The “Freedom” folks are on the march, hoping the seeds of hate they’ve sown will germinate in coming weeks toward reversing the civil rights gains of LBGTQ+ humans.
You’re not imagining things when it seems as though there’s a full court press in progress. Hateful commentary in right-leaning media, attempts to disrupt commerce, and a cornucopia of repressive laws, are inspiring acts of violence –whether literal or symbolic– aimed at generating fear about those who the theocratic right deems as undesirables.
Parker Malloy at The Present Age devoted the entirety of his most recent Substack to a detailed overview of the right’s efforts. Here’s a single snip:
Michael Knowles, also of the Daily Wire, delivered a speech during the May 24 episode of his show, explaining that the plan is to try to turn the public against LGBTQ people while using the power of the state to “ban some of this stuff and say no.” Knowles, you may remember, is the same man who delivered a fiery speech at CPAC in March calling to “eradicate” trans people
Here in California, flags are suddenly an issue, specifically those recognizing the advancements of LGBTQ+ people. Mind you, flags are very much a traditional part of acknowledging a valued segment of the population.
Cities with large ethnic populations regularly host national flags, and nobody makes a big deal about it. Vietnamese heritage flags line El Cajon Blvd here in San Diego. Mexican flags are part of the fabric of Old Town. Flying all these flags is supposed to be a feel-good kind of thing.
In the wake of propaganda characterizing LGBTQ+ people as dangerous to children and/or society at large, flying the Pride Flag along with a flag recognizing transgender humans has become a source of conflict.
Laura Lothian, the lone Republican on La Mesa’s city council, sent a memo to fellow council members and the mayor asking for only government flags to be flown at City Hall. She ended up not making a proposal during a recent meeting, in part because nobody on the city council indicated interest in seconding the motion.
In Carlsbad, council members voted on changing city policy to allow commemorative flags to be flown outside of City Hall, including the Pride flag. The motion failed when supporters were only able to muster 3 out of five votes; four votes is the threshold for changing policy.
An effort this week to fly the Pride flag at the administrative offices of the El Cajon Elementary School District was defeated because the motion failed as a result of a tie vote at the board.
From the Union-Tribune
Pride Month, typically celebrated in June, recognizes the LGBTQ community and its pursuit of equal rights. Many local governments and school boards in San Diego County and across the nation have approved displaying the flags along with the U.S. and state flags. South County cities have also flown Pride flags. Since 2019, the San Diego Unified School District has been displaying the rainbow Pride flag and a blue, pink and white transgender flag. The Sweetwater Union High School District has not displayed a Pride flag.
Ahead of June, Bishop said she introduced the motion because she’s observed “so much hate in this country right now” and believed that “to have a little safety in our district, to have a little safe space for these kids is so important.”
Fernandez echoed what several members of the public spoke to during the meeting that carried on late into the night.
“In my 24 years of teaching, I’ve come across thousands more kids and I’ve seen the struggles with LGBTQ youth and staff members,” he said. “So, if given the chance, I will vote for inclusivity and the feeling that love is universal.”
***
For information about San Diego Pride events (Held in July) go here.
***
At FiveThirtyEight.com, Kaleigh Rogers and Mary Radcliffe dive into the over 100 anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed in the last five years, noting half of them were enacted this year.
They note the targets of legislation have continuously changed, with new schemes popping up as old ones lose their shock value. Preemption (overriding local ordinances) was followed by religious exemptions, single sex facilities, personal identification, sports restrictions, civil rights, health care restrictions, and school restrictions.
(Chart via FiveThirtyEight.com)
As Pride celebrations near, Chrissy Stroop, writing at OpenDemocracy.net concludes this year’s events will include targeted violence and says it’s more important than ever to stand up to this hatred:
Even so, the sustained dehumanising rhetoric and legal restrictions targeting queer Americans are clearly taking a toll. And they serve to give tacit permission to those who wish to carry out violence against queer people. Many conservatives, to be sure, would not engage directly in intimidation or violence themselves, but by dehumanising queer folks and supporting the legal assault on our rights they show that they don’t in fact care one whit for our physical safety.
As I wrote last year, I would not deter anyone from going to Pride events. I think it’s important that queer and straight folks show up for the queer community in times as tense and dangerous as these. We need the joyful and uplifting spirit of Pride now more than ever, and self-censoring or staying home because of intimidation lets the fascists win. That being said, if you attend Pride events this year, my advice would be to stay vigilant, be aware of all the exits to any venue you may be in, remember “if you see something, say something,” and take whatever safety precautions you deem appropriate.
Today’s Rodeo of Factoids
Donald Trump May Soon Be Racking Up Indictments Like Nobody’s Business: Report Via Vanity Fair.
On Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported that “close associates” of Donald Trump expect the Justice Department’s Jack Smith–led investigation into his handling of classified documents to result in an indictment—which, for those of you keeping up at home, would make him the first president in US history to be indicted twice. (To be clear, he’s also the first president in US history to be indicted once.) And according to a new report, Trump’s own legal team is making just the same prediction.
***
Right Wing Media Attacked Fox News For Trans Policies. They All Have the Exact Same Policies. Via Mediaite, ALL these networks have HR policies designed to keep them in compliance with local laws.
Bigotry against trans-Americans is red hot in right-wing media circles. The Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney outrage-cycle was apparently enough of an audience hit that it has generated follow-up meltdowns, with the latest attacking retail giant Target for an incredibly benign pride month promotion.
Fox News has been an enthusiastic promoter of this anti-trans hysteria. Unfortunately for cable news network, ill-informed mob rule isn’t easy to control. And now the mob has come for them: right-wing website Daily Signal breathlessly reported this week that Fox News has inclusive internal trans policies.
***
Lauren Boebert says fighting 'hate and antisemitism' is code for going after conservatives Via Raw Story. An epic self-own if I ever heard one.
***
The Next Front in the GOP’s War on Women: No-Fault Divorce Via Rolling Stone
Republicans across the country are now reconsidering no-fault divorce. There isn’t a huge mystery behind the campaign: Like the crusades against abortion and contraception, making it more difficult to leave an unhappy marriage is about control. Crowder’s home state could be the first to eliminate it, if the Texas GOP gets its way. Last year, the Republican Party of Texas added language to its platform calling for an end to no-fault divorce: “We urge the Legislature to rescind unilateral no-fault divorce laws, to support covenant marriage, and to pass legislation extending the period of time in which a divorce may occur to six months after the date of filing for divorce.”
It’s not just Texas: A similar proposal is presently being workshopped by the Republican Party of Louisiana. The Nebraska GOP has affirmed its belief that no-fault divorce should only be accessible to couples without children. At the Republican National Convention in 2016 — the last time the party platform was overhauled — delegates considered adding language declaring, “Children are made to be loved by both natural parents united in marriage. Legal structures such as No Fault Divorce, which divides families and empowers the state, should be replaced by a Fault-based Divorce.”
***
You can follow me at:
Post —→DougPorter@wordsdeedsblogger
Tribel ——> DougP Porter@dougporter506
Mastodon ——> DougPorter506@mastodon.social
Spoutible —>@dougporter506
Facebook —----> https://www.facebook.com/WordsAndDeedsBlog
Email me at WritetoDougPorter@Gmail.com
Thank you, Doug. I am mystified by the RW fascination with what certain people do in their bedrooms while ignoring the sexual sins of their own RW. Pedophilia, adultery, sexual abuse and molestation, etc. I wish they were as concerned for the logs in their own eyes as they are the splinters they perceive to be in other people's eyes.