Hi all. Remember that I said that as they age some people couldn’t accept the changes in society, so long for a prior time when they felt more comfortable with the way things were. I got some push back on that. Well Beau explains that phenomena far better than I did. He says that the republicans base their policies on the core age group of the party’s memories growing up of TV shows from 10 to 15 years before. He also shows how the attempt to return to a fictitious past won’t work, and that the rights attempt to deny the rights / existence of the LGBTQIA simply is doomed even as they try ever harder. Please watch the video, I watched it three times. Got more out of it each time. Hugs. Scottie
What is it with this time in history that we have such a hard push by one political party to remove rights and remove protections from individuals. For most of this country’s history, we moved toward expanding rights, to removing barriers and expanding opportunities for oppressed people. Now the right / republicans are all about denying healthcare rights for women and trans people, denying the right to equal treatment in services, public spaces, housing, and even in expressing publicly support for the oppressed. For example, taking away reproductive rights from women, and making illegal medically approved gender affirming best practices promoted by all the major medical associations. Allowing public businesses to refuse services to anyone they think is gay or trans or has a religion the businesses disagree with, such as wedding planners, restaurants, home renters, adoption services, and even restricting movies / books based on dislike for LGBTQIA characters or plots. Why do the republicans need to promote hate, why not just live and let live? Hugs. Scottie
Iowa Republican lawmakers have again proposed removing protections against discrimination for transgender people from the Iowa Civil Rights Act — and this time a key committee chair says he’s open to the conversation.
GOP lawmakers, who hold majorities in the Iowa House and Senate, have filed several bills over the past few years seeking to remove gender identity as one of the protected classes in the state’s civil rights law. But those bills have not received hearings.
This year, Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, has scheduled a subcommittee hearing on House File 2082, which would remove gender identity protections from the civil rights law and add gender dysphoria “or any condition related to a gender identity disorder” to the definition of a disability that would be protected under the law.
“I just want to hear a conversation about it,” Holt said. “I want to have a subcommittee and hear a conversation about it.”
In 2020, Holt used his position as Judiciary Committee chair to kill a similar bill that would have removed gender identity protections from the civil rights law.
The hearing, where the public can speak to lawmakers about the bill, will be held Wednesday at noon in room 102 of the Iowa State Capitol.
Keenan Crow, the policy and advocacy director for One Iowa, a group that advocates for LGBTQ rights, called Holt’s position “alarming.”
“Whenever you have somebody who’s willing to have a conversation about removing the civil rights of an entire class of people, that’s not a good conversation to be having,” Crow said. “Those rights should not be up for debate. Transgender people should be able to rent houses, get credit cards, get loans, go buy a sandwich, rent a hotel room, just like anybody else should be able to.”
The Iowa Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ancestry, disability and gender identity. Lawmakers added the protections for gender identity in 2007 when Democrats held the Iowa Legislature and governor’s office.
People who fall under one of the protected classes in the civil rights law are protected from discrimination in employment, wages, public accommodations, housing, education and credit practices.
Holt said he believes transgender people would still have protections under Iowa and federal law even if lawmakers stripped gender identity out of the civil rights act.
“I think there’s plenty of other places in federal and in state law that would prevent discrimination,” he said. “Because I think we should all be opposed to discrimination based upon someone’s skin color or gender identity or whatever the case may be.”
Holt called it “an interesting concept” to look at specifying that gender dysphoria could qualify as a disability that merits protection. He pointed to a U.S. Supreme Court decision last summer that found people with gender dysphoria are protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Crow said because that court decision is already on the books, adding gender dysphoria as a disability wouldn’t provide any additional protections. But it could harm low-income transgender Iowans who can’t afford to go to the doctor to receive a diagnosis, they said.
“Now they don’t have any housing protections and a landlord can literally just say, ‘no, I don’t want you in my space, you’re transgender,'” they said. “And there’s nothing that that person can do about it. So this is an extremely dangerous, extremely harmful bill.”
Holt didn’t guarantee that the bill would advance beyond the subcommittee hearing, but said he believes it’s time to have a conversation.
“I still have concerns about this, but I at least want to have the conversation and see where it goes,” Holt said.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
Same here. Ever since a black man became president I’ve seen nothing but an escalation in hate in this country. It’s like a huge swath of this country decided that anyone who is not white, straight, male and Christian is subhuman and need to have their rights taken away. I am disgusted with my country.
Welcome to the white fundamentalist maga paradise, Florida. The purge is well on the way. Again the goal is to remove / wipe out all representation of LGBTQIA from public society. Also part of the goal is to return black / brown people to a lower stature and keep them there. To stop any integration or upward movement of the minority groups. These people demand a return to the time whenwhite males were automatically in charge, Christianity was the assumed only real religion and all things Christian were good, women were subservient to males and functioned to do for men in the home / public / bedroom, blacks knew their place and stayed there, and the LGBTQIA were not seen or heard of terrified of being found out. That is the world these people are fighting to have. Florida is well on the way. They have basically outlawed the teaching of acceptance or inclusion of any group not dedicated to white people or Christianity. They have removed any representation of LGBTQIA or racism from schools. They have rewritten history, legislated being cis, being straight until adult, legislated having a small groups of bigoted racist parents over ruling all other parents on what school age kids can do, read, see, say, and do medically. They call anything not right wing fundamentalist maga is indoctrination. Welcome to Florida, a state run by Christian Taliban with help from the moral police. Hugs. Scottie
The Florida Board of Governors voted to prohibit using state funding for public university programs or activities that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
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Students at the University of North Florida protested the imminent closing of the school’s four diversity centers, including the campus LGBTQ center, on Wednesday.
The protest took place the day the Florida Board of Governors, the governing body of the State University System of Florida, voted to prohibit funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs and activities at the state’s public universities. The vote comes several months after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure into law banning all of the state’s public higher education institutions from using state or federal funding for diversity programs.
UNF, in Jacksonville, will close its Office of Diversity and Inclusion — and, with it, its interfaith, intercultural, women’s and LGBTQ centers — to comply with the new law, President Moaz Limayem said in a letter to the university community Wednesday night.
Limayem said the four university centers will be “phased out” immediately but added that registered student organizations that aim to promote diversity will remain active on the university’s campus and that no staffers will lose their jobs. He did not weigh in on student protests or on his views about the state policy.
“We want UNF to be a place where all people feel safe and welcome, and where there is no place for hate,” Limayem said. “This semester, we will begin seeking ways to reinforce UNF’s values in everything we do, and we will review and expand resources as necessary to ensure success for all members of our campus community.”
Cassandra Edwards, a spokesperson for the university system, said in an email Thursday that Florida “will remain focused on high-quality education for our students and not allow indoctrination.”
UNF student Lissie Morales was among the protesters, many of whom were waving rainbow Pride flags and shouting: “What do we do? Stand up, fight back!”
“The center provided me friends; it provided me education to learn more about my gender and sexual orientation,” Morales told NBC affiliate WTLV of Jacksonville. “In regard to the turnout, it warms my heart to see people care about something as much as I do, especially when it comes to the LGBT center, because it was one of the reasons why I came to UNF in the first place.”
In 2022, UNF was among 40 institutions on Campus Pride’s list of best universities for LGBTQ students.
Carlos Guillermo Smith, a former Florida House Democrat who is a policy adviser at the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida, called the new state law “a rubber stamp for Ron DeSantis’s agenda of censorship and surveillance.”
“The Board of Governors had the opportunity to hit the brakes, but instead, shamefully followed their censorship agenda off a cliff in service to DeSantis’s failed political ambitions,” Smith said in a statement Wednesday.
A representative for DeSantis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The regulation comes as Florida continues to build on its reputation for enacting anti-LGBTQ laws and legislation aimed at limiting diversity initiatives.
Dozens of UNF students attend a rally in support of the school’s LGBTQ center. WTLV
Florida made national headlines when it enacted what critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law in 2022, which limited the instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools in kindergarten through third grade. DeSantis signed a bill last year that expanded the law to apply to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Last year, Florida lawmakers prompted outcry for blocking an Advanced Placement course on African American studies from being taught in high schools.
Since the start of the year, Florida lawmakers have introduced roughly a dozen anti-LGBTQ bills. They include a sweeping measure that would force Floridians to sign an affidavit when they apply for new driver’s licenses and state IDs to certify that the gender markers on their birth certificates will match their new IDs. Another bill would allow some published accusations of homophobia and transphobia to be considered “defamation per se.”
Student protests over Florida’s policies about LGBTQ issues have also become common. In November, students at a high school in Coconut Creek, about 15 miles north of Fort Lauderdale, staged a walkout after their principal and other school staffers were reprimanded for letting a transgender girl compete on the school’s girls volleyball team.
Students at the University of North Florida protested the imminent closing of the school’s four diversity centers, including the campus LGBTQ center. https://t.co/gt8e8q3kS4
Exactly! My whole youth was steeped in the straight world, I knew not one gay person and had zero history of the gay movement, yet I still turned out gay.
Same for the rest of us. This is how we can tell that the evangelicals are completely, utterly delusional; and why they’re a minority now in the US. Dems need to vote them out. If they refuse the evangelicals will begin their new Spanish Inquisition.
The War on Women’s Rights The War on LGBT Rights The War on Voting Rights The War on Oversight The War on Accountability The War on the Elderly The War on The Arts
From the totalitarian point of view history is something to be created rather than learned. A totalitarian state is in effect a theocracy, and its ruling cast, in order to keep its position, has to be thought of as infallible.
They forget about that whole pesky “separation of church and state”. If the Roberts court is a “traditionalist” court, more states should be challenging the unconstitutional legislation passed in many States (esp the Federal Gov as this is setting up a State vs Federal legal battle), otherwise the Supreme Court will have to justify their reason for overturning Roe and much more. Not that it matters but it’s important for the public to understand.
In this video you will see the photos of a kid, yes a young teen who to me looks 13, just home from Israeli detention after being held and beaten for four hours, he was then charged and released for a later court date where he will be found guilty. Once found guilty, the kid will be taken to a prison in side Israel where his family and any friends are not allowed to see him. He will have no rights, and no one to help him.
Picked up off the street, he was then beaten and abused. Israeli spokes people are on every major news network claiming how brutal Hamas is, how they must be destroyed even if that means killing every Palestinian, man, women, and child. Right now the confirmed totals are over 24,000 dead, 10,000 are children. The estimated total is around 32,000 dead, another 64,000 injured and maimed. This is the way Israel has long treated Palestinian children in detention, the Palestinians have long asked the international community for help in stopping it. But no one could, because Israel treats Palestinians as bad or worse than black in apartheid South African and almost as bad as black slaves in the US. Listen to how many Palestinian kids, minors from the West Bank where there is no Hamas in charge are taken in to custody and tried by military courts, they have no rights in these courts, nor does their families. This is why there is no peace, why Hamas attacks Israelis. Yet Netanyahu brags about denying the Palestinians a state and calls them animals. Hugs. Scottie
Hundreds of Palestinian children are arrested by the Israeli military every year for throwing rocks at occupying forces. They are tried in Israeli Military Courts and human Rights organisations say the trials lack due process and are against international law. Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports from Abu Dis in the occupied West Bank.
Below there is another short video. Please notice the date on this one. It was ten years ago. This is how they treated Palestinians ten years ago, how much worse do they treat them now! This time of the Israeli military detaining, taking a five year old because he was throwing stones, they go collect the boy’s father. Notice the video of the father and boy in custody, the father is bound and blindfolded. He can not help his five year old son, and neither have rights under the military occupation. While this is illegal internation Israel claims the child, a five year old, was a threat. While they claim he was not arrested, think of the lifelong trauma of being taken, his father humiliated and unable to even comfort him. Think he grew up to support Israel, or be another Hamas soldier? Hugs. Scottie
Jul 12, 2013
Video footage has emerged of a 5-year-old Palestinian child being detained by the Israeli army.
Below in another video only one year ago, a 7 year old boy dies from fear while being chased by Israeli soldiers. Children so scared of soldiers they fear them to death. Why would a 7 yr old be so scared? This was the West bank, not even Gaza, and again no Hamas. Think to the many stories of abuse that are and have been coming out that Israel has long denied. Seems they were true. What other horrors is Israel lying about. The people there claim the main goal of the army is to cause this fear and maintain complete control. These are an occupied people in an open air prison. No wonder they fight back, wouldn’t you? Hugs. Scottie
Thousands of Palestinians have taken part in the funeral of seven-year-old Rayyan Sulaiman in the village of Tuqu near Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank. His family says he died out of fear after Israeli soldiers chased children in the village. The Palestinian Health Ministry says efforts to resuscitate him failed. Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim reports from the occupied West Bank.
The mistreatment continues. This video was only 7 months ago, at the start of last summer. By that time Israeli soldiers had already killed 155 Palestinians in the West Bank. Remember the US military sniper that loved to kill little brown children in Afghanistan, he murdered detained prisoners by knifing them, he was brought up on charged yet tRump as commander in chief made the military give him back his awards and pardoned him. Well Israel has lots of soldiers like him that feel that way towards the Palestinians. They are nothing, they are simply fun targets to hurt, kill, torture, and destroy. Like a live action video game. Below the Israeli solders shoot a car with a man and a toddler … because they can. Hugs. Scottie.
188,662 views Jun 6, 2023
Two-year-old Mohammad Tamimi — who was injured along with his father after being shot by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank — has died. Though the Israeli army says the toddler was mistakenly shot, the child’s father has denied the narrative
Just five days ago this inexcusable horror happened, Israeli soldiers stormed a building and in front of the family members stripped, tortured and beat the men, then executed them. Like a gang of thugs on prey. Then they left and knowing the women and children were still in there, Israeli solders shelled the building. Horrible. Hugs. Scottie
A Palestinian family in Gaza says they witnessed the summary execution of 15 men when Israeli soldiers raided their apartment last month.
Again please look at the date. A year ago. Two crying terrified children, not even teenagers. Their crime, being Palestinian. This is why there is no peace for Israel! This is why there is anger. The story says the soldiers arrested the kids, that means they did not go home, but instead into detention for processing. Reports say this can take a day to four months, and the child has no rights, no legal council, even their family is often not notified. It is complete terrorism. It is designed to harass and break the Palestinian people, to try to get them to self deport to where they will have a chance for a decent life. This short clip says it all. A 6 or 7 year old kid begging and crying out “What will happen to us” and “What are they going to do to us”. What are they going to do to us … if that was your child would you like the people / government that did that? Or would you want to hurt them back. Hugs.
An Israeli soldier appears to arrest two frightened Palestinian children in occupied East Jerusalem
There are more, it seems an unending amount of these videos. Going back decades. Now that I have watched a few, the grand YouTube pusher wants me to view them all. I can not. I have done my part. I just beg that others who can do more not only stop Israel, but punish them for what they are doing. Hugs. Scottie
How far the down in the gang thug chaos are the republicans wanting to go? Attacking the defenseless simply because they already have nothing and nowhere to go. What happened to bettering society, making things better for everyone? These people only want to make it great for them, the rest are for exploitation and amusement. This country, the US, had a brief resurgence of enlightenment and now in the last 8 years, especially the last 3, the right wants to tear it all down, destroy anything good or enlightened in the country. They mock decency and act like they are superior for being cruel. I am at a loss these days what is driving these people. I have seen them before, in my childhood. I thought they were going extinct, yet here they are within inches of full power over everything. Hugs. Scottie
The bill would at the same time enhance penalties for drug use (specifically fentanyl, as it is their go-to talking point at the moment), and making it a felony to run away from the police…
Just anything that is observed among those whose living situation is so desperate, and basically saying it is illegal for anyone from a minority community to be fed up with this shit..
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Also, considering the rate of LGBT+ homelessness compared to the general population. 5% of the youth population in general, yet accounting for 25% of homeless youth. I consider the Bill to be specifically targeted at LGBT+ people.
If the maga right wing have their way, any and all protections from students bullied because of being different or LGBTQIA. New laws in red states like Florida remove not only the anti-bulling campaigns but also prevent teachers from stepping to defend the LGBTQIA attacked kid because that would be seen as promoting sexual orientation or gender identification. All positive posters, safe space stickers, and rainbow acceptance stuff removed. No more books or movies saying it is OK to be gay or different. These laws take us back to a time when children were terrified to be outed as not straight or cis, and leave schools with no legal way to help these kids or prevent their abuse. This is what the moms of TikTok and mom’s of liberty want. This is what the maga Christian Republican Party want, to drive the kids who are different back into hiding who they are, push them violently back into the closet so that they will feel shame and fear over who they are. Are we as a nation going to turn our backs on decades of work to promote tolerance and acceptance of those who are different? Are we going to again return to a time when kids were terrified to learn or even be in school? Will we let the maga thug mentality win as the way people in the US should act or be? Hugs. Scottie
These videos took me over a week to watch and then place here. While some are out of date, I chose them instead of newer ones because this is the school world the maga Christians are fighting to return to. Kids being different are singled out and collectively punished. While watching these the ever helpful YouTube algorithm, or the push stay on our site what these next suggestion lists filled up with abuse videos. So be careful if that bothers you as much as I, I finally took to watching them off-line. Hugs. Scottie
Michael Kuch, the father of 14-year-old Adriana, says his daughter was assaulted by other students and two days later, she took her own life. NBC New York’s Brian Thompson reports.
160,000 children stay home from school out of fear of being bullied.
Newly released video showed Gabriel, 8, being assaulted by another student in a school bathroom two days before the young boy took his own life.
An investigation is underway after a video showing a boy punched in the face multiple times in a boys’ bathroom is getting a lot of attention on social media.
As part of our continuing series “Assignment America,” Steve Hartman takes a look at bullying in America, and speaks to a victim of bullying – and the bullier, who has had a change of heart.
Shocking and emotional documentary about the pain and desperation of four young teenagers facing lives overshadowed by bullying.
Stephen Gruber-Miller
Des Moines Register
