Donald Trump becoming worn down by his own transphobic gaslighting

Donald Trump and the Republican Party is leaning heavily into transphobia in order to scare people the polls. Reports have said that the GOP is spending over $21 million on anti-trans ads which are running heavily in battleground states.

One of the top ads pushed by the Trump campaign this month attacked (Kamala) Harris for supporting "taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners," the ad stated. 

The goal seems to be turning election into a referendum on trans rights and backing Harris into some sort of corner over her support of the trans community. However, Harris and her campaign hasn't taken the bait. One thing probably helping her is that voters aren't really that interested in the issue. 

In fact, according to The Hill, voters may feel the opposite: 

 More than half of voters surveyed this month by Data For Progress said political attack ads targeting the trans community have gotten “out of hand” — including nearly a third of Republicans, whose candidates are largely responsible for the ads. Just more than 60 percent of surveyed voters, including a majority of independents and 41 percent of Republicans, said it is “sad and shameful” for GOP candidates to make anti-LGBTQ rhetoric a part of their campaigns, according to the poll, which was released Thursday. 

 Nevertheless, Trump continues to beat the drum of transphobia. One claim he has repeatedly made on the campaign trail and in interviews is that schools are actually performing surgeries on trans kids:

 “I want one person and a secretary to just make sure they’re teaching English,” he said of his intentions for the Department of Education. “Reading, writing and arithmetic. No transgender, no operations. You know, they take your kid. There are some places, your boy leaves for school, comes back a girl. Without parental consent. What’s that about?” 

This claim of course has been debunked and laughed at continuously, but Trump seems to have a psychological inability to admit when he's wrong. He repeats the lie because perhaps he thinks he can gaslight people into believing something, no matter how ludicrous it sounds or how many times it's been disproven. 

 But if you ask me, I think Trump's attempt is becoming comically undone. He's gaslighting so hard that he's tripping himself up. This clip from an interview he did with Joe Rogan on Friday illustrates just how much the repetition of the lie is breaking him down:

Trump: The transgender operations where they are allowed to take your child when he goes to school and turn him into a male… pic.twitter.com/s6G23QhH7U

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 26, 2024

Transcript: 

The transgender operations where they are allowed to take your child when he goes to school and turn him into a male…into a female without parental consent. 

This right here is the bullshit we're up against and to paraphrase a very wise former president - "Don't boo. Don't laugh. VOTE." 

Gay Republicans recently held a Trump rally. And it was a d@mn embarrassment.

There was some type of "Gays for Trump" rally Tuesday in Charlotte, NC. It went about as you would think. 

From NBC Out:

A gathering of roughly 100 Donald Trump supporters on Tuesday evening was intended to woo LGBTQ voters. But among the few gay men in attendance, LGBTQ issues were not a top priority. “I’m not voting because of marriage equality, LGBTQ rights,” said Gage West, 23. “I’m voting because I want more money in my wallet. I want my community safe, and I want to be able to raise a family and know that they’re going to be safe in the future.” 

 In the half-empty hotel ballroom where the event took place, there were no rainbow flags, preferred pronouns were mocked and gay men were vastly outnumbered by their straight counterparts. The event was one of several similar gatherings held in swing states this month by LGBTQ conservative group the Log Cabin Republicans, dubbed the “Trump UNITY” tour.

 . . . Several LGBTQ attendees at the event, nearly all of whom were white gay men, told NBC News they were unbothered by LGBTQ issues being mentioned only briefly or not acknowledged at all by the evening’s speakers. Trump UNITY events have been held in the last two weeks in major cities of battleground states, including Georgia, Wisconsin and Michigan. 

The article goes on to say that while Lara Trump showed up at this rally and spun more lies about the 2020 election being rigged, Trump himself didn't show up. The article also said that Trump hasn't shown up at any of these rallies nor has plans to.

 But hey, there was dancing: 

 Trump fundraiser Bill White, who also spoke at the Charlotte event and is openly gay, pushed back on naysayers who question the former president’s commitment to the LGBTQ community. He challenged critics to attend one of Trump’s rallies, where Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” frequently blasts out of the speakers.

 “What does the guy do at every rally?” White said at the Charlotte event. “He puts his hands in the air and does his dance moves to the unofficial gay national anthem for crying out loud.” 

 White then recorded the Charlotte audience dancing to the song, which he said he would later share with the former president. When asked what they hoped a second Trump presidency might accomplish for LGBTQ Americans, gay Trump supporters said they believed society and the government were already free of prejudice against the LGBTQ community.

 Lastly, and in a wonderful move, after the article quoted various attendees saying things as ridiculous as White did, it added the following: 

 As president, Trump banned transgender Americans from enlisting in the U.S. military. His administration also ended some discrimination protections for LGBTQ people in school and in health care settings. Both policies were reversed during the Biden administration. 

 If elected again, Trump has vowed to reinstate his former policy barring trans people from enlisting in the military, to abolish gender-affirming care for transgender minors — which he equated to “child abuse” and “child sexual mutilation” — and to roll back Title IX protections for transgender students “on Day One.” 

In recent weeks, he has also repeated false claims that students are undergoing transition-related surgeries during the school day. His campaign has aired ads in recent weeks slamming Vice President Kamala Harris’ prior support for inmates receiving transition-related medical care in federal prisons.

For those who have a strong stomach or a taste for events reminiscent of slow moving train crashes, feel free to read the entire article here. 

'Election choices divides family members of late Rev Billy Graham' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

Franklin Graham's hypocrisy has been a hallmark of his supporting Donald Trump.

I'm Billy Graham's Granddaughter and I'm Voting for Kamala Harris - Good for her because her uncle has been bending over backwards to kiss Trump's ass. 

Case in point - 'Evangelicals for Harris' Goes to War With Franklin Graham

21 transgender and nonbinary politicians making history in state legislatures - History makers.

Republicans' unprecedented anti-LGBTQ+ attacks highlighted in new HRC Congressional Scorecard - Ugh, but unfortunately not a surprise. 

Worried by fall of Roe v. Wade, organizers get same-sex marriage on the ballot in three states - Good idea.

20 queer horror TV shows to watch this Halloween 2024 - Happy Halloween, folks.

PICTURES: Famously Hot South Carolina Pride 2024 is latest success for Palmetto LGBTQ community

 For 34 years, Famously Hot South Carolina Pride has never failed to excite. Saturday was no exception in its streak of successful and wonderful Pride celebrations in Columbia, SC. I'm not a photographer, but still took the liberty of taking the following pictures. No commentary (okay maybe a little) is necessary to remind folks how empowering and necessary Pride events for all of us.

Maybe a word or two about these guys. No one knows where they came from, but as you can see, they didn't disrupt anything. I think it was the first Pride protestors I've seen in years. Folks laughed at them, music drowned them out, and basically very few people engaged with them. They were gone within the hour. No harm, no foul. Apparently, a multitude of LGBTQ people throwing shade in one place is a mutant power.

What The Ricki Lake Show did for the LGBTQ community

The Ricki Lake Show was a popular talk show in the 90s. It was fresh and vibrant, but also dealt with serious issues. Issues involving the LGBTQ community were popular when featured on the show. However, unlike other talk shows like Donahue and Oprah, The Ricki Lake Show was less stodgy in the way it amplified the community. Instead of longwinded discussions with experts and activists, Lake's show featured ordinary people who talked about contemporary day-to-day or contemporary cultural issues instead of political ones.

Some folks may accuse the show of exploiting and stereotyping LGBTQ people. In all honesty, I can see that. BUT it was more relatable to me and a lot of other younger folks whether they were LGBTQ or heterosexual. And it was wonderful to watch us being presented in a way which did not feel like an Inquisition.

Below are just a few clips:

    

'Televangelist Kenneth Copeland: Homosexual lesbian spirits must be defeated in the election' & other Mon/Tue news briefs

Kenneth Copeland

Kenneth Copeland: Homosexual Lesbian Spirits Must be Defeated in Election​ - Far right hypocritical pastor Kenneth Copeland threatening us with a good time. Homosexual lesbian spirits taking over sounds like another very good reason to vote FOR Kamala Harris to me. 

 For those asking who Kenneth Copeland is, it's this jackass: 

 Copeland, the founder of Eagle Mountain International Church, is the wealthiest pastor in the US with an estimated net worth of $760 million. He lives in a tax free 18,000 square foot mansion. He has a fleet of private jets. He heads a huge congregation and had his sermons and services broadcast on Victory Channel and other religious channels for years. Whenever it is time to add to his fleet of aircraft, he explains to his congregation that it was God's will for them to private the money for it. 

 More about that here:

Wealthy televangelist explains his fleet of private jets: 'It's a biblical thing' 

In other news:

Queer bar devastated by Hurricane Helene raises more than $191,000 to rebuild - Good for them! 

Fox News guest: Trans athletes are not “a pivotal issue” in 2024 - Conservatives are bending over backwards in their attempt to make it one. 

North Haven Pride calls for support of LGBTQ community after officials say substitute was fired - A ridiculous action against a substitute teacher fires up LGBTQ folks.

'Trump, Republicans making $60 million transphobic gambit to distract from the economic issues during election' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

We all knew it was a lie when Trump pretended to support the LGBTQ community in 2016.

Republicans are betting on transphobia to win the 2024 election for Donald Trump​ - Since Trump has no issues to run on, Republicans are spending more than $60 million on spreading lies about transgender Americans for this election. Apparently scaring folks about trans people are 'kitchen table issues' now instead of the economy, healthcare, and immigration. 

The GOP is spending millions on transphobic ads. Polls suggest it may backfire.- More on this issue. I hope it does backfire. 

Melania Trump's Fundraiser With Gay Organization: Everything We Know - Log Cabin Republicans? Of course. Talk about your ironies. These fools think Trump won't treat them the same way he's treating the trans community. In some states, he already is. 

Nico Lang’s American Teenager humanizes the children who bear the brunt of anti-trans legislation. - Shout out to my friend, Nico Lang. Buy his book. I've got a copy and it is excellent.