'We told you so!' DeSantis called out for backtracking on book banning legislation he initially supported.

Florida governor and former presidential candidate Ron DeSantis

Presidential elections are generally a pain in the ass, but one of the sweetest rewards is when a wannabe candidate's campaign explodes in his face and reveals that he is nothing more than undeserved hype. With that in mind, I give you Florida governor Ron DeSantis. It has been a special delight to watch his campaign implode as it is revealed that his "culture warrior" schtick is nothing more than a sad covering for a man who has zero personality.

 Last week was another indication.

From Talking Points Media:

Back in Florida after a humiliating run against Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis is trying to do some clean up. 

 The Florida governor spent the first half of his second term signing legislation into law that would, essentially, help him run for president. His state became the breeding ground for Republicans’ manufactured culture wars as his GOP-dominated state legislature passed anti-“woke,” anti-LBGTQ, anti-“DEI” and pro-“family values” legislation into law left and right. It was widely speculated that DeSantis was using his own state to showcase policy that he hoped would resonate with Trump voters ahead of his announced 2024 bid. 

 We all know how that scheme ended. 

 So, back in Florida, after mortifying himself and dashing his own hopes of being likable on a national stage, DeSantis appears to be doing some damage control on some of the far-right legislation he signed into law. At a press conference in Orlando on Thursday the Republican governor acknowledged that his whole book banning thing had gotten a little out of control. Not because the policy itself is too extreme, of course. He blamed teachers, school administrators and “the news media” for whipping up a frenzy (he called it a “hoax”) and “activists” for trying to score political points by proposing bans on too many books. 

 “Lets’ not let people try to hijack the process,” DeSantis during the news conference Thursday. “With objecting — if you go to a school board meeting objecting. If you have a kid in school, okay. But if you’re somebody who doesn’t have a kid in school and you’re gonna object to 100 books? No, I don’t think that’s appropriate,” he continued, appearing to support a new bill that’s been proposed in the Florida state House that seeks to prevent people who don’t have children enrolled in a school district from filing complaints against a school district’s book material. 

 DeSantis is supporting legislation which would put limits and monetary fees on people challenging books, but his retreat from his original position and attempt to blame others for it isn't going unchallenged:

NEW: DeSantis acts SHOCKED that his vague and punitive censorship laws have resulted in exactly the type of chaos and excessive book banning in Florida public schools that we all predicted would happen.

The GOP knows they went too far. Mr. Never Back Down, is again backing down. pic.twitter.com/2HS51xWDnS

— Carlos Guillermo Smith (@CarlosGSmith) February 15, 2024

"This is literally one of the main things that I and many others complained about all throughout 2021-22 when right-wing activists, led by Moms for Liberty, Libs of TikTok, and others who had no children in the public school systems, were besieging schools and school board meetings, causing absolute chaos. We complained that the wording of this statute would lead to exactly what DeSantis is now complaining about. But back then, he was a culture warrior building his brand to run for president. Not only did he not want to hear it, he encouraged these people. He employed these people." - Ron Filipkowski, MeidasTouch Network 

"In an indirect way, DeSantis recognized his policies have gotten out hand. He touted a bill going through the 2024 legislative session to curb challenges from people who don’t have children at the school where they are lodging their objections. Yet, after signing laws that left local school officials scrambling to figure out what they meant, DeSantis now wants to scapegoat them. He said he’s directed the Florida Department of Education to craft rules to hold educators accountable if they go beyond what state law requires them to do. It is the state that should be held accountable, but don’t expect that from the governor." - Miami Herald Editorial Board

 “Governor DeSantis’ denial that Florida is banning books, and his shifting blame to local school boards and Floridians, is a blatant attempt to avoid responsibility for the significant and ongoing harm caused by statutes that he championed. But there is one thing we can agree on: book banning has gone too far, and limiting challenges is a good first step toward protecting Florida’s libraries.” - Katie Blankenship, director of PEN America’s Florida office

'Anti-LGBTQ filmmakers tried to trick people into appearing in their 'documentary'' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

Robby (left) and Landon Starbuck (right) prove that anti-LGBTQ activists are just like pigs. You can't keep them from the trough.

Right-Wing Filmmakers Allegedly Tricked a Drag Queen Into Being in an Anti-Trans Movie - Robby Starbuck and his wife, Landon, are two highly vulgar pieces of sh!t. They are two pathetic grifters of the lowest order attempting to gain status and prominence by demonizing LGBTQ people. And as this article shows, they aren't even original. 

Emails Reveal How Anti-Trans Doc Tried To Dupe LGBTQ Allies Into Participating - For those interested, this the Rolling Stone article referenced in the news article above in its entirety and no behind a paywall. 

 Related post - Taken out-of-context video fuels ugly lie about drag queens 'grooming' children - To get a complete picture of we are dealing with when it comes to the Starbucks, the following post is from 2022. It was then that Starbuck caused a huge firestorm in Tennessee by presenting a video out of context to falsely claim that a drag queen was encouraging a little girl to fondle him. It was mess like this which led to unsuccessful and very costly attempts to ban drag in the state.

Bottom line - Robby and Landon Starbuck proves there is always some trash lurking about eager to harm LGBTQ people for attention and profit. You simply cannot keep hogs away from the trough when they think food is there.

In other news

One Millions Moms is furious over those Super Bowl ads celebrating Jesus, says they weren’t anti-gay enough - Poor babies.

Kamala Harris marks 20 years since first officiating same-sex marriages and reunites with gay couple she wed - Progress rules! 

LGBTQ elected leaders are ‘the strongest line of defense’ - Once again, voting matters. And LGBTQ people should NEVER be ashamed to vote for their own, especially when it comes to protecting our self-interests. All other groups in this country do it. We should too.

Virginia Democrats repeat victory from last year. Eleven anti-trans bills defeated in legislative session.

Just like the Kansas City Chiefs repeated as Super Bowl champions on Sunday (you know I had to throw in a Super Bowl reference taking into account the right-wing hysteria around Taylor Swift), Virginia Democrats repeated a feat they accomplished last year.

They killed all of the anti-trans bills proposed during a legislative session. Although to be fair, Virginia legislators accomplished their feat by Friday, while the Chiefs had their victory two days later.

 From The Los Angeles Blade:

Virginia lawmakers have killed all of the anti-transgender bills that had been introduced during this year’s legislative session. The Senate Education and Health Committee on Thursday in a 9-6 vote tabled Senate Bill 37, which Equality Virginia said would have forcibly outed transgender students. 

A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee on Tuesday killed an identical measure, House Bill 670. The Senate Education and Health Committee also on Thursday in a 9-6 vote killed Senate Bill 68, which would have banned trans students from school sports teams that correspond to their gender identity. The same committee on Thursday tabled an identical measure, Senate Bill 723. House subcommittees on Tuesday killed two bills — House Bill 1120 and House Bill 1229. 

 Lawmakers killed or tabled an anti-trans “Women’s Bill of Rights” that had been proposed in both General Assembly chambers. The Senate Education and Health Committee on Thursday by a 9-6 vote margin killed Senate Bill 671, which would have banned transition-related health care for minors in Virginia.

Last year, they killed 12 bills. This year it was 11.  Virginia Democrats holding majorities in the state Senate and the House (which they won during last year's election) was the reason they were able to kill the anti-trans bill during this year's session.

I am especially sharing this for two reasons - 1. Never completely give in to sadness. There is good in the world and people fighting tooth and nail for your rights. 2. VOTING MATTERS. The victory in Virginia took place because people voted the right folks in office. NEVER believe that your vote doesn't matter, regardless of what someone attempts to make you believe. Your vote matters just like YOU matter. It is your voice.

image taken from The Advocate.

Tennessee city learns $500,000 lesson after unsuccessful attempt to ban drag shows

 

In June 2023, I made the following comments about the right-wing push to ban drag shows:

We have now entered the phase in which those who spread and entertained the lie that drag queens are 'grooming' kids are going to have to defend their mess in a court of law. And under oath. They've f@cked around for a long while. Now it's time for them to find out. 

 A recent lawsuit settlement just proved my point. 

From The Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: 

 The Murfreesboro government has agreed to pay $500,000 and repeal an ordinance discriminatory to LGBTQ+ people to settle a lawsuit with BoroPride, the ACLU announced Wednesday. The American Civil Liberties Union provided legal representation with BoroPride annual festival organizers with the Tennessee Equality Project led by Chris Sanders, according to an ACLU press release.

 . . . The issue started October 2022 when Murfreesboro City Manager Craig Tindall sent a letter to BoroPride organizers telling them the city would deny future permits and accused the 2022 LGBTQ+ festival and drag show of exposing “children to a harmful prurient interest.”

 BoroPride attracted more than 7,000 people to the 2022 festival held at Cannonsburgh Village, a Murfreesboro historic parks and recreation property off U.S. Highway 41 and across the street from nearby City Hall in the downtown area. Festival organizers relocated the 2023 BoroPride to Tennessee Miller Coliseum in north Murfreesboro. The coliseum property is owned by Middle Tennessee State University.

 In addition, according to The Murfreesboro Daily News Journal, the city council also passed a "community decency standards ordinance." That ordinance was repealed in December due to the lawsuit. 

 Also:

 . . . The $500,000 settlement compensates for harm caused and reimburse attorneys’ fees . . . and accept and process any future event permit applications from BoroPride organizers, according to the press release. The Murfreesboro city manager is prohibited under the terms from reviewing any future permit requests from the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), the press release said.

 "The parties filed suit in federal court after Tindall and Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland engaged in a yearlong, concerted anti-LGBTQ+ campaign to chill TEP and Murfreesboro residents’ protected speech and expression," the press release said.

Editor's note - I am reposting this list of the times in which drag queens and drag shows have been deliberately mischaracterized as x-rated by those on the right. A paper trail exists for those willing to seek it out:

Far right activists don't know the difference between a circus act and a drag show

Undercover investigators say no lewd acts were performed at drag show targeted by DeSantis

Taken out-of-context video fuels ugly lie about drag queens 'grooming' children

Drag performer sues far-right blogger alleging defamation over edited video 

BUSTED! Far right caught spreading false story that a drag queen exposed self to children 

Candace Owens can't even tell a good lie. Far right personality busted using fake photo of 'drag queen' 

Babylon Bee editor Seth Dillon caught spreading false story about a child tipping a half naked drag queen 

Silly conservative 'activist' doesn't know the difference between drag queens, drag kings, and strippers

'Libs of Tik Tok's Chaya Raichik has meltdown when called out again by NBC News' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

 

Libs of Tik Tok's Chaya Raichik being interviewed by Tucker Carlson (left) and attending the Jan 6th insurrection (right).

Editor's note - You ever had one of those days when you are ill AND there is a lot of stuff going on; so much so that you have to put out news briefs instead of focusing on one issue? Apparently, that's MY day today:

After Libs of TikTok posted, at least 21 bomb threats followed - More of the same from Libs of TikTok's Chaya Raichik. And she is reacting to the article with the self-pitying, hysterical junk we've come to expect from her. 

Oklahoma library book ban committee member absolutely spiraling after NBC news confirms at least 21 bomb threats followed her posts targeting teachers, librarians, and queer people. pic.twitter.com/6YnWl1gqxn

— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) February 7, 2024

Chaya Raichik is probably the saddest, most pathetic bigot I've ever come across in the 17 years I've had this blog. She's a hyperactive version of a repressed old maid in that she anoints herself as a guardian of morality, so she doesn't to face the fact that no one wants or desires her. By pointing an accusing finger at LGBTQ people, Chaya refuses to take responsibility for what makes her a repellent person. If she did, she would realize that her attitude is the problem. She exudes vitriol and hatred from every pore like body odor. Or maybe Chaya is fully aware of this fact and that makes her all the more sadly repulsive. Just like a snake can't ever change from being a snake, a hateful pig can't stop wallowing in the mud. 

 In other news:

Indiana launched an anti-LGBTQ+ tip line. Mayhem & memes started right away. - Darn. I missed out on taking part in the fun. 

Transgender bathroom bills are back. Does the nation care? - I personally think it's because the conservative make-up of the Supreme Court has made certain people bolder. 

Speaker Mike Johnson's long history with anti-LGBTQ+ Family Research Council extremist exposed (exclusive) - Haters generally stick together.

Survey: 90,000 trans people overwhelmingly say life improves after transition - Folks need to pay attention to what trans people are saying instead of trying to legislate their lives out of existence. 

Missouri Republican candidate torches LGBTQ-inclusive books in viral video - Some people simply make social media a drag.

Transphobia costs - South Dakota settles lawsuit with transgender advocacy group for $300,000 and a public apology

South Dakota and its governor Kristi Noem recently learned a very expensive and hopefully humiliating lesson about transphobic animus. A lesson which cost the state $300,000 and a public apology.

From The South Dakota Searchlight:

The state of South Dakota has issued an apology letter and a $300,000 payment to a transgender advocacy group for the abrupt cancellation of a Department of Health contract in 2022. Those are the terms of a settlement agreement inked Thursday in a federal discrimination lawsuit filed by The Transformation Project shortly after the cancellation. The group had a contract with the state, paid for with federal funds, to provide community health worker services to the LGBTQ+ community from its Sioux Falls headquarters. The cancellation came on Dec. 16, 2022, shortly after a conservative news outlet contacted Gov. Kristi Noem to ask why the state had signed the $136,000 contract.

And here is the clincher. 

The Transformation Project’s lawsuit cited Noem’s public comments on transgender people and her response to the conservative news outlet, made through spokesperson Ian Fury, as proof that the decision was discriminatory in nature. 

“The contract was signed without Gov. Noem’s prior knowledge or approval,” Fury told the outlet. 

 The state offered a series of alleged failures on the part of The Transformation Project as reasons for the cancellation, but the lawsuit argued that those reasons were meant to put “a thin gloss” of legitimacy on a discriminatory action. 

 The Searchlight said the settlement is over double the amount of the contract and also covers attorney fees. In addition: 

The community health worker hired through the contract, Jack Fonder, was also named as a plaintiff in The Transformation Project’s lawsuit. 

 As part of the settlement, the current Department of Health secretary wrote an apology letter to Fonder and the project’s director, Susan Williams. “On behalf of the State of South Dakota, I apologize that the Transformation Project’s contract was terminated and for treating the Transformation Project differently than other organizations awarded Community Health Worker contracts,” Secretary Melissa Magstadt wrote in the Jan. 17 letter. 

 She went on to “emphasize that all South Dakotans are entitled to equal treatment under the law — regardless of their race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, or sex.”

Noem is just one of the many Republican governors attempting to undermine the health and safety of the transgender community. Last year, she signed a bill into law which banned gender-affirming care for trans youth. 

Moms for Liberty now facing significant pushback against its agenda from other parents

This post is by no means an encouragement for pre-celebration, but yes Moms for Liberty is having significant problems right now. And it all comes down to the fact that more and more people are getting tired of the group's bullshit:

In Florida, where the right-wing Moms for Liberty group was born in response to Covid-19 school closures and mask mandates, the first Brevard County School Board meeting of the new year considered whether two bestselling novels – “The Kite Runner” and “Slaughterhouse-Five” – should be banned from schools. A lone Moms for Liberty supporter sat by herself at the January 23 meeting, where opponents of the book ban outnumbered her. 

 Nearly 20 speakers voiced opposition to removing the novels from school libraries. One compared the book-banning effort to Nazi Germany. Another accused Moms for Liberty of waging war on teachers. No one spoke in favor of the ban. About three hours into the meeting, the board voted quickly to keep the two books on the shelves of high schools.

 “Why are we banning books?” asked Mindy McKenzie, a mom and nurse who is a member of Stop Moms for Liberty, which was formed to counter what it calls a far-right extremist group “pushing for book banning and destroying public education.” “Why are we letting Moms for Liberty infiltrate our school system?” 

 Moms for Liberty, founded in 2021, expanded its mission to include efforts to ban certain books from schools, outlaw the teaching and discussion of gender and sexuality by teachers and halt the teaching of critical race theory. Now the group is at a crossroads.

 “One of their major challenges is the fact that most Americans are actually pretty positive about their own children’s schools,” Jack Schneider, a professor of education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said via email. “Although their message may have appeal in the abstract, at least to conservative voters, families aren’t clamoring for disruption in their own children’s schools.” 

 After effectively channeling conservative anger over cultural issues into action on the ground, from supporting candidates in school board races to spearheading campaigns against teachers, administrators and other political foes, Moms for Liberty’s burgeoning influence in Republican national politics may be faltering, observers say.

 . . . Jennifer Jenkins, who defeated (Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina) Descovich to win her seat on the Brevard County School Board in 2020, said the influence of Moms for Liberty is fading as more parents begin to question the group’s positions. 

 “I think that things have gone too far and people are finally standing up to say, you know, ‘This is my choice. These are my kids as well too. You don’t get to make these decisions for us,’” Jenkins said. “People are seeing, you know, news cycle after news cycle, the hypocrisy of the things that they advocate for and they say they stand,” she said.