Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper has joined the growing list of LGBTQ+ books banned in certain US schools. (Aliceoseman.com/Attitude Magazine)
Alice Oseman’s seminal graphic novel series Heartstopper has joined the growing list of LGBTQ+ books banned in certain parts of the US.
According to the Florida Freedom to Read Project, more than fifty books were banned in the Clay County school district in Florida last week (24 March), many of which are written by LGBTQ+ authors or discuss sexuality or gender identity.
The list of banned books includes the first three volumes of Oseman’s Heartstopper, as well as her 2016 novel Radio Silence, which features a number of queer characters.
Other books removed in the latest round of book bans in the district include LGBTQ+ young adult romance novel One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva, and comic A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns.
The Florida Freedom to Read Project shared that a total of 355 books have now been removed from the school district since July 2022.
Along with LGBTQ+ books, the bans are impacting Black authors and books about and racism and racial justice.
Remember that school district DeSantis spoke about freedom at yesterday (@oneclayschools)?
Well, they just added another 50+ books to their list of removed books that are out until they complete the challenge, review and appeal process. The total now is 355 since July 1, 2022. pic.twitter.com/JoZkCxYTts
— Florida Freedom to Read Project (@FLFreedomRead) March 24, 2023
Responding to the Heartstopperban, Alice Oseman decried the growing number of book bans as thinly-veiled homophobia.
“Racism, homophobia and transphobia are thriving under the guise of ‘concern for children’. This is not just a US issue either,” Oseman warned. “We’re seeing the exact same ‘concern’ here in the UK.”
She also shared a statement by the Florida Freedom to Read Project, with the quote: “Indoctrination happens when you remove access to ideas.”
Alice Oseman condemned “homophobia” under the guise of ‘concern for children’. (Instagram/@aliceoseman)
Rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment has led to a record number of individual book bans in the US, with one report indicating that 2,532 books were banned in the 2021/2022 school year.
More than half of those banned feature LGBTQ+ characters or discussions.
A separate report indicates that there were around 1,200 attempts to ban books in the US in 2022, more than double the record set in 2021.
Last week (22 March), a school district in New York received a bomb threat due to the simple fact that it stocks LGBTQ+ books. Meanwhile, staff at a library in Cork, Ireland, were called “paedophile slurs” because the library had LGBTQ+ literature on the shelves.
One of the most-banned books in the US is This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson, who recently hit out at the “organised attack” on LGBTQ+ literature.
Author Juno Dawson has addressed book bans in US, including of her work. (Credit: Getty Images)
“What we’re seeing now is a really organised attack on books because the far-right is out of ideas. What else can you attack but trans healthcare, drag queens, books,” Dawson said in an Instagram statement on 26 March.
“So I just want to say a huge thank you to all the librarians and educators who are defending freedom of speech and the right for young LGBTQ+ people to see themselves in books. Stand strong in full solidarity.”
Most adults said they oppose laws restricting drag shows or performances as Republicans in several states push to block the shows from being seen by children, according to a new poll.
The results of an NPR-PBS NewsHour-Marist poll, released Wednesday, show 58 percent of respondents said theyoppose laws restricting the performances, while 39 percent said they support them. Democrats are the most likely to oppose such laws, with almost three-quarters of them saying they are opposed, but 57 percent of independents and 37 percent of Republicans also said they do not support them.
Tennessee became the first state in the country earlier this month to prohibit what the state law calls “adult cabaret performances” from happening within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks or places of worship. Republicans have introduced bills to restrict drag performances in more than a dozen other states.
Pollsters also found that a majority of respondents oppose laws that ban gender-affirming care for children under 18, with 54 percent saying they oppose it. That includes 68 percent of Democrats, 56 percent of independents and 35 percent of Republicans.
Still, the percentage of people who support these types of laws has increased in recent years, rising from 28 percent in April 2021 to 43 percent now.
The poll found a split in views among parents with children under 18 and those without. Almost 60 percent of parents who have children under 18 said they support laws banning gender-affirming care for youth, while about the same amount of those without children under 18 said the same.
The poll was conducted from March 20 to 23 among 1,327 U.S. adults. The margin of error was 3.5 percentage points.
Finally some good news. This is why when the republicans in the red states say they are doing the will of the people, what they really mean is the will of their own minority, not the will of the majority of people. Republicans have always been about a rabid ideologically driven minority ruling over the majority. The majority of the people are pretty accepting with a live and let live attitude. It is only those that demand the right to oppress others and to force others to live according to their church doctrines that support the republican anti-gay anti-trans legislation. Hugs
A new national survey has reassuring findings that Americans of almost all religions and no religion are growing ever more supportive of LGBTQ rights.
For instance, eight in 10 Americans (80 percent) in the Public Religion Research Institute survey support laws against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations and housing against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Even 62 percent of white evangelical Protestants, tied with Hispanic Protestants, favor such nondiscrimination laws. Jehovah’s Witnesses were at the bottom of the barrel, yet half support nondiscrimination protections.
Interestingly, in states showing the lowest level of support for nondiscrimination (Alabama, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota), two-thirds of state citizens themselves are against such discrimination, showing that state legislatures are not keeping up with demographics.
But I can find no data showing that this is attracting new voters. Indeed, it’s repelling young voters, and the die-hard GOP base, the Silent Generation (late 70s), is dying off at a clip.
And this, this, is why the GOP is now openly trying to steal elections.
You’re dead-on. With its base eroding, and scapegoats proving less effective, the GOP is becoming more desperate. Blatant disregard for laws and protocols is the order of the day.
in a normal democracy, one that actually represents the people, we LBGTs rights would have been secured a long time ago. The good news, though, is that despite all the efforts of our enemies and the news media, we are winning the hearts and minds of Americans.
SO true, the same with where I grew up! Coming out of closets in the last 50 years to our family, friends and neighbors has made all the difference. They see us as regular normal people now, the old stereotypes are gone for the most part but politicians are still pushing them with their “groomer/pedophile”. It’s not going to work, it will backfire!
I hope you are right. The drag queen stuff is not on this poll, though. I have a feeling that a lot of people will say yes to rights for generic gays and lesbians, but not some other specific subgroups.
And yet, I worry that there’s always a time lag with any cultural shifts. Give it a few years for the GQP’s current anti-gay campaign to take effect and let’s see what the numbers are then. I like to be optimistic, but I often harbor serious doubts about this country whenever this topic comes up.
Give the current gay-positive generation of young people a chance to have children, only then to decide that they’d rather not have their kids be gay and then shift their political allegiances accordingly. I’m old enough to have seen this happen before, as have you.
This link is from Ali. I really want to thank Ali and those that also did what she did. While I have been unable to deal with the blog and not able to even read much less respond to comments, Ali never stopped being here for us, she never stopped leaving comments, and she always left great links to positive LGBTQ+ articles. I can not say how often laying in bed I would use my phone to open / see her comments and it would lift my spirits so much. Thank you Ali. You are one of the bright lights in my life like Randy that are helping me get back on my feet and being ready to again fight the good fight. Hugs
Transgender Day of Visibility is an international event on March 31 dedicated to recognizing the resilience and accomplishments of the transgender community. On this day, we celebrate the transgender population amongst us, raise awareness about the struggles that they face, and advocate for more protected rights for them in a bid to reform society and empower this community — as it so rightfully deserves. Let’s join hands together with the trans community to celebrate not ‘fitting in’ when we all yearn to stand out!
HISTORY OF TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY
There is no doubt that the transgender community continues to face discrimination worldwide. Be it in the workplace, schools, or society, it has been subjected to immense harassment and inequality in every part of the world for the ‘sin’ of being born different.
Rachel Crandall, a U.S.-based transgender activist, founded this day in 2009 to raise awareness for the incredible burden of discrimination the community faces in every setting imaginable. The need to bring a day of ‘visibility’ for the transgender community is indicative of the oppression they face in many sectors of life. Crandall wanted to highlight the fact that the only transgender-centric day that is internationally recognized is Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is in mourning of members of the community who had lost their lives, and that there was no day to pay homage to living transgender people. By 2014, the day was observed by activists in Ireland and Scotland while, in 2015, many transgender people took part in the event by participating in social media campaigns. They successfully made the day go viral by posting selfies and personal stories.
Therefore, on Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, annually, we recognize and revere their contributions, successes, and relentless resilience in standing tall and strong in the face of injustice. Through this Day of Visibility, we hope to induce moral responsibility and tolerance, and lift the restrictions on the rights of transgender people.
TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY TIMELINE
1952
The First U.S. Transgender Person
Christine Jorgensen becomes the first person to publicly transition — or medically complete her transition — in the United States.
2004
Legalization
On February 10, the Gender Recognition Act is passed, which allows transgender people to legally change their sex and have it recognized.
2017
First Trans Mayor Appointed
Canada makes history as it elects the first-ever trans mayor, Julie Lemieux.
2019
W.H.O. Removes “Transsexualism” From ‘Mental Disorder’ Designation
The World Health Organization decides to remove “transsexualism” from being designated as a mental disorder and coins a new term ‘gender incongruence’ in the sexual health category of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.
TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY FAQS
Where is Transgender Day of Visibility celebrated?
It is an annually recognized and celebrated event. People from all over the world participate in whichever way they can, including having discussions, taking direct actions, hosting rallies, going to a concert, or sharing on social media.
What does it mean to be transgender?
There are different definitions of being transgender to different people. The most common definition of a transgender person is someone whose gender identity turns out to be different from the gender they were thought to be at birth.
Why is Transgender Day of Visibility an important holiday?
Transgender Day of Visibility is an extremely important holiday because intolerance, hate, and harassment for the transgender community have continued to prevail for decades. The negativity effectively clouds the contributions of the trans individuals. This day is recognized to love and cherish the millions of transgender people in our neighborhoods and to treat them as equal members of society.
HOW TO OBSERVE TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY
Read up on trans lives
The least you can do for the community is to have your knowledge topped up. Google stories of trans people and you’ll find a long list of resources on the topic — most of the articles, unfortunately, are based on subjects like ‘inequality,’ ‘discrimination,’ ‘transphobia,’ and ‘violence.’
Share statistics, updates, and news
Use social media platforms to make people aware of how transgender people have left a notable mark on the world. Share articles, statistics, and celebrate your favorite transgender-centric achievement in history with the hashtag #TransgenderDayOfVisibility. Spread the love we so obviously lack!
Attend an event, meet transgender people, and make memories
Yep, there is definitely going to be a Transgender Day of Visibility event near you on March 31. Attend a public event on this day, mingle with different people, and make new friends. Take pictures and think of beautiful captions to summarize whatever you learned about the trans community when you upload them to social media!
5 FACTS ABOUT TRANSGENDER PEOPLE THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND
There are different types of transgender people
The most common types of trans people are trans women, trans men, and non-binary people — trans women are women who were AMAB (assigned male at birth) and transitioned to female; trans men are men who were AFAB (assigned female at birth); and non-binary people are people who do not identify with male or female (and may be AFAB or AMAB).
The first trans Emmy Award nominee
In 2014, Laverne Cox became the first transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy Award for her role as Sophia Burset in “Orange Is the New Black.”
Caitlyn Jenner became Twitter famous within hours
It took five hours for Caitlyn Jenner to hit one million followers on Twitter.
Transgender people make up 1% of the U.S. population
There are more than 1.4 million people who identify as transgender in the United States.
Gender confirmation surgery costs $15,500
That’s merely an estimated figure, however, gender confirmation surgery (previously wrongfully referred to as ‘sex reassignment surgery’) can cost up to $50,000, and some can be as pricey as $100,000!
WHY TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY IS IMPORTANT
Trans people have a hard life
In July 2017, the U.K. government launched a survey to gather more information about the experiences of LGBT people in the U.K. Over 108,000 people participated, making it the largest national survey of LGBT people in the world up to that point. The findings showed that LGBT people were less satisfied with their lives than the average citizen, two in five experienced harassment because they were LGBT, and 24% accessed mental health services in the 12 months before that.
Being transgender is not a crime!
Why hold somebody accountable for something they have no control over? Importantly, why attach negative connotations to transgender individuals at all? Being born transgender is in no way a cause for distress — it is the way people react to their status that negatively affects the well-being of trans individuals.
They have contributed to the world as much as cisgender people
They have had just as much of a visible impact on society. We need this day to celebrate and remind the trans community that the value of their lives, accomplishments on international platforms, and contributions to history are not forgotten.
Remember Florida prevents the real history of racism / slavery to be taught in schools and in fact one school district just stopped showing a pg movie about Ruby Bridges a 6 year old black girl who needed bodyguardescorts to go to an all white school because a white parent felt it would hurt white kids feelings to know how racist white people were / are. But we can damn well make sure that monuments to the attempt to keep those racist days and slavery as a state right must be protected and displayed. What does that say to all the black people in the state of Florida? Remember the Confederacy went to war to over turn the legitimate government of the US and to break up the country. The Confederacy was an enemy government that attacked the US and there are people who want to put up statues and monuments to the traitors / enemy soliders. What country does that. The losers of the war are dictating the winners must celabrate the losing army / officials. Hugs https://scottiesplaytime.com/2023/03/28/shameful-ruby-bridges-film-banned-from-school-because-white-parents-feeling-some-kind-of-way/
‘No group, no individual, has the right to demolish history that belongs to all.’
A House committee approved a bill that could end efforts to move or “re-contextualize” confederate monuments and other markers of war.
Rep. Dean Black, a Jacksonville Republican who noted he was a “10th generation resident of Florida,” explained that “history belongs to all Floridians, indeed to all Americans,” in introducing his bill.
“If someone destroys historic monuments in one part of the state, all Floridians are diminished because of it,” Black contended.
Asked by Rep. Jervonte Edmonds why this bill was introduced, Black lamented that “mobs that would descend upon a community and tear down their monuments, statues, works of art” until the community is “compelled” to remove these edifices.
The bill would encompass historical depictions represented in the form of a “plaque, statue, marker, flag, banner, cenotaph, religious symbol, painting, seal, tombstone, structure name, or display constructed and located with the intent of being permanently displayed or perpetually maintained,” honoring military or public service, “past or present,” with no exceptions contemplated.
Black warned that if monuments were torn down, “people would walk in those parks and say that the things memorialized never happened.”
“They already do that with the Holocaust now,” Black contended. “And if we’re talking about the Civil War, that should never be forgotten. All of the stories should be told.”
Monuments could not be removed, and plaques and signs attempting to put those constructions in historical context would only be permissible “on the monument and memorial” if Secretary of State Cord Byrd signs off. And local governments “are expressly prohibited from removing those memorials from public view.”
According to a committee analysis of Senate companion legislation, this process “may incur workload costs” for the Department of State. But the sponsor thinks the price is worth it.
“It is their proper purview,” Black said.
Those who remove or damage monuments would pay treble the cost to restore and move them back, with “punitive damages” also possible.
“No group, no individual, has the right to demolish history that belongs to all,” Black contended.
Public entities owning the monuments, legal residents of the state, and “historical preservation” groups would stand for civil action under this bill.
“I want every Floridian to have the standing to defend the history that belongs to each and every one of them,” Black said.
The bill does allow for moving monuments “for construction, expansion, or alteration of publicly owned buildings, roads, streets, highways, or other transportation projects.” When such a movement happens, the structures must be “relocated to a site of similar prominence, honor, visibility, and access within the same county or municipality in which the monument or memorial was originally located.”
In support of the bill, Rep. Chuck Brannan of MacClenny likened monument removal to graverobbing.
“I may say something today somebody doesn’t like. Is somebody 100 years from now going to go dig my grave up and move me?”
The bill would take effect July 1, if signed.
Black’s bill is the House companion to SB 1096, filed last month by Sen. Jonathan Martin, a Republican from Fort Myers. That measure is also moving through committees.
Florida doesn't want you talking to 17- and 18-year olds about sex or teenage girls about their periods, but it will do everything to protect Confederate monuments.
"House panel advances bill protecting war monuments"
We must defend and learn from our history. This includes protecting historic monuments across the state of Florida. I’m proud to introduce this important bill in the Legislature and look forward to finally CANCELING “Cancel” Culture! https://t.co/RIO76E4E2h
Great news! House Bill 1607 — Protection of Historical Monuments & Memorials, has just passed its first subcommittee and is one step closer to becoming law. Thank you to my colleagues who believe, as I do, that our history belongs to all Floridians and must be preserved! pic.twitter.com/TZ8y5Fwbdi
“History belongs to all of us… And if my family’s history isn’t safe today, no one’s family history is safe tomorrow…”
Then stop banning history books that teach everyone’s history. Obviously POC’s history isn’t safe in Florida… Can’t say gay in Florida… “History belongs to” who, again?
He’s made sure that his great grandchildren won’t be able to read about “his family’s history” in history books that teach the oppression POC and Native Americans were put through by “his family’s history”… aka, HERITAGE!
Gov. DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ+ crusade has left parents of queer and trans kids devastated. Many say they’re ready to move, yet many more say they’ll stay and fight back.
In early February, a massive carpool descended on Tallahassee, Florida’s capital. Dozens of middle and high schoolers had missed Geometry and English class for the occasion; parents had taken hard earned days off work to chaperone their children. However, this was no school sanctioned event. It was the final deliberation meeting of the Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine, which would determine whether the state would move forward with a ban on gender-affirming care for trans and nonbinary youth.
Although the Boards had been discussing a potential ban for months, this was the first and only chance the public would have to voice their concerns about the rule. For the young people who had traveled to Tallahassee that day, the decision would have an immeasurable impact on their lives. School would have to wait.
For three hours in a poorly-lit auditorium in the state Department of Transportation office, trans and nonbinary young people described the feelings of liberation, wholeness, and freedom they had experienced after receiving the kinds of medically necessary, gender-affirming care that was now up for debate. They described missing months of school due to dysphoria, and the friendships and self-love that blossomed when they received treatment.
“Having my needs met in this way for the first time ever was the most beautiful experience I could have asked for,” said one teenager.
“Growing up in a religious and fairly conservative household, I didn’t have the opportunity to receive gender-affirming care until I was 18. Because of that, I attempted suicide three times,” said another. “Gender-affirming care saved my life.”
Behind those who testified, dozens of heads — young people, their parents, siblings, and teachers — nodded in recognition.
Despite their testimonies, and the decades-long support of such treatment by most every governing medical body, the Board voted to move forward with a ban on gender-affirming care for youth. Although they had previously claimed that the field needed more research before hormone replacement therapy and other treatments could be approved, the Board also paradoxically banned gender-affirming care for research purposes at public universities in Florida.
GIORGIO VIERA/Getty Images
Unlike other states that have banned gender-affirming care through their state houses, Florida’s ban went into effect exclusively through the state’s medical board, without the vote of any elected officials. This means advocates and organizers have not had a fair chance to lobby against it, and their only opportunity to appeal will be through a right-leaning Federal Court system. In fact, the Tampa Bay Times has reported that members of the Board of Medicine who were appointed by Gov. DeSantis have contributed over $80,000 to his campaigns and political action committee.
He “has figured out a way to subvert the democratic process, subvert the legislature, and utilize politically-appointed people who he can put into power at his will,” said Simone Chriss, Director of the Transgender Rights Initiative at Southern Legal Counsel.
Policies created by these officials have included the Board of Medicine’s decision to move forward with a ban on gender-affirming care for youth; the Board of Education’s ruling to limit trans people’s access to bathrooms; and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration’s rule that gender-affirming care can no longer be reimbursed with Medicaid. In each of these instances, DeSantis’ politicalappointees have reshaped LGBTQ+ lives in the state.
If “the Board of Medicine can establish new standards of care for any condition regardless of the consensus of the scientific and medical community nationwide, that’s a really scary precedent to set,” said Chriss. “I hope that the rest of the country is watching and is alarmed.”
In the year since DeSantis passedthe Parental Rights in Education Act, or “Don’t Say Gay,” as it has become known, he has used the idea of “parental rights” to reshape Florida in his political image. Since at least the 1960s, conservative Christian activists have used parental rights as a call to arms to assert their beliefs in schools, which activists on the right believe have been eroded by a progressive embrace of LGBTQ+ children and classroom lessons about systemic racism.
The seeds of Don’t Say Gay were planted at the height of the pandemic, when conversations about mask mandates, vaccines, and in-person schooling quickly transformed into culture war talking points. Two days after “Don’t Say Gay,” DeSantis passed the “Stop WOKE Act,” which “prohibits instruction on race relations or diversity that imply a person’s status as either privileged or oppressed.” Over the past year, these bills have had what activists, LGBTQ+ children, and parents describe as a “chilling effect,” creating an atmosphere of self-censorship and fear.
CHANDAN KHANNA/Getty Images
“Everything is a target now,” said Todd Delmay, an LGBTQ+ parent who has a child in public school and recently ran for state senate. That’s not due to what legislators explicitly wrote into the bill, he said; rather, “it’s what they haven’t.”
Indeed, “Don’t Say Gay” is only six short paragraphs. However, those paragraphs were seemingly crafted to create an environment of paranoia and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, primarily through a clause that empowers parents to sue school districts over any material, at any age, that they deem “inappropriate.”
Over the past year, parents say this has created an environment in which teachers are afraid to mention anything about gender or sexuality, even in casual conversations. “I served in the military, and they’ve essentially created a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell environment for kids,” said Michael Rothgeb, an LGBTQ+ parent in the state.
This has included several school districts, including Miami Dade, removing their Safe and Inclusive Schools Guide, which offered comprehensive guidance on supporting LGBTQ+ students; the removal of pride flags in classrooms across the state; and the banning of books with LGBTQ+ subject matter, including one about two real-life gay penguins.
“All of the things we were most afraid would happen if this bill [Don’t Say Gay] was signed absolutely have,” said Maxx Fenning, founder of Prism Florida, a youth-led nonprofit that provides free sexual health education.
For many parents, this environment has forced them to consider leaving the state. “It’s a conversation that we have every week in our support group,” said NiX, a Florida parent who runs a group for the families of trans and nonbinary children. According to a recent survey conducted by the Williams Institute at UCLA, more than half of 113 LGBTQ+ parents in Florida said they have considered moving because of Don’t Say Gay, and 20% had started taking the steps to do so.
Zeth Pugh is one of those parents. Last year, as it became clear that a ban on gender-affirming care would come into effect, Pugh realized she had to move in order to protect her 15-year-old son, who is trans. He had been hospitalized for suicidal ideation and depression, and was hoping to speak with a healthcare provider about his options for gender-affirming care. “We can’t even get that kind of consultation now. It’s devastating,” said Pugh, her voice filling up with tears. Although their house is almost packed and they have realtors in Florida and Oregon, where they hope to move, Pugh said that she has “a bag ready” to leave the state with her son at a moment’s notice.
Yet many parents are unable to uproot their lives due to economic or social factors. “There are constraints on people’s ability to [move], and it disproportionately impacts people who are low income,” said Dr. Abbie E. Goldberg, who conducted the UCLA survey. “The fact that they’re even having to look into options to change jobs or find a new home speaks to the fear right now,” she added.
Other LGBTQ+ parents say they see staying put as their responsibility. “When your freedoms are literally being taken away, you have to fight,” said Janelle Perez, who lives in Miami with her wife and two children. Her family fled to Florida from Cuba, and the efforts that they’ve made to build a life — a neighborhood full of siblings, devoted grandparents, supportive queer friends — are too immense to leave behind. “I’m not going to let these people push us out,” she said. “We want people to come here and organize and support us.”
This echoes a sentiment shared by many parents and youth organizers. They worry that if supportive adults leave the state, queer and trans children will be left to fend for themselves in an increasingly hostile political environment.
LGBTQ rights supporters protest against Florida Governor Ron Desantis. GIORGIO VIERA/Getty Images
“We’re trying to combat this idea that Florida is a lost cause,” said Fenning. “It’s the third most populous state in the country. There are so many queer people here. We can’t afford to divest from the state in a way that would harm millions of people.”
Fenning notes that if supportive allies move, disparities in access to healthcare, affirming spaces in schools, and sex education will only widen. Indeed, several school districts have already removed LGBTQ+ sex education from their curricula due to outside pressure, including in Miami-Dade and Sarasota Counties. In Jacksonville, JASMYN recently lost a 20-year-contract to support in-school Gay Straight Alliances after right-wing activists screenshotted an image from their social media accounts of a card game about sex-ed, which they sent to the school district with the false claim that JASMYN was preying on children. JASMYN, which has provided essential medical care across Jacksonville for decades, insisted that the game is only played with consenting adults.
These incidents illustrate increasing tension in the state surrounding LGBTQ+ life. At all grade levels, the political atmosphere created by DeSantis has led to fears that things like HIV tests, mental health resources, and in-school Gay Straight Alliances violate “Don’t Say Gay,” despite widespread evidence that community acceptance lowers rates of suicide and depression. “The fact that these [parents] are being coached by conservative leaders to do things that will result in poorer health and even the death of their own children,” says NiX, “is one of the most evil things I can conceive of.”
And more than half live in states where legislators have filed bans.
In light of these never-ending fires, such as the ban on gender-affirming care, classroom censorship, and harassment, many parents and activists are bracing themselves for a drawn-out fight. And, as DeSantis is widely expected to announce a presidential campaign, people outside of Florida may soon find themselves faced with identical policies. “There is no ‘safe’ anymore,” says NiX. “Only safer.”
Simone Chriss, of Southern Legal Counsel, says that she has to constantly remind herself that her work isn’t just about winning legal cases; it’s the fight itself that matters. In her view, this is the far right’s greatest fear: “kids who are comfortable with who they are, who aren’t afraid, who aren’t hiding, and who are going to hold the people in charge accountable.”
bell hooks once wrote that children are the most vulnerable members of our society, as they have no explicit rights, including the right to vote out the politicians who harm them. “When we love children,” she writes, “we acknowledge by our every action that they are not property, that they have rights — that we respect and uphold their rights.” Back in that room in Tallahassee, without the protection of doctors trained to help them, trans and nonbinary children were practicing the ultimate form of self-love: advocating for themselves, by any means necessary.
The little black girl was 6 years old when she lived it. Yet now white parents say that their kids older than she was are too young to learn how bad people of color including children were treated by white people. This is our history, the history of our country. This is one reason we need to keep repeating that black lives matter. The white supremacists do not want evil of the mistreatment of back people known but I wonder why. Is it so they can blame black people for their less economic situation today? Is it so they can repeat the same racist attacks? The reason to teach this is to show what we must not let happen again. Also I notice the same people that screamed “fuck your feelings” when trump was president are now showing a lot of feelings. Hugs
Candace McDuffie
·2 min read
U.S. Deputy Marshals escort 6-year-old Ruby Bridges from William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, in this November 1960, file photo.
Even though the Disney film “Ruby Bridges” has been shown during Black History Month in Florida’s Pinellas County for years, it was recently pulled because a parent was worried that it would teach white children about the racism that Black children faced.
Emily Conklin, whose child attends North Shore Elementary parent, refused to let the student see “Ruby Bridges” when it was shown earlier this month. Conklin believed that the movie was inappropriate for second graders.
She made a formal complaint on March 6, stating that the use of racial epithets and images of white folks who harassed Ruby as she walked into a school will allow white children to see the racist history of segregation.
School officials for Pinellas decided to ban the movie at the St. Petersburg school until a review committee can evaluate it. This is ultimately a result of Florida parents having more say in deciding what children can see and read in schools.
In an open letter, Ric Davis—who is president of Concerned Organization for Quality Education for Black Students—wrote: “Many from historically marginalized communities are asking whether this so-called integrated education system in Pinellas County can even serve the diverse community fairly and equitably.”
He continued: “The (Pinellas) district’s leadership appears to fear the potential consequences of not acting in the way they have on these two decisions. This approach to challenging times in education in our state raises serious questions about Superintendent (Kevin) Hendrick’s leadership.”
The demographics of enrollment in Pinellas district schools is 51% white, 20% Hispanic, 19% Black and 4% Asian, according to state records. The rest of the students enrolled are of Native American or Pacific Islander descent or are categorized as belonging to two or more races.
Conklin was one of two parents who refused to let their children watch the movie after the elementary school sent out permission slips, which included a link to a trailer two weeks before the movie before was shown to classes.
The cancellation of all showings of the PG-rated 1998 film "Ruby Bridges" at North Shore Elementary—following a factually inaccurate complaint by a lone parent who had not watched the whole movie—violated @my_pcs policy, reports @JuddLegumhttps://t.co/Mcvbkpb2uQ#BlackHistory
Ruby Bridges needed guards to walk her through a violent mob when she was 6 just so she could go to school, but apparently second graders in Florida are too young to learn about it. https://t.co/9j5dPDJcF9
After a White parent complained that a film about Ruby Bridges might cause White students to hate Black students, officials of North Shore Elementary in St. Petersburg, Florida, has removed access to the film for all students.https://t.co/col0Rvi2s0
— The Black Wall Street Times (@TheBWSTimes) March 27, 2023
She made a formal complaint on March 6, stating that the use of racial epithets and images of white folks who harassed Ruby as she walked into a school will allow white children to see the racist history of segregation.
It’s Florida. The higher-ups (notice it wasn’t the teacher or the curriculum) are looking for excuses to cancel anything having to do with civil rights, and those parents gave them the excuse they needed.
So, how far does this go? Just sit around and let them white wash history? Are people going to get mad and put a stop to this? I really don’t know, it seems they are getting away with re-writing history to placate Conservatives.
This is the second in which I hope will be many future posts by Randy. Please give him some love and support as he starts to feel more comfortable doing posts. Hugs from Scottie.
In the very proclamation of dissent and foundation of a new creation, America demanded that laws be emplaced for the fair governance of the people. In fact, it was the failure of the British Monarchy to govern with fair laws, to allow representation and fair justice, to abide by a set of laws even, that brought about these ringing words of courage and relative insanity when considering the scope of the argument: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.”
How bold a statement is that! And yet it is the very foundational argument upon which this country called America was founded, and ironic in that the very people of the argument and their following generations have striven mightily to disprove. From the institutions of slavery to Indian Affairs, Rockefellers to Swaggerts, people have sought ways to remove this idea that each of us is created equal and beholden to the laws of the country.
The Rule of Law has been bandied about in one phrase or another since the musings of Plato, if not before. It was Henry de Bracton, a medieval jurist, who is credited with the famous phrase “no man is above the law”. It is quite literally the defining characteristic of a civil society, one which is not governed by the arbitrary ruthlessness of a corrupt power simply doing as it pleases, and the initial downfall of any society as those who would subject others to the law fly in the face of the very same.
America, for all its unwillingness to abide by its own creation, has managed to somewhat self-correct over time, if such things can be considered as correctable. There will always be injustices in the world, but “men of good conscious…” do sooner or later find ways to bring us back from the edge even as generations are squandered and sullied in the process and allow us to muddle down this road. In truth, it is the mark of a healthy governance and populace to ensure the shortest of time between abuse and correction.
As we look upon the actions of Donald Trump, he is in some ways a scape goat. Given far more power than he was built to manage and surrounded by sycophants, coat-tail riders and sociopathic anarchists all seeking to rape and pillage their way to the top, he is asked now to answer for grievances he never should have been given the opportunity to incur. I find myself feeling somehow sorry for this spoiled
tantrum throwing delinquent, but even more sorry for a country that must force an acknowledgement that, truly, no man should be above the law. What I fear the most is the generations that will be squandered and sacrificed should we fail. Make no mistake, those who willingly placed a man so ill-prepared and incapable of the job into the highest position of trust and power in the land are perfectly willing to pick over the carcass as this asshole attempts to burn it all to the ground.
This is a guest post from Randy. As most people here already know Randy is someone I admire greatly. Randy is my online brother and a member of our family. Randy is smart, funny, caring, kind, willing to reach out a hand to those in need while also willing to stand up to protect others. Randy is the kind of guy who if he knew a co-worker had no other way to get to a much needed job during a snow storm he would get up out of his warm bed and go take them to work. And not ask any for doing it. I have asked Randy if he would be a guest author as he has time. He has delighted me with the first two posts of what I hope will be many more. Thank you my brother, Hugs.
Why it Matters
In this era of Blue Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, even All Lives Matter, the defining characteristic is that the authors, the progenitors of the movement, are trying to indicate to the public that there are folks who do not see the lives of some persons either being in jeopardy, being disenfranchised, being set upon as a second class, being abused. The irreparable loses for some came too early, like the Native Americans, and for others they somehow bought in to the larger idea, others still labor under a “lesser than” status that evidences in odd circumstances when people need someone to blame.
It is easy to use extremes to make points in writing, so I’ll use one now. In the late 1930’s an individual rose to power who realized that it was far far easier to capture the public’s anger and fear through hate and destructive rhetoric. Hate is bred from fear, and Germany recovering from WW1 was reeling through poverty, inflation, low productivity, and a miasma from losing a war. This individual captured that fear with not only an ideal he espoused upon the country but a scapegoat: otherwise said is “this is the ideal, but these are the people for whom to blame for our lot.” It should be noted that an erstwhile general failure in his other pursuits, this individual honed a craft of speaking what people begged to hear in a manner that was convincing enough to overpower the very voice of decency within them.
What did that individual do? He convinced people that it was ok to place a mark of second class on another human being. He convinced people that they should be “segregated” for the good of the countrymen. In time, it went from a fringe movement to the government’s position, and men, women, children were rounded up and “quarantined” for the safety of the citizenry. Some bought into this with a passion, others were put into a position of placing their own lives in peril to not go through with this new government program as their neighbors were taken, were abused, disenfranchised and even killed. Only a sociopath would look upon the truth of this matter with anything but horror, but it’s amazing what people can justify to themselves when their own comfort is on the line, when their own well-being is on the line. That individual, after committing war upon his own land, went on to view people in other countries as “lesser than”, as not worthy of existence as neighbors, and went to war with them. The irony learned by the very public this individual used and then abandoned in his bid for power is that they were now only worse off after his blame-game and were forced to face what had been done in their name.
So, why is that relevant today? Anytime, Anytime, Every time we accept a person to be cast as a second-class citizen for no other reason than their very being, we lose. We lost when we decided that Native American Cultures were lesser than. We lost when we decided that African lives, African American lives were lesser than. We lost when we decided that whoever was in power at the moment, however that power was expressed- be it by government, wealth, violence- was the correct arbitrator of a person’s worth as a citizen.
This blog clearly speaks up for those who have felt the abuse of those in power due to their being gay, being trans, being somehow different. Some have looked upon this championing as an acceptable forum for conversation and determination of another’s rights and status when said persons have harmed no one and sought only to be genuine to themselves. The false definition of reality seems a favorite of those who seek to justify abuse, and let it be understood that abuse of power is what it is! I see no debate as warranted or even allowed when we seek to determine how another person defines himself. That is their business, and though we may find it uncomfortable for ourselves we have no right to dictate to another who he or she or they express themselves.
I would like to harken back to the very extreme example used earlier in this writing: Declaring a person to be lower class and unworthy of their own personhood, their liberty, is not American, but damn if it isn’t what Americans seem to demand. Excusing and justifying abuses and horrors in the name of being free is antithetical to the very existence of the Constitution, and yet we do it. Over and over again, we accept abuses on others. You want examples? Ok, we accept a death knell of school children for the right to sell guns to near anyone. We accept the demand that drag shows be stopped because it violates our own religious beliefs. We are demanding that people exhibit who they are defined to be at birth despite who they genuinely feel themselves to be. We demand that children starve in our public schools so that the wealthiest don’t have to pay a fair tax rate. We demand that children go to school, then declare their well-educated instructors abusing them for allowing them to have an education. We demand that the sick seek to gamble their very lives as they balance eating and health care. And, we demand that the mother give birth to her child no matter how old she is, how she became pregnant, the viability of the fetus, the physical and psychological toll it will put on the mother, the financial devastation it will inflict upon her life, even the ability to feed, clothe, educate, and love the child do we still demand she bring it into the world, then we turn our back upon her.
We as a country seem to demand the right to make these decisions for others, to define them, to restrict them, to force them to conform to what we see as comfortable and proper for them, and yet in the near past, especially, have I seen excuse upon excuse for criminal and the worst examples of abuses inflicted upon others. These so-called Christians – and I place that lowercase as they seem to refuse to follow the example of the one written as Jesus Christ – refuse to use a common reality, hold themselves accountable, hold others in their politics driven values accountable, and as I mentioned, refuse to do as Christ demands, yet stomp their feet if someone were to live in defiance of those somehow “deeply held religious beliefs”. And, again, harkening back to the earlier extreme example: 1930’s Germany was a very religious country and look at what they allowed for their politics-driven morals and values.
Associated Press/John Amis
A Flourish chart
demanded that laws be emplaced for the fair governance of the people. In fact, it was the failure of the British Monarchy to govern with fair laws, to allow representation and fair justice, to abide by a set of laws even, that brought about these ringing words of courage and relative insanity when considering the scope of the argument: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.”
which this country called America was founded, and ironic in that the very people of the argument and their following generations have striven mightily to disprove. From the institutions of slavery to Indian Affairs, Rockefellers to Swaggerts, people have sought ways to remove this idea that each of us is created equal and beholden to the laws of the country.
Given far more power than he was built to manage and surrounded by sycophants, coat-tail riders and sociopathic anarchists all seeking to rape and pillage their way to the top, he is asked now to answer for grievances he never should have been given the opportunity to incur. I find myself feeling somehow sorry for this spoiled
What did that individual do? He convinced people that it was ok to place a mark of second class on another human being. He convinced people that they should be “segregated” for the good of the countrymen. In time, it went from a fringe movement to the government’s position, and men, women, children were rounded up and “quarantined” for the safety of the citizenry. Some bought into this with a passion, others were put into a position of placing their own lives in peril to not go through with this new government program as their neighbors were taken, were abused, disenfranchised and even killed. Only a sociopath would look upon the truth of this matter with anything but horror, but it’s amazing what people can justify to themselves when their own comfort is on the line, when their own well-being is on the line. That individual, after committing war 
upon his own land, went on to view people in other countries as “lesser than”, as not worthy of existence as neighbors, and went to war with them. The irony learned by the very public this individual used and then abandoned in his bid for power is that they were now only worse off after his blame-game and were forced to face what had been done in their name.
of another’s rights and status when said persons have harmed no one and sought only to be genuine to themselves. The false definition of reality seems a favorite of those who seek to justify abuse, and let it be understood that abuse of power is what it is! I see no debate as warranted or even allowed when we seek to determine how another person defines himself. That is their business, and though we may find it uncomfortable for ourselves we have no right to dictate to another who he or she or they express themselves.
Ok, we accept a death knell of school children for the right to sell guns to near anyone. We accept the demand that drag shows be stopped because it violates our own religious beliefs. We are demanding that people exhibit who they are defined to be at birth despite who they genuinely feel themselves to be. We demand that children starve in our public schools so that the wealthiest don’t have to pay a fair tax rate. We demand that children go to school, then declare their well-educated instructors abusing them for allowing them to have an education. We demand that the sick seek to gamble their very lives as they balance eating and health care. And, we demand that the mother give birth to her child no matter how old she is, 
how she became pregnant, the viability of the fetus, the physical and psychological toll it will put on the mother, the financial devastation it will inflict upon her life, even the ability to feed, clothe, educate, and love the child do we still demand she bring it into the world, then we turn our back upon her.
These so-called Christians – and I place that lowercase as they seem to refuse to follow the example of the one written as Jesus Christ – refuse to use a common reality, hold themselves accountable, hold others in their politics driven values accountable, and as I mentioned, refuse to do as Christ demands, yet stomp their feet if someone were to live in defiance of those somehow “deeply held religious beliefs”. And, again, harkening back to the earlier extreme example: 1930’s Germany was a very religious country and look at what they allowed for their politics-driven morals and values.
