Friday, May 13, 2016

Obama's pro-transgender directive - How to defeat the backlash sure to follow

 Vigorous truth-telling can successfully combat anti-transgender lies.

Obama Administration Warns Schools To Allow Transgender Access To Bathrooms - Just in case you haven't heard about this wonderful news (and I am sure we have all heard about it.) BUT, you know what . . . 

Texas Superintendent Says Obama Directive on Transgender Students 'Going Straight to the Shredder' - There will be a backlash coming. It's already started.  And there will be more to come. While Trump - if he is the GOP presidential nominee - can't necessarily use Obama's directive against the Dem nominee, the religious right sure as hell will. And based on this article, they will have allies. Now is not the time to do what the lgbt community always seems to do when we get earth shaking positive developments, i.e. hug and weep about how monumental it is while being sitting targets for a religious right backlash which knocks us back to square one. We need to fight for this with all we have. 

One way is to vigorously and LOUDLY educate against the myths and the lies. There is no reason why we shouldn't demand that a more rounded view of the transgender community and issues be presented by the news media  (local and national, even Fox News). No more pundits who spew on the fly. And above all, there is nothing wrong with writing letters to the editor of your local newspapers: 

 11 myths about transgender people 

Understanding the Transgender Community

Transgender Children & Youth

 A Comprehensive Guide To The Debunked “Bathroom Predator” Myth


And most importantly, assertively engage the creators and exploiters of anti-transgender lies in debates, on twitter, etc.  But first, educate yourself regarding who they are. Don't paint them all with a broad brush. Know their nuances. Inform about their nuances:

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America

A "Religious Freedom" Legal Powerhouse Is Leading The National Fight Against Transgender Student Rights

How Anti-Gay Talking Points Are Being Recycled For The Transgender Community

North Carolina's Anti-LGBT Law Borrows The Work Of An Extreme Legal Group

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I just wanted to offer that I’ve written many letters to the editor and they almost always get published and I live in conservative central (Naples, FL).

It’s kind of hard to pack a punch in only 275 words but if you know what you’re talking about it’s definitely possible. First, decide on the angle you want to take. For me, it’s much easier to knock someone else’s propaganda down than it is to pick a topic out of the blue. And don’t worry about addressing every one of their points, sometimes that’s just not practical, you want your readers to understand what you’re saying. Also, don’t be afraid of being harsh when necessary, use the word “hate” when appropriate or “fake Christians” or “Christians (in name only).” Nor do your letters have to be the full amount that they allow. Some of the most powerful letters get their point across in only a few sentences.

Instead of using statistics, I tend to generalize my messages -- if they want more specific info they can always Google. Also, if they get Biblical, get biblical right back. If they use the “God made them male and female” bit, mention how they must also believe in God’s incestuous design for their children’s marriages. God also approves of polygamy (2 Samuel 12:8), and especially mention their lack of concern for the unrepentant adultery of divorce and remarriage (Mark 10 11-12) and perhaps most importantly, marriages aren’t religious, they are ALL civil because, church or no church, it’s the government who issues them!

Furthermore, if you’re writing on a Word document, there should be a button on the top that says “word count,” so you don’t have to go through and count them by hand, so to speak.

If you want anymore advice, feel free to contact me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/patrick.fitzgerald.3990