Supporters of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill can't even get their lies straight

The fact that Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill was going to become law was a given from the start because Republicans outnumber Democrats in both legislative houses. But opponents of the bill consistently - and accurately - pushed that fact that the bill unfairly targets LGBTQ people. 

The supporters of the bill tried to push two opposite messages and that didn't work out for them. There were some who claimed that the bill doesn't target LGBTQ people, such as hate group The Family Research Council:

But they have been severely undercut by other supporters of the bill who say that it does target LGBTQ Floridians. Supporters such as Fox News host Laura Ingraham who dog whistled about the 'gays want to recruit' children trope :

And the drafter of the bill, Florida legisaltor Dennis Baxley, who admitted that the bill was created because of how  'concerned' he was about kids coming out:

After hours of denying his bill singled out gays, Senator @dennisbaxley admitted the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill was drafted because he was personally concerned so many kids today identify as gay and see themselves as “celebrities.” @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/VI9cGiBNiN

— Jim DeFede (@DeFede) March 8, 2022

So while the bill will most likely become law, its opponents won a huge moral victory. The goal of the bill was to shut down LGBTQ voices. On that score, it's already failed. 

'Tennessee's 'Don't Say Gay' bill less vague, specifically targets LGBTQ people' & other Thur midday news briefs

Republicans in Tennessee advance their version of “Don’t Say Gay” - And here we go. More direct though. It's more direct that Florida's bill. That helps us. 

Defending Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Fox’s Tucker Carlson says teachers who talk to kids about gender identity should “get beaten up”​ - Please. I would kick Tucker's ass. Who is he to talk about such things.

Education Secretary reminds Florida governor that federal law trumps the “Don’t Say Gay” bill - Damn right. 

LGBTQ youth suicide prevention group to expand to Mexico - Definitely needed. 

Gay Democrat Challenges GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert With Vow to End 'BS' - Good luck to him.

Disney feeling the pressure as its CEO now denounces 'Don't Say Gay' bill (after it is approved by the Florida legislature)

Florida's LGBTQ community and their allies are winning the fight in spite of passage of the 'Don't Say Gay' bill.

UPDATE - Disney also pledged to donate $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign. HRC is saying no thank you until 'meaningful action' is taken against Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill.

It looks like anger of Disney's inaction about Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill has yielded some success. 

According to CNBC:

The Walt Disney Company is now publicly opposing Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill. On Wednesday, CEO Bob Chapek addressed the company’s stance on the bill and acknowledged that its original approach “didn’t get the job done.” Chapek told shareholders that he will meet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney will donate $5 million to organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, that work to protect LGTBQ+ rights.

 . . . Disney has faced pressure for not opposing the bill publicly, particularly after it was determined that the company provided financial support for some of the bill’s backers in the state legislature.

Variety had this to say:

“The governor heard our concerns and agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss the ways to address them,” Chapek said during Disney’s shareholders meeting Wednesday, when he confirmed for the first time Disney’s opposition to the bill, which would limit discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

“Gov. DeSantis committed to me that he wanted to make sure that this law could not be weaponized in any way by individuals in the state or groups in the state to unduly harm or target gay, lesbian, nonbinary or transgender kids and families,” Chapek said, when asked by a shareholder during the Q&A what he expects to come up the meeting with DeSantis. DeSantis was “very open” to learning about how to prevent the law from being “weaponized” to target LGBTQ people in Florida, according to Chapek.

DeSantis' office had this to say:

UPDATE: Full response from DeSantis.

His staff says no meeting has been schedule with Disney and that "Florida parents who take their kids to Disney" should support the bill because they don't want their kids exposed to "inappropriate content about sex and gender theory" pic.twitter.com/28dVKFTFEW

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 9, 2022

Let's not bulls!t ourselves here. If DeSantis had truly cared about the bill targeting people, he would have taken steps about it long before Chapek called him. And if Chapek hadn't felt the pressure from Florida's LGBTQ community and their allies, Disney wouldn't have ever changed its position. 

Disney's shift demonstrates how Florida's LGBTQ community and its allies have been winning this fight. The passage of the 'Don't Say Gay' bill was assured from the beginning because Republicans outnumber Democrats in the state legislature. The real question was would the vote be easy or painful.  And those who opposed the bill have been very successful in making it as painful as possible by consistently arguing that the bill targets LGBTQ kids and families.

Supporters of the bill have yet to create an argument which proves this notion to be false. Some of have claimed that the bill doesn't target LGBTQ people because the words 'LGBTQ' or 'gay' isn't specifically in the bill. But then they undercut this argument by doing what DeSantis - and his spokesperson did - by specifically mentioning LGBTQ people or implying that those opposing the bill are 'pedophiles' and 'groomers.'

Disney's capitulation also proves that threats to the purse strings means more to some people than doing the right thing. But if that's what it takes to get things done, then I'm all for it. If we can't appeal to people's hearts to do us right, then we should aim at the pocketbooks. A backtrack and a promise of funding is nice, but it is by no means the end of it. Only a start. Disney is going to have do to more than that.

'LGBTQ authors of banned books speak out why their stories matter' & other Wed midday news briefs

LGBTQ authors of banned books speak out on why their stories matter​ - The across the board undermining of LGBTQ lives will be vigorously fought on all fronts.

South Dakota Ban on 'Divisive Concepts' in Education Heads to Governor - Another Republican exploiting fears about LGBTQ people for higher office.

Florida GOP senator claims 'LGBT is not a permanent thing' during debate on 'Don't Say Gay' bill - People like this is why the bill is becoming a law. 

Conversion therapy costs U.S. over $9 billion a year, study finds - Reframing of post from yesterday. Ca-ching.

Supporters of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill aren't protecting children. They are desperately trying to preserve an illusion.

So 40 years after Anita Bryant's 'Save the Children' nonsense, Florida hasn't learned a thing. Except for how to reframe bigotry.

In the 70s, folks defeated gay rights ordinances by claiming we 'recruit' children.  On Tuesday, the state just passed a bill attacking LGBTQ kids and families by implying that we are trying to 'groom' children.

It just goes to show that bigotry and ignorance don't change. These things can be repackaged but underneath is always the same rotten core of hate.

The 'Don't Say Gay' bill, which will soon be signed by Governor DeSantis, is nothing more than a pathetic nocturnal emission. It's an annoyingly long last gasp from a group who wants to confine the complexities and worthiness of LGBTQ lives to their fevered imagination where we fluctuate between objects of pity or disgust. They see us as sideshow freaks to be observed for their amusement when they want an inflated sense of self-esteem or pleasure when they want to feel 'naughty.' Any deviation we make in their pristine illusionary world is a invasion which causes them to figuratively grab the kids and put them in safe rooms. To these folks, we are akin to Peg Powler, Jenny Greenteeth, and all of those mythical water spirits in various cultures and as such, our sole desires are to snatch up children who venture to close to our world.

What nonsense.

All of this Helen Lovejoyish  screeching (Oh won't someone please think of the children!!)  and nonsensical cries of 'let kids be kids' (what the hell does that mean anyway) is faker than  hair at a beauty shop. The bill as written is deliberately vague in talking about what isn't  or isn't allowed but very direct in talking about penalties. It's meant to send a negative message to LGBTQ people and our kids that we are the 'dreaded other.' 

But it also sends another interesting message.

Supporters of the 'Don't Say Gay' bill are weaponizing so-called parental concerns because LGBTQ people who won't conduct our lives in accordance to their lurid stereotypes are a danger to them.  We simply won't abide by their false image of who we are.

And why should we censor our lives for their benefit? We are normal, no matter how many times they accuse us of being abnormal. We have lives and jobs. We date. We pay taxes. Some of us are raising children.  And we shouldn't feel the need to hide any of this.

So what if our refusal to play the villainous roles in some people's daily drama threatens them. That's their problem. It is not our job  to make anyone feel safe in their pretend reality where all couples - married and unmarried - are heterosexual and where kids never hear a word about relationships (except for when they are chasing each other on the playgrounds, or teasing each other about 'liking someone,'  or when they read fairy tales with princes and princesses, or watching Disney movies etc, etc) while also assuming that all families look the same. 

It's not the responsibility of LGBTQ people or our families to curb our reality in order to conform with someone else's illusions. And no laws will ever change that reality.

So while the supporters of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill will get their law, I would advise them to enjoy it while they can as long as they can. Because their victory was pyrrhic and at best, they've done nothing of substance but make us mad.

And LGBTQ people know how to fight while mad.  It suits us.

Related post - Government officials relied on lies to target trans kids and their parents in Texas. It wasn't the first time.

'Study says 'ex-gay therapy' is harmful to LGBTQ people and costly to society' & other Tue midday news briefs

Conversion therapy is harmful to LGBTQ people and costs society as a whole, study says​ - No kidding! Yeah, I know. But we always have to repeat stuff like this cause those who oppose us always ignore these facts when they repeat their lies.

In rebuke to Brian Sims, Pa. LGBTQ leaders back his straight opponent - Drama in Pennsylvania involving an gay lawmaker. Just what we need (that was sarcasm).

I’ve witnessed Laura Ingraham inflict pain on LGBTQ people for decades. I know her for what she is.- Evil always has roots. 

Jeopardy! champ Amy Schneider says lack of trans representation kept her in the closet far too long - And now she has become the trans representation who inspires the community. Very fitting. 

Out Olympian Paul Poirier wants to change narratives around sports and inspire LGBTQ people to be their true selves - 

'Anger over Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill puts Disney in the doghouse

Disney wants LGBTQ business but will not condemn Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill.

As Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill nears passage (and it probably will pass), the Disney Corporation is in trouble. And for good reason.

From The Advocate

As Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill — which would ban discussion of LGBTQ+ topics in primary grades — rapidly moves closer to becoming a reality, Disney has come under increasing scrutiny for its history of donating to the politicians behind the bill and its apparent intention to continue doing so. 

 Under the mounting pressure, Disney CEO Bob Chapek affirmed to employees today that the company “unequivocally” stands with its LGBTQ+ workers and says that there’s more the company needs to do in that regard. At the same time, Chapek made his case for why the company isn’t speaking out more in a memo sent to Disney staff. 

 “On Friday, I met with a small group of Disney LGBTQ+ leaders to discuss controversial legislation pending in Florida that would impact their communities,” Chapek wrote. “I want to be crystal clear: I and the entire leadership team unequivocally stand in support of our LGBTQ+ employees, their families, and their communities. And, we are committed to creating a more inclusive company — and world. I understand that the very need to reiterate that commitment means we still have more work to do.” 

 Chapek went on to explain that the reason Disney hasn’t made a public statement is that he feels they do “very little to change outcomes or minds. Instead, they are often weaponized by one side or the other to further divide and inflame. Simply put, they can be counterproductive and undermine more effective ways to achieve change.” 

 While Chapek addressed previous donations in the memo, he made no specific promises as to how this aspect of Disney’s operation might change in the future, only that they are being reassessed. “Geoff Morrell, our new Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, will be reassessing our advocacy strategies around the world — including political giving — as he begins to integrate the communications, public policy, government relations, and CSR teams,” Chapek wrote.

I know what you're probably thinking and I agree. Those are nothing but weasel words from a company who has a very high LGBTQ clientele. And as many times as I and others in the community have defended Disney from the attacks by the religious right, it's not wrong for us to cry out that the company is betraying us when it supports politicians who want to erase us.

This beef with Disney isn't over by a long shot.  And that's a good thing in general. The bill may pass but it has awakened our community. Granted, I wish our community had been as awake when folks began passing those anti-trans bills, but I won't dwell on that. At least not now.

The important thing is that we are now aware of the attack on all LGBTQ people. A 'Don't Say Gay' bill in Florida, a directive attempting to put the affirming parents of trans youth in jail for child abuse - all of it is connected.

This is a war on LGBTQ people and it's time that we recognize. And act accordingly.

'Idaho bill would make it a felony to give minors transition-related care' & other Mon midday news briefs

Idaho bill would make it a felony to give minors transition-related care​ - And the war continues. Keep it up, y'all. It will crash down on your heads. 

Brittney Griner has reportedly been detained in Russia for weeks - This is NOT good. 

LGBTQ refugees fleeing Ukraine face discrimination in countries with anti-gay laws - Well this is depressing. 

March's most entertaining and binge-worthy queer movies and shows - Might as well take our minds off of the nonsense of real life every now and then.

DeSantis spokesperson - If you oppose the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, you're probably a pedophile or have complicity in pedophilia

Christina Pushaw thinks that if you oppose Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill, you're a pedophile.

The Don't Say Gay' bill in Florida has nothing to do with protecting children. It's all about exploiting people's fear and ignorance of LGBTQ people. It's about accommodating homophobia, transphobia and basic bigotry. Most of all, it's about erasing the lives of certain people to fit false preconceived notions about gays and sexual intercourse for the purpose of gaining political power.

And thank you, Christina Pushaw for proving that point. Who is Ms. Pushaw? She is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's spokesperson and she sent the following tweet on Friday (tweet saved by journalist Judd Legum before she blocked him):

And on Sunday, she makes it worse (because apparently backing down and admitting that you are wrong is not an attribute in politics)

This is the reality. In spite of what the supporters of this bill claim, Pushaw's tweets rings through as fact. The bill specifically targets LGBTQ people while hiding behind the 'protecting children' lie. When people hear the word 'gay,' they automatically think about sexual intercourse and when they hear about transgender people, they automatically think about surgeries. The truth behind being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, etc encompasses more than surgeries or physical carnality. 

But the Florida bill isn't about these complexities and facts. It's about whittling down LGBTQ lives to weaponized soundbites. It's about stigmatizing and smearing LGBTQ people for predatory purposes. It's no secret that DeSantis wants to run for president. And Pushaw is doing everything she can to ride his coattails even if it means building a road to the Oval Office paved with the lives damaged by the 'Don't Say Gay' bill.

Supporters of this bill don't care about the school officials it confuses, nor the LGBTQ  families it scares and erases. And they definitely don't care about the LGBTQ kids potentially damaged by a part of the bill which says if they confide in school officials, the officials have to tell their parents. They don't care about the forced silence the bill could subject these kids to or their potential depression or suicide. And they definitely don't care about the abuse or neglect these children could be subjected to if they are outed to their parents.

They simply repeat nonsensical mantras about "'recruiting" or "grooming" and things like "let kids be kids" and "parents know best." The supporters of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill seem to think that repeating these things will drown out the voices of those the bill will hurt.

Because as long as they don't have to hear these voices, they don't have to care.

'Disney heir calls out company's silence over anti-LGBTQ Florida bill' & other Fri midday news briefs

Disney heir calls out company’s silence on anti-LGBT Florida bill​ - Disney, we NEED to talk.

Watch: Anti-Trans Jeff Younger Heckled as "Fascist" by Students - These young folks aren't taking any nonsense. Good for them. 

Trans swimmer Lia Thomas speaks out on scrutiny, controversy - It's about time folks hush and hear from her instead of boggarting the situation.

Iowa becomes 11th state to enact a transgender sports law - What a load of horse sh!t. 

Government officials relied on lies to target trans kids and their parents in Texas. It wasn't the first time. - This bears repeating.

Students walk out in Florida while President Biden himself rips Texas as anti-LGBTQ controversies in both states explode

The dual fights in Florida over the 'Don't Say Gay' bill and in Texas over Gov. Greg Abbott's attempt to take trans children away from their affirming parents are past the point of heating up. We're talking Dante Inferno's territory here.

In over 20 Florida schools, students staged walkouts in protest of the 'Don't Say Gay' bill and their presence was felt.

RIGHT NOW | Students at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg are walking out of class in protest of the controversial so-called #DontSayGay bill moving through the legislature, which limits instruction on sexual orientation, gender identity in schools. @10TampaBay #DSGWalkout pic.twitter.com/RovcSSEh2n

— Josh Sidorowicz WTSP (@JoshWTSP) March 3, 2022

Thousands of students across the state are refusing to watch their classmates (or themselves!) be erased by the legislature. They're demanding an end to #DontSayGay .

Are you listening, lawmakers? @GovRonDeSantis @WiltonSimpson @Kathleen4SWFL #FlaPol #DSGWalkout pic.twitter.com/mZ6u9lkvAb

— Equality Florida (@equalityfl) March 3, 2022

Students in Florida today rallied against the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" by by declaring, "WE SAY GAY."

(video from the amazing folks at @equalityfl) pic.twitter.com/62rXI1S4Aa

— GLAAD (@glaad) March 3, 2022

According to The Daytona Beach News Journal: 

 "Say gay! Say gay! Say gay!"

 That's what more than  500 students chanted at Flagler Palm Coast High School's stadium Thursday morning while waving pride flags in a walkout protesting House Bill 1557. The bill is a controversial measure that would prohibit school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

 And this situation is far from over. 

'Long-time enemy of LGBTQ people suspended by Twitter for transphobic tweet' & other Thur midday news briefs

It's safe to say that Vicky Hartlzer never met an LGBTQ person she liked.

Twitter suspends Missouri Senate candidate for hateful conduct after transphobic tweet​ - By the time you read this, she will probably be off suspension. 

 And who is Vicky Hartlzer? A vicious enemy of LGBTQ people. Because of 'Jesus' of course: Congresswoman with extensive record of homophobia now helping 'ex-gay' group lobby on Capitol Hill

In transgender people, GOP candidates find latest 'wedge issue' - And now, she and others are designating trans Americans as collateral damage on their hopeful road to higher office. 

Biden: ‘Onslaught’ of state laws targeting transgender Americans ‘simply wrong’ - At his Tuesday State of the Union address, President Biden called out the targeting and attacks on transgender Americans. 

Social media posts about LGBTQ politics might actually be making you dumber - Good thing I'm not a social media influencer. You gotta have a significant number of followers for that. LOL

Government officials relied on lies to target trans kids and their parents in Texas. It wasn't the first time.

TX attorney general Ken Paxton issued a transphobic legal opinion which was based on cherry-picked science and misleading claims.

(UPDATE - a judge in Texas has temporarily blocked Gov Abbott's transphobic directive)

I wish I could say that the following released information surprises me. But it doesn't. Nor am I surprised about how it is being pretty much ignored by the media and left to languish.

From The Forth Worth Star-Telegram:

The Texas attorney general’s recent legal opinion that called transgender health care for minors “child abuse” cited sources in a misleading way and drew parallels that researchers say simply do not exist, according to an analysis by the Star-Telegram. 

Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a legal opinion on Feb. 18, saying that certain types of gender-affirming health care, including puberty blockers and surgery, should be classified as child abuse when used for minors. Several days later, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a letter directing state agencies to investigate transgender health care for youth as abuse.

 In his non-binding opinion, Paxton cites a number of sources, including research articles, to bolster his argument. Researchers say some of these citations were inaccurate. One researcher said Paxton distorted her work for political purposes and that she’s “mortified” her research was included in the opinion. 

 Alexandra Minna Stern, a professor of history at the University of Michigan, studies the history of forced sterilization in the United States. Paxton’s office drew a parallel between forced sterilization and gender affirmation surgeries for minors. “I’m adamantly opposed to this interpretation and it does not align with my research and the conclusions of my research,” she said. “If they knew anything about my scholarship more generally, they would know that I am someone whose research demonstrates the harm of the very types of policies they’re trying to enact on marginalized people.”

Apparently, Professor Stern's information was not the only legitimate science when Paxton distorted. The entire article is worth a good read. Particularly when one takes into account that this is not the first time this sort of thing has happened.

On more than one occasion, conservatives and others on the right have distorted science, relied on cherry-picked science and just out-and-out lied about public controversies to create a groundswell of support for their anti-LGBTQ positions. And to help get anti-LGBTQ legislation passed.

In November of last year, a USA Today article pointed out how conservative and right-wing groups were relying on bad evidence to pass bills keeping trans women and girls from competing in sports. Their "evidence" included claiming that a cisgender girl was transgender simply because she had a short haircut and claiming that cisgender female athletes in general were having scholarships stolen from them without providing any proof that this was taking place.

In 2017, then president Donald Trump announced a ban on trans soldiers in the military. The ban was heavily pushed by Republican  Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo). Hartzler, who has an extensive history of attacking the LGBTQ community, even provided 'evidence' that trans-related healthcare was too expensive for our military to sustain. 

However, CNN found an issue with her 'evidence.'

Hartzler also told  (CNN anchor Wolf) Blitzer . . .  that she had concerns about the cost of medical treatments for transgender service members in the military. “I’ve looked at this issue very, very closely, and this policy is going to cost $1.35 billion over the next 10 years alone, just for sex reassignment surgeries for the transgender members of our service,” Hartzler said. 

 When pressed further by Blitzer about how Hartzler calculated her cost estimates, the Republican lawmaker responded: “Well, our own office did that analysis and we feel very confident in it. There’s one that’s been done by the Family Research Council that says $3.7 billion. So the question is, though, should we be spending any tax dollars to do gender reassignment surgeries when we have soldiers who don’t have body armor or bullets?”

. . . But a 2016 think tank study by the RAND Corporation commissioned by the Department of Defense contradicts Hartzler’s assessments. The study found that the costs of transition-related treatments are “relatively low” with an increase by between $2.4 million and $8.4 million annually. The study also found that there are between 1,320 to 6,630 active-duty transgender service members, but only a small percentage, between 29 and 129 service members, “will seek transition-related care that could disrupt their ability to deploy.”

And aside from these two examples, there are numerous other examples of conservatives and far right groups distorting science and research to smear the LGBTQ community. The goal is to make the passage of anti-LGBTQ laws and directives - like the recent one in Texas, the bills against trans athletes,  the 'Don't Say Gay' bill in Florida, Trump's ban on trans military members, etc - easier by creating this idea that we are dangerous and 'regular people,' especially children, need to be protected from us.

In 2017, the The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine  (SAHM) called out Dr. Michelle Cretella, the president of the American College of Pediatricians (ACEP), for a piece she wrote which attacked the transgender community. ACEP  is an organization deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for how it attempts to legitimatize anti-LGBTQ lies under the veneer of science. SAHM called out eight errors and distortions  Cretella made in her piece.

In 2012, Seton Hall professor Dr. Theodora Sirota complained that Rick Fitzgibbons of the NARTH (the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality) misused her work to make the case that children in same sex households are not raised better than children "in stable homes with a mother and a father."

Six researchers of a 1997 Canadian study (Robert S. Hogg, Stefan A. Strathdee, Kevin J.P. Craib, Michael V. Shaughnessy, Julio Montaner, and Martin T. Schehter), complained in 2001 that religious right groups were distorting their work to claim that gay men have a short life span.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has called out conservative and far right groups for spreading lies and horror stories about LGBTQ people. The organization has designated several of these organizations, like the American College of Pediatricians, as hate groups because of their attacks on the LGBTQ community. 

'Firefighters clap back at homophobic comments in viral TikTok' & other Wed midday news briefs

Firefighters Clap Back at Homophobic Comments in Viral TikTok - Hilarious! Sometimes it's the seemingly small acts of pro-LGBTQ defiance which makes it all better. 

Activism Grows Nationwide In Response To School Book Bans​ - Batten down the hatches. More fun. 

Montana House candidate Zooey Zephyr is ready to fight for the trans community - I hope she wins. 

Sam Elliott goes on epic rant trashing “piece of sh*t” gay movie ‘Power of the Dog’ - Aw Sam, shut up.

ACLU, Lambda Legal steps in with lawsuit for family feeling the brunt of Texas investigation of trans children and their parents

This right here is some HEAVY bullsh!t and I am too angry to be scared. Those who are scared, please know that I am not calling you cowards. You have a right to your fear. Don't lose hope because this will not stand. Meanwhile, I've got enough rage right now for everybody. Just call me the Santa Claus of rage.

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Texas governor Greg Abbott over his directive to investigate supportive parents of trans children for child abuse.

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department for Family and Protective Services and Governor Greg Abbott for implementing a directive to investigate parents that provide gender-affirming care to transgender children. 

 In a Feb. 22 letter, Abbott ordered the DFPS to investigate gender-affirming care among youths in the state following an official declaration from state Attorney General Ken Paxton who also called it "child abuse." The DFPS promptly announced that it would comply with Paxton and Abbott's directive. The department told ABC affiliate KVUE there were no investigations into such alleged "child abuse" before Abbott's directive. DFPS Commissioner Jaime Masters is also listed as a defendant in the complaint.

 

The lawsuit, announced by the ACLU and LGBTQ group Lambda Legal, is on behalf of a parent (who is named Jane Doe) of a trans child (who is named Mary Doe) and an employee the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services(dig the irony) . Her statement in the petition (pgs 20-24) is downright chilling.

Over 150+ companies announce their opposition to Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill as it pass Senate committee

 

Even though Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill may still become law, there is no question that it has galvanized the state's LGBTQ community.

Not to mention over 150 companies

And now @Marriott , @HiltonHotels , @AmericanAir , @Airbnb join 150+ other companies in opposition to anti-LGBTQ legislation like the Don't Say Gay bill in Florida and others around the country.

Full letter & list of signees: https://t.co/lLXGVyIiad pic.twitter.com/z1rG1xPBjb

— Equality Florida (@equalityfl) February 28, 2022

The bill made it out of a Senate committee meeting.

By a vote of 12-8, Don't Say Gay passes its final committee. It will now go to the Senate floor.

GOP Sen. @JeffreyBrandes joined Democrats in voting no. pic.twitter.com/hjrLO37UxT

— Equality Florida (@equalityfl) February 28, 2022

But it got righteously wrecked during the meeting by people speaking against it. 

"It is always age appropriate to talk about the fact that we exist."@JoeSaunders4FL with @equalityfl hitting at what critics say is the root of the issue with #DontSayGay bill -- the insinuation that any discussion on LGBTQ = sex. @10TampaBay pic.twitter.com/S9Fq15XGeO

— Josh Sidorowicz WTSP (@JoshWTSP) February 28, 2022

Public testimony persists nearly an hour in. An overwhelming number of those in attendance oppose the Don't Say Gay bill. Including students who traveled 7 hours from South Florida. pic.twitter.com/0U9WrIaOQa

— Equality Florida (@equalityfl) February 28, 2022

. @senpizzo is angry that after delaying a bill analysis for days, no one from @EducationFL was sent to help explain their analysis of the bill.

3 months after removing LGBTQ anti-bullying resources from their website, they are absent on Don't Say Gay. pic.twitter.com/WJFSaakm1t

— Equality Florida (@equalityfl) February 28, 2022

Sen. @LeaderBookFL , a former educator: Florida educators are not indoctrinating young children...these are professionals.

Leader Book notes that we trust teachers to be educators, first responders, and even security guards. We should trust them to teach. pic.twitter.com/yvm3dpxdJ4

— Equality Florida (@equalityfl) February 28, 2022

So while Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill is a travesty and may still become law, it has motivated many in the state to speak out, publicly defending themselves and their LGBTQ family members and friends. 

And the LGBTQ kids standing up for themselves is icing on the cake. 

'Right-wing media blaming LGBTQ equality for Russia's invasion of Ukraine' & other Mon midday news briefs

Right-wing media blame LGBTQ equality, “pride flags” for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - They blame us for everything else. Why not this. 

Conservatives freak out because teachers won’t be able to look up students’ sexes anymore - 'Conservatives freak out' is turning out to be a very consistent headline.

How Texas' war on trans youth feels when you have a trans child - This war on trans kids and their affirming parents must end. 

SCOTUS Nom Ketanji Brown Jackson Has Nearly Flaw-Free LGBTQ+ Record - Just when I thought I couldn't get any more pumped up and happy about Justice Jackson's nomination.

Rinse and repeat cycle - Right-wing entities create another false panic about trans women and little girls

 

To coin an overused phrase, "it's a story as old as the hills."

• An alleged incident (usually involving kids) takes place which seemingly puts the LGBTQ community in a negative light. 
• There is a overinflated media controversy instigated and exploited by right-wing entities and 'concerned parents'  which dominates the airwaves. But when it's all said and done, the controversy generally turns out to be nothing. But the damage is done. 
• There are no apologies, right-wing entities slink away whistling nonchalantly with their hands in their pockets, suddenly the concerned parents  aren't so concerned, and the LGBTQ community and their allies are left to pick up the pieces after being attacked, insulted, and lied on with no apology or recompensement  of any type forthcoming.

And then the cycle repeats itself. 

Case in point, a a recent situation at a school in California. 

According to a Feb 19th issue of  The Los Angeles Blade:

A three-day overnight science camp for fifth-grade girls in the San Bernardino Mountains near Running Springs has erupted in controversy after a group of parents found out that non-binary counselors slept in the same cabins. A group of parents of students at Weaver Elementary School in Los Alamitos are upset with the Los Alamitos Unified School District after their children informed them that “biologically male counselors,” who use they/them pronouns, were sleeping in the same cabins as the girls.KTLA 5 reported that one parent Rachel Sandoval, said: 

“I contacted the school and asked them if they were able to confirm that there was not a man actually sleeping in the same cabin as the girls. They were not able to confirm that.” The parents told the station that they weren’t alleging that a crime was committed just that the omission of the policy of the camp was not disclosed. Speaking with KTLA, Emmi Teige, the assistant director of Camp Pali said, “Per California law, we place staff in cabins they identify with.”

Notice the statement Sandoval claimed she put to the school - “I contacted the school and asked them if they were able to confirm that there was not a man actually sleeping in the same cabin as the girls. They were not able to confirm that.”

 The manner in which she phrased her concern to KTLA makes it automatically sound as if  school officials were hiding something or were inept. The truth is probably based upon policy, the school couldn't give her a definitive answer at the time she reportedly asked. With a situation that serious, I'm guessing that school officials would have had to investigate before giving anyone any definitive answer.

As it was, neither Sandoval nor any of the other parents had to allege that any crime was committed. That detail was conveniently left up to various members of  the right-wing media. The allegations caused a firestorm with many on the right extrapolating and manipulating parental fears with false allegations complete with lurid headlines (Editor's note - the headlines below are accurate but I will not provide a link to any of it):

Parents Enraged After School Allows Biological Male “Transgender” Counselors to Share Cabins with Young Girls at Science Camp 

 WATCH: PARENTS OUTRAGED TO LEARN BIOLOGICAL MALE CAMP COUNSELORS SLEEPING IN SAME CABIN AS FIFTH GRADE GIRLS

Non-binary biological male counselors allowed to sleep in fifth-grade girls' cabins at science camp 

Parents are furious after biological male, non-binary counselors slept in rooms with little girls

With school officials not being able to give an answer before a complete investigation but the parents and the right-wing media free to do interview after interview or twist the situation, false stories were bound to fly wide and far before truth even came out.

And now comes the hook. According to KTLA, the school district investigated and found the following:

. . . on Monday, a spokesperson sent KTLA a statement indicating there had been no biologically male counselors in shared cabins with female students at the camp that they are aware of. 

 “While counselors may have used the pronouns, they/them, the use of these pronouns is not restricted to biological males. Biological females also use those term,” the statement read. “Pali Institute is an equal opportunity employer and always has been, with diversity and inclusion among its core values. Its commitment to diversity and inclusion applies equally to its students. Pali Institute’s priority is and always has been to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of its students, with strict rules and guidelines that govern staff interaction with students.”

It's convenient that the complaining parents said that they weren't alleging that a crime was committed but have a problem with camp policy. That "cover your ass" statement allows them to continue to attack school officials and the camp for its policy. As if the policy was the problem instead of their ignorance and hysteria.

And it also allows the far right to continue to rile up rage about schools and LGBTQ people.

The Los Angeles Blade also said:

The Los Alamitos Unified School District has had LGBTQ+ issues escalate previous to this incident. Tensions ran high in the Los Alamitos Unified School District after parents learned that a teacher at Oak Middle School at the start of the school year asked his students to let him know what their preferred pronouns are during classes. 

 . . . The battle over the use of pronouns in the Los Alamitos Unified School District is reflective of controversies in thousands of school districts across the United States over the past 14 months, driven in part by severe disagreements over requirements for face masks and vaccinations to battles over the rights of Transgender students.

Five TX district attorneys are refusing to follow Abbott's directive targeting trans kids and their parents

While the vast majority of attention is focused on Putin's invasion of the Ukraine, LGBTQ Americans are reminded that there are forces in the country intent on giving us hell. 

On Thursday, the Florida House passed that awful 'Don't Say Gay' bill. It will now go to the Senate where it is unfortunately expected to pass. And Gov. DeSantis will most likely sign it into law. But that battle is still far from over. 

Meanwhile in Texas, an awful directive by Gov Gregg Abbott targeting trans kids and their parents is meeting a resistance. 

 According to The USA Today:

District attorneys representing five of Texas' largest counties on Wednesday said they will not treat gender-affirming procedures for transgender youth as "child abuse," defying a push by the state's attorney general and governor to target the medical treatments. 

 The news comes a day after an order from Gov. Greg Abbott mandated the state's child welfare agency treat gender-affirming procedures as "child abuse," a move with potential legal consequences for both parents of transgender youth and any teacher or other authority figure who interacts with a trans child. The district attorneys said they believe Gov. Abbott's order — and the legal opinion by Attorney General Ken Paxton on which the order is based — constitute "an egregious invasion of privacy."

Abbott's order has generated chaos around the state with parents of trans kids. Some fear that they will be prosecuted and have their children taken away.  According to Time magazine, some parents are already receiving messages claiming that they have been reported. 

Such as Lisa Stanton:

When Lisa Stanton looked at her phone on Wednesday morning, she felt like she’d been “physically punched.” The day before, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a letter directing the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to conduct “prompt and thorough” investigations into the families of trans and gender expansive youth who’ve received gender-affirming care, asserting that the care can “legally constitute child abuse.” 

 Stanton and her family have long been public about their 11-year-old daughter, Maya, being trans. Maya testified in the state capital in 2021 against proposed legislation that would have criminalized gender-affirming care. And when Stanton opened her phone Wednesday morning, she saw a wall of social media messages from strangers saying they’d already reported her to Protective Services. 

“I know I’m a good parent,” says Stanton, who lives in Houston. “My child is happy and healthy and thriving, and I know that what I’m doing is right for her.” Yet the messages still terrified her.

And celebrities are beginning to weigh in. Celebrities such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Elliot Page, Kerry Washington and Gabrielle Union criticized Abbott for his order..

“This is where we are,” Union tweeted Tuesday. “We shot past dangerous and horrific a long time ago. The rubber has hit the road so who is standing shoulder to shoulder in this fight?” Trans inclusivity is a cause close to Union's heart. The "Bring It On" star's 14-year-old stepdaughter, Zaya, came out as transgender in February 2020.

'GOP candidate tried to get Russia to help him unseat openly gay Congressman' & other Thur midday news briefs

GOP Candidate Sought Russian Help to Unseat Gay Rep. David Cicilline​ - He failed.

Texas governor calls on citizens to report parents of transgender kids for abuse - In case you haven't heard . . . this is madness. 

11 Gay Men We Want to See Win Acting Oscars - Yep, yep, yep! 

This movie about homosexuality in the Middle East is sparking major outcry in Egypt - My hat goes off to them. This is bravery.