'Anti-woke,' anti-LGBTQ Ohio school board member removed after two-year reign of terror and harassment

Former Lakota (Ohio) school board member Darbi Boddy

I got this news from The Buckeye Flame, which is led by award-winning journalist Ken Schneck.  Both The Buckeye Flame and Schneck underscore the importance of reading and supporting LGBTQ-oriented news sources and blogs, "Mainstream" news sources never seem to do us justice.

While school board members are portrayed as generally at odds with each other, this particular school board in Lakota (Ohio) were all in agreement about one thing during a special March 20 meeting - fellow board member Darbi Boddy had to go. And except for one person who abstained, they voted unanimously (3-0) to dismiss her. The one who abstain probably did so for reasons not necessarily complimentary to Boddy. 

To hear the story, Boddy was responsible for a two-year reign of terror which left the school board and some members of the community completely exhausted and happy that she was dismissed.

From The Buckeye Flame (3/26/24):

Boddy was elected to the Lakota board, which covers the Cincinnati suburbs of West Liberty and Westchester townships, in November 2021. She ran on a platform of “teaching the greatness of America.” According to her campaign website, this greatness includes: 

 Ending the promotion of “racist ideologies to our students and faculty,” including “the 1619 Project, Critical Race Theory and Black Lives Matter.” 

The “honest teaching of American history.” America, she stated, has “given peasants the lifestyle of kings and more liberty and more wealth to minorities than any country in human history.” 

The “honest teaching of the sexes in our classrooms,” including “the fact that sex is determined at birth and cannot be changed” and the elimination of “boys’ competing in girls’ sports programs.” 

 

Boddy subsequently won a seat on the school board. That is when all hell broke loose with her holding the pitchfork: 

 In April 2021, only a few months after she was elected, Boddy was censured after she posted links to sexual content on Facebook. She claimed the links were a typo, but said they were representative of the pornography being taught in the schools. 

 At a November 2021 meeting, in front of a group of second graders being recognized for their civility and leadership, Boddy repeatedly kept yelling and disrupting the order of the meeting, all while her young daughter was crouched under the table. At that meeting, Boddy proposed banning trans students from athletics and forfeiting any athletic competitions against teams with trans students. That motion was defeated 4-1. 

Boddy further attempted to ban trans athletes and bathroom access for trans students at an April 2023 meeting. She again repeatedly yelled, interrupted her colleagues and was ruled out of order. An exasperated Casper called her a “petulant child.” (You can view moments from the explosive meeting here courtesy of Schneck) 

Between meetings, Boddy posted a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ and “anti-woke” articles and videos on her Facebook page. She has alleged that National Geographic is an activist publication that supports predators, that Pride flags represent exclusion, and that “there is no such thing as transgender.” 

She also reposted an unsigned letter alleging sexual assault in a Lakota school bathroom. There was no evidence or corroboration connected to the post.

 In addition, according to City Beat (8/9/23), Boddy began in a campaign of smears against Lakota School Superintendent Matt Miller; one that ended with him resigning:

Months later, during the start of the 2022-2023 school year, Boddy began zeroing in on Lakota Superintendent Matt Miller. Boddy claimed he was personally promoting CRT at Lakota Schools and that he engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct. Complaints from Boddy and community members led to an investigation from the Butler County Sheriff’s department, which found no probable cause for criminal charges against Miller, according to the board. 

The board conducted its own investigation, which also came up with nothing, but Boddy reportedly pressed the allegations further during school board meetings. Miller ultimately resigned as superintendent, directly blaming Boddy for creating a hostile working environment and alleging she’d promoted threats of violence against him and his family. 

Boddy's manic stridency finally got her into trouble when she began targeting fellow school board member Issac Adi. Adi was the one who abstained in the vote to dismiss her. One thinks that if he had voted to dismiss her, she would have been able to claim impropriety because she harassed him so badly that he filed a civil protection stalking order against her.

From The Buckeye Flame:

According to court documents, Boddy confronted Adi at an April 2023 conservative leadership conference in Florida, accosting him in front of witnesses. She claimed he wasn’t conservative enough. On June 22, Boddy posted a video to Facebook of her confronting Adi, claiming he said that her “brain was empty.” She filed an assault report after Adi was seen in the video pushing her camera away, but the Butler County Sheriff’s Office did not move forward with charges. 

 Adi filed a civil protection stalking order against Boddy in September 2023, but an exception was made for them to present at the same school board meetings pending Boddy’s appeal to the order. When that appeal was denied, she was issued a citation when she tried to enter a school board meeting in November. 

 Also, according to CityBeat (9/21/23):

The order details a months-long pattern of targeted harassment from Boddy towards Adi. "[Adi] contends that certain actions taken by [Boddy] have caused, and will continue to cause, him mental distress. He further contends that the mental distress caused by [Boddy] has resulted in hospitalization," the order reads. Adi testified that he was hospitalized for three days due to stress, and witnesses testified that Adi had indicated his health was declining as a result of interactions with Boddy.

 

This subsequently caused Boddy to miss school board meetings for over 90 days. That led to the board being able to dismiss her.

From The Buckeye Flame:

The resolution they passed dismissed Boddy pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code that states a seat shall be vacated when a board member is absent from board meetings for a period of 90 days, if the reason for the absence is declared insufficient by two-thirds of the Board. 

Immediately following the vote, Shaffer announced a vacancy on the board. Applause was heard as the meeting adjourned. Less than a day later, Boddy’s picture was removed from the board’s website.

One wonders if they all sang Ding, dong, the witch is dead. 

I certainly would have.

Washington becomes the seventh state to mandate LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum

From NBC News:

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, signed a law last week that includes a mandate for the state’s public schools to teach LGBTQ history, as red and blue states continue to diverge on whether schools should expose kids to gay and transgender identities. 

The new law, Senate Bill 5462, mandates that the state’s school districts adopt curricula that is as “culturally and experientially diverse as possible,” including the histories of LGBTQ people, people of color and people with disabilities. Schools will be required to institute the inclusive curricula by the 2025-26 school year. 

 “The governor was happy to sign legislation that aims to ensure students of all races and identities feel safe and welcome at school,” Mike Faulk, a spokesperson for Inslee, said in an email Monday. Faulk also referred NBC News to research published in the journal Sex Education that suggests LGBTQ-inclusive curricula can reduce rates of bullying and make children feel safer in school.

 . . . Washington is the seventh state to enact legislation mandating that public schools incorporate LGBTQ-inclusive curricula in some capacity, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ think tank. The other six are: California, New Jersey, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada and Illinois, states that have been won by Democrats in the last four presidential elections. The law also comes as conservative lawmakers introduce record numbers of anti-LGBTQ measures, including legislation to regulate how LGBTQ issues are taught in public schools.

First of all, this proves yet again that voting always matter. If LGBTQ people are to get positive outcomes, we must put in elected officials who will work for those positive outcomes. Voting matters. Always.

Secondly, in light of all of the nonsense the LGBTQ community is facing now, it's easy to think that this doesn't matter. But it does matter.  When I was growing up, I would never dream of something like this. Being gay, or LGBTQ in general, was something a lot of folks tried to make shameful. We were shuttered into the closets and other dark places like we were something vile and fetid. Our lives were crudely sliced and diced into salacious stereotypes of oversexed, disease-ridden societal outcasts who should be kept away from kids and decent folks. 

Granted, it's still happening due to people like Chaya Raichik and statewide legislation attacking our health and safety. But even in the face of that, our community is still progressing. We are still moving forward. All of the mad talk about "grooming," all of the lies about gender-affirming care - particularly for our trans kids - may have slowed us, but it hasn't stopped us. In seven states - and I hope more in the future - kids will learn about our lives and history. They will learn that LGBTQ people exist and aren't people to be ashamed of. They will see that we have contributed to society and will continue to do so. And LGBTQ kids will be especially helped by this. 

In the onslaught of hate and misinformation, it becomes easy to forget that LGBTQ people don't stop moving forward. We are in a better place than we were before and that's due to our tenacity. And as each day passes, we will continue to be in better places. We don't stop because we can't stop. 

Our victory is inevitable.

Video - Trump supporters think drag queens are more dangerous than guns

I wasn't going to post anything on Sunday and I apologize for presenting this video (because interviews with Trump voters are so damn annoying and jaded), but I feel that this video is necessary. It's not to attack any group for their beliefs, but one must call out basic ignorance, especially when it comes to the LGBTQ community and our culture. And the video above oozes with ignorance. 

 It practically reeks with it. OH MY GOD, where should I start? With the fact that these folks don't know the difference between drag queens and the trans community. The fact that they actually feel that drag queens are more dangerous than guns? Take your pick. But I will end with one sad fact - these people VOTE. And if we are going to defeat nonsense like this or at the very least contain it, we are going to have to stop getting distracted. We need to vote with as much energy as we waste laughing at these folks. 

'Victory - Over 40 anti-LGBTQ 'policy riders' removed from federal budget bill' & other Thur/Fri news briefs

Massive Defeat For Anti-Trans And Anti-LGBTQ+ Riders In Spending Bill As Dems Hold Firm​ - Fellow GLAAD award nominee Erin Reed is a one-woman wrecking crew when it comes to dismantling transphobia and basic bigotry. Support her work. 

 One policy rider proposed for the Food and Drug Administration would have defunded any hospital that “distributes, sells, or otherwise uses drugs that disrupt the onset of puberty or sexual development for those under 18,” a measure targeting not only transgender youth but also those experiencing precocious puberty. Another rider sought to bar any government funding toward “surgical procedures or hormone therapy for the purposes of gender-affirming care” in the Department of Health and Human Services. 

This move would have significantly impacted private and subsidized insurance in the Healthcare Marketplace. It also aimed to bar the enforcement of President Biden’s executive order titled “Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity,” which broadened anti-discrimination protections for transgender individuals. Additional riders included bans on funding for any organization that “promotes transgenderism,” Title IX protections for transgender youth, bans on legal challenges against states over anti-LGBTQ+ laws, book bans, DEI bans, and more. In total, over 40 riders were proposed and negotiated in the spending bills. None of these were found in the final bill. 

 Ultimately, the final spending bill released contained only a single anti-LGBTQ+ rider: a ban on pride flags being raised or displayed above foreign embassies. The policy, while certainly qualifying as anti-LGBTQ+ and a regression to Trump-era policies, notably does not bar personal displays of Pride flags by embassy workers. In the past, some embassies have gotten around such bans by not “flying a flag over the embassy” but rather, painting portions of the embassy in rainbow colors or draping flags on the side of buildings. 

White House Agrees To Ban Pride Flags At US Embassies In Spending Bill Deal - Unfortunately, this rider didn't slip by. I sincerely hope members of the community don't flip out over this. Compared to what could have been, this is very minor.

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donates over $30 million to LGBTQ+ non-profits​ - Great news. Goodness knows we need this. 

Alabama forces universities to implement trans bathroom ban while outlawing DEI - This right here is a hot mess. 

Florida tried to erase LGBTQ teachers. These educators refuse to go quietly - Keep fighting. 

Biden administration ties record for number of confirmed LGBTQ judges in federal courts - Voting matters.

Video - Four years ago, Donald Trump botched the COVID pandemic response. His campaign wants America to forget what he did.

Four years ago, Donald Trump botched the COVID pandemic response and refused to take responsibility for the carnage he was causing. Now his campaign is trying to gaslight America to forget all of it. Thank you Chris Hayes and MSNBC for the above reminder.

SCOTUS turns down appeal of parents who lost custody of trans teen

I am not a fan of the current Supreme Court because of how it seems to put religious beliefs on an undeserved pedestal.  However, in this particular case, SCOTUS made the right decision. In rejecting this appeal, the Court is saying, at least for now, that the religious beliefs of the parents don't supersede the health and well-being of their child.

 From USA Today:

The Supreme Court declined to decide Monday whether an Indiana couple who believe children should be raised based on their sex at birth should have lost custody of their teenager, a transgender girl. The court, without comment, rejected an appeal from the teen’s parents, who had warned that cases similar to theirs are likely to reoccur “due to developing conflicts between parents and their children concerning gender identity.” 

 “With increasing frequency, governments run roughshod over parents’ religious beliefs on gender identity, including removing children from parents, favoring certain beliefs in divorce custody disputes, and preventing adoptions,” lawyers for Mary and Jeremy Cox of Anderson, Indiana, told the court in their appeal. “These cases are sure to proliferate.” 

 The state said the parents, who are self-described devout Christians, lost custody not because of their views but because of the medical necessity of addressing the teen’s severe eating disorder. A provision of Indiana law that is similar to statutes in nearly every state allows government intervention in “a variety of situations in which even well-intentioned parent find themselves unable to prevent serious harm,” the state told the court. 

 Indiana also argued that the custody dispute is no longer relevant because the teen, who was 16 when removed from the home, is now an adult. 

 The LGBTQ news site Them also added several other details about the case:

 The case stretches back to 2019, when Mary and Jeremy Cox of Anderson, Indiana said their child — then 14 years old — came out to them as a trans girl. As PBS affiliate WFYI reported, the Coxes, both self-described devout Christians, refused to accept their child’s identity, a sustained conflict that lawyers for the Department of Child Services (DCS) say eventually led to the child developing a severe eating disorder and both parents losing custody in 2021. 

 The Indiana Court of Appeals in 2022 upheld the DCS decision to remove the child from her parents’ care, finding that her eating disorder was directly linked to emotional distress and lack of support at home. Mary Cox’s comments to her child included the statement that “[child’s preferred name] is the bitch that killed my son,” according to the ruling. 

The court determined that the custody order was necessary to protect the child’s physical and emotional health, and while the Coxes are free to express their religious beliefs, “they do not have the right to exercise them in a manner that causes physical or emotional harm to [their] Child.”

'Actress fired from 'Color Purple' stage show because of anti-LGBTQ comments loses lawsuit' & other Mon/Tues news briefs

Editor's note - As you have noticed, I haven't been as steady on the posts as I have been in the past. I've been going through some trying situations, but I still want to keep you up-to-date, educated, and entertained. And most of all, empowered by what I post here. Please bear with me as I continue to do what I have been doing these past 17.5 years and above all thank you for continuing to stand by me.

Seyi Omooba

Christian actress spent 5 years in court defending her right to make anti-LGBTQ+ comments. She just lost. - You cannot attack the sexual orientation of the character you are hired to portray and expect to keep your job. It does cause problems to your employers. Also, how do you expect anyone to believe that you were unaware that Celie from 'The Color Purple' was a lesbian:

 After hearing testimony in 2021 that Omooba had previously told her agents that she refused to play gay roles and had not bothered to read the script for the musical version of The Color Purple before accepting the role, an employment tribunal dismissed the actor’s religious discrimination claim, The Telegraph reported. The tribunal agreed with Curve Theatre that Omooba had not been fired for her Christian beliefs, but rather because her anti-LGBTQ+ statements would have likely led to “catastrophic” backlash for the theater if she had appeared in the queer role. 

California parents oust school board members who enacted anti-LGBTQ+ policy - Bye Felicias. Voting matters.

Idaho considers a ban on using public funds or facilities for transgender care - There is absolutely no point to this madness. Why push this ban? 

Death of Nex Benedict spurs calls for action, help for LGBTQ teens and their peers - Terrible situation but hopefully some good will come out of it. 

Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis can’t stop racking up humiliating losses in Florida- It's been a good month. 

On Fox News, Caitlyn Jenner defends trans athlete ban - GURL, u r a HOT mess.

'Ron DeSantis is feuding with Chaya Raichik and Libs of TikTok' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

In a recreation of one of those anaconda vs alligator moments on a nature show, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis (top picture) is feuding with Chaya Raichik and Libs of TikTok (bottom picture).

Editor's note - There is so many things going on that it would be best for me to cover as much as I can via news briefs.

DeSantis starts spat with Libs of TikTok - In a recreation of one of those anaconda vs alligator moments on a nature show, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis is feuding with Chaya Raichik and Libs of Tik Tok. Apparently, he got a taste of the medicine he supported her doling out to LGBTQ people. The spat is about immigration and crime, but it's still one of those "let's eat popcorn while enjoying the show" for our community. 

Glenn Youngkin signs bill that codifies marriage equality in Va. law - Pinch me on this one. Democrats control both the House and the Senate in Virginia so maybe Youngkin is trying to get along. If that's the case, it is yet more proof how voting matters.

 LGBTQ+ identification reaches new high of 7.6 percent among U.S. adults: Gallup - Closet doors are opening everywhere.

Lady Gaga shares powerful statement defending Dylan Mulvaney from anti-trans vitriol: “This is hatred” - Thank you, Lady Gaga.

New Survey Shows Broad Support for LGBTQ Rights Nationally, Despite Overall Declines in the Past Year - We're still hanging in there.

Victory in Florida: Lawsuit settlement guts harmful components of 'Don't Say Gay' law

Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill, a centerpiece of Ron DeSantis's so-called 'war on woke,' was gutted due to a settlement announced Monday evening. However, DeSantis is trying to deceive people by proclaiming victory.

From MSNBC: 

 Students and teachers will be able to speak freely about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms, provided it’s not part of instruction, under a settlement reached Monday between Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys who had challenged a state law which critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” 

 The settlement clarifies what is allowed in Florida classrooms following passage two years ago of the law prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. Opponents said the law had created confusion about whether teachers could identify themselves as LGBTQ or if they even could have rainbow stickers in classrooms. Other states used the Florida law as a template to pass prohibitions on classroom instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky and North Carolina are among the states with versions of the law. 

 Under the terms of the settlement, the Florida Board of Education will send instructions to every school district saying the Florida law doesn’t prohibit discussing LGBTQ people, nor prevent anti-bullying rules on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or disallow Gay-Straight Alliance groups. The settlement also spells out that the law is neutral — meaning what applies to LGBTQ people also applies to heterosexual people — and that it doesn’t apply to library books not being used in the classroom. 

 DeSantis quickly declared the settlement as a victory for his law, but don't be deceived. 

According to The Tampa Bay Times:

DeSantis and others who backed the legislation insisted repeatedly that they had no intention of stopping discussions about LGBTQ+ issues in schools. Their goal, they said, was to eliminate what they called gender ideology. They did not provide clear definitions, though, nor did they offer detailed guidelines explaining what is and is not allowed in classrooms. 

Some claimed that not providing clear definitions or guidelines was a deliberate intent of the law. While it didn't offer clear instructions, but the penalties for breaking it were made very clear. This caused a lot of fear and confusion:

The critics claimed the result was a chilling effect that led teachers to stop talking about children’s families, remove books relating to LGBTQ+ characters and themes from their shelves, and to pull back support for LGBTQ+ students. As part of their defense, lawyers for the state pushed back against the allegations that the law lacked clarity. The settlement, announced by lawyers for the plaintiffs, took those arguments and made them real.

 Equality Florida issued a statement which celebrated the settlement:

This agreement successfully dismantles the most harmful impacts of the law, ensuring it cannot be wielded as a tool of discrimination against LGBTQ+ students, educators, and families. The settlement secures several critical protections and clarifications, including:

 Free Expression Restored: Students and teachers can now speak and write freely about sexual orientation and gender identity in classroom participation and assignments. 

 Anti-Bullying Protections Strengthened: The settlement reinforces safeguards against bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

 Gay-Straight Alliances Protected: GSAs are officially protected, providing students with essential support and advocacy spaces. 

Classroom References Clarified: The law cannot prohibit references to LGBTQ+ individuals, relationships, families, or topics in any educational or extracurricular context. 

Non-Discrimination Assured: Targeting LGBTQ+ persons, couples, families, or issues under the guise of this law is explicitly forbidden. 

Extracurricular Activities Protected: Participation in and support of LGBTQ+ student clubs and cultural presentations remain unaffected.

 Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s Executive Director, ​also added: 

 “This settlement not only reaffirms the rights of LGBTQ+ students and educators to live and speak openly but also marks a significant step towards rectifying the damage inflicted by the ‘Don't Say Gay or Trans’ law. It's a testament to what we can achieve when we stand united against discrimination and for the dignity of all LGBTQ+ people in Florida. 

 This victory is more than a legal triumph; it's a beacon of hope and a reminder of the power of collective action. It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to a Florida where everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can live authentically and without fear. 

 We extend our heartfelt thanks to our legal team at Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the brave parents and educators who served as plaintiffs, and all who have supported this cause. Your courage and unity have been instrumental in securing a more inclusive and just Florida.”

No longer a presidential contender, Fl Gov Ron DeSantis now faces state backlash with his 'war on woke'

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

A while back, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis was very sure that his "war on woke" would forge a pathway for him to the White House.  It didn't happen. And now with his presidential aspirations gone, DeSantis is facing lawmakers and voters back home tired of his "culture wars."

From Politico

Florida Republicans may be drifting ever so slightly away from Gov. Ron DeSantis. The GOP-controlled Legislature — no longer tethered to the demands of a governor aiming for the presidency — on Friday ended its annual session in a relatively low-key fashion as lawmakers wrapped up their work and quickly headed home. 

 This year marked the first instances of lawmakers giving mild pushback against the governor, who was widely considered one of the state’s most powerful governors before he dropped out of the presidential race in January. Republican legislators rejected some of his appointees and rebuffed his push to bring gambling to a Miami Beach resort hotel owned by a top DeSantis donor.

 Instead of a session dominated by conservative hot-button issues designed to boost DeSantis’ campaign, legislators wrestled with top priorities of its Republican legislative leaders — including a contentious crackdown on social media for minors and securing hundreds of millions of dollars toward health care initiatives.

 From The Washington Post 

 The bill banning rainbow flags from public buildings in Florida sounded like a sure bet. State Rep. David Borrero (R), the legislation’s sponsor, argued that it was needed to prevent schoolchildren from being “subliminally indoctrinated.” That rationale echoed other measures championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as part of his “war on woke.” But instead of sailing through the Republican-dominated legislature, the DeSantis-backed bill died a quick legislative death, making it only as far as one subcommittee. 

 It wasn’t the only culture war proposal from conservative lawmakers to end up in the bill graveyard during the session that ended Friday. One rejected bill would have banned the removal of Confederate monuments. Another would have required transgender people to use their sex assigned at birth on driver's licenses — something the state Department of Motor Vehicles is already mandating. A third proposed forbidding local and state government officials from using transgender people’s pronouns.

  . . . Florida has firmly cemented itself in recent years as ground zero for the nation’s culture wars. The Sunshine State is the birthplace of conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty, the original law restricting LGBTQ+ discussion in classrooms, one of the strictest abortion laws in the country and legislation that has led to the banning of more books than in any other state in America. But the pushback is growing. 

 Parents and others have organized and protested schoolbook bans. Abortion rights advocates gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot in Florida in November. A bill that would have established “fetal personhood” stalled before it could reach a full vote. Judges are also canceling some of DeSantis’s marquee laws, including the “Stop Woke Act.” A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled Monday that the law “exceeds the bounds” of the Constitution’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech and expression.

 Even the governor recently admitted the state might have gone too far in trying to remove certain books from school shelves, suggesting laws on book challenges should be “tweaked” to prevent “bad actors” from having too much influence. 

Elise Stefanik, Republicans, and Donald Trump wants us to forget how he botched the COVID pandemic response

So now the GOP is trying to rebrand Donald Trump as a successful president. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who has built a Congressional career in outright lying for Trump, tried to pass off a new lie. Unfortunately for her and Trump, a lot of folks remember just much how of a disaster Trump was in the Oval Office and continues to be as he tries to get back in. 

Especially when it came to the COVID pandemic.

 From Raw Story

 Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) told the nation Wednesday that Americans are much worse off now than they were four years ago, spurring Americans to do some quick math and issue a swift rebuttal — that was March 2020. 

Stefanik made this declaration at a press conference for House Republican leaders on the heels of a victorious Super Tuesday for former President Donald Trump. "As Ronald Reagan famously asked us, 'Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" Stefanik asked. "The answer for hard-working Americans across the country is a resounding no. 

 Unfortunately for Stefanik, the article goes on to say, folks on Twitter quickly reminded her that March 2020 was around the time that the country was slowly but surely getting swallowed up by the COVID pandemic - a pandemic made worse by Trump deliberately undermining its severity and then botching the response.

https://t.co/QVsjBHlYMV

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 6, 2024

Four years ago today Donald Trump was explaining that this new virus going around was no big deal because people on Fox News were telling him that a lot of people die from the flu. https://t.co/jfvPDJb3wh https://t.co/oVWH0uSfKo

— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) March 6, 2024

4 years ago today, I was sitting in ICU w/ my mother, who was just diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. I was sitting w/ her when Trump announced 15-days to slow the spread, thinking how am I going to navigate her care in that impossible landscape. For your revisionist history…

— Milenka~ (@MilenaAmit) March 6, 2024

We were about to experience the Trump lockdowns and have the economy crash. A lot of grandparents died from something that “was going to disappear like a miracle.” Things are way better today!

— 🦅Mark Hartig🇺🇸 (@markhartig) March 6, 2024

Sure, things were better when Covid raged unfettered, due to Trump's trivializing of it. Because no one was working, vacationing, or driving, gas was cheap! Same as in '08 when the economy cratered under Bush. Want cheap gas? Just crash the economy!

— Paul Scarpelli (@paulscarpelli) March 6, 2024

Meanwhile, Donald Trump tried to claim that he did a "fantastic job" on COVID. The Biden campaign was quick to call out that lie.

Left: Trump spending his Super Tuesday speech claiming he did a “fantastic job” on COVID

Right: Mass graves for COVID victims being constructed when Trump was president pic.twitter.com/LLtrMHooBk

— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) March 6, 2024

But to me, one tweet really stood out. It was a response to the Biden/Harris tweet and it brought the "receipts" in the form Trump's actual words in 2020 showcasing his lies and basic incompetence in dealing with the pandemic.

 

An oldie reminding us just how Trump handled the coronavirus. Lies, and utter incompetence while Americans died. https://t.co/Arz8AYUby7

— Phillip-USA (@phillip_USA_) March 6, 2024

Right-wing media trying to help Moms for Liberty play damage control after '60 Minutes' debacle

 How much of a disaster was that '60 Minutes' interview for Moms for Liberty? It was so bad that the right-wing media is trying to swoop in to help stem the damage. 

From Media Matters

Too often, Moms for Liberty and its co-founders have received coddling rather than questioning from mainstream media outlets. In many interviews, Moms for Liberty representatives mischaracterized the group’s activities without meaningful pushback from reporters. 

Critical details were omitted, including Moms for Liberty’s routine harassment, extremism, and violent threats directed at librarians, teachers, and school officials. It’s likely that Moms for Liberty was expecting standard media coddling, because the moment 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley began asking even softball clarification questions, co-founders Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich visibly fumbled. 

 . . . Pelley wasn’t asking hardball questions, but Justice and Descovich were clearly unprepared for even the slightest bit of pushback. Unsurprisingly, right-wing media are already scrambling to vilify 60 Minutes and conduct damage control for Moms for Liberty. 

 Justice appeared on Steve Bannon’s War Room the day after the interview aired and accused Pelley of dishonestly editing the segment. Justice then spoke with Fox News Digital, claiming that the interview was “heavily edited” and they were “censored” by CBS News.

 Newsmax host Rob Schmitt said 60 Minutes was “advocating for the LGBTQ agenda in schools” and described the segment as “biased.” BlazeTV’s The Steve Deace Show jumped to defend Moms for Liberty’s use of “groomer.” Megyn Kelly — who previously hosted a Moms for Liberty fundraiser — blasted Pelley for the interview, saying he “failed America’s children'” and calling him “disgusting.”

Full '60 Minutes' segment:

Moms For Liberty's latest embarrassment comes from '60 Minutes' interview disaster

 

Moms for Liberty founders Tiffany Justice (left) and Tina Descovich (right). 

It's been an extreme pleasure over the last few months watching hate group Mom for Liberty continuing to slide down the ladder of embarrassment. On Sunday, two of the founders, Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, were interviewed by Scott Pelley of '60 Minutes' and it was wonderful. 

When faced with probing questions by a serious journalist instead of friendly interviews from propaganda pushing pundits (such as on Fox News) Justice and Descovich malfunctioned quicker than actress Paula Prentiss in that scene from the 1975 movie The Stepford Wives ("How could you do a thing like that. How could you do a thing like that. I was just going to give you coffee. I was just going to give you coffee. I thought we were friend. I thought we were friends . .")

The two clips below are what I'm talking about

Scott Pelley asks the founders of a conservative group calling for book banning: “What ideology are the children being indoctrinated into? What is your fear?” https://t.co/6dUGXXacjT pic.twitter.com/mE7YiO1gfk

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) March 4, 2024

"What do you mean by that?” Scott Pelley asks Moms for Liberty founders about claims, posted on the group’s social media, that students are being “groomed” by teachers and librarians. https://t.co/aZk0Imib73 pic.twitter.com/zxiuKnA5gz

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) March 4, 2024

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Federal judge puts temporary stop on Texas AG Ken Paxton's demand for information on families with transgender kids

Texas AG Ken Paxton

A judge ruled on Friday that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton cannot receive information on Texas families with transgender kids. At least for now.

From The Advocate

A judge has temporarily blocked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s demand for information on PFLAG National’s work on behalf of Texas families with transgender children seeking gender-affirming medical care. Paxton, an intensely anti-LGBTQ+ Republican, issued a demand in early February for the organization to turn over documents, communications, and other information related to its work with these families. 

This would include the names and addresses of trans youth members. PFLAG National is a plaintiff in two lawsuits filed against Texas’s restrictions on gender-affirming care for trans youth — its ban on this care and an order from Gov. Greg Abbott that families allowing their children to undergo it be investigated for child abuse. Responding to the latest demand, PFLAG National filed a new lawsuit against Paxton’s office and sought a temporary restraining order to keep him from obtaining the information. Travis County District Court Judge Maria Cantú Hexsel granted the order Friday. 

 According to the HuffPost: 

The ACLU, which is representing FPLAG in court, said it will seek a permanent block on Paxton’s demand “so that PFLAG can continue supporting its Texas members with transgender youth in doing what all loving parents do: supporting and caring for their children.” 

 This isn't the first time Paxton, who by the way has been the subject of intense legal trouble due to other issues, has targeted the trans community and healthcare providers of gender-affirming care. Twice he has made demands for information from transgender healthcare providers in other states. One demand led a lawsuit by a Seattle hospital filed last year. In 2022, a federal judge blocked his office from investigating the families of trans youth in Texas. During that same time, it was pointed out by various experts and researchers that Paxton was relying on inaccurate data and distorted research to justify his investigation.