Sunday, April 30, 2023

Poll - over half of registered voters say attack on transgender community is a major problem

 


From The Hill

More than half of registered voters believe political attacks on transgender children and families are a “major problem,” according to a Fox News poll. The poll found that 57 percent of respondents said the attacks are a major problem, while 26 percent said they are a minor problem. Only 15 percent said they were not a problem, while 3 percent said they were unsure. The results come as numerous states have approved legislation targeting the rights of LGBTQ individuals. 

 . . .The Fox poll did find that 54 percent of respondents said female transgender athletes competing in women’s sports is a major problem, while 27 percent said it is a minor problem. Only 18 percent said it is not a problem.


People may have a difference of opinion about particular trans issues (i.e. trans athletes competing), but one thing which gets them all united is the distaste of seeing trans people getting picked on.

While GOP state legislators have the power to make anti-trans laws, what they don't have is the power to control the narrative. All of their justifications for these attacks on trans people (attacks on gender-affirming care with grim and false anecdotes of children being sterilized and castrated) doesn't seem to be registering with the public. Also the Republican Party can't seem to temper themselves or their allies from being downright meanspirited in their attacks on trans people. When you have state officials moving to ban all gender-affirming care (in spite of claims of only wanting to protect children) and social media wannabe influencers spewing nonsense about 'eradicating transgenderism' or verbally assault the trans community practically every day, you aren't building up credibility. You are coming across as downright scary.

This translates as a problem to the Republican Party. Coupled with DeSantis's attacks on Disney, abortion bans, the attacks on education, the refusal to do something about gun violence, and the book banning across the country, the GOP is crafting an image designed to turn off voters.

Thursday, April 27, 2023

TX school cancels field trip to 'James and the Giant Peach' play after parent raises concerns about drag queens

From Raw Story:

A Texas school district canceled a field trip to see a performance of "James and the Giant Peach" after a single parent complained that actors were dressed in drag. The parent raised concerns at a recent school board meeting that some actors were playing both men and women in the performance, saying that was inappropriate for children, and the Spring Branch Independent School District canceled the visit, reported KTRK-TV. 

 "Spring Branch ISD's pending field trips to the Main Street Theater performance of 'James and the Giant Peach' are being canceled due to concerns raised about the age-appropriateness of the performance," administrators told the TV station. 

 The play, which is based on the Roald Dahl book, is intended for children as young as first grade, and a spokeswoman for Main Street Theater said the parent who complained was wrong. "Drag is a different art form," said Shannon Emerick, the theater's marketing director. "There is a whole art form that is drag. The amazing thing is the kids just believe the story. They're not interested in any agendas or anything else anyone thinks is going on."

The parent who raised questions ,Jessica Gerland, gave an interview to a local news station, KHOU11:

“The way that they are normalizing this, especially in front of 5- to 6-year-olds, it just raises concerns for some parents,” she said. 

 Gerland says she brought her concerns to the district at Monday’s school board meeting, after calling Main Street Theater to get additional details. She says the theater told her actors play multiple roles that are both male and female. 
"She explained to me how they wear flamboyant makeup and wigs to make it fun for the kids," she said. "Do you know what the definition of a drag queen is?"  . . ."It's something that I thought would be more appropriate for high schoolers, not kindergarteners,” said Gerland.  

James and the Giant Peach is a very popular children's book (I've read it)  which was published in 1961. It tells the story of young boy who escapes his abusive aunts by way of a giant peach, which he and several giant insects ride to America while avoiding sharks, seagulls, and "Cloud men" along the way.  My guess is that the play adapts all of this for the stage. If actors are in drag during the performance,  I sincerely doubt they will be doing any of those things which conservatives and wannabe social media influencers like to mischaracterize as "child-grooming techniques."  Somehow I don't envision the evil aunts adorned in glittery sequins while lip syncing to Lady Gaga or the female insects getting tips from the audience while performing gymnastic splits.

 No one should be surprised that the anti-drag hysteria has come to this. On the contrary, we should be delighted that is has come to this. What better way to  expose the idiocy of this entire moral panic against drag shows and drag queens?

God help us if these parental crusaders go after Bugs Bunny next.  I hear he has quite a fetching wardrobe.

'Dwyane Wade, who has trans daughter, say Florida's anti-LGBTQ legislation was reason why he left the state' & other Thur midday news briefs

Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade Says Family Is His Motivation for Having Left Florida: 'Would Not Be Accepted' (Exclusive)​ - Dwyane Wade has a trans daughter and again he is showing the perfect way to support your trans child. Kudos to him. And I hope DeSantis keeps his mouth shut about this.

Transphobes freak out as trans woman comes in 6160th place in London Marathon - She didn't even place, folks. Calm down. Get a life. 

North Dakota limits bathroom use for transgender people - What are they going to do? Check at the door? Peek under the stall? 

Over half of 2022's most challenged books have LGBTQ themes - Their attempts to shut us down won't work.

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

'Missouri anti-trans emergency rule temporarily halted, Justice Department files complaint against Tennessee anti-trans law

Several state legislatures and government officials have spent a nauseatingly large amount of time attacking transgender Americans via legislation. Now it seems that the cavalry, so to speak, may be arriving.

 Albeit slowly. 

First let's look at Missouri. Earlier this month, state attorney general Andrew Bailey released an emergency order which would effectively ban gender-affirming care for all trans people in the state. The order was to take effect on Thursday.

Not anymore, at least temporarily. 

From KMBC News:

A Missouri judge on Wednesday temporarily halted a first-of-its-kind rule restricting access to gender-affirming health care for transgender kids and adults, just hours before it was set to take effect. St. Louis County Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo put Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s emergency rule on transgender health care on hold until at least Monday.

 Bailey has touted the rule as a way to shield minors from what he describes as experimental medical treatments, though puberty blockers and sex hormones have been prescribed for decades. The restrictions also apply to health care for adults. Transgender Missourians and health care providers sued to stop it from taking effect as scheduled Thursday. They argued that Bailey sidestepped the GOP-led Legislature and acted beyond his authority in attempting to regulate gender-affirming health care under the state’s consumer-protection laws.

On Monday, the court will rule on a temporary restraining order against Bailey's rule. I have my fingers crossed here but so far it doesn't look good for Bailey.  We will see what happens.

And there is also news from Tennessee. The Justice Department is stepping in to challenge that state's anti-trans law.

According to WSMV4:

The Department of Justice has filed a complaint challenging Tennessee’s recently enacted law banning transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care. The DOJ says its complaint alleges that the law’s ban on proving certain medically necessary care to trans youth violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

 Along with the complaint, the DOJ says they’re asking the court to issue an immediate order to prevent the law from going into effect on July 1, 2023. The DOJ says SB 1 makes it unlawful to provide or offer certain types of medical care for trans youth with diagnosed gender dysphoria. “SB 1′s blanket ban prohibits potential treatment options that have been recommended by major medical associations for consideration in limited circumstances in accordance with established and comprehensive guidelines and standards of care,” the DOJ said in a press release.

 “By denying only transgender youth access to these forms of medically necessary care while allowing non-transgender minors access to the same or similar procedures, SB 1 discriminates against transgender youth. The department’s complaint alleges that SB 1 violates the Equal Protection Clause by discriminating on the basis of both sex and transgender status. Doctors, parents and anyone else who provides or offers to provide the prohibited care faces the possibility of civil suits for 30 years and other sanctions.”

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Hundreds of drag queens and allies march on Florida's state capitol to protest anti- LGBTQ bills




From The Hill:

Hundreds of drag performers gathered Tuesday in Tallahassee, Fla., to protest a slate of proposed bills that would roll back the rights of LGBTQ people. More than 300 drag queens and allies on Tuesday marched to the steps of the Florida Capitol building to protest legislation that would bar certain drag performances, as well as state bills that would restrict gender-affirming health care for transgender youths and bar transgender athletes from sports teams consistent with their gender identity, among others. 
The LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida, which helped organize the event, said Tuesday’s protest is the largest of its kind. Organizers said the protest is intended to educate the public about the “rich history of Drag as a form of cultural artistic expression suitable for all ages.” 

. . . At least 10 bills targeting LGBTQ rights have been introduced this year by lawmakers in Florida, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, including Senate Bill 1438, a measure that would allow the state to fine, suspend or revoke the food and beverage licenses of businesses that admit minors to an “adult live performance.” 

Detractors have said that DeSantis is targeting the LGBTQ community in an attempt to appeal to the conservative base because he is considering a presidential run. They have also said that the ban on drag performances in particular is deliberately vague and automatically designates all drag performances as "adult live performances" even when they are g-rated. They also said the ban deliberately targets Drag Queen Story Hour, a popular event in which drag queens read to children and their parents in libraries in an attempt to promote literacy.






Equality Florida issues the following statement:

DeSantis’ agenda of hate is decimating our state’s reputation nationally, sending talented students and business owners fleeing to states where freedom is a value rather than a hollow slogan, and making Florida less safe for LGBTQ people. Free states don’t ban art. Free states don’t force families to co-parent with the government or dictate what entertainment they can and cannot enjoy. Free states don’t issue vague threats to suppress speech and expression or target small businesses. Today, hundreds of drag performers and allies from across Florida sent a clear message: we stand for real freedom. And we will not be erased. Expect our resistance.





Photos by Equality Florida.

'MAGA world explodes at the news of Tucker Carlson's firing' & other Tue midday news briefs



‘The End of Fox News’: MAGA World Reacts to Tucker Carlson’s Departure​ - The screeching of wounded harpies. This is so delicious it should be fattening.

5 ways that Tucker Carlson has proved himself as a proudly anti-LGBTQ+ bigot - In case you forget how much of a b@st@rd Tucker Carlson is. 

Anti-LGBTQ Christian Nationalist Mark Robinson Launches Bid for Governor - Mark Robinson despises so much that he would keep us from getting cheese on our hamburgers if he could. 


Monday, April 24, 2023

Matt Walsh whines helplessly about jailing Lizzo for including drag queens in her concert


What a wonderful day for truth and karma. In case you haven't heard, Tucker Carlson was fired from Fox News. And he didn't even know it was going to happen until he was informed of it today. Apparently he was in the middle of negotiating a five year contract.

Why it happened is speculative. There were so many reasons for the Murdochs to let go of this substandard, mediocre bigoted trust fund baby. It could have been a result of them having to pay $787 million to Dominion to settle its lawsuit, which Carlson contributed greatly to being filed. Maybe or maybe not. No doubt, Fox will probably fill his time slot with someone equally nauseating and I'm sure he will probably bounce back. But who gives a shit. Carlson has been fired and publicly humiliated. And it will follow him throughout his entire career.

Speaking of people deserving the sweet kick of karma, let's talk Matt Walsh for a second. He has made a career out of picking on LGBTQ people, particularly the transgender community. Like Carlson, he is a bully and, as with all bullies, when up against someone who can match him, he shrinks and becomes the whiny bitch we all knew lurked inside of him.

In this case, the person who shut him down is successful and talented artist Lizzo.  Last weekend, Lizzo brought out a bunch of drag queens during her Tennessee concert. She was making a statement against the recently passed - and held up by the courts - state law which bans drag in public places and in front of kids.

Matt had something to say about what she did. And it underscored his weakness.



It ain't gonna happen, Matt. I doubt Tennessee is that stupid. Then again . . .

I should warn everyone that some folks on the thread make cruel remark about Lizzo and the drag queens. They typify Walsh's weakness and the weakness of others who denigrate drag queens and bully LGBTQ people in general. When having to deal with strong opposition, they resort to elementary school taunts.  It simply proves that deep inside  they all are nothing more than babies who throw tantrums when they don't get their bottles.

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Woman sues for ability to put her religious beliefs over the needs of LGBTQ foster kids

There isn't "two sides" to this issue. If you will not affirm the safety and health of LGBTQ kids who you may foster, then you don't need to be a foster parent. Your religious beliefs DO NOT come before their safety, health, and self-esteem. 

It shouldn't be up for debate.

From KGW8 in Oregon:

A mother in Malheur County says that she wants to adopt two of those kids from foster care, but she's been blocked by the state due to a difference in beliefs. According to Jessica Bates, Oregon turned her down because she disagreed with requirements that she unconditionally accept the sexual orientation or gender identity of her adopted children. Bates claims the state's requirements are against her religious beliefs — and now she's suing the state.

 When Bates' husband died in a car crash in 2017, she became a single mother of five biological kids. She's a Christian, and she said that after listening to the radio one day, God told her to adopt more children. That revelation led Bates to Oregon's foster care system, where she decided she wanted to adopt two kids — siblings under the age of 9. But when she went to fill out forms for her home evaluation, she got hung up on one section. Oregon's Department of Human Services requires that certified foster homes "respect, accept and support the race, ethnicity, cultural identities, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disabilities, spiritual beliefs and socioeconomic status of a child." 

DHS requires that adoptive parents meet the current and lifelong needs of a child's physical and emotional safety and well-being. The Oregon Foster Children's Bill of Rights states that children in foster care have the right to determine and express their gender identity, dress themselves accordingly, and have a say over decisions about their body when it comes to medical care. 

. . . Bates felt that accepting and supporting different sexual orientations or gender identities would contradict her religious beliefs. She sent a note to DHS and the person handling her application, writing: "I need to let you know I cannot support this behavior in a child. I have no problem loving them and accepting them as they are, but I would not encourage them in this behavior. I believe God gives us our gender/sex and it's not something we get to choose." Bates went on to say that providing gender-affirming medical care like hormone injections would be child abuse. 

 After that, Bates' application to become a foster parent was denied. She's filed a lawsuit against the state in an attempt to get the rule change, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom — a right-wing law firm that works on Christian religious freedom cases, often in opposition to LGBTQ+ rights.

The Alliance Defending Freedom is considered - and justifiably so - as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. 

Founded by some 30 leaders of the Christian Right, the Alliance Defending Freedom is a legal advocacy and training group that has supported the recriminalization of sexual acts between consenting LGBTQ adults in the U.S. and criminalization abroad; has defended state-sanctioned sterilization of trans people abroad; has contended that LGBTQ people are more likely to engage in pedophilia; and claims that a “homosexual agenda” will destroy Christianity and society. ADF also works to develop “religious liberty” legislation and case law that will allow the denial of goods and services to LGBTQ people on the basis of religion. 

This further proves that Bates' lawsuit is less about religious freedom and more about weaponizing her religious beliefs as a tool to hinder the safety and health of LGBTQ people, most specifically LGBTQ children.

Friday, April 21, 2023

If Ron DeSantis were a drag queen, what would be his stage name?

 



Let's have some weekend fun and nothing is more fun laughing at the folks who are attempting to undermine our rights, safety, and health as well as stifle our culture Laughter is wonderful medicine. It raises the spirt and cleanses the soul. 

I don't know who created the video below or how (I'm not good with technology). All I want to know is if Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was a drag queen, what would be his stage name? Let me know in the comment section.


'LGBTQ kids kicked out with nowhere to go. Life on the streets' & other Fri midday news briefs



LGBTQ kids kicked out with nowhere to go; Life on the streets​ - People don't like to hear this but sometimes parents don't know best. These fools claiming to want to protect children don't even care about these kids.

 Mayra was outed to her mother by a group of classmates, who conspired against her in a cruel ploy to get her to admit that she was a lesbian. They elected one female classmate to pretend to befriend Mayra. The girl falsely claimed to Mayra that she was a lesbian and encouraged Mayra to open up about her own sexuality. After a few weeks of this false courting, Mayra felt comfortable enough to admit to the girl that she was indeed a lesbian too. The group of students behind the ploy then took to social media to out Mayra in a post that would change her life forever. Mayra’s mother, boyfriend, Grandmother, and extended family in the Harris County area all told her that they would continue to deny her any living accommodation or support unless she committed to regularly seeing a priest. “

My dad picked me up by the neck of my shirt and dragged me to my room and handed me a little duffel bag, and told me I could only take what I could fit in the duffel bag. I told him I had nowhere to go. He told me he didn’t give a fuck where I went because I was not staying there. He was not going to have ‘fag’ living in his house.”          

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Throwback Thursday - USA Today article makes strong case that attempts to ban trans athletes are based on lies and misrepresentations

 

On Thursday, the Republican led House of Representatives passed a nonsensical bill which they claim would protect girls and women in sports. What it does is exploit and amplify lies about how trans female athletes have an advantage over cis female athletes. No Democrat voted for it.

The bill isn't going anywhere and they know it. The Democrats control the Senate and it won't even come up. But should an ugly miracle happen and it does come up and get passed, President Biden has already said he would veto it. And the Republicans don't have a veto-proof majority. Still, however, the GOP and its allies are bragging in press conferences and Twitter about how they voted to "save women's sports."

This is from a party who is trying to push a national abortion ban and thereby subject women to negative health consequences. The hypocrisy is so bad you can practically smell it. 

Anyway, in "celebration" of the GOP's performative bullshit, I am reposting a piece I ran in June 2021. It's how the USA Today investigated the claim that trans female athletes are cheating cis female athletes. The investigation found that the claim was basically not true. Unfortunately, with all of the talking points about "girls being cheated" and the deceptive pics of trans athletes which underscore stereotypes, the article was forgotten.

But not too forgotten:

From June 30, 2021:

In an exceptional piece of journalism, The USA Today took a look at the efforts and groups behind statewide attempts to ban trans athletes and found a lot of lies and misrepresentation. 

It shouldn't surprise those of us in the know because every effort by religious right groups to denigrate LGBTQ people or deny us rights has been a smorgasbord of cherry-pickings, distortions, and out-and-out lies.  Exposing the anti-LGBTQ industry and calling out their history of lies is how this blog made a name for itself since 2006. 

In the spirit of all of that, I simply have to say that The USA Today article,  Conservatives want to ban transgender athletes from girls sports. Their evidence is shaky by Rachel Axon and Brent Schrotenboer is a goddamn masterpiece worthy of a Pulitzer.  

Yes, it's that good. I'm going to post snippets of it and highly suggest that folks read and share the entire article.

Excerpt 1

Grace Waggoner told lawmakers in February 2020 that her team had lost the first state tournament game it had played in decades to an opponent with a transgender player. She blamed an “unfair” Arizona Interscholastic Association policy that allows students to join teams consistent with their gender identity after going through a review. Waggoner offered few details on the athlete’s impact on the game, but bill sponsor Rep. Nancy Barto accepted it as evidence of a problem in her state.

 . . The game Waggoner referenced in her testimony turned out to be a state tournament play-in game in 2019 that Scottsdale Christian Academy lost to Heritage Academy, 16-6. Heritage Academy coach Steve LaDrigue said his team did not have a transgender player. What Waggoner didn’t say is that she’s the daughter of Kristen Waggoner, general counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom – a conservative, legal nonprofit that has pushed transgender sports bans in states across the nation. When pressed for details about the game, an ADF spokesperson said in an email, “The widespread understanding on the team – including the coach, parents, and players – was that the athlete was male.” LaDrigue guesses the suspicion fell on the team’s catcher, his daughter, because she has short hair.

Editor's note - The Alliance Defending Freedom is the group behind efforts to ban trans athletes

Excerpt 2

Across the nation, state lawmakers supporting transgender athlete bans have painted a picture that girls sports teams will be overrun by athletes with insurmountable physical advantages. But a USA TODAY investigation of the lobbying effort shows that narrative has been built on vague examples that have been overstated or are untrue, and lawmakers have accepted them as fact with little effort to verify their accuracy. The more than 70 bills lawmakers have offered in at least 36 states would suggest a bigger problem facing girls sports, but that didn’t check out either. 

Instead, USA TODAY could find few transgender athletes participating and even fewer complaints about them. In South Dakota, the sponsor of a bill said a transgender girl who played basketball was “consistently scoring 25 points above females” in high school and that the Sioux Falls district alone had three transgender athletes competing in 2019. But the state association responsible for approving participation of transgender athletes says only one transgender girl has competed since 2013, and she was an average athlete who didn’t live in Sioux Falls.

Editor's note - That's just one of the cases the USA Today article revealed that those attempting to ban trans athletes misrepresented.

Excerpt 3

During a discussion at the influential Conservative Political Action Conference in February, Milstead joined former Southern Utah University runner Linnea Saltz to speak about the issue – and Saltz referred to a transgender athlete who has gained mythic status among supporters of these bills. June Eastwood, a University of Montana runner, became the first openly transgender cross-country runner in major college sports in 2019-20 after undergoing hormone therapy for a year to suppress testosterone, as required by NCAA rules. But bill proponents often exaggerate Eastwood’s accomplishments or take them out of context.

Those are three examples of religious right distortions and misrepresentations made against trans athletes in an article filled with examples. This is the type of article I hoped to write when I began this blog - the one I wish was published during the time I was attempting to come out. 

Please read and share it.

'Trans youth are fighting back against right-wing media's culture war on their lives' & other Thur midday news briefs



Trans youth fight back as right-wing media’s culture war robs them of their childhood - Fight the good fight, y'all. I'm with you. 

Caitlyn Jenner Launches PAC To “Stop Rainbow Mafia”​ - Caitlyn obviously has money issues. Careful who you turn your back to. We aren't the ones brandishing the instrument which will be buried in it. 

Florida Board of Education approves ‘Don’t Say Gay’ expansion - Poor DeSantis. Disney embarrassed him, Trump slapped him around, he bungled a question about the Ukraine, that abortion bill he signed is chomping down on him, he's losing donors and endorsement. So he is going back to what brought him to the dance - picking on LGBTQ people. 

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

'Professional transphobe' Matt Walsh got hacked AND demonetized. Hackers got access to 20 years of emails.

Matt Walsh isn't having a good week.

I DO NOT agree with anyone getting hacked. BUT at the same time, Matt Walsh is a hateful bastard who has caused harm to a lot of innocent people, particularly our trans brothers and sisters. And especially our trans kids.

So I will simply watch this one without feeling the least bit sorry for him.

From Daily Dot:

Conservative mouthpiece Matt Walsh’s Twitter account was hacked on Tuesday evening. The hacker used the opportunity to promote an explicit song about gay sex and disparage Walsh’s allies. His supporters are outraged over the hacking. 

 Walsh is a Daily Wire personality who has made his name as a professional transphobe. Lately, he’s been pushing the Bud Light boycott over the brand giving transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney a commemorative can. On Tuesday, Walsh’s 1.7 million followers noticed an abrupt shift in his discourse. Whoever had control of his account made their pinned tweet, “My pronouns are That/N***a.” An archive of the account, while it was under the hacker’s control, shows that they tagged his colleague Ben Shapiro and accused him of being gay. 

They also called Joe Rogan a pedophile and claimed that Andrew Tate “kidnapped and r*ped those girls.” Tate is accused of trafficking women for sex, which he denies. There’s no evidence the allegations about Shapiro and Rogan are true. Walsh’s hacker also tweeted, “My Twitter isn’t hacked. This is just the real me coming out.” 

 And according to Mediaite, it gets more interesting:

  Daily Wire coounder Jeremy Boreing revealed on Wednesday that the hack of Matt Walsh’s Twitter account the day before was just the tip of the iceberg of the digital assault on Walsh – one of the right’s most controversial figures. 

 . . . Boreing wrote on Twitter, “You may be aware that @MattWalshBlog had his @Twitter account hacked last night.” “What you may not know is that the attack went well beyond Twitter,” Boreing added, noting, “The hackers have managed to gain access to, well, everything, including twenty years of Matt’s emails.”


Dell Cameron, reporter from Wired magazine, interviewed the hacker on Wednesday. The interview led Cameron to get banned permanently from Twitter because of its rule about passing along hacked material.


Forbes magazine said:

The hacker, known only as Doomed, told Cameron he was able to gain access to Walsh’s account through a technique known as SIM swapping. The technique typically involves spoofing the target’s phone number in a way that allows the hacker to intercept text messages in order to circumvent protections like two-factor authentication. But Doomed reportedly told Cameron that they had help from an “insider.”

 Doomed also claimed that he gained access to Walsh’s Google and Microsoft accounts, a claim that couldn’t be independently verified, though Doomed reportedly sent Cameron a copy of Walsh’s W2 tax form. Doomed also provided Wired with messages between Walsh and conservative commentator Steven Crowder as well as Ben Shapiro.

And the week got worse for Walsh. Or rather better for those who despise his online bullying. He got demonetized on Youtube


Like i said before, I don't agree with hacking but it's difficult to feel sorry for a man who has made a career out of undermining the rights, health, and safety of trans people:

Walsh proudly refers to himself as a “theocratic fascist” and made a name for himself online by focusing his ire at the trans and LGBTQ community, drag queens, and women who would dare use terms like “girl boss.” Walsh has made incendiary statements like calling the Pride Flag a “hate symbol” and saying he would “rather be dead” than have a trans child.

Walsh has also called for the execution of physicians who give gender-affirming care to trans youth. In this world, you sometimes get what you give. When you give hate, don't be surprise when you get it back in abundance.

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Double trouble for DeSantis - Disney trolls him and prominent ally commits suicide after accusations of sexual misconduct with underage girl

While Disney trolls Florida Gov Ron DeSantis with the announcement of a huge LGBTQ Pride event, one of his most prominent allies committed suicide after accusations of sexual misconduct with an underage girl.


Florida Gov Ron DeSantis is banking on his culture war attacks to pave his road to the presidency.  Two recent events underscore the messes he may have put himself in by accepting the mantle of conservative culture warrior.

The first involves his ever increasing war against Disney. From The Business Insider:

Disney publicized its first LGBTQ event at Disneyland shortly after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press conference that he could build a state prison next to Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort. Disney tweeted on Monday afternoon that "Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite" would be coming to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, during Pride Month. The two-night event, which will be held on June 13 and 15 inside the amusement park, will celebrate the LGBTQ communities and allies, Disneyland said in a blog. The move was seemingly the latest development in a public spat between Disney and DeSantis, which began in early 2022 when Disney said it would work to repeal Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law. DeSantis has strongly defended the controversial legislation — which limits classroom instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation — and has pushed his administration to expand the law to all grades.

From The Independent:

Disney's pride event will be an after-hours celebration and will require a separate ticket to attend. “The first-ever Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite is coming to @Disneyland during Pride Month in June! This separately ticketed event celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community & allies will have themed entertainment, Disney characters, specialty menu items & more,” Disney announced in a Twitter post featuring its iconic characters in rainbow-themed costumes.

Disney is obviously using the event to troll DeSantis and that can be seen as funny. However, the next trouble for DeSantis isn't so hilarious. And it speaks to the irony of him targeting the LGBTQ community as he implies that he is shielding kids from sexual abuse. 


According to Raw Story:

According to an exclusive report from the Daily Mail, a prominent donor to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis committed suicide after he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with an underaged female teen. Kent Stermon killed himself in December shortly after the victim's father turned down a "five-figure" hush-money offer and reported him to the police instead, the Mail reported.

 "The prominent DeSantis ally and GOP donor, who was based in Jacksonville, Florida, was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the girl, for whom he obtained highly sought-after Taylor Swift concert tickets which he said he'd give her if she sent him a photo of her breasts," the Mail's report stated. 

"After the girl reluctantly complied, Stermon insisted she collect the tickets at his office – but when she turned up he refused to let her leave until she 'showed him the real thing,' law enforcement sources say. The teenager balked at the idea and he eventually let her go." After the girl told her father and boyfriend about the encounter, her father angrily confronted Stermon at an arranged meeting at a diner, according to the report. When Stermon offered the father a hush payment, the father refused.


Thus far, DeSantis has not addressed the situation with his deceased ally. But no doubt when and if he does, expect him to play the victim and blame the press for it all. 

Monday, April 17, 2023

Changing boogeymen - the religious right moving the bullseye from gays to the transgender community

A recent New York Times article made the case that after the religious right lost their crusade against marriage equality, they began sowing the seeds against the trans community; seeds that we are seeing bloom statewide bills becoming laws against gender-affirming healthcare for trans kids and eventually adults.

The article wasn't a shock to many of us in the LGBTQ community who track religious right attacks on LGBTQ people. Many of us predicted this would happen years ago. Even in the early days when the lies were mostly about trans female athletes  and men in women's bathrooms and locker rooms, many trans activists, journalists, and leaders in particular were sounding the alarm that this was just the beginning.

The article also, as far as I am concerned, failed to make the point that the attacks on trans people isn't a new phenomena. In fact it resembles how the religious right tried to torpedo marriage equality. They seized upon the issue of marriage equality while it was burgeoning and flooded the public debate with horror stories about how gays being able to marry would lead to bestiality, confusion, and - the old standard they like to use - the supposed corruption of children, such as the image below from the National Organization for Marriage:



The point was to gain an advantage before people were properly educated about marriage equality. They were successful at the beginning with a mass of referendums banning it in the states. The religious right's goal was to galvanize conservatives by jamming the issue into the public arena on their terms with their narratives, but it eventually backfired against them.  As time went on and people listened to the stories of gay couples wanting to marry and take care of their children, public opinion shifted. 

They are now utilizing the same tactic against the trans community. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or a Ph.D. to see what the religious right did to gain an advantage. They merely shifted the scapegoat. Whereas gay marriage and pretty much gays in general were the targets of their vitriol in the past, they have shifted ever so slightly to putting an ugly bullseye on the back of trans people. Look at the example is below. Remember when "transgender ideology" was "homosexual agenda?"


Also, they have dominated the conversation with horror stories, anecdotes, and even so-called science (cherry-picked and distorted studies) against the trans community and gender-affirming care. It's very important to remember that all of these things are recycled garbage they used, and still use to an extent, to target gays. The similarities are there, as witnessed by the images below.

 Gays:


Trans:


Gays:


Trans


Gays:


Trans:

Scapegoating groups of people should never been seen as politically savvy. It's plain terrorism and should be called out as such.

Sunday, April 16, 2023

SNL's Molly Kearney gives a hilarious and uplifting message to trans kids on 'Weekend Update'

 In it's own way, Saturday Night Live has done a better job in addressing and calling out the recent attacks against LGBTQ rights, health and safety than some of our legislators and leaders. Last week, SNL member Bowen Yang did a hilarious take-off of Disney villain Jafar to denounce FL Gov Ron DeSantis' vendetta against Disney over his 'Don't Say Gay' law.

This Saturday, SNL's first nonbinary cast member Molly Kearney was featured in an equally hilarious, but also uplifting segment of Weekend Update. Her message was mostly to the trans children having to deal with attacks on their healthcare and existence. While still being funny, she brought home the point that at the end of the day, it's all about our kids. And their safety and happiness.

Thursday, April 13, 2023

FL lawmaker's anti-drag show bill would make his wife's charity burlesque show illegal

FL lawmaker Randy Fine claims that drag queens are sexualizing kids. His wife (seen in the center) allegedly performed in a sexually charged show in front of kids.

On the next episode of Republican Hypocrites (which seems to be redundant these days) is Randy Fine, rabidly anti-LGBTQ Florida state lawmaker pushing to legislatively erase drag shows because he thinks drag queens 'sexualize kids.' And his wife Wendy, whose 'sexually charged' burlesque show was allegedly performed in front of kids.


From NBC News:

Florida Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican, on Wednesday fervently defended a bill he’s sponsoring to criminalize “adult live performances” in front of children. “If it means erasing a community because you have to target children, then damn right, we ought to do it,” he said on the floor of the Florida House. Fine acknowledged that the legislation might criminalize the work of some of the state’s drag performers, many of whom have deep ties to the LGBTQ community. 

And if the bill becomes law, it may also criminalize the work of a Floridian he neglected to mention: his wife. Wendy Fine is co-hosting an annual gala on Saturday, which she has previously performed in, to raise money for a children’s charity, Spring Forward for Autism, as local news site Space Coast Rocket first reported. The gala will take place at the Hilton Melbourne hotel in Melbourne, about an hour east of Orlando. It will be “an evening filled with sultry performers,” according to the nonprofit’s website, which lists Rep. Fine as one of the gala’s main sponsors. Images and videos on social media of past years’ events show women — including one who appears to be the lawmaker’s wife, who is tagged in the photos — posing and dancing in lingerie and revealing costumes. " 

According to Space Coast Rocket:

In April of 2021, Wendy Fine participated in a fundraiser for children with autism in Brevard County. From photos and videos of the event, Fine, scantly dressed in burlesque/lingerie, performed sexually charged and provocative dance routines on stage alongside members of the LGBTQ+ community for the audience in exchange for money….for children.

 A YouTube video was taken down of the performance for violating its terms and policies. According to some who attended the event, there were members of the audience under the age of 18 believed to be special needs. A toddler can be seen in a video from last year’s event. The event’s website does not say it’s for over the ages of 18. According to the website, Wendy Fine is the Chair for the event. 

NBC News points out that the show would be illegal under her husband's bill:

Such performances could be considered illegal under the legislation Fine introduced this year, which seeks to criminalize “adult live performances” in the presence of children. The bill’s text defines “adult live performance” as “any show, exhibition, or other presentation in front of a live audience which, in whole or in part, depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or specific sexual activities.”

Also, according to Space Coast Rocket

 The live performance was also live streamed on social media. Because of the vagueness of Randy’s HB 1423, it appears that simply live streaming a live performance like this would also fall under the criminal nature of his bill.

Thus far, neither Fine nor his wife has issued any comments.

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

'Drag queens eating bleeding hearts, kids given sex toys to train' - The lies which failed to stop Pride in Franklin, Tenn

Franklin, Tenn council member shows a photo of what she claims is a drag queen biting into a "live, bleeding heart."


All of these horror stories about drag queens grooming kids, pride events trying to convert kids, and trans activists pressuring kids into surgeries are a bunch of lies. It always amazes me when people sound astounded that these lies continue. That's what hate is all about. It never goes away. It simply takes different forms. And, as we are seeing now,  covered up with less alarming, calmer verbiage and phraseology. But the root is always hate, ignorance, and foolishness. No matter how its dressed up as concern for children, community standards, and religious beliefs, we are still talking about irrational hatred. 

And sooner or later, it always comes out. 

A good example was Tuesday night in the city of Franklin, Tenn. The city council was voting on a motion to grant a permit for the Franklin Pride Festival. It was approved but only after a wild meeting in which several folks came out to speak against granting the permit. What got everything stirred up were rumors - not proven of course - of salacious behavior in front of children. Supposedly a "gyrating drag queen." You know how these scenarios progress. Someone spreads a story about children supposedly seeing something x-rated at a gay event and people come out of the woodwork because they feel free to express their hidden prejudices. For the sake of the children, of course.

And Tuesday night they came out in droves spewing all sorts of things. I want to spotlight two because they are the epitome of my general point.

During the meeting, Alderman At Large Gabrielle Hanson held up a picture of supposedly a drag queen biting into a "live bleeding heart." While holding up the picture, Hanson supposedly warned that "this could have happened here." Hanson voted against granting the permit. But as outrageous as that was, another speaker probably stands in a category of her own. The unidentified woman with the "We The People" t-shirt claimed that in another place which had Pride, there was a "rainbow room" in which "eight-to 12 kids were given butt plugs and dildos and trained." Furthermore according to her it was "horrendous," a comment which left many folks on the thread asking if she has witnessed this then why didn't she report it. Of course a lot of those comments were VERY  skeptical of her claim. They made particular note of her extreme dramatics, fake crying, and super heaving. Between you and me, she did everything BUT pass out at the end of her testimony.

I guess sometimes you have let a bigot speak. That is after giving them two things - space for them to put their foot in their own mouths (because that is generally what happens) and barbeque sauce for when they complain about how their foot tastes.

My point is never be fooled by how normal certain things sound when it comes to undermining LGBTQ rights and health. Behind every excuse is a lie. Behind every claim of genuine concern is an irrational fear. And they always come out sooner or later.

Tweets by Mike Hixenbaugh, senior investigative reporter at NBC News.