Gay Marriage / LGBTQ Rights / Equality Act

[shannon]

Many of the anti-trans bills are being pushed behind the scenes by groups trying to mandate conversion therapy, and make it the only allowed treatment for gender dysphoria.

Which makes sense when you realize they would far rather have dead kids than live trans kids.

[Resume18]

Many of the anti-trans bills are being pushed behind the scenes by groups trying to mandate conversion therapy, and make it the only allowed treatment for gender dysphoria.

Which makes sense when you realize they would far rather have dead kids than live trans kids.

Emboldened by their success in limiting women's reproductive health options, these folks are now going to tell health care professionals how to best treat yet another vulnerable, marginalized population.

Or in words, business as usual for these right wing pieces of shit.

[shannon]

Emboldened by their success in limiting women's reproductive health options, these folks are now going to tell health care professionals how to best treat yet another vulnerable, marginalized population.

Or in words, business as usual for these right wing pieces of shit.

Yep. And they're using the anti-trans hate in attempts to codify their unpopular position on abortion.

Abortion Is So Popular Republicans Are Inventing Conspiracy Theories to Trick Americans Into Voting Against It

"In Ohio, political ads intoned that malicious entities from out of state were arriving to “encourage sex changes for kids.” In Wisconsin, Republicans distributed a video that claimed a child was “transitioned into a boy by school officials without parental consent.” And in Michigan, millions of dollars went into ads that warned “minors as young as 10 or 11” could be sterilized without “their parents even knowing.”

All would be resolved, the ads assured, if voters just sided with conservatives at the ballot box. But in reality, “parental rights” were not on the ballot in any of these states. Instead, all three votes had enormous implications for access to abortion.

This is the new playbook. Using the specter of child corruption and social contagion, Republicans are attempting to manipulate parents, scapegoat trans and queer people, and erode multiple axes of bodily autonomy, all in one fell swoop. It does not appear to be a particularly effective tactic, as the recent right-wing efforts failed in each of the three states that tried it. But initiatives like Promise to America’s Children, a coalition of far-right groups that has advanced anti-trans legislation in states across the country, are putting money behind these fearmongering tactics. These groups believe that by agitating conservatives and uniting voters against a trans boogeyman, they can get people to ignore their own support for (or indifference to) abortion rights and eagerly line up to give those rights away."

I'm pretty much waiting for them to openly state that LBGTQ+ kids and adults are "Life Unworthy of Life"

[neonzx]

Via email from hate group leader Mat Staver:

Kim Davis never dreamed her public service would lead to federal prison. What landed Kim behind bars had roots in a deathbed discussion she had with her mother-in-law four years before.

“I wasn’t a good woman, but I was a good mom,” says Kim of that earlier time in her life. She’d been married and divorced multiple times. But as Kim’s mother-in-law lay dying, she begged Kim to get right with God.

“I went to church to fulfill her dying wish,” Kim says. “There I heard a message of grace and forgiveness and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.”

That message changed Kim’s life. “I am not perfect. No one is. But I am forgiven,” she says. Because of that grace, Kim fell in love with the Lord, and realized she “must be obedient to Him and to the Word of God.”

The bucolic life of Eastern Kentucky would soon become ground zero in the culture wars and known worldwide. Kim served her county well in the Clerk’s office for nearly 27 years.

On Friday, June 26, 2015, five activist lawyers in Obergefell v. Hodges invented “same-sex marriage.” Just days later, Kim Davis had a big decision to make — violate the deathbed promise and her devotion to the Lord or use her name and authority to sanction something God did not.

Eight years later, the couples who could have gotten their marriage licenses from any other County or Clerk but chose to target Kim are targeting her again. These folks now want to SUE Kim into bankruptcy.

In response to our emergency request to review this case in 2020, Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said: “This petition implicates important questions about the scope of our decision in Obergefell.”

“Since Obergefell,” Justice Thomas continued, “parties have continually attempted to label people of good will as bigots merely for refusing to alter their religious beliefs in the wake of prevailing orthodoxy.”

Jury selection will begin September 11 for our case defending Kim. Former Kentucky Gov. Bevin once said, “When history called upon Kim, she was both ready and willing to respond. Will the same be said of you?”

We intend to take Kim’s case back to the Supreme Court to (1) win the right to religious accommodation, and (2) overturn Obergefell.

Help us defend every American’s RIGHT to religious freedom. Help us overturn Obergefell. If we allow even one person’s religious liberty to be stolen, then ALL our freedom is at risk. Please, give generously today and a special Challenge Grant will DOUBLE the impact of your gift.

Rather obviously, Kim Davis never went to “federal prison.” She spent a few days in the county lockup for contempt of court. Upon her release, then-presidential candidate Mike Huckabee held a grandstanding press conference, welcoming Davis to the stage as Survivor’s “Eye Of The Tiger” played, a stunt that later cost Huckabee $25,000 when the band sued him.

h/t JoeMyGod.

[Resume18]

In response to our emergency request to review this case in 2020, Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said: “This petition implicates important questions about the scope of our decision in Obergefell.”

“Since Obergefell,” Justice Thomas continued, “parties have continually attempted to label people of good will as bigots merely for refusing to alter their religious beliefs in the wake of prevailing orthodoxy.”

What's the issue here? Gay marriage against your religious beliefs, don't get gay married. Easy-peasy. When you refuse to do your job because of your religious beliefs, you're imposing those beliefs on others, and fuck you. Kim Davis wasn't asked to get gay married, or perform a gay marriage, she was asked to issue a wedding license. She refused, was contemptuous, and went to the Graybar for a few nights.

Religious freedom doesn't mean you get to shit on others at your whim.

ETA: Although this SCOTUS may just set said shitting into precedent.

[Frater I*I]

Via email from hate group leader Mat Staver:

On Friday, June 26, 2015, five activist lawyers in Obergefell v. Hodges invented “same-sex marriage.” Just days later, Kim Davis had a big decision to make — violate the deathbed promise and her devotion to the Lord or use her name and authority to sanction something God did not.

There was a third option...resign for not wanting to do your job, no compromising of your religious beliefs if you quit...

Mat Staver...the Dumbest Lawyer in America, Not Named Larry Klayman...

[RTH10260]

The doG neither mentioned any kind of paperwork required for cohabitation

[Uninformed]

Thought this best posted here.

Beau of the Fifth Column re BOP assigning Jessica Watkins, the transgender Oafkeeper sentenced to 8.5 years for their part in Jan 6, to a male prison.

[Ben-Prime]

Beau of the Fifth Column re BOP assigning Jessica Watkins, the transgender Oafkeeper sentenced to 8.5 years for their part in Jan 6, to a male prison.

100% agree with Beau's stance on this.

[Kriselda Gray]

100% agree with Beau's stance on this.

I'd prefer not to watch the video, could you give me a brief summary of their stance?

[pipistrelle]

100% agree with Beau's stance on this.

I'd prefer not to watch the video, could you give me a brief summary of their stance?

I guessed he’d support sending her to a woman’s prison. He does.

[Kriselda Gray]

100% agree with Beau's stance on this.

I'd prefer not to watch the video, could you give me a brief summary of their stance?

I guessed he’d support sending her to a woman’s prison. He does.

Thanks

[Ben-Prime]

Yes. More specifically because of his reasonings:
1. We're better than the other side who wouldn't.
2. Tactically, helping a conservative transgender woman fight to go to a woman's prison instead of a men's prison is more likely to benefit from a quiet passivity from the other side who wouldn't want to be seen on the whole asking to do wrong by one their side's heroes; i.e., they may not actively fight to agree with sending her to a woman's prison, but they won't fight as hard to oppose it as they would if she were a leftie. Hence, it creates the precedent to drive policy.

I agree with both, wholeheartedly.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

I agree wholeheartedly also. Beau calls upon us to be humane.

[neonzx]

I also agree with Beau on this.

And if she was smart, she would be reaching to the other side of the aisle and not the extreme RW crazy of the likes of Jim Jordan and MTG. They are not going to help her here. Maybe some Dems could realize the value in standing with her. It's an 8 year sentence in Federal prison. She IDs as female so give her that dignity.

[shannon]

She's a seditionist and should be spending a long time in a womans prison.

But she don't seem to get it. While the people she's begging for help from might think she's a "hero" and "political prisoner" for being a J6 seditionist, they also hate her for being transgender and think she should be in a mans prison FOR being trans, if not dead for the same reason.

Trans Jan 6 rioter is begging Marjorie Taylor Greene to get her into a women’s prison.

This is an amazing example of "I never thought leopards would eat MY face", to be honest.

She won't ask the people who would want to help her because she sees them as the enemy, and is begging for help from people who loathe her very existence.

[shannon]

My take on OathBreaker Jessica Watkins.

Should she be in prison? Absolutely.

A women's prison.

Here's the thing. She has been transitioning since 2004. I don't know (or care) what flavor of trans she is, (ie I don't know if she's doing HRT, I don't know if she's had FFS (facial feminization surgery), I don't know if she's had "top" surgery, or any flavor of "bottom" surgery.

A significant number of transgender people never have any form of surgery.

The irony is she may very well be getting her gender affirmative care though the VA, and the people she's begging for help want to prevent the VA from providing such. Or, for that matter, federal prisons.

Her prison sentence shouldn't include forced detransition.

Transgender people are at a higher risk of sexual assault, and a higher risk of violence. "Trans Panic" is still a justifiable defense in many states for murder. Add to that the assault rate in prison, and well...

To put it bluntly, her prison sentence shouldn't include rape.

Many men's prison uniforms are jumpsuits, zip up the front. To use the bathroom, she would have to bare her torso in public - and if she's had HRT or breast augmentation, that means she's going to be on full display.

And if she's had any form of genital reconstruction, sexual assault could very well be fatal, depending on how violent the rapist was.

Is she an idiot? Yes. A seditionist? Yes. Should she be in prison? Yes.

But that should be a woman's prison. A man's prison, and she could very well be handed a death sentence from suicide, sexual assault, or flat out murder.

[shannon]

This is my complete and total lack of anything even remotely like surprise.

Suspect in killing of storeowner over LGBTQ flag was far-right conspiracist who promoted Christian nationalism

"They “show that the shooter had fully embraced a wide range of conspiracy theories—from claiming the 9/11 attacks were staged to suggestions that former first lady Michelle Obama is a man to denying climate change. He also posted content opposing gun control measures.”
He also shared “anti-LGBTQ content, reposting and responding to content shared by right-wing figures like commentator Matt Walsh and fringe networks like One America News.”

(Snip)

That social media account also posted or reposted anti-abortion, anti-vaccine, and anti-police comments.

The Texas Observer’s Steven Monacelli noted that the account that bears the suspect’s name on X “shared anti-LGBTQ content online including a post from Protect Texas Kids, an anti-LGBTQ activist group led by a self-described Christian Fascist.”

Also:

Man Who Shot Store Owner for Flying Pride Flag Was a Far-Right Conspiracist

[shannon]

People in or from California might remember Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that prohibited same-sex marriage in California. A large amount of money flowed into California to support it, and it passed as a result. (It was later ruled unconstitutional)

Well, the same playbook is being followed now by groups and activists trying to restrict the rights of transgender youths and adults in California. (Side note, while California has the largest transgender population in the US, the second and third largest until this year were Florida and Texas, respectively)

The group is misleadingly named "Protect Kids California", and was started by "Students First California", a group that protested against lockdowns and vaccine mandates in California during COVID. It's also being pimped by the far right neo-nazi group "Moms for Liberty"

California Republicans To Try Anti-Trans Ballot Initiatives - Prop 8 All Over Again?

"The three initiatives that will be proposed include:

• Forced outing of transgender youth to their parents, ensuring that trans kids cannot have safety or privacy in schools if they are not ready to come out to family. Often these policies also include violations of privacy for the student when they discuss their gender identity with school counselors.

• Banning of transgender youth from sports that match their gender identity, stigmatizing them and often forcing them out of sports altogether. Notably, these provisions typically fail to differentiate between high-stakes elite competitions and casual middle school teams. They also generally don't provide for pathways to participation like hormone therapy, a method that has been researched and employed to address concerns of potential "unfair advantages" in competitions. California, which allows youth to access gender affirming care, will have youth who never underwent the puberty of their assigned sex at birth who would also be banned under this provision.

• Banning gender affirming care for trans youth shown to be lifesaving. Gender affirming care is associated with a 73% reduction in suicidality and over 50 studies assembled by Cornell University show its benefits. California is one of several states that has recently moved to protect transgender youth and their medical care, and such a restriction would impact a large number of transgender kids in the state."

I will note that only 30% of transgender youth feel safe coming out to their parents. And transgender youth care (the protocol for which is puberty blockers and therapy only until the age of 18), has shown a marked decrease in suicide rates.

[Volkonski]

Canada, citing potential dangers, warns LGBTQ travelers of US risks

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ ... 023-08-29/

Canada, citing the risk of potential dangers, is advising LGBTQ travelers planning trips to the United States to check how they might be affected by recently passed laws in some states, Ottawa said on Tuesday.

Anti-LGBTQ demonstrations in the United States last year rocketed 30-fold compared with 2017 and legal moves to restrict LGBTQ rights are on the rise.

Canada's travel advisory for the United States now includes a cautionary message for those who consider themselves two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning or intersex - or 2SLGBTQI+ for short.

"Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons," the advisory says. "Check relevant state and local laws."

The advisory did not specify which states it was referring to.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, asked why the advice had been updated, said the government employed experts "to look carefully around the world and to monitor whether there are particular dangers to particular groups of Canadians."

[shannon]

This is from 2017, discussing how to use transgender rights as a wedge to break apart the LBGTQ+ community, and make it easier to go after LGB people after they cut away transgendered people

Values Voter Summit Panelist: ‘Divide & Conquer’ To Defeat ‘Totalitarian’ Trans Inclusion Policies

"For all of its recent success, the LGBT alliance is actually fragile, and the trans activists need the gay rights movement to help legitimize them. Gender identity on its own is just a bridge too far. If you separate the T from the alphabet soup, we’ll have more success."

[shannon]

And from 2021

The Far Right and Anti-Trans Movements’ Unholy Alliance

"The anti-trans feminist movement was founded in the 1970s by a manifesto that declared: “The problem of transsexualism would best be served by morally mandating it out of existence.” It now lives by the operational imperative that the ends justify the means.

This alliance makes sense, however, when you realize that these same supposed feminists regard transgender people as an existential threat worse than any other. Kellie-Jay Keen (a.k.a., “Posie Parker”) is a special advisor to the board of WoLF, and a founder of Standing for Women, two supposedly feminist organizations. In a recent video, she declared that alliances with the Right were worth any cost, even the end of abortion rights, so long as the transgender menace is defeated. Keen herself has no issue engaging with white supremacists to promote anti-trans theories, having appeared with Holocaust deniers and on white-nationalist podcasts. It thus seems inevitable then that they would seek out and find fellow travelers who have the most practical experience “morally mandating” hated minorities “out of existence.”

There seems to be a growing focus by violent white nationalists on transgender people. These organizations are separate from, but adjacent to, the Christian right. Not surprisingly, there’s a strong connection between evangelical beliefs and white supremacy. However, these groups put whiteness and “Western Civilization” ahead of Christianity in their sales pitch."

[Slim Cognito]

I don’t have a business, but I may have to order a bunch of rainbow decals to put in all my windows.

Apparently, there are some Florida lawmakers who want to ban businesses from putting rainbow decals in their windows that indicate safe places for LGBTQ people.

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/63 ... ount-dora/

[pipistrelle]

I don’t have a business, but I may have to order a bunch of rainbow decals to put in all my windows.

Apparently, there are some Florida lawmakers who want to ban businesses from putting rainbow decals in their windows that indicate safe places for LGBTQ people.

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/63 ... ount-dora/

Sounds like a 1st amendment issue.

[raison de arizona]

Where freedom goes to die...

Florida judge allows restrictions on adult transgender care to take effect

A Florida judge has denied a motion to temporarily block a portion of a state law that restricts access to gender-affirming health care for adults, dealing a blow to transgender individuals in a state whose medical care has been significantly disrupted by a slate of policies adopted by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

Florida in May joined more than a dozen other states in banning gender-affirming health care for transgender minors under legislation signed by DeSantis. The law, Senate Bill 254, also set up significant barriers for transgender adults to get needed treatment.

https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/4200 ... ke-effect/