predator" nonsense or are you just using it to force transgender men and women to live their lives based on your terms. If that is the case, your ignorance regarding trans folks is YOUR problem, no theirs. They are not here to accommodate you or your ignorance.
ReplyDeleteI meant to address that to anonymous 2. To anonymous 1, thanks for the compliment ;p
ReplyDeleteREAD what you just wrote. First you say that you do not fear that Target's policy would be open door for those pretending to be transgender in order to harm children. THEN you go into a long expository which pretty much says THAT IN FACT IS your fear. It sounds like you watched one of those ridiculous right-wing hidden camera videos I've seen floating about regarding Target's policy. Here is some truth - Target's policy DOES NOT mean that any male "who simply claims to identify as a woman" can enter the ladies room. That just doesn't make sense and it's stupid to even think that. If something like what you described happens, you can still call the police and NO ONE will say "well he SAID he identifies as a woman so there is nothing we can do about it." Ma'am, you are clearly shucking and jiving with a bullshit explanation like that. No offense because I sympathize with your concerns as a parent but you simply cannot expect me to believe that you believe such a ridiculous notion. And if in fact you do, you really need to educate yourself on the transgender community AND laws. Also, where in the &%! do you get the assumption that predators will now feel free to enter the ladies room because of trans-inclusive policies when the examples you show have NOTHING to do with the subject at hand?
ReplyDelete