Federal appeals court rules for Maryland school district policy preventing the outing of trans, gender nonconforming children

On Monday, trans kids got another court victory. 

From NBC Out:

A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that a group of parents could not challenge a Maryland school district’s policy against telling parents if their children identify as transgender or gender nonconforming.

 A 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 that three parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, lacked standing to challenge the policy because they had not alleged their children were transgender in the first place. The policy, which the Montgomery County Board of Education adopted for the 2020-2021 school year, permitted schools to develop gender support plans for students to ensure they “feel comfortable expressing their gender identity.” 

 The policy directs school personnel to help transgender and gender-nonconforming students create a plan that addresses their preferred pronouns, names and bathrooms, and bars staff from informing parents of those plans without a student’s consent. Lawsuits are pending challenging similar policies in other states. 

The Maryland case was the first to be argued before a federal appeals court. Three parents backed by the National Legal Foundation, a Christian conservative group, argued the parental notification policy infringed their due process rights under the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment to direct the care of their children. But U.S. Circuit Judge A. Marvin Quattlebaum said the parents lacked standing to pursue their “compelling arguments” because they had not alleged their children had gender support plans or were transgender. That rendered their opposition a mere “policy disagreement,” he said.

This marks - by my count - the fourth court victory for trans kids in August. Earlier this month, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against an Ohio school district's gender-inclusive bathroom policy. In addition, courts in Indiana and Ohio awarded victories to trans kids in cases involving anti-bullying policies and bathroom usage.

'Far right attacks 'It Gets Better' after group donates $600,000 to students' & other Mon midday news briefs

Far Right Attacks It Gets Better After Group Donates $600k to Students - Blah, blah, blah 'groomers' blah, blah, blah "indoctrination and sexualization" "leave the kids alone." The far right can go to hell. LGBTQ kids attend schools and anything helping them (particularly in this climate) to be successful and safe is a good thing. 

Court blocks Idaho law restricting trans students’ restroom use​ - Laws like this one have no logical foundation. They only appeal to prejudices and fears. Glad to see that courts are recognizing this. 

Ron DeSantis’s “anti-woke” policies have led to a serious brain drain in Florida - Florida will continue to suffer until Floridians stop getting taken in by people like DeSantis. 

A Conservative Pundit Is Really Scared About Wayne Brady Being Pan - Guess who?

'You should have died in the f@king closet' & other Fri midday news briefs

 

Parents’ rights protestor tells LGBTQ+ advocates to go hang themselves - Ugly but the video above and this article needs to be seen. Folks need to see these folks when their "concern for the children" masks drop. 

Maryland Families Sue Over LGBTQ Public School Readings - This is ridiculous because it has nothing to do with sex at all. These parents don't want their kids to hear about any LGBTQ people. No doubt the forces behind this is hoping for a big lawsuit but if they get one, even a victory will hurt them. Religion is being weaponized. 

 'Heartstopper' books temporarily removed from Mississippi public library - Completely ridiculous. 

Teen's claim of seeing a naked trans woman and getting kicked off of her swim team because of it was a complete lie - My post from last night.

Teen's claim of seeing a naked trans woman and getting kicked off of her swim team because of it was a complete lie

The media and others flock like vultures when there are stories of alleged misbehavior of trans women. Notice how quickly they disappear when the story turns out to be false. The following is proof. But thanks to the folks at Assigned Media (a WONDERFUL webpage doing great work to expose anti-trans propaganda) and LGBTQ Nation (doing its usual excellent news coverage), I caught this story.

From Assigned Media:

The story of a transphobic teen that Fox News claimed had been kicked off her swim team after seeing a trans woman changing has completely fallen apart. Abbigail Wheeler, a 16-year-old who was asked to leave the YMCA for the evening after she admitted to being behind signs with anti-trans messages that had been tacked up all over the locker room the night before. 

Wheeler’s misbehavior, and the mild consequences it engendered from the Y, were portrayed as victimization of the teen on Fox and elsewhere in the right-wing press. As the full details of the incident have become clear it seems that Wheeler and her family made misleading and false statements that helped to inflame public opinion resulting in an anti-trans protest at the Kerasotes branch where this occurred. 

 According to LGBTQ Nation, the protest was where Wheeler first admitted that parts of the story were false. Calling the widespread reports that she’d seen a trans woman naked a “miscommunication” Wheeler clarified that she did not see any trans women naked or observe their private parts.

With regards to this, the LGBTQ Nation article pointed out:

During her July 11 and 12 interviews on Fox News, Wheeler said she saw the trans woman naked. But at the rally, she called this a “miscommunication,” saying, “To be clear, I did not see the [person] naked, and no [human] genitalia was exposed.” 

 During her Fox News interviews, she also said she was kicked off of the swim team after posting signs at the YMCA that said “Women’s Rights,” “Biological Women Only,” and “SafeSport.” However, a May 29 email from Wheeler’s mother to her daughter’s coach clearly says, “We have decided to remove Abbigail from the SPY swim team.”

 In other words, her parents removed her from the team. In addition, according to LGBTQ Nation, the signs she put up misgendered the trans woman and falsely claimed that she was threat to other women:

The signs said, “Men are not welcome here,” “Women Need Rights, Men Already Have Them,” “In case anyone is unawar [sic], I feel as a concerned member to share this shocking news. Transgenders [sic] are now using the womens [sic] locker room. They have been for a while now. Please feel free to share/spead [sic] the world [sic],” “Girls Rule, Boys Drool,” and “Women Deserve to be Safe Here.”

Assigned Media also said that the incident may have actually involved two trans women and both have come forward to tell their side of the story:

Christina Newton and Candice Clotfelter have come forward to describe their interaction with the teen to the Illinois Times as well as local TV news. They describe an interaction starting with Wheeler staring at them when they were sitting together talking on a bench at the Kerasotes Y. When they asked if they could help her, the teen told them they were in the women’s locker room, to which they replied that they were women. Both women had their bathing suits on during this interaction (they further explained to the local reporters that they changed their clothes inside of bathroom stalls).

Lastly, Assigned Media pointed out this situation is the latest in a pattern of false stories circulating designed to scare people about trans women in locker rooms.

The false stories are part of a pattern of exaggerated stories about interactions between cisgender girls and trans women at YMCAs across the country. This story most closely resembles one from a California Y in January where an older teen was widely reported to have seen a penis when, in reality, the woman in question was post-surgery and had no such organ to see.

 In Ohio this past February, a trans woman was targeted for prosecution by local officials, charged with indecent exposure for changing in a YMCA women’s locker room. She was found not guilty due to not having broken any law, and again no evidence of any cisgender woman or girl seeing her private parts while she was changing was ever presented. 

The existence of three such similar YMCA scandals in a few months suggest there may have been some effort on the part of anti-trans activists to manufacture flashpoints of this type.

Conservatives relied on transphobia for Issue 1 in Ohio to pass. They never stood a chance.

 

The above nauseating campaign ad was an unsuccessful attempt by Ohio conservatives to convert anti-trans hysteria into a win at the polls even though trans issues didn't have anything to do with the vote at hand. 

 Allow me to move backwards. First let's talk about the vote which took place Tuesday night. 

 From The Associated Press:

 Ohio voters on Tuesday resoundingly rejected a Republican-backed measure that would have made it more difficult to change the state’s constitution, setting up a fall campaign that will become the nation’s latest referendum on abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned nationwide protections last year. The defeat of Issue 1 keeps in place a simple majority threshold for passing future constitutional amendments. It would have raised that to a 60% supermajority, which supporters said would protect the state’s foundational document from outside interest groups. 

 While abortion was not directly on the special election ballot, the result marks the latest setback for Republicans in a conservative-leaning state who favor imposing tough restrictions on the procedure. Ohio Republicans placed the question on the summer ballot in hopes of undercutting a citizen initiative voters will decide in November that seeks to enshrine abortion rights in the state. 

Issue 1 had nothing to do with trans issues, but its supporters, hoping to capitalize on the anti-trans sentiment taking place in states and their legislative bodies across the country, said that it did.  A right-wing organization, Protect Women Ohio, ran commercials such as the one above and brought in Republican personalities such as former VP Mike Pence and Kari Lake to repeat false talking points about how Issue 1 would lead to "trans ideology" forced in classrooms and "sex changes" for children.

It didn't matter that none of this was true.

Issue 1 supporters even held a religious rally Sunday before the vote:

Prominent activists are urging Ohio voters to support a measure that would require constitutional amendments to pass with support from 60% of eligible voters, warning that parental rights and the safety of minors hang in the balance as voters are also scheduled to weigh in on a ballot measure that would establish a right to abortion in the state. 

 The advocacy group Catholics for Catholics held a Prayer Rally to Save Ohio’s Children in Norwood, Ohio, Sunday. The event took place two days before Ohioans are scheduled to go to the polls to vote on the fate of Issue 1, a referendum that would require proposed constitutional amendments to secure 60% support from voters to take effect instead of a simple majority. 

 The purpose of the rally was to encourage Ohioans to Vote “Yes” on Issue 1. As explained by Catholics for Catholics, “Issue 1 is part of a fight culminating this November over a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion in the Ohio Constitution and limit parents’ legal right to consent to what procedures are done to their children.”

One of the speakers was Chloe Cole, a woman who claims that she was trans but detransitioned only after surgery to remove her breasts when she was a teen. Her story has yet to be verified, but still Cole has made a name for herself by testifying in front of legislative bodies for laws which would deny trans kids any form of gender-affirming care.  She is supposedly suing Kaiser Permanente healthcare system, but others have pointed out that the lawsuit is highly suspect.

At the rally, she tailored her story as a reason to pass Issue 1:

Cole added that several states have passed measures banning sex-change procedures for minors in state legislative sessions before warning that the failure to pass Issue 1 might result in the erosion of “the victories that we have achieved.” She called on attendees to “let this state be an example for Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and the rest of the country that is so grappled by the pseudo-science” behind the push to provide children with irreversible gender transitions. 

 “Children are relying on us, as parents, older brothers and sisters, educators, doctors, as adults to guide them towards a healthy adulthood filled with opportunity,” she added. “I hear a lot of talk in this state about Issue 1 and reproductive freedom but that seems to end when we start talking about the fact that children are having their right to reproduce taken away from them with sterilizing drugs that are used to convert healthy girls and boys into just a mimicry of the opposite sex. Where are their reproductive rights?”

And now we are back where we began. Issue 1 never stood a chance because voters simply didn't buy it. And folks on Twitter were quick to point out how badly the anti-trans angle failed:

Chloe Cole was brought in to help Issue 1 pass.
I guess the GOP didn't get a good return on investment here.

The GOP: We think you hate transgender people as much as we do. pic.twitter.com/q6YRMxTbxY

— Karleigh Chardonnay Webb (@ChardonnayM) August 9, 2023

Anti abortion group "Protect Women Ohio" spent a $1 million on this horrific anti trans ad to get Referendum 1 to pass and limit the ability for abortion rights to be voted into the Ohio constitution.

They lost badly. 63-37. Yet again, transphobia doesn't win elections. pic.twitter.com/glRneeoiwA

— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) August 9, 2023

How it started, how it’s going.

Seriously, Republicans spent $2,000,000 on anti trans ads in a Republican state in Ohio tying issue 1 to gender affirming care for trans youth.

They are losing by a mile.

Anti trans politics does not work, and this is a taste of 2024 nationwide. pic.twitter.com/6gz57e6zF9

— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) August 9, 2023

Ohio Republicans tried to make issue 1 about trans rights.

They are now losing 63-37 in the referendum, which would have made it harder to provide constitutional protections.

They learn the lesson many others have: attacking trans people is not a winning political stance. pic.twitter.com/uNrJY6PiYS

— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) August 9, 2023

'O'Shae Sibley killing unites New York's Black LGBTQ community in grief and defiance' & other Wed midday news briefs

O’Shae Sibley’s killing unites New York’s Black LGBTQ community in grief and defiance - Far from over.

Trump-appointed judge orders Southwest lawyers to get 'religious-liberty training' from 'hate group': report​ - The Alliance Defending Freedom strikes again.

Related post - The Southern Poverty Law Center's report on the Alliance Defending Freedom. 

Wisconsin Police Department Fully Embraces Transgender Officer - Wonderful.

Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against Ohio school district's gender-inclusive bathroom policy

Yet another victory for trans kids. Don't think for a minute that I am sugarcoating the ugly political climate we are all facing. I am simply pointing out that even in the darkest of times, light exists, and hope and love never dies.

From The Independent:

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by America First Legal against an Ohio school district over its transgender bathroom policy. America First Legal filed the suit in November. The president of the organisation is Stephen Miller, who served as a senior White House adviser to former President Donald Trump. District Judge Michael Newman ruled on Monday that the organisation’s claims lacked standing, and the board’s new policy did not infringe on the parents’ free exercise of religion.

 “The [parents] do not have a substantive due process right to dictate to the School District which bathroom a transgender student must use,” Judge Newman wrote in the filing. “The School District’s bathroom policy applies evenly to all students, making no exception for anyone based on their religion, to allow each student’s identified gender to prescribe the bathroom to use.”

According to The Buckeye Flame:

The case centered on a trans student Bethel Middle School in Tipp City – 10 miles north of Dayton – who was granted access to a restroom corresponding with her gender identity. This set off contentious school board meetings and multiple lawsuits.

 . . . According to the lawsuit, student “Anne Roe,” transferred to Bethel Middle School in January of 2020. Her parents informed the school that their daughter was transgender and the school set up access for Anne to use single-occupancy restrooms scattered across school grounds. In an affidavit, Anne shared that this arrangement caused her to avoid going to the bathroom during the day, because the restrooms were “frequently occupied whenever she needed to use [them], and she felt ostracized, humiliated, and targeted by other students who taunted her for using the separate bathroom.”

 Anne’s parents requested that she be able to use the girls’ communal restroom in addition to the single-occupancy spaces. The school agreed to the request. The decision set off months of school board meetings that featured anti-trans rhetoric and two lawsuits: a state one – currently ongoing – regarding whether the board’s actions violated open meeting law and a federal one alleging that the school was discriminating against their cisgender children by allowing trans students’ access to restrooms.

All of this nonsense simply to stop one trans child from using the bathroom which corresponds with her gender identity. So unnecssary.

'It's time to stand up for Megan Rapinoe with gratitude' & other Tue midday news briefs

Megan Rapinoe

It’s time to stand up for Megan Rapinoe with gratitude - Amen. The folks on the right are attacking her at a low moment. We need to stand up for one of our own. Especially in light of how vocal she has been for the community. 

 This gay “hipster grandpa” is a world-famous fashion icon with one simple message - I really like this article. I'm getting up there myself and would like to do more to show our kids how special and undefeated they are. 

American Red Cross to allow gay men to donate blood - In case you haven't heard. 

California investigates district's parental notification policy on students' gender identity - Good. We don't need to be putting LGBTQ+ kids in danger.

Florida caves on AP Psychology. Controversy latest problem for DeSantis as his campaign faces repercussions from his 'war on woke.'

UPDATE - Unfortunately, this post was partly correct. While it seems that Florida capitulated, so much uncertainty was created that schools are canceling AP Psychology classes. 

Chalk the following up as another embarrassment for FL Gov Ron DeSantis as his "war on woke" seems to be slowly but surely wrecking his presidential campaign.

From MSNBC:

Florida and the College Board appear to have come to a resolution over the inclusion of LGBTQ topics in the state’s Advanced Placement Psychology classes. The resolve came a day after the education nonprofit said the state "effectively banned" the course due to its content on sexual orientation and gender identity. In a letter shared with school superintendents Friday, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said the department "is not discouraging districts from teaching AP Psychology."

 "In fact, the Department believes that AP Psychology can be taught in its entirety in a manner that is age and developmentally appropriate and the course remains listed in our course catalog," Diaz wrote. In a statement shared with NBC News on Monday, the College Board — which administers the SAT and college-level classes to high school students — responded to the Florida Department of Education's new guidance with a mix of hope and skepticism.

 . . . In its Thursday statement, the College Board said the Florida Department of Education had "effectively banned AP Psychology in the state by instructing Florida superintendents that teaching foundational content on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under state law." Florida’s Parental Rights in Education act, or what critics have dubbed the "Don’t Say Gay" law, restricts the instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s classrooms. 

 When contacted by NBC News on Thursday, the department denied that it had banned the course, though it did not answer questions on whether it tried to restrict the course's LGBTQ content. Florida's so-called Don't Say Gay law was signed last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is running for president. 

 LGBTQNation called it a 'humiliating defeat' for DeSantis and it couldn't have happened at a worse time. For all of his talking about a reset of his presidential campaign, he is still struggling far behind GOP front runner Donald Trump (even after Trump's recent indictments).

Also, several deep pocketed donors seem to be backing away from his campaign with their reason being DeSantis's over-reliance on his 'culture war.' According to Reuters:

Hotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, the biggest individual donor to a group supporting Ron DeSantis' presidential bid, told Reuters on Friday he will not donate more money unless the Florida governor attracts new major donors and adopts a more moderate approach. 

 The comments by Bigelow, who gave $20 million to the pro-DeSantis "Never Back Down" super PAC in March, underscore donor concerns about the Florida governor's struggling campaign, which has been unable to make a dent in former President Donald Trump's huge lead for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Donors aren't the only ones turning their backs on DeSantis. Recently, several former GOP governors and lawmakers publicly said that his attack on Disney (a key component in his 'war on woke') is “severely damaging to the political, social, and economic fabric of the State."

And all the while, some folks are saying that his "arrogance" is the reason for many of his missteps.

'DeSantis war against Disney has damaged Florida, former GOP governors and lawmakers say' & other Mon midday news briefs

DeSantis' retaliation against Disney hurts Florida, former governors and lawmakers say - And they are right.

America’s Pediatricians Reiterate Support for Gender-Affirming Care - Nice to see this group stepping up for gender-affirming care. 

Polling suggests that defeating 'woke' policies in schools and government is not a priority for most Republican voters - The so-called 'war on woke' is tiring for everybody. 

Free speech wins as Des Moines pauses LGBTQ+ school book removal - A small victory. But still a victory. 

 14 LGBTQ+ TV Shows and Movies to Watch in August 2023 - Be on the lookout.

'LGBTQ+ children participate in Pride summer camp in New York' & other Fri midday news briefs

 

Far right idiots on Twitter and other social media areas were freaking out about this news segment and this camp. For that reason, and especially because this is a wonderful camp, I want to spotlight it.

In other news: 

Congress Is Pushing An Online Safety Bill Supported By Anti-LGBTQ Groups - Keep an eye open on this. It will not be the last time we hear about it. 

Florida effectively bans advanced psychology course over LGBTQ content, course developer says - In case you haven't heard, DeSantis continues to be a textbook case of a bad governor. This was his doing.

Anti-drag bigots promised 300 protestors at Edinburgh Fringe – only eight turned up - Ha. Ha.

Texas's anti-drag law to be challenged in court by ACLU, other defendants

Your turn, Texas.

From The Advocate:

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas sued the Texas Attorney General and other defendants on Wednesday to prevent Senate Bill 12 from taking effect on September 1. It would ban drag performances in most public venues if permitted to move forward. In the ACLU’s lawsuit, the group asserts that SB 12, which includes a ban on drag performances, violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments and threatens Texans’ livelihoods and free expression. For artists and those who support them, the ban targets any performance that could be construed as “sexual” and imposes criminal penalties, including a year in jail. Many constitutionally protected performances could be censored by this law, such as touring Broadway plays and professional cheerleading routines or karaoke nights and drag shows, the ACLU said in a statement. 

 From LGBTQNation: 

The plaintiffs include Houston Pride organizer The Woodlands Pride, Abilene Pride Alliance, Extragrams, LLC, 360 Queen Entertainment LLC, and drag artist Brigitte Bandit. 

 “Texas queens and kings from across our great state have been targets of threats and misinformation as a result of the anti-drag law,” Bandit said in a statement. “We must reject their attempts to divide us and continue to come together in our truth and power to support each other as Texans should.”

 “Long live Texas drag!” the popular drag queen added. Woodlands Pride president Jason Rocha characterized SB 12 as censorship aimed at erasing LGBTQ+ visibility. “Censoring drag is censoring free speech,” said Rocha said. 

“The Woodlands Pride was formed to help amplify the voices and representation of all, specifically the LGBTQIA+ community. Drag is a symbol of expression, and the freedom to express yourself is quintessential to human nature. We know this ban is aimed specifically at our community. 

 LGBTQNation also pointed out that: 

 Similar drag bans have been blocked by courts in Florida, Tennessee, and Montana for containing “overbroad” provisions that violate people’s rights to free speech and due process.

'How Florida deviated from standard practices to rig key report against transgender healthcare' & other Thur midday news briefs

Florida deviated from standard practices for key report regarding transgender care - Basically how Florida officials rigged an attack on trans healthcare. 

Community members press school board to fight the state’s anti-LGBTQ education laws - Also in Florida.

NFL cheerleaders’ public sex appeal showcases hypocrisy of the fight against drag queens - Hypocrisy alert.

Conservatives are outraged that Dr. Martens made a customized pair of boots supporting trans people- When are these dundershits never outraged? It's a constant state with them. 

Transgender former student sues Missouri school for making her use boys' bathrooms - I love to see trans kids standing up for themselves.

Courts in Indiana and Ohio award victories to trans kids in cases involving anti-bullying policies and bathroom usage.

When it comes to our trans kids, the courts have thankfully shown sanity in recent cases in Ohio and Indiana. 

From The Advocate:

A lawsuit from a conservative group challenging an Ohio school district’s anti-bullying policies that protect transgender students was thrown out of a federal court yesterday, saying it was unlikely to succeed on a key constitutional claim. 

 The Virginia-based, conservative education activist group Parents Defending Education (PDE) had filed the lawsuit claiming the anti-bullying policies of the Olentangy Local School District just north of Columbus are overly broad and violate a student’s protected First Amendment free speech rights when it forbids misgendering trans youth, according to local NBC affiliate WCMH. The policies also extend to student, teacher, and parent interactions in person and on social media when outside of school.

 “Transgender youth are far too often subject to harassment and bullying in public schools,” U.S. District Chief Judge Algenon L. Marbley wrote in the ruling, saying PDE had failed to prove its claims. “They are threatened or physically injured in schools at a rate four times higher than other students. They are harassed verbally at extraordinarily higher rates. More than one in five attempt suicide.” 

 “Today’s decision affirms our commitment to maintaining a safe learning environment where all feel welcome and supported,” the district said in a statement. “We will continue to do so and are looking forward to another great school year.” 

 From LGBTQNation: 

 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has ruled in favor of three transgender students who were forbidden by their schools from using bathrooms matching their gender identities. The circuit court upheld a lower court’s preliminary injunction that said the schools have to let trans students use facilities associated with their genders.

 “Students who are denied access to the appropriate facilities are caused both serious emotional and physical harm as they are denied recognition of who they are,” said ACLU of Indiana lawyer Kenneth Falk. “They will often avoid using the restroom altogether while in school. Schools should be a safe place for kids and the refusal to allow a student to use the correct facilities can be extremely damaging.”

 The case involves three trans boys in Martinsville, Indiana and Terre Haute, Indiana, who need access to the boys’ room at their middle and high schools.

. . .The school’s transgender bathroom policy took numerous factors into consideration and the school’s administration said that trans students needed unspecified surgical changes before they could use the correct bathroom. Gender-affirming surgery is banned for trans people under the age of 18 in Indiana.

 The court took into account the fact that Title IX bans discrimination on the basis of sex in schools that receive federal money, which is most of them. Citing the 2020 Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton Co. that found that job discrimination against LGBTQ+ people necessarily takes sex into account and is therefore prohibited under Title VII, the appeals court ruled that the trans boys are likely to succeed in their case and that preventing them from using the correct bathroom while the case works its way through the court system could cause irreparable harm.

 

'School district may ban biography of Pete Buttigieg to comply with anti-LGBTQ+ book ban law' & other Wed midday news briefs

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

School district may ban biography of Pete Buttigieg to comply with anti-LGBTQ+ book ban law​ - Wow!

Ron DeSantis Invites Kamala Harris to Discuss Slavery Standards with Homophobe Who Wrote Them - Keep digging that hole, DeSantis. 

Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis tries & fails to rewrite history by claiming he’s never “demeaned” gay people - Dig! Dig! Dig! 

Global AIDS program targeted in abortion battle gets new home in State Department bureau - Republicans actually went after this program even though it was initiated by Bush. 

Ghanaian PhD student loses scholarship in the US after attack on LGBTQ community - FA and FO.

Co-conspirator in Trump's indictment formerly led once prominent anti-LGBTQ group

 

John Eastman

Just in case you've recently been in a cave with your fingers in your ears, former president Donald Trump was just indicted again, this time for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

This makes the third group of criminal charges for Trump.

From Raw Story:

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted in connection to special counsel Jack Smith's investigation of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and plots to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. CNN was first to report the indictment and said a source confirmed Trump had been told. 

 The former president has been charged with four offenses: conspiracy to defraud the United States, two counts of witness tampering, and conspiracy against rights. The indictment also specifies six unnamed co-conspirators whom, according to CNN's Kaitlan Collins, include four attorneys, a DOJ official, and a political consultant. 

 The probe looked at a broad array of alleged schemes by the former president and his allies, including efforts to seat fake electors in a number of closely-divided battleground states that were carried by President Joe Biden, and a pressure campaign against then-Vice President Mike Pence to declare electors from those states invalid. 

 As of now, the unindicted co-conspirators have been named and includes one who should be of interest to the LGBTQ community - John Eastman.

According to The Washington Post:

“Co-conspirator 2” was an attorney “who devised and attempted to implement a strategy to leverage the Vice President’s ceremonial role overseeing the certification proceeding to obstruct the certification of the presidential election," according to the indictment. Eastman, a conservative attorney who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, crafted a legal strategy that involved creating slates of pro-Trump electors in states that Joe Biden won. He falsely asserted, without evidence, that Trump lost Georgia in part because 66,000 underage people and 2,500 convicted felons had voted in the state that year.

Eastman has remained defiant, even as he faces potential disbarment for his role in aiding Trump. In June, Eastman defended himself before the State Bar of California on 11 charges stemming from allegations that he was the architect of the legal road map Trump followed to try to obstruct the electoral vote count in certain states. The State Bar also accused Eastman of making false and misleading statements regarding alleged election fraud, referencing claims he made at a rally at the Ellipse outside the White House that preceded the deadly riot. If Eastman is found culpable for the allegations, he could lose his license to practice law in California. 

 Before his involvement in the attempt to illegally overturn the 2020 election, Eastman played a prominent role in anti-LGBTQ activism. In fact he was president of the infamous group the National Organization for Marriage or NOM.

According to The Advocate:

Before Eastman, a former law professor, tried to throw the 2020 presidential election to Donald Trump, he was a major activist against LGBTQ+ rights. In 2011, he became chairman of the board of the National Organization for Marriage, a group with the primary mission of opposing marriage equality, although it has taken up some other conservative causes too. NOM's website still lists him as chairman and the well-known anti-LGBTQ+ activist Brian Brown as president.

 

. . . Among Eastman's other greatest hits, compiled by GLAAD and others, he has said marriage should be limited to male-female couples because it's for procreation; voiced support for Uganda's efforts to criminalize homosexuality, potentially imposing the death penalty; questioned Kamala Harris's eligibility to be vice president, even though she was born in the U.S., because her parents were not citizens at the time of her birth; said homosexuality is barbaric and will undermine marriage and all of civil society; and opposed gay-straight alliances and LGBTQ-inclusive lessons in schools.

Who knows what will happen to Eastman. Maybe he can claim that Jesus told him to help Trump cheat.

'Brooklyn dancer fatally stabbed for voguing at gas station' & other Tue midday news briefs

Brooklyn Dancer Fatally Stabbed for Voguing at Gas Station - I hate posting stuff like this but in this case, I will. The silence of the general Black community is sad here. 

TERFs are trying to boycott Etsy for banning transphobic products ​ - They will fail as all losers do.

Appeals court lets Kentucky enforce ban on transgender care for minors - Not surprising. The same appeals court made the same decision in Tennessee. 

Gays Against Groomers protested on the same side as Neo-Nazis - Whoops (if you say so . . .)

'31 Icons for LGBT History Month' a valuable asset to combat a year of attempted negativity

 

Each year, the Equality Forum names 31 LGBT icons for LGBT History Month in October. This year's list features such noted people as Chasten Buttigieg, Brittany Griner, Eddie Izzard and Leslie Jordan. They should remind us about how truly diverse and powerful we are as a people. And this year's list is important in light of all of the negativity we've been bombarded with. These icons attest to the resiliency of our community in the face of all of the hate. And how we always come out as winners.

To the transphobic bigot who came after my mother before the first anniversary of her passing . . .

UPDATE - Mr. "Protect the Kids" blocked me. Or maybe Facebook took care of it. I DID report him.

Friday, July 28 will be the first anniversary of my beloved mother's passing. As you can guess, I am not in a positive condition emotionally or spiritually.

My mother knew I was gay and she knew vaguely of my activism (my blogging, etc). We never really talked about it, but she gave me a lot of support, as all good mothers would give to their kids. One of my most cherished moments was being with her in the car when I received news that I had won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Blog in 2017.

But other than that, she was never really involved in the things I've done for the LGBTQ community.  I never felt the need to "pull her in," so to speak. So, you will forgive me for posting the following (click on the image to make it larger):

Apparently, this poor soul right here on Facebook (Picture below.) seems to think that since I support gender-affirming care for trans kids, I support "mutilation" and that makes me a pedophile. Subsequently to him, that makes my beloved mother . . . well you can read it for yourself.

He also threatened to shoot me.

Mr "Protect the Kids" also called me a racial slur (THE RACIAL SLUR) but he deleted that message. I guess he figured he had standards. But he did post the following on his Facebook page:

As strange as it seems, I am not angry in the least. Nothing he said about my mother hurts me. His ramblings can't ever diminish what a wonderful woman she was and how much I miss her. And to be honest, if he did physically come after me and she was present at the time, she would have whipped his ass. And that's no exaggeration on my part - my mother once used a chair very adeptly to defend my older brother against a physical attack.

But I recognize the opportunity this moron gives me to make a point about all of this hatred directed towards the LGBTQ (particularly the trans community) as of late.

I don't know this man.  I never met this man. He chose to engage with me because apparently, he read something I posted about trans kids which got him so upset that he felt the need come for me and my family. It wasn't enough for him to call me names or threaten to kill me. He actually took the time to mine through my material in a sad attempt to anger me. And he thought calling my late mother ugly names would garner an ugly reaction from me. Trash is what trash does.

That's hate my friend. It's evil, ugly, and so destructive that it's sad. And what's worse, he claims to be doing it for the sake of protecting kids.

But plainly speaking, he's the end result of all of that shit you hear from people like Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, Chole Cole and groups like Moms for Liberty, Libs of TikTok and Gays Against Groomers. He owns the fertile mind of ignorance they exploit with their lies and horror stories about child mutilation, pedophilia, and grooming. He's the type of gullible fool they exploit for hits, social media status, and money.  And he is the type of monster they empower to bombard us (especially trans people) with the venom like you just read above on a daily basis.

What's genuinely sad is that there are more like him out there. Lots more. So when you hear people like me talk about people like him or the groups which feed into his mentality, it's not an overreaction on our part. It probably doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.

Hitler-quoting hate group Moms for Liberty says 'health care has no place in public schools'

Alleged "parents' rights" group Moms for Liberty just showed its true colors yet again with the recent tweet:

Mental health care is health care Mr. President.

That’s why it has NO place in public schools. #ParentalRights https://t.co/a1uF6NV7Ec

— Moms for Liberty (@Moms4Liberty) July 25, 2023

 

And the group doubled down on the statement:

Yes. Health care has no place in public schools.

— Moms for Liberty (@Moms4Liberty) July 26, 2023

 

Moms for Liberty is a rapidly growing conservative group claiming to be for the rights of parents. In actuality, it is an astroturfed group created to undermine inclusive school curriculums and the rights and safety of LGBTQ students. The SPLC has designated Moms for Liberty as a hate group because of its ugly tactics and its desired goals:

Moms for Liberty and its nationwide chapters combat what they consider the “woke indoctrination” of children by advocating for book bans in school libraries and endorsing candidates for public office that align with the group's views. They also use their multiple social media platforms to target teachers and school officials, advocate for the abolition of the Department of Education, advance a conspiracy propaganda, and spread hateful imagery and rhetoric against the LGBTQ community.

 . . .Moms for Liberty is an anti-student inclusion group that presents itself as a modern parents’ rights organization that seeks to “unify, educate, and empower parents to defend and protect their parental rights at every level of government.” The group’s website appears to align with this mission, featuring general information about the organization and its chapters, resources for parents, and links to press skewed in the group’s favor. The social media accounts and real-world activity of the national organization and its chapters reflect views and actions that are antigovernment and conspiracy propagandist, anti-LGBTQ and anti-gender identity, and anti-inclusive curriculum.

Those of us who stand against Moms for Liberty call them "Klanned Karenhood." And the name is definitely appropriate.  

While claiming to stand for "parental rights," the group has:

 Helped state legislators pass hateful anti-LGBTQ laws across the country,

Partnered with violent far right extremist groups such as The Proud Boys,

Been linked to several incidents of threats and harassment on school officials across the country, including:

The chairperson of the Monroe County, Pennsylvania, chapter was arrested on a “summary charge of harassment” after allegedly repeatedly harassing an individual with messages. 

The head of communications of the Lonoke County, Arkansas, chapter threatened gun violence against librarians. In audio obtained by Media Matters, the chapter’s head of communications and media, Melissa “Missy” Bosch, threatened librarians in the district, saying, “I’m telling you, if I was -- any mental issues, they would all be plowed down with a freaking gun by now.”

And then there was the "Hitler-quoting incident in June. According to VICE:

In the first ever edition of the Hamilton County, Indiana, Moms for Liberty newsletter, published on Wednesday, the group’s co-founders Tina Descovich and Tiffany Justice blasted the Southern Poverty Law Center’s recent decision to label the group a far-right extremist organization.

 That statement might have carried more weight if the top of the very same newsletter wasn’t adorned with a quote from Adolf Hitler. The quote used in the newsletter was taken from a speech Hitler gave during a 1935 rally: “He alone, who OWNS the youth, GAINS the future.” It appeared just under the masthead for the “Parent Brigade” newsletter published on the group’s Facebook page on Wednesday night. It was first reported by the Indianapolis Star.

At the time, VICE called the Hitler quoting incident:

 . . . the latest evidence that Moms for Liberty’s pretense of being a wholesome, grassroots movement focused on protecting students is slipping.

Last month, CNN said Moms for Liberty was rapidly gaining influence in the Republican party by pointing out how GOP presidential candidates such as Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley all attended its summit in Philadelphia in attempts to garner support.

One can only hope that these candidates will be asked about Moms for Liberty's opinion concerning health care in public schools. If there is any place healthcare should be, it would be in the public schools.

Any group actually concerned about the welfare of kids would know this.

'Another lie from anti-LGBTQ Supreme Court wedding case has been exposed' & other Wed midday news briefs

'This was a lie': Another fact in the anti-LGBTQ Supreme Court wedding website case was false - So many lies in God's name.

Parents protest school district’s no opt-out policy for LGBTQ+-inclusive curriculum​ - See this is moronic. And before some folks willfully distort the issues, we are not talking about sex education. We are talking about curriculum which simply acknowledges the existence of LGBTQ+ people. THAT is simply not right and it's a deliberate distortion of the parents' rights argument. If you don't want your kids to acknowledge the existence of certain people, then you home school them. You don't get to erase the existence of groups of people. 

Gay Chechen Singer Killed on Order of Strongman Ramzan Kadyrov: Report - He was angry that he shook hands with a gay guy so he had him tortured and murdered. 

Booksellers sue over Texas law requiring them to rate books for appropriateness - And I hope that they win.

Congressional Republicans to hold transphobic, distortion-filled hearing on gender-affirming care (with no medical experts testifying)

I do not apologize for the headline. It is truth. Imagine holding hearings pushing the ideas that pedophilia and homosexuality are linked, or that gay men are so promiscuous that they stuff gerbils up their rectums. Those were false ideas once pushed by Republicans and conservatives.  That should give you an indication of the type of lies to expect Thursday when they attack gender-affirming medical care and trans people in their sham hearing.

 From The Advocate: 

 The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Consitution and Limited Government has scheduled a hearing this week ostensibly to discuss gender-affirming medical care. No doctors will testify. 

 Instead, during Thursday morning’s hearing titled “The Dangers and Due Process Violations of ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for Children,” lawmakers will hear from a former college athlete who took issue with a transgender team member’s participation, an anti-LGBTQ+ advocate from a conservative interest group, a member of the Federalist Society, and a person who had access to gender-affirming care, decided to detransition, and now advocates against the care for youth. 

 Republicans invited former University of Pennsylvania swimmer (and Lia Thomas critic) Paula Scanlan, detransitioner Chloe Cole, Director for Family Studies at the far-right anti-LGBTQ+ group Family Research Council Jennifer Bauwens, and Federalist Society member May Mailman, who is also a senior fellow at the conservative Independent Women’s Law Center, to testify. 

 Democrats, already frustrated with Republican efforts to strip funding from all bills benefiting the LGBTQ+ community, called the hearing a sham. "The upcoming House Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee hearing is the latest attempt by extremist Republicans to weaponize Congress and inject their culture wars into families’ private health care decisions,” Pennsylvania Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, tells The Advocate. “Gender-affirming care is safe, effective, medically necessary, and supported by every major reputable medical association. The science is not up for debate. This hearing is nothing more than a concerted effort to cultivate fear and stigmatize vulnerable communities in order to pursue an extremist agenda and political power."

 . . . “This Congress, extreme MAGA Republicans are using the appropriations process to further their radical agenda and attack the LGBTQI+ community,” said Equality Caucus Chair Mark Pocan of Wisconsin in a press release. “Motivated by bigotry and the desire to appeal to the GOP extremist base, more than 40 anti-equality provisions across the 12 appropriations bills were passed. Last week, they went even further and cut millions of dollars in funding for members’ community projects that would have tackled LGBTQI+ homelessness and housing insecurity. I condemn these discriminatory attacks and remain committed to ensuring none of these awful provisions make it into the final funding bill that becomes law.”

'Conservatives tried to hold LGBTQ+ books hostage. Accidentally raises $45,000 for library' & other Tue midday news briefs

Conservatives threatened to hold LGBTQ+ library books hostage. The plan blew up in their faces. - They ended up raising $45,00 for the library to expand LGBTQ+ programming and materials. Love it!

Arlington Schools Chief Rejects Youngkin’s ‘Discriminatory’ Transgender Student Policies - THIS is going to get interesting. 

OutKick hosts call Outsports, ESPN and others ‘homophobic’ for sharing Kevin Maxen’s coming out story - Isn't Outkick Rupert Murodch bought-and-paid-for trash?

Russian president signs legislation outlawing gender-affirming procedures - A quicker method than bigots are trying in America. But still the goals are the same.

Ron DeSantis's presidential campaign is shaping up to be a #DeSaster

 

This couldn't be happening to a more deserving son-of-a-bit . . .  I mean person.

From The Orlando Sentinel (by way of Yahoo News):

Gov. Ron DeSantis had a difficult weekend on the culture war front, re-doubling his defense of the state’s controversial new Black history standards as a new report revealed a now-infamous anti-LGBTQ ad was actually made within the campaign itself. A pro-DeSantis account also tweeted a video that included alleged imagery of a Nazi symbol. Though reports that it had been retweeted by a DeSantis campaign staffer before it was deleted were unconfirmed, Florida Democrats pounced. DeSantis’ continuing cultural battles come amid reports that his presidential bid is planning a “reboot” following worsening poll numbers and a major shedding of cash.

 . . . “What’s happened is what might be expected, and I did expect,” said Mac Stipanovich, a former Tallahassee Republican consultant who has been a frequent critic of DeSantis. “The campaign is proving to be a clown car. Malevolent clowns, but clowns just the same.” 

 And this is just a small portion of a wonderful article chock full of DeSantis campaign missteps, blatant lies, and pitiful evasions, all of which gives us a front row seat of what happens when an empty suit decides to run for president without any integrity or substance to back up his verbal bravado. The DeSantis campaign is so bad, one has to wonder if it is a victim of deliberate internal sabotage.

DeSantis is also facing negative press in other areas which are not included in the article, such as his threat to sue Bud Light over its partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney and a leaked transcript from a canceled Showtime documentary about his time as a junior Navy officer at the Guantánamo ​prison camp. The transcript alleges that he was present at force feedings and tortures of prisoners.

'DeSantis campaign WAS behind insane anti-LGBTQ video attacking Trump' & other Mon midday news briefs

Maggie Haberman Source Says Bonkers Anti-LGBTQ Attack On Trump Was Made By DeSantis Camp — And ‘Passed Off’ To a Supporter - I don't like Trump and I don't like DeSantis. But this is DELICIOUS. 

California school district adopts textbook it rejected for covering LGBTQ+ figures after Newsom threat - Handle your business, Governor Newsom. 

Florida Board of Education OK's Anti-LGBTQ+ Policies, Sanitized View of Slavery - In case you haven't heard (and I hope you have because folks have been torching DeSantis's ass all weekend over it.

300 protest YMCA after teen lies about naked trans woman in locker room - Yet another lie denigrating trans female athletes. You can practically set your watch by them.

Federal judge temporarily blocks Arizona law banning trans athletes from competing in female-designated sports

 I know how some folks feel about trans women and girls (strangely the concern hardly ever touches trans men and boys) competing in sports, but here is something to consider. In spite of all of the preconceived notions fueling opposition to trans female athletes, maybe there is simply no concrete evidence that trans females have an unfair advantage over cis female athletes.

From Metro Weekly: 

A federal judge has blocked Arizona from enforcing a law prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in female-designated sports. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Zipps, of the District of Arizona, granted a preliminary injunction blocking the state from enforcing the Save Women’s Sports Act. The law prohibits transgender female athletes from competing in sports matching their gender identity and allows cisgender students to sue for damages if they believe they have lost out on an athletic opportunity after being forced to compete against a transgender athlete.

 The ban on transgender athletes was challenged by a 15-year-old volleyball player, referred to as Megan Roe, and an 11-year-old, referred to as Jane Doe, who wishes to play girls’ soccer, basketball and cross-country. Because neither has yet undergone male puberty, and both are on puberty blockers, they argue they don’t have a physical or physiological advantage and should be allowed to compete on teams matching their gender identity.

 In her order granting the injunction, Zipps found that the law is “overly broad” because it bans transgender female athletes, including those at the elementary school level, from girls’ sports teams, despite the lack of evidence proving that pre-pubertal athletes hold some physiological or unfair competitive advantage over other children based solely on their assigned sex at birth. She also noted that the ban treats transgender boys and transgender girls differently, noting that transgender boys — whom the state and proponents of the ban refer to as “biological girls” — are permitted to play on male-designated teams, despite the alleged physical risks that they would presumably face by competing against “biological male” athletes. 

 Zipps also noted that, under the law, even cisgender female athletes can be investigated and forced to submit to genetic testing to “prove” their biological sex.

''Right-wing already angry at 'Barbie' movie. Claims it's 'pushing transgender' propaganda.' & other Fri midday news briefs

Right wing blasts "Barbie" for "toxic femininity," "pushing transgender" and communist "propaganda"​ - Laaaaawd! These folks haven't even seen the movie yet.

As conservatives ban LGBTQ+ stories, we asked queer adults to share essential reading for youth - Try as they might, they simply cannot shut down queer voices.

  80% of Transgender Americans Have Considered Suicide: Study - Because of societal prejudice. Hearing all of those awful things said about them and claimed about them has to be a factor. And those of us in the community who turn our back on our trans brothers and sisters have a hand in this, too.

Conservatives are making the Ohio abortion amendment about trans rights - They are featuring ads with misleading claims. Win or lose, we could be seeing this tactic play itself out repeatedly in the future.

Florida's attempt to appeal injunction against anti-drag law backfires in a very delightful way

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis obviously didn't get the message that his law banning drag performances was a bad idea when a judge issued a preliminary injunction against it last month. So, like a hardheaded child, his administration tried to sidestep a "no." 

And got knocked back. 

From The Associated Press: 

 Librarians who feared fines for hosting drag queen story hours and Pride parade organizers who worried about citations for including drag performers can breathe easier now that a judge has ruled that his injunction blocking Florida’s anti-drag law extends to all Florida venues, an attorney who is helping challenge the law said Thursday.

  A pair of orders that U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell issued in the past month makes clear that drag performances in themselves are not lewd or lascivious behavior, said Gary Israel, one of the attorneys for an Orlando restaurant that filed a lawsuit challenging the new Florida law championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as unconstitutional. 

 “The state has a very weak hand in this litigation,” Israel said. 

 In his first order last month, the Orlando judge granted a preliminary injunction temporarily halting enforcement of the law until a trial is held to determine its constitutionality. He also denied a Florida licensing and regulatory agency’s request to dismiss the lawsuit. The agency appealed the decision and asked that during the appeal the injunction only be applied to the restaurant that brought the lawsuit.

 Presnell rejected that argument on Wednesday, saying any harm to the state of Florida is minimal if the preliminary injunction remains in place, and that all Floridians are potentially parties since free speech is at stake. He reiterated that the law is likely unconstitutional. “Protecting the right to freedom of speech is the epitome of acting in the public interest,” Presnell wrote. “It is no accident that this freedom is enshrined in the First Amendment.” 

 . . . The new law punished venues for allowing children into “adult live performances.” Though it did not specify drag shows, the sponsor of the legislation said it was aimed at those performances. Venues that violated the law faced fines and the possibility of their liquor licenses being suspended or revoked. Individuals could be charged with a misdemeanor crime.

  . . . The lawsuit challenging the new law was brought by the owner of a Hamburger Mary’s restaurant and bar in Orlando, which regularly hosts drag shows, including family-friendly performances on Sundays that children were invited to attend. The restaurant owner said the law was overbroad, was written vaguely and violated First Amendment rights by chilling speech.