I'm sorry for all the non-asshole Missourians who did not vote for these kinds of shenanigans and for the children who have to live with this bigoted fuckery while just trying to live their lives. None of you deserve this kind of cruelty, and I'm sorry that a small minority of awful people are making your lives hell.
It continually stuns me, although it shouldn't, the depths of cruelty these people will engage in. I teach at the university level, and I teach Gen Ed writing (including First Year composition). Because I teach dual enrollment students (still in high school), if something like this passed in Alaska or NV or CT, where I teach, I would be in danger of being prosecuted. I would have to immediately resign rather than let them ruin my whole life. That leaves a whole lot of kids unprotected, and I would feel horrible about that, but I have my own adult children to consider. A convicted felon and sex offender? I don't have the money to hire the legal teams necessary to defend that.
Speaking as a Missourian, I would once again like to apologize for how stupid my state is. Something I find myself doing more and more these days. I think the best we can hope for is that the public is finally getting sick of the right's obsession with trans people. Unfortunately in a lot of deep red areas, that might not be the case. With the c-words for fascism losing over 70% of their races last year, we might be finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. That disastrous 60 Minutes interview didn't help either.
Its wild how the folks who are the least likely to ever encounter a trans person in real life (i.e. people in mostly rural areas - the kind of places that trans people often seek to get the hell out of as soon as humanly possible) are the ones who seem to be the most afraid of them. And yes, the bigotry underlying all of this type of legislation is borne out of nothing but fear.
That 60 Minutes interview was quite embarrassing for them. I was almost (ALMOST) mortified on their behalf. And then I remembered they were truly terrible people and was glad.
Is there a link to the 60 minutes interview? They've done several pieces on trans rights/discrimination, but nothing after last August. Is that the one you are referring to?
I've met queer libertarians who say Trump (and the GOP) are best for queer rights. With a straight face. And they're going to be the first up against the wall when the Christian Nationalists outlaw queers.
I know that there is a subset of the queer community, who aren't fond of being "linked" so to speak, to the trans community (they hate the "extra" letters" and lament how "their" flag has been co-opted) and I wonder if there is a strain of thought that suggests that they if they help to pile on against the trans community, "they" will be left alone in return? You know, the old "crabs in a bucket" mentality?
Of course history has shown time and again it never works out that way and yet.....
I believe The HRC had an extensive list of the shitty anti queer things Trump did / was involved with that the friend looked at. The friend actually quickly changed his tune. The conversation concluded with some form of the phrase, "we don't need straight people telling us how to think about bigots".
I don't run into him much anymore but I'm pretttyyy confident he's still voting red. Luckily, we are at least in a very blue city in a blue state, at least.
Another simple fact to consider: a middle schooler who identifies as gender fluid, trans, or queer does not pose a danger to your Chad and Missy or to you, Mom Who Hides Behind the Word Liberty.
It’s mentioned in the linked article, but worth repeating that sex offenders can’t be within 500 feet of a school; so this would end their careers. And worsen the teacher shortage (especially as it’s not like good teachers will be moving to MO to teach there if this goes into effect).
I went to high school in a very small Missouri town in the mid-1990s. I’m queer, although at the time just knew I was different, but I would have never ever come out there. There weren’t even rumors of anyone else queer in our high school—not because there weren’t any, but because it was life or death if you were different (being a religion other than Baptist or BIPOC, you were also isolated and bullied). So everyone was in the closet as far back as possible and you just white-knuckled through it till you could get out.
And then you have Texas AG Paxton still continuing his witch-hunt, first trying to get hospitals that do gender affirming treatment OUTSIDE of TX to send him all medical records for any TX resident. Now he’s trying to go after PFLAG and demand they send all documents relating to trans kids they have helped. (All of those entities are suing.)
And it just feels like these ghouls won’t stop until all LGBTQIA people are dead and buried. It’s absolutely terrifying.
Here's a tweet from a few years ago about a man who thought he might be gay and was considering self harm called an LGBT bookstore for support. While it falls under "heartwarming," I think it might also fall into the "orphan-crushing machine" category.
Making them register as a sex offender for using pronouns and preferred names???? A felony??? Truly horrific. I have friends in MO that this would impact, and i worry they are going to have to flee the state.
I assume, then, Missouri will also criminalize teachers calling a boy named Theodore Ted or Teddy. Or Bartholomew Bart. Nathaniel Nate. Or Robert Bobby. Or Bradley Jr. BJ. Okay, that last one they are DEFINITLEY criminalizing.
What in the 1984? War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
It's too many damned things. Sometimes I just want to spontaneously charter a bus to DC and sit in the middle of the street with my various protest signs (again so many issues!). I would do it, but I am so afraid 1) no one would join me on the bus; and 2) a meaningful number wouldn't join in the street. I'm not talking about taking time to spread the word and organize, I'm talking about just doing it because what is there to think about? We are being divided and conquered. Why be serial about the causes, just protest allll of the bullshit. Sigh. I can fantasize.
My fear is this: let's say this gets challenged and makes it way up to SCOTUS. We know what the result would be and I suspect the bill-sponsors do too. Same game as the new thing in Tennessee about "solemnizing marriages," it'll get challenged up into the conservative grasp of the SCOTUS and there it all goes, the rights and protections get torched.
I was going to say that the only upside here is that the way these laws are written it's like they're begging to be challenged in court, and so far at least they keep losing those challenges. But I think they see a future where the SC will codify their hate as the law of the land.
I'm sorry for all the non-asshole Missourians who did not vote for these kinds of shenanigans and for the children who have to live with this bigoted fuckery while just trying to live their lives. None of you deserve this kind of cruelty, and I'm sorry that a small minority of awful people are making your lives hell.
It continually stuns me, although it shouldn't, the depths of cruelty these people will engage in. I teach at the university level, and I teach Gen Ed writing (including First Year composition). Because I teach dual enrollment students (still in high school), if something like this passed in Alaska or NV or CT, where I teach, I would be in danger of being prosecuted. I would have to immediately resign rather than let them ruin my whole life. That leaves a whole lot of kids unprotected, and I would feel horrible about that, but I have my own adult children to consider. A convicted felon and sex offender? I don't have the money to hire the legal teams necessary to defend that.
Speaking as a Missourian, I would once again like to apologize for how stupid my state is. Something I find myself doing more and more these days. I think the best we can hope for is that the public is finally getting sick of the right's obsession with trans people. Unfortunately in a lot of deep red areas, that might not be the case. With the c-words for fascism losing over 70% of their races last year, we might be finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. That disastrous 60 Minutes interview didn't help either.
Its wild how the folks who are the least likely to ever encounter a trans person in real life (i.e. people in mostly rural areas - the kind of places that trans people often seek to get the hell out of as soon as humanly possible) are the ones who seem to be the most afraid of them. And yes, the bigotry underlying all of this type of legislation is borne out of nothing but fear.
That 60 Minutes interview was quite embarrassing for them. I was almost (ALMOST) mortified on their behalf. And then I remembered they were truly terrible people and was glad.
Is there a link to the 60 minutes interview? They've done several pieces on trans rights/discrimination, but nothing after last August. Is that the one you are referring to?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNaw_ZPsg7E
Thank you!
I, a Gay, recall a libertarian friend trying to tell my partner (an also Gay) and myself that Trump was the best president yet for queer rights.
I'm so tired of red voters saying they are for queer rights but voting for folks taking those rights and protections right the fuck away.
They're not. They are pissy little baby people that are completely fine with queer people being demolished.
I've met queer libertarians who say Trump (and the GOP) are best for queer rights. With a straight face. And they're going to be the first up against the wall when the Christian Nationalists outlaw queers.
I know that there is a subset of the queer community, who aren't fond of being "linked" so to speak, to the trans community (they hate the "extra" letters" and lament how "their" flag has been co-opted) and I wonder if there is a strain of thought that suggests that they if they help to pile on against the trans community, "they" will be left alone in return? You know, the old "crabs in a bucket" mentality?
Of course history has shown time and again it never works out that way and yet.....
May I ask, how they came up with that, what you replied, and if there was a mind change? I always hope to read that somehow people see the lilght.
I believe The HRC had an extensive list of the shitty anti queer things Trump did / was involved with that the friend looked at. The friend actually quickly changed his tune. The conversation concluded with some form of the phrase, "we don't need straight people telling us how to think about bigots".
I don't run into him much anymore but I'm pretttyyy confident he's still voting red. Luckily, we are at least in a very blue city in a blue state, at least.
Another simple fact to consider: a middle schooler who identifies as gender fluid, trans, or queer does not pose a danger to your Chad and Missy or to you, Mom Who Hides Behind the Word Liberty.
It’s mentioned in the linked article, but worth repeating that sex offenders can’t be within 500 feet of a school; so this would end their careers. And worsen the teacher shortage (especially as it’s not like good teachers will be moving to MO to teach there if this goes into effect).
I went to high school in a very small Missouri town in the mid-1990s. I’m queer, although at the time just knew I was different, but I would have never ever come out there. There weren’t even rumors of anyone else queer in our high school—not because there weren’t any, but because it was life or death if you were different (being a religion other than Baptist or BIPOC, you were also isolated and bullied). So everyone was in the closet as far back as possible and you just white-knuckled through it till you could get out.
And then you have Texas AG Paxton still continuing his witch-hunt, first trying to get hospitals that do gender affirming treatment OUTSIDE of TX to send him all medical records for any TX resident. Now he’s trying to go after PFLAG and demand they send all documents relating to trans kids they have helped. (All of those entities are suing.)
And it just feels like these ghouls won’t stop until all LGBTQIA people are dead and buried. It’s absolutely terrifying.
The cruelty is the point. Their thinking is they can either make children conform by force, make them hide who they are or eliminate them.
Any of those alternatives are acceptable to them.
Here's a tweet from a few years ago about a man who thought he might be gay and was considering self harm called an LGBT bookstore for support. While it falls under "heartwarming," I think it might also fall into the "orphan-crushing machine" category.
https://thepinknews.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2019/03/story_gay_man_rang_lgbt_bookshop_self_harm_viral_-382x900.jpg
Making them register as a sex offender for using pronouns and preferred names???? A felony??? Truly horrific. I have friends in MO that this would impact, and i worry they are going to have to flee the state.
Missouri sucks for kids. I live here but would love if the cities could secede from the state.
The Guardian also has an OpEd today: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/07/missouri-anti-trans-bill-teacher-sex-offender
I assume, then, Missouri will also criminalize teachers calling a boy named Theodore Ted or Teddy. Or Bartholomew Bart. Nathaniel Nate. Or Robert Bobby. Or Bradley Jr. BJ. Okay, that last one they are DEFINITLEY criminalizing.
That's Jamie **Ray** Gragg, to you dirty libs!
I just rabbit holed this MF and he's exactly what you think he is.
They always are.
Pig-fucker? Pig-fucker.
My maternal grandmother's family are from there (SWMo) - they are indeed the nastiest righteously-acting sadistic pig-fuckers.
What in the 1984? War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
It's too many damned things. Sometimes I just want to spontaneously charter a bus to DC and sit in the middle of the street with my various protest signs (again so many issues!). I would do it, but I am so afraid 1) no one would join me on the bus; and 2) a meaningful number wouldn't join in the street. I'm not talking about taking time to spread the word and organize, I'm talking about just doing it because what is there to think about? We are being divided and conquered. Why be serial about the causes, just protest allll of the bullshit. Sigh. I can fantasize.
I think that the powerless need to gain power -- it's going to be a rough period in America's history, and they need to strap in.
Mind you, I don't know how they can gain that power.
Peeking in on Reddit, my favorite place to keep track of these things, some of them are arming up.
Lawyers in the crowd .... Isn't this just a publicity stunt? I can't imagine this bill would stand up against a 1st amendment challenge. Right? RIGHT?
My fear is this: let's say this gets challenged and makes it way up to SCOTUS. We know what the result would be and I suspect the bill-sponsors do too. Same game as the new thing in Tennessee about "solemnizing marriages," it'll get challenged up into the conservative grasp of the SCOTUS and there it all goes, the rights and protections get torched.
This would seem to be infringing on protected speech methinks. Not to say it isn't horrible, but yeah, wouldn't the 1st Amendment apply here?
Hopefully the ACLU is gearing up to sponsor the defense of teachers.
I was going to say that the only upside here is that the way these laws are written it's like they're begging to be challenged in court, and so far at least they keep losing those challenges. But I think they see a future where the SC will codify their hate as the law of the land.