Democratic strategist Maria Cardona just put on a masterclass on how to respond to Republican lies while debating Republican commentator Scott Jennings on the subject of immigration and Republicans cruelly sending asylum seekers to other states against their will. MeidasTouch co-founder Jordy Meiselas breaks it down.
The DOJ just submitted an updated evidence log with Special Master Federal Judge Raymond Dearie pursuant to his prior court order. Judge Dearie has ordered Donald Trump to submit a sworn affidavit in response to this evidence log by no later than September 30.
The DOJ filed a motion for summary judgment in its lawsuit for replevin (return of property) against former Top Trump aide Peter Navarro who use a private server to send government emails and refuses to return the emails to the government.
OK I want to note that at the time the right wing religious people are demanding it is grooming to say gay or talk about gender and that teachers who do so are pedophiles, this Christian school had an assignment of 8 year old taking nude pictures of themselves or having someone else take a nude picture of them in a bathtub with a book. This article is about a girl whose mother refused but there are boys in this class also. How many pervy kids pictures got floated around that school and on the internet? But mentioning LGBTQ+ or letting kids pick their own pronouns is the real threat to kids in schools? Hugs
“This just does not sound OK,” said the girl’s mother
When mother Misty Dunham saw the assignment from teacher Irene Castaneda, she wrote a note back to the teacher saying her 8-year-old daughter would do no such thing:
“I emailed the teacher ‘Hey, you may want to explain that. Send something out to the parents. Let them know what the intentions are.’ This just does not sound OK,” Misty Dunham said. “She did send out a message saying, ‘you should be in pajamas, be in your uniform, have fun with it.’ But, it didn’t sit right.”
Actually, what Castaneda wrote (according to a police report) was “We have been sending this homework assignment home for years, and you’re the only one complaining about it. Just cover your child in pillows or pajamas then.”
As if a picture of a clothed or covered-up child was the exception to the rule.
What the hell were people sending her in the past? (Actually, that’s a valid question for another reason. The school’s Facebook page says Castaneda was hired in August. So how does she know no one else has complained about it?)
If the goal was to have a little fun with the reading homework by having Victory Christian Academy parents take a picture of their kids reading in the bathtub with clothes on and no running water, that should’ve been specified. It wasn’t. When Dunham spoke with other parents about the situation, they were equally flippant, saying things like “Just cover your child up with something.”
Everyone was treating Dunham like she was ruining the fun rather than admitting she had a point.
That’s when Dunham and her husband reached out to the school’s administration as well as the local sheriff’s office. They just wanted to document their concerns more than anything else. (It’s not like anyone was going to be charged with wrongdoing over this.) A police officer advised them not to complete that portion of the assignment.
The story should have just ended there. It was a poorly-explained assignment that rightly upset these parents, the teacher should’ve apologized and clarified, and everyone could have moved on.
But days later, the family received a call from an administrator urging them to withdraw their child from the school. When they refused to do that, he said the school would kick her out anyway:
“(He said) ‘I think you guys should do a parental withdrawal for the child.’ I said, ‘I can’t. I can’t do that. We refuse to withdraw her,’” Misty Dunham said. “He said, ‘OK thank you for saying that,’ and continued on saying that, ‘Well, we’re going to proceed with an administration withdraw.’”
Pastor Jesse Latta later explained to Action News Jax’s Meghan Moriarty that the assignment was “innocent,” but “out of an abundance of caution and for there to be no misunderstandings, our administration has removed this particular assignment for any future use.”
That’s the right move. It actually shows the Dunhams had a legitimate complaint. So why the hell was their child kicked out of school?
No answer.
The whole incident is a microcosm of Christianity’s treatment of sexual abuse: A girl bravely said she was uncomfortable with what an adult was doing, and the church’s response was to punish the girl, not the adult.
It would have been so easy to take care of this problem, but the school’s reaction was to double down on the assignment until the media attention made that impossible, then they took their wrath out on the family, leaving them scrambling to find a new school and forcing the child to make new friends after the school year has already begun.
The family is worse off because they enrolled their kid in a Christian school. Thank goodness they’re sharing their story publicly so everyone else can understand how messed up these kinds of schools can be.
In a recent clip from Laura Trump’s podcast, her guest Ben Stein, a former speech writer for President Nixon, claims “that it is most apparent that both Trump and Nixon were kicked out of office for doing nothing wrong.” Meidas Contributor Texas Paul reacts.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy nods to parents calling “diversity, equity, and inclusion” Marxist programs The Majority Report crew discusses how there is no pushback to conservatives openly advocating to end anti-bullying programs after the critical race theory panic and passing of legislation such as the don’t say gay bill. The crew also talks about how parents are being activated to go to the polls by hateful right-wing rhetoric.
Again the right has to lie about medical facts, make up fake “investigations”, and lie about the safeguards the charity has for their trans kid subscribers all to drive as much hate as possible against trans. Please notice that the famous well known TERF J.K Rowling is pushing the lies and myths hard as she does with anything atni-trans. Hugs
Mermaids marches at Pride in London, 2019. (Barcroft Media via Getty/ Wiktor Szymanowicz)
Trans children’s charity Mermaids has responded to an “investigation” by The Telegraph which suggested the charity was putting children at risk.
On Sunday (25 September), The Telegraph ran a story headlined: “Trans charity Mermaids giving breast binders to children behind parents’ backs”.
The story largely relied on an unidentified adult masquerading as a 14-year-old child to access services from Mermaids, including the charity’s youth forum and web chat helpline.
The newspaper reported an email exchange between the charity and the adult – pretending to be a 14-year-old trans boy named “Kai” – in which staff agreed to provide them with a free binder after they had become “a member of the charity’s online Youth Forum for a month and posted three times”.
Mermaids also reportedly provided extensive information about safe binder wearing, and risks associated with binders, which can reduce dysphoria in some trans people.
The Telegraph expressed outrage that the charity did not grill the “child” on their mental health and require that they inform an adult, even though “Kai” had already described their family as unaccepting.
Although Mermaids refused to comment for The Telegraph’s “investigation”, the charity said in its own statement addressing the issues raised: “Some trans masculine, non-binary and gender diverse people experience bodily dysphoria, as a result of their chest, and binding, for some, helps alleviate that distress.
“Mermaids takes a harm reduction position with the understanding that providing a young person with a binder and comprehensive safety guidelines from an experienced member of staff is preferable to the likely alternative of unsafe practices and/or continued or increasing dysphoria.
“The risk is considered by Mermaids staff within the context of our safeguarding framework.”
Although Mermaids’ youth forums are designed to be a safe space for young people, The Telegraph also published information about the kind of conversations being had by teenagers, including on the topic of puberty blockers.
Researchers in 2020 found that puberty blockers can be “life-saving” for trans youth, drastically decreasing their chance of suicide, depression and anxiety, and the Endocrine Society describes hormone-blocking medication as a reversible treatment option to “give adolescents more time to explore their options”.
The newspaper tried to paint Mermaids’ forums as unsafe, including quotes from anti-trans campaigners like Transgender Trend founder Stephanie Davies-Arai, and MPs Joanna Cherry and Miriam Cates, who claimed the “investigation” raised “huge safeguarding red flags”.
But the charity clarified: “We have robust security and moderation processes in place to ensure our forums are a safe space for trans, non-binary and gender diverse young people and their families.
“In August 2022, an individual – possibly a journalist – tried to gain access to the youth forums by pretending to be a 14-year-old in need of support, seemingly with the aim of discrediting Mermaids.
“This person was caught in the moderation process and has since been blocked. Security of our platforms and safeguarding of young people is of the utmost importance to us and we will continue to regularly review our processes and procedures to make sure our forums remain safe and secure.”
The article from The Telegraph has spread like wildfire across social media, stoking unfounded accusations of safeguarding concerns at Mermaids, and was shared by JK Rowling.
In response, Carrie Lyell, head of communications at Mermaids, told Rowling: “I’d be happy to have a chat about what we actually do at Mermaids. But then, real life is never quite as interesting or salacious as fiction, is it?”
As I have said this is never about protecting kids, it is about making the hated icky trans people maga dislikes go away. It is about their bigotry wrapped up in acceptable language of protect the children. This is what was done in Russia and Chechnya. Remove the mention of these people in society and the haters feel more comfortable, only two genders and the bigots are happy again, ban rights for women and minorities and the racists are happy, and when they get rid of democracy the right wing is ecstatic. Who is next on the hit list, well the don’t say gay already bans the mention or display of same sex couples and gay rights. It removes anti-discrimination laws and removes anti-bullying displays. Then when all the LGBTQ+ are wiped from society what next, Jewish people? Pentecostals? Who goes away next until there is a homogeneous white single religion population that Tucker Carlson and right wing fascist are pushing for? Notice most of the people at this meeting were against the anti-trans policy but the minority haters pushed it through anyay. I will leave you with something famous about this below. Hugs
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade
Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Martin Niemöller
Hundreds of residents showed up to the contentious meeting Monday night, with a majority speaking out against the proposed restrictions.
A local school board in Texas has adopted a sweeping new set of guidelines that ban discussion about the existence of transgender people – which they call “gender fluidity” – and critical race theory, prohibits the use of pronouns that aren’t aligned with the sex on a student’s birth certificate, and restricts use of restrooms and locker rooms, among other new prohibitions.
The new guidelines, approved by the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District near Dallas, are the result of a concerted campaign organized by conservative Christian group Patriot Mobile Action, which has spent millions of dollars electing conservative majorities to Texas school boards.
Hundreds of residents showed up to the contentious meeting Monday night, with a majority speaking out against the proposed restrictions.
BREAKING: the Grapevine-Colleyville school district board (GCISD), my hometown public school which recently elected a conservative majority, is proposing new guidelines for the district. This includes a ban on any discussion of what they define as "Gender Fluidity."
— steven ''italian elon musk'' monacelli (@stevanzetti) August 19, 2022
Among a far-right wish list of prohibitions, the new rules include guidance based on flawed definitions.
“Gender Fluidity” is defined in the text as “any theory or ideology that (1) espouses the view that biological sex is merely a social construct; (2) espouses the view that it is possible for a person to be any gender or none (i.e., non-binary); or (3) espouses the view that an individual’s biological sex should be changed to ‘match’ a self-believed gender that is different from the person’s biological sex.”
Gender fluidity is actually the idea that a person’s gender identity or expression can change over time. What the school board is calling gender fluidity is, in fact, the idea that transgender people exist at all.
Also, “nonbinary” means that a person isn’t male or female; it doesn’t necessarily mean they have no gender (that’s usually called agender).
The district also banned the use of pronouns for students and teachers “in any manner that is inconsistent with the biological sex of such person.” The district also limited the use of restrooms and other facilities to the one associated with a person’s gender on their “biological birth certificate.”
The district also banned teaching certain aspect of the history of racism in the U.S., specifically citing the 1619 Project and “critical race theory,” a catch-all term used by conservatives to describe teaching about racism in history.
Over a hundred people spoke in opposition to the proposal, including a United Methodist pastor who said the guidelines reflect a “fascist agenda” that does not represent Christian values.
A Patriot Mobile activist can be seen behind him.
Powerful speech at the GCISD school board meeting from a United Methodist pastor who describes the agenda being considered tonight as "fascist agenda" and says the conservative majority's behavior is not Christian.
— steven ''italian elon musk'' monacelli (@stevanzetti) August 23, 2022
BREAKING: the Grapevine-Colleyville school district board (GCISD), my hometown public school which recently elected a conservative majority, is proposing new guidelines for the district. This includes a ban on any discussion of what they define as "Gender Fluidity."
1/
Also: "the district will not promote, require, or encourage the use of titles
or pronoun identifiers for students teachers or any other persons
in any manner that is inconsistent with the biological sex of such
person" and that employees may comply "at their discretion."
2/
Another item on the Grapevine-Colleyville school board agenda includes the banning of "equity audits" across the district, casting them as a tool of Critical Race Theory.
3/
New restrictions on books are also being proposed by the GCISD board. Some of these proposed restrictions could result in the removal of items from the library that go against "prevailing standards in the adult community." The adult community fired the first Black principal.
4/
There's even a proposal in the GCISD agendat around "bathrooms and changing facilities" which is clearly a part of an anti-trans agenda.
5/
The conservative members of the GCISD board also specifically seek to downplay the role of slavery in the founding of the United States.
6/
This is happening after the election of new conservative board members at GCISD like Tammy Nakamura, who made waves and may have violated school policy by speaking proudly about the firing of the first Black principal at a conservative activist forum.
7/
As the public comment period at the Grapevine Colleyville school board meeting came to a close, over a dozen parents began a silent protest demanding the resignation of Tammy Nakamura for proudly saying @DrJamesWhit was fired for his "activism," which happened amid the CRT panic. pic.twitter.com/Wja7Q0Hewu
— steven ''italian elon musk'' monacelli (@stevanzetti) July 26, 2022
As @Mike_Hixenbaugh noted, GCISD is one of the districts that Patriot Mobile boasted about "taking over." It is now proposing language against "Critical Race Theory" that is stricter than the state law against CRT, but that language doesn't define CRT.
8/
A source points out at the new ant-CRT policy proposed by the Patriot Mobile-backed GCISD school board is far more restrictive than state law.
Teachers can’t discuss any idea even potentially influenced by CRT or “systemic discrimination ideologies,” and neither term is defined. pic.twitter.com/1TzpHJzUN3
Meanwhile, "GCISD saw a 40% jump in retirements and resignations this year." The district has a large number of teacher vacancies. The board has considered raising pay to stop the bleeding, but hasn't seemed to consider the role of their policies.
Radical Right Republican Georgia Senate Candidate Herschel Walker made more bizarre statements at a rally the other day in a attempt to repeat the GOP propaganda that schools are teaching specific students to feel guilty or deserving of special treatment for their race. Meidas Contributor Coach D reacts to this nonsense.
27, 202225
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