Remember Mace is a notorious attention hound, demanding her staff book her constantly on different media.Β She does any stunt she thinks will gain her attention.Β She made over 500 tweets in two days about a new trans member to congress and the bathroom ban she was pushing but at no time did she mention anything helping her constituents.Β She even sent a staffer back an hour or so later to ask the man to repeat what he said to Mace.Β So she clearly did not feel assaulted then.Β But after a time thinking how to spin it for more attention she suddenly claimed to have been badly assaulted with damage to both wrists and her arm so bad that she is parading around with her arm in a sling.Β What a phony.Β Β Slandering an advocate for foster youth and trans kids for clicks and views.Β She never grew up, she is still a high school girl chasing fame on social media.Β Β Hugs
This breaking news story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Aformer foster youth and award-winning advocate for children was arrested at the U.S. Capitol tonight β a bizarre twist in an otherwise celebratory day of events β after South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace accused him of assault.Β Β
The incident took place outside a House of Representatives office building following an event honoring the anniversary of a landmark child welfare law where Mace, aΒ firebrand Republican, had given a speech. Three witnesses at the scene told The Imprint their accused colleague James McIntyre had done nothing more than shake the congress memberβs hand at the House reception, and asked her to protect the rights of transgender people.Β
But in a post on the social media platform X, Rep. Mace described a violent confrontation.Β
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace
βI was physically accosted at the Capitol tonight by a pro-tr*ns man. One new brace for my wrist and some ice for my arm and itβll heal just fine,β sheΒ postedΒ at 8:43 p.m. βThe Capitol police arrested the guy. Your tr*ns violence and threats on my life will only make me double down.β
The arrest stunned onlookers.
A group of McIntyreβs fellow foster youth advocates rushed to the outside of the Rayburn House Office Building to watch the scene unfold. They stood by tearfully as he was searched for several minutes by police, asking officers where heβd be taken and calling frantically for an attorney who could represent him.Β
McIntyre, 33, has spoken publicly about his excruciating experienceΒ growing up in foster care, and is now a leading voice in policymaking in his home state of Illinois. He is alsoΒ a chapter co-founderΒ of the influential group Foster Care Alumni of America. In 2019, the National Association of Social Workersβ Illinois chapterΒ namedΒ him the βPublic Citizen of the Year.βΒ Β
An officer with the Capitol Police Department told a reporter present at the scene that they were responding to a call about an βassault.β McIntyre was then placed into a police van and driven off.Β
Other attendees have reacted with outrage since McIntyreβs arrest.
Β
βI want to express deep disappointment in the fact that Congresswoman Nancy Mace came to a national foster youth event, told participating youth that it was a safe spaceΒ β and literally had one of them arrested by Capital police for simply shaking her hand and asking about trans rights,β said Lisa Dickson, a veteran advocate for foster youth from Ohio, in a Facebook post.Β Β
Mace isΒ not new to such publicity.Β In recent weeks, she has been in the news for herΒ successful campaignΒ to bar newly elected Rep. Sarah McBride β a Democrat from Delaware who is transgender β from using the public womenβs bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol.
At tonightβs event, Mace, who co-chairs Congressβ bipartisan foster care caucus, joined a group of legislators at a House reception celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999. The act created the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood, legislation that significantly expanded federal support for foster youth who leave the system after turning 18 without a permanent home.Β
Todayβs events featured speeches from some of the former foster youth whose advocacy led to the writing and passage of the law known as the Chafee Act.
In her remarks at the House event, Rep. Mace told the crowd that while she was not an adoptee or former foster youth, she had been a victim of sexual abuse as a child. She called the dozens of advocates and foster youth in attendance β McIntyre among them β βthe cream of the crop.βΒ
βI look forward to working with each and every one of you. God bless you, I will be praying for you,β Mace said.Β
As she finished her comments and moved to leave the room, McIntyre approached her near an exit door, witnesses said.
Elliott Hinkle, a former foster youth and advocate for LGBTQ rights, said McIntyre shook her hand, and made a comment about how many transgender youth are in foster care, adding: βThey need your support.βΒ
βFrom what I saw, it was a normal handshake and interaction that I would expect any legislator to expect from anyone as a constituent,β said Hinkle, a consultant who has advised the federal government on issues affecting youth in foster care.
Later, Hinkle said, one of Maceβs aides returned to the reception and asked McIntyre his name and whether he would repeat what he had told the legislator. Two other people who witnessed the interaction confirmed that description of the brief episode.
McIntyre left the celebration, but he was later summoned back to the Rayburn Building by police.Β
Hinkle said his subsequent arrest βsends a chilling effect of, youβre not actually safe to go to the Capitol Hill and share an opinion that is true for you, that isnβt violent β because right now if you do, a congressperson might say that they were physically assaulted and call the police on you. So how would a young person in care feel safe?β
Michael Fitzgerald contributed to this report.
I hope everyone can see what the rabid right haters are trying to do.Β Not only gaslight everyone lying that a horrible assault happened and trans people are the fault and guilty party, but that the left endorses it.Β Β A woman was assaulted by a pro trans … trying to hint or make it sound like it was a trans man who did it.Β Β The log cabin people are the silliest as they claim she is a supporter of the LGBT, notice the last letter.Β They can not find a real attach on a woman by a trans person so now they are trying to make one up.Β Β Normal maga right dirty tricks.Β Β Hugs
With new restrictions on gender-affirming care, prisons confiscate underwear from trans people and compel them to cut their hair.
Earlier this fall, Florida officials ordered transgender women in the stateβs prisons to submit to breast exams. As part of a new policy for people with gender dysphoria, prison medical staff ranked the womenβs breast size using a scale designed for adolescents. Those whose breasts were deemed big enough were allowed to keep their bras. Everyone else had to surrender theirs, along with anything else considered βfemale,β such as womenβs underwear and toiletry items.
This article was published in partnership with the Tampa Bay Times.
The examinations came after people who had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria by the prison systemβs own providers were brought into meetings at the end of September and told of the prisonsβ new policy, which would make it nearly impossible for them to get hormone therapy and other gender-affirming medical care, according to interviews and emails with more than a dozen transgender women who said they attended the meetings.
Josie Takach, who is incarcerated in a menβs facility south of Tallahassee, said a male doctor told her to lift up her shirt, then glanced at her breasts and wrote something down without saying a word. When she tried to ask a question, a nurse βtold me not to ask any questions and to just shut up and do what Iβm told,β she recalled.
βIt felt like I was being treated less than human,β she said.
The stateβs chapter of the ACLU sued Floridaβs Department of Corrections, which operates the prisons, in late October, calling the policy draconian and arguing it amounts to an unconstitutional ban on gender-affirming care. The new policy is the latest maneuver in the culture war around transgender peopleβs civil rights in the Sunshine State. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis championed a raft of anti-trans legislation, including a law passed last year that prohibited children with gender dysphoria from accessing treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy. A similar law in Tennessee was the subject of arguments in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court last week.
In Tallahassee Monday, a federal judge held a preliminary hearing in the ACLU case. The state had asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit altogether, and the ACLU asked him to stop the state from enforcing the new rules. The judge is expected to issue a ruling on these questions in the coming weeks.
The Florida Department of Correctionsβ media office did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls with detailed questions, but in court papers responding to the ACLUβs lawsuit, the departmentβs lawyers argued that the new rules are βa carefully crafted policy that creates an individualized course of treatment for each inmate based on scientific evidence and clinical judgment.β
Under the new policy, the Department of Corrections stated that the prisons will only provide those with gender dysphoria with psychotherapy β and not cross-gender hormones β except βin rare instances β¦ if necessary to comply with the U.S. Constitution or a court decision.β The policy argues that βunaddressed psychiatric issues and unaddressed childhood trauma could lead to a misdiagnosis of gender dysphoria,β and that cross-gender hormones βmay be requested by persons experiencing short-termed delusions or beliefs which may later be changed and reversed.β
Florida has the countryβs third-largest state prison system, with more than 87,000 people incarcerated at the end of September. Of those, 181 have been identified by the department as transgender, and about 100 received hormone treatment, according to documents state officials filed with the courts in the ACLU case.
The new policy was announced in meetings in several prisons across the state at the end of September. Transgender women who attended the meetings said they were told by officials that everyone identifying as transgender would be βre-evaluatedβ to assess whether they can have continued access to the care and accommodations they had been receiving, such as permission to grow their hair long. Officials have not told the women whether and under what circumstances they will be allowed to stay on the hormones they have been receiving.
Since then, more than a dozen transgender people said corrections officers ordered them to cut their hair. Mariko Sundwall told The Marshall Project that she was given a disciplinary infraction and spent 10 days in solitary confinement for refusing to cut her hair before officers put her in handcuffs and led her to the prison barber where her hair was cropped short.
β[Before] my hair was long enough for a ponytail. Now I have a buzz cut,β said Jada Edwards, incarcerated in Dade Correctional Institution south of Miami. βIβm very sad and depressed. I feel like theyβre taking away my identity.β
Scores of women also had their breasts examined, according to filings in the suit and interviews with some of the women. A medical provider for the state assigned each transgender woman a rating on the Tanner scale, a system used by pediatricians to assess the development of adolescents during puberty. Several of the women said they werenβt told what stage was required for permission to keep their bras, but that almost everyone they knew had theirs taken away.
Some report hiding bras or sewing makeshift underwear β although now womenβs undergarments are considered contraband and could result in disciplinary charges β because they feel naked and exposed without them.
βI feel like Iβm 12 years old again, sneaking around wearing a bra,β said Takach, after her female undergarments were confiscated.
The new policy, which requires psychotherapy to treat underlying issues rather than treating the dysphoria, βcomes off like conversion therapy,β says Daniel Tilley, the lead attorney from the ACLU of Florida. βWeβre trying to change your fundamental nature to get you to stop being who you are.β
Sarah Maatsch, who is incarcerated in a menβs prison south of Orlando, said she was told that the gender dysphoria diagnosis she received from corrections department doctors in 2019 would now be considered a serious psychiatric illness. If she wants to continue her treatment, she said she was told, she would have to move to a more restrictive prison with more psychiatric services, but fewer work and programming opportunities.
βWe are all devastated,β said Maatsch. βThere are good days, bad days and the very bad days where a part of you hopes you have a heart attack.β
The new policy is the latest change in health care for transgender people in Florida after a 2023 law said any βgovernmental entityβ in Florida βmay not expend state funds β¦ for sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures.β It did not name prisons specifically, but the Department of Correctionsβ new policy says it βshall complyβ with this law.
Shortly after DeSantisβ anti-trans bills were passed, transgender people in state prisons began reporting that medications were abruptly changed or delayed with little or no explanation.
Courts have held that prisons are required under the U.S. Constitution to provide gender-affirming hormones as needed. Dan Karasic is a psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco who helped develop international standards for treatment of transgender people and who has testified against bans on gender-affirming care in Florida and elsewhere. He read Floridaβs new guidelines at The Marshall Projectβs request and called them βa fig leaf on their efforts to ban gender-affirming care. They are really trying to skirt the law, as determined by multiple courts, that gender-affirming medical and surgical care must be provided when medically necessary.β
The Florida prison systemβs program to treat prisoners with gender dysphoria began in 2017, after Reiyn Keohane sued the state. The federal judge in the case said that the Department of Correctionsβ refusal to provide Keohane with hormones and social accommodations, like womenβs clothing and haircuts, caused her βto continue to suffer unnecessarily and poses a substantial risk of harm to her health.β During the course of the lawsuit, the state began providing gender-affirming hormone therapy, access to makeup, womenβs clothing and other social accommodations within its prisons.
Behind the scenes, Danny Martinez, the state prison systemβs medical director, began revising the stateβs gender-affirming care program in 2020, he said in a court declaration in response to the ACLUβs recent lawsuit. As many as one-third of the people on hormones in Floridaβs prisons were not attending group or personal therapy sessions, he said. βI observed no decrease, and in fact an increase in grievances to the medical and mental health staff from inmates receiving hormone therapy, indicating to me that the treatment solely based on hormone therapy without additional mental health treatment produced limited success,β he wrote. An email to Martinez seeking comment was not returned.
Martinez said he designed the new program based on a 2022 report by Floridaβs Medicaid organization that found βinsufficient evidenceβ that medical interventions for gender dysphoria are safe or effective. The report led to the stateβs Medicaid program banning coverage of gender-affirming medical care. But a federal judge, in striking down the Medicaid ban last year, found that the report was βa biased effort to justify a predetermined outcome, not a fair analysis of the evidence,β and the reportβs conclusion was βnot supported by the evidence and was contrary to generally accepted medical standards.β
So far, none of the transgender women incarcerated in Florida have reported being taken off their hormones, but the looming threat has led to widespread anxiety.
βIf they took away my hormone therapy treatment, I would be ready to end my life. Iβm at that point,β said Sasha Mendoza, who is incarcerated in a menβs prison near Miami, in a declaration filed in the ACLU case. βIt may sound drastic. But FDC just let me start my transition and I was doing so well, and now they are making me stop. Iβm halfway there and halfway not there.β
Republicans are against the public having healthcare for some reason.Β Paxton, Texas leadership, and a good segment of the republican part simply want non-white people / all immigrants to suffer as much as possible.Β As if just by living they have committed the worst possible crime.Β Plus dreamers?Β Look republicans keep passing laws that kids are property so they had no choice being dragged to the US with their parents.Β Plus they have been here, raised here, never caused problems, added to the economy.Β Β Denying them healthcare is stupid and just trying to hurt them.Β Plus it costs taxpayers more as dreamers need care they must have but can’t afford to pay for.Β Β Hugs
PSA: migrants desperately seeking shelter may be in your area. Call ICE asap if seen.
Government run by gang thugs.Β That is what maga and the maga republicans want.Β tRump has always been a mob boss wannabe but was never good enough to really do it.Β He is a school yard bully who never grew up and has only regressed over the years.Β He thinks might make right, and that who ever can bully or threaten the most gets all the toys and their way on everything.Β Β Is this how we think things should be run?Β Is this for the good of the country?Β And if this is the way the republicans are going to act then how should democrats respond?Β Corporate media both print and video are afraid to attack tRump so they ganged up on Biden and the democrats, but they never pointed out that tRump was everything they attacked Biden for being.Β Now the brownshirts and thugs are making congress people offers they don’t dare refuse.Β Hugs
In recent days, allies of Trump adopted an approach that is not novel for the president-elect and his followers: Make life extremely uncomfortable for anyone who dares to oppose him. The swarm of MAGA attacks that Sen. Joni Ernst has experienced is a warning of whatβs in store for others who express skepticism of his personnel choices.Β
Read theΒ full article. As I noted yesterday, among the attacks on Ernst are threats to resurface allegations of an adulterous affair.
If you are a bigot who hates gay people then you believe this false idea.Β If you are a racist you believe that black / brown people are inferior and erode standards.Β In fact that was said about blacks when the military was first integrated.Β However that notion got totally destroyed due to the bravery and proficiency of the black divisions in the 1930s and 1940s.Β Β Same with gay people.Β Most people in the military don’t care your sex partner as longs as they are not forced against their will to join you.Β It is only the bigots, the fundamentalist religious people.Β It is the Christians like Hegseth who has said that the goal is to make the military Christians who want all the gay people out.Β Notice it was gays he objected to, not lesbians.Β The upper military brass has studied this, the idea of LGBTQ+ in the military and all the studies show that the military benefits greatly for allowing the LGBTQ+ to serve openly.Β Look let’s be honest the military was full of gay people in the 1980s when I was in, both the Navy and the Army.Β We just stood the chance of getting blackmailed or discharged if a bigot like Hegseth found out.Β Again all of maga want desperately to return to the fantasy time of the 1950s thinking that was the best of times, but only if you were a white straight cis male.Β Β The rest of the population suffered from the unfair laws.Β Β Hugs.Β Β
New: Pete Hegseth Lamented Don't Ask Don't Tell Change, Women in the MilitaryThe Trump nominee's views on women and LGBTQ+ individuals raise questions about his fitness
Hegsethβs views risk alienating large segments of the armed forces and undermining morale by suggesting that certain groups are inherently less capable of serving. The Department of Defense has long moved toward embracing equality and diversity as pillars of strength. A leader who dismisses these values could jeopardize decades of progress and fail to inspire trust and cohesion among service members.
In a time when military challenges require unity and innovation, the Secretary of Defense must represent the best of modern leadershipβrespect for diversity, evidence-based policy, and a commitment to national security above outdated biases. Pete Hegsethβs comments reveal a personal belief system with negative views which raises doubts about his fitness to lead the military
This is more gang thuggery.Β Notice this part:Β … as he threatened local officials to open the city and its county jail to the will of federal immigration agents.Β Β Β Hugs
The very same weaponizing the government and the DOJ to attack enemies that tRump and the maga right claims is happening under Biden was routine under tRump.Β Β Notice the use of the deep state tools to gather information including personal information which should have been protected legally.Β That is why all these people who claim tRump won’t be vengeful and won’t weaponize the government are just blowing smoke, he will and he has.Β Hugs
Oh wow, think of all those poor people who voted for tRump because they believe everything he says and think he is a smart businessman.Β Too bad no one tried to explain to them that tariffs are paid by the consumer, that means the person buying the item.Β Oh wait yes there were people trying hard to tell them that.Β In fact the black woman they just couldn’t vote for was saying that very clearly as was everyone but right wing media that is deep into the cult of tRump.Β HugsΒ
This man has shown nothing but contempt for all normal behavior and respect for the those in congress.Β He has done a lot to destroy the post office and to make it unreliable.Β Remember that he was destroying sorting machines and shortening delivery routes during an election so many mail in ballots never got counted.Β In deeply rural areas no other mail delivery service covers that area so they depend on the post office.Β The post office is the only government service mandated in the constitution.Β Remember DeJoy is a multimillionaire who owns a company that competes with and contracts with the post office that he is in charge of.Β Sounds like a conflict of ethics that needs real instigating.Β Hugs
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy covered his ears during a congressional hearing as Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) repeatedly pressed him on postal service oversight. https://t.co/hdpF8bnhu4pic.twitter.com/CpSHfh52PF
As normal Musk is spouting off on stuff he knows nothing about.Β Homelessness is caused by several factors, a major one being the cost of housing.Β With hedge funds and wealthy investment companies buying up all the housing in an area and jacking up the rents while providing no maintenance support.Β Β They don’t care, a large profit is demanded.Β The fact that people can not afford to live these days because people like Musk demand ever more profit, a man who has so much money he could waste 44 billion on a whim and not suffer any lowering of his lifestyle.Β That is what life is like for these clowns.Β They have no conception of what life is like for the rest of us. By the way, the article he cites as his proof says the exact opposite of what Musk claims.Β That is why you need to read more than the headlines and look at the pictures.Β Providing housing does work, but as the article referenced states the programs need the correct amount of funding and supervision.Β Hugs
The article does not support the contention that providing shelter to people who need it is fruitless or that all unhoused people are criminals. Rather, the article details how the converted hotels in San Francisco were βunderfunded and understaffed,β leading to substandard living conditions.
Read theΒ full article. As the linked piece notes, a large percentage of the homeless are children, veterans, queer kids rejected by their parents, and women escaping domestic violence. But theyβre all violent, drug-addicted liars, according to Musk, whose tweet currently has 25 million views.
Elon Musk accused the homeless of being violent drug addicts. Many are victims of domestic violence, hard workers with low paying jobs, multiple children to feed and clothe, veterans, students, young adults aged out of foster care, LGBTQ youth kicked out by intolerant parents etc pic.twitter.com/eUbrEECGdd
Delusion run strong in this one.Β Need I say more.Β A fox entertainment host is also claiming tRump will buy a large track of property for the US making more states.Β Β Hugs
Donald Trump is once again βjokingβ about annexing Canada into the United States, this time calling Justin Trudeau the βGovernorβ of the βGreat State of Canada.βTotally normal and not crazy at all
Earlier today, the Montana Supreme CourtΒ ruledΒ that SB 99, a 2023 Montana law that categorically bans life-saving gender-affirming care for transgender youth, is unconstitutional under the Montana state constitutionβs privacy clause, which prohibits government intrusion on private medical decisions. This ruling will allow Montana communities and families to continue accessing medical treatments for transgender minors with gender dysphoria.
βI will never understand why my representatives are working to strip me of my rights and the rights of other transgender kids,βΒ said Phoebe Cross, a 17-year-old transgender boy. βJust living as a trans teenager is difficult enough, the last thing me and my peers need is to have our rights taken away.β
βFortunately, the Montana Supreme Court understands the danger of the state interfering with critical healthcare,βΒ said Lambda Legal Counsel Kell Olson. βBecause Montanaβs constitutional protections are even stronger than their federal counterparts, transgender youth in Montana can sleep easier tonight knowing that they can continue to thrive for now, without this looming threat hanging over their heads.β
βWe are so thankful for this opportunity to protect trans youth, their families, and their medical providers from this baseless and dangerous law,βΒ said Malita Picasso, Staff Attorney for the ACLUβs LGBTQ & HIV Project. βEvery day that transgender Montanans are able to access this care is a critical and life-saving victory. We will never stop fighting until every transgender person has the care and support they need to thrive.β
βTodayβs ruling permits our clients to breathe a sigh of relief,βΒ said Akilah Deernose, Executive Director of the ACLU of Montana.Β βBut the fight for trans rights is far from over. We will continue to push for the right of all Montanans, including those who are transgender, to be themselves and live their lives free of intrusive government interference.β
The Court found that the Plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their privacy claim, holding:
βThe Legislature did not make gender-affirming care unlawful. Nor did it make the treatments unlawful for all minors. Instead, it restricted a broad swath of medical treatments only when sought for a particular purpose. The record indicates that Provider Plaintiffs, or other medical professionals providing gender-affirming care, are recognized as competent in the medical community to provide that care.[T]he law puts governmental regulation in the mix of an individualβs fundamental right βto make medical judgments affecting her or his bodily integrity and health in partnership with a chosen health care provider.β
Two justices filed a concurrence arguing that the Court should also clarify that discrimination on the basis of transgender status is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Montanaβs Equal Protection Clause.
Plaintiffs in the case include Molly and Paul Cross and their 17-year-old transgender son Phoebe; Jane and John Doe joining on behalf of their 16-year-old transgender daughter; and two providers of gender-affirming care who bring claims on their own behalf and on behalf of their Montana patients.
On December 4, the Supreme Court of the United StatesΒ heard oral argumentsΒ in a landmark case brought by the ACLU, the ACLU of Tennessee, Lambda Legal, and Akin Gump on behalf of three families and a medical provider challenging a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming hormonal therapies for transgender youth on the grounds the ban violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Todayβs decision by the Montana Supreme Court rests entirely on State Constitutional grounds, insulating transgender adolescents, their families, and health care providers from any potential negative outcome at the U.S. Supreme Court.
We need more of these laws protecting the representation of minorities and the ideas the fundamentalist right hate, such as female autonomy.Β Β The only way to get more states to do this is to elect more progressives, become more vocal over what we want, and to support those who advocate for the full support of equality and inclusion of everyone in society, sometimes called DEI.Β Β Hugs
Gov. Phil Murphy, at the Princeton Public Library, signs legislation Monday aimed at barring public libraries and schools from banning books. Β
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, signed a law Monday prohibiting public schools and libraries from banning books and protecting librarians who obey state law.
Murphyβs signing of theΒ Freedom to Read ActΒ comes amid an ongoing push by conservative lawmakers and activists across the country to challenge books they consider inappropriate for minors, particularly those about LGBTQ issues and race. Lawmakers in at least 13 states this year have introduced legislation to disrupt library services or limit their materials,Β according to an NBC News tally.
βAcross the nation, we have seen attempts to suppress and censor the stories and experiences of others,β Murphy said in a statement. βIβm proud to amplify the voices of our past and present, as there is no better way for our children to prepare for the future than to read freely.β
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Murphy during an interview in New York on Nov. 22.
In September, PEN America, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting free speech,Β reportedΒ that the number of books being removed from school shelves during the 2023-24 school year had tripled from the previous year, to more than 10,000.
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The PEN America report, along with one from the American Library Association released that same month, outlined how frequently challenged books are often about or written by people of color or those who identify as LGBTQ.
In 2023, the American Library Associationβs list of theΒ 10 most challenged books nationwideΒ included Toni Morrisonβs βThe Bluest Eye,β a novel about a young Black girl who grew up after the Great Depression; Maia Kobabeβs βGender Queer: A Memoir,β a graphic memoir about the authorβs exploration of gender identity from adolescence to young adulthood; and George M. Johnsonβs βAll Boys Arenβt Blue,β a coming-of-age memoir about a queer Black man.
New Jersey -is the third state to sign a law prohibiting the banning of books at public schools and libraries, following Illinois and Minnesota.
The new law is set to take effect in a year from the governorβs signing. However, the state education commissioner and the New Jersey state librarian are permitted to start implementing it immediately βas may be necessary,β the law states.
βThrough this legislation, we are protecting the integrity of our libraries that are curated by dedicated professionals and making those resources available to help every student to grow as a critical thinker,β New Jersey acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said in a statement.
Today the Freedom to Read Act from @AndrewZwicker will be signed into law by @GovMurphy – protecting a readerβs freedom to access information and safeguarding librarians from harassment.
As you can see below, that βsiftingβ has already begun.
Last month, Davis, who was among Trumpβs candidates for Attorney General, posted this about Trumpβs critics: βI want to drag their dead political bodies through the streets, burn them, and throw them off the wall.β
Davis last appeared here with he threatened to imprison βfat assβ New York Attorney General Letitia James.
In August 2024, Davis appeared here when he threatened to sue any publication or social media user who referred to Trump as a βconvicted felon.β
In April 2024, he appeared here when he vowed to imprison Trumpβs critics and prosecute Barack Obama for murder.
In February 2024, we heard from him when he declared, βWhatβs so bad about Christian nationalism?β
His first appearance here came last year when he threatened to βarrest and deportβ journalist Mehdi Hasan and throw gay reporter Tim Miller in a womenβs prison.
Welker: Economists of all stripes say that ultimately, consumers pay the price of tariffs.Trump: I don't believe that.Welker: Can you guarantee American families won't pay more?Trump: I can't guarantee anything..
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal is accusing Pete Hegsethβs attorney, Timothy Parlatore, of witness intimidation because Parlatore suggested that Hegseth may sue the woman who accused him of sexual assault and received a settlement if he doesnβt get confirmed.
Trump NIH pick "considering a plan to link likelihood of receiving research grants to some measure of academic freedom…Bhattacharya wants to counter what he sees as a culture of conformity that ostracized him over his views on masking and school closures" http://www.wsj.com/health/healt…
The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers.Β Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity.
The above-named group is a dark money organization that does not reveal its donors. Their leader is a former staffer for nutbag Sen. Ron Johnson.
These people what a Russian style military of only white cis straight males which Ted Cruz gave such praise to over our US military.Β The thing is the Russian military was stopped and driven out of a country by the rag tag Ukrainian military with gifted supplies dripping in.Β A diverse military of the entire population is the strongest one, which has been demonstrated over and over again.Β Talk about a group wanting purity in a place, this is what these bigot racist haters want.Β Hugs
Among Hegsethβs alleged βmistakesβ are sexual assault, countless incidents of adultery (including with a coworker), at last one bastard child, drunkenly attempting to climb onto a strip club stage, on the job drinking, being fall down drunk at corporate events, shouting βkill all Muslims,β having white supremacist tattoos, belonging to a far-right misogynist Christian nationalist church, and running two nonprofits for veterans into the ground with what former colleagues call questionable spending on partying and travel. Itβs what Jesus would want.
1. Bondi asked for a $25,000 campaign donation from Trump, and got it. 2. Then she dropped her stateβs investigation into Trump University. 3. Now she’s Trump’s nominee for Attorney General.
Watch the clip and youβll see an excited Lummis wave a copy of her bill, calling it a βpresent for President Trump.β Hayes calls the bill an βenormous heistβ and an βexplicit bailoutβ of bitcoin holders should the price plummet
I posted about this before.Β Now I need to post an update.Β Rule by gang violence must always be rejected and pushed back against as hard as possible.Β Β Hugs
A few hours before the city of Prattvilleβs annual Christmas parade was to start, a federal judge ordered the city to allow an LGBTQ pride groupβs float to be included. Prattville Pride called the order βa powerful affirmation of the importance of visibility, representation, and inclusion for all members of our community,β in a Facebook post.
In his order, U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker of the Middle District of Alabama wrote: βWhile there are areas of unprotected speech, such as incitement of violence, the City makes no argument and provides no evidence that Prattville Pride has engaged in any speech or behavior that would remotely fall into an unprotected speech category. It is undisputed that Prattville Pride has complied with the Cityβs regulations.β
βThe City removed Prattville Pride from the parade based on its belief that certain members of the public who oppose Prattville Pride, and what is stands for, would react in a disruptive way. But discrimination based on a messageβs content βcannot be tolerated under the First Amendment,β the order continued.
From yesterdayβsΒ Alabama Political ReporterΒ report:
An LGBTQ+ float has been denied participation in the Prattville Christmas parade, with Mayor Bill Gillespie citing safety concerns. βThis morning, it was brought to the Cityβs attention from Prattville Pride that there are serious safety concerns regarding Prattville Prideβs participation in the Christmas parade,β Gillespie said in a statement Thursday morning.
Asked to clarify these safety concerns, Gillespie said the safety concerns were brought to the attention of the city by Prattville Pride itself in a Thursday morning email:
βSubsequent to the city council meeting held on Dec. 3, there have been some additional threats made against our organization referencing harmful actions to be taken against us and our float during the Prattville Christmas Parade. At this time, Prattville Pride is requesting Prattville police officers to specifically monitor us and our surroundings during staging, as well as assign two officers to walk near the crowd alongside our float.β
After a hearing for an emergency injunction Friday morning, an Alabama LGBTQ organization is waiting for a ruling from federal judge about whether it can participate in the city of Prattvilleβs annual Christmas parade, scheduled for Friday evening. Prattville Pride filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the city after it withdrew permission for the organization to march.
Caryl Lawson, vice president and co-founder of Pratville Pride, told the council the group had been subjected to βhateful pushback and rhetoric.β On social media forums, there have been suggestions the group will be clad in lingerie or will toss sex toys and LGBTQ literature to children along the parade route. There were also threats to vandalize the groupβs float or toss objects including βrotten tomatoesβ at members of the organization.
Prattville Pride was the very first organization to enter the City of Prattvilleβs annual Christmas parade this year. The group paid the fee like other organizations and says they plan to abide by the cityβs rules. However, Clean Up Alabama, the group that originally formed to challenge LGBTQ+ titles in the Prattville library, is calling on the city to reverse course and deny Prattville Pride the opportunity to participate.
βThe Christmas parade is a celebration of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah. It is NOT a time to celebrate someoneβs sexual preferences. And it is certainly not a place for a drag show,β Clean Up Alabama said in an email pushing for the removal of Prattville Pride. The fervor started after a far-right website highlighted Prattville Prideβs participation in the event.
Trump nominated Judge Huffaker to the federal bench in 2019 and he was confirmed by the Senate in a lopsided 89-4 vote with the support of Democratic then-US Sen. Doug Jones. Thereβs more in the video report below. Prattville Pride is celebrating with a suggestion for donations to the Trevor Project.
We are thrilled to share the news that a federal court has granted us an injunction upholding Prattville Prides right to participate in the cityβs Christmas parade. This ruling is a powerful affirmation of the importance of visibility, representation, and inclusion for all members of our community. The Christmas parade is a cherished holiday tradition, and we are excited to celebrate alongside our neighbors and friends in the spirit of love, joy, and unity.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to our attorney, Julia Collins, and the Harris Law Firm for their incredible support and timely response. Their willingness to prioritize this case as soon as they heard about the cityβs decision was crucial in getting the motion filed in time. We also want to extend a special thank you to Keirsten Wallace for her invaluable assistance in preparing parts of the brief. Her hard work and dedication played an important role in this success.
While we celebrate this important step forward, we must also acknowledge the challenges and hateful rhetoric that have been directed towards our organization and the LGBTQ+ community during this process. Such negativity can have a profound and damaging effect on LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly youth, who often face heightened risks of isolation, mental health struggles, and rejection.
This is why Prattville Pride existsβto ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals feel safe, seen, and supported. Our participation in the Christmas parade is more than just a celebration; it is a statement of belonging and a reminder that love and acceptance are integral to the fabric of our community.
In addition to our ongoing Point of Pride fundraiser, we are calling on our supporters to consider donating to The Trevor Project, a vital organization dedicated to serving at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. By contributing, we can help ensure that young people in our community and beyond receive the support and resources they need to thrive.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has stood by us and advocated for equality. Together, we are building a more inclusive Prattville where everyone has a place to belong. We look forward to spreading holiday cheer and representing the spirit of pride and love during this yearβs Christmas parade.
Thank you for your continued support. Letβs keep working together to create a community where every individual feels valued and celebrated.
Some more to the story.Β Please notice the religious hate and bigotry along with the crazy idea the Christmas a country wide holiday belongs only to Christians due to their beliefs.Β Notice the misinformation deliberately thrown out to confuse and mislead the public over what the Pride float was about.Β Notice the attempt to make the LGBTQ+ in to degenerate perverts trying to corrupt and harm children.Β Save the kids from a threat that doesn’t exist by banning the Pride float along with LGBTQ+ people.Β It is the entire Russian playbook being enacted here by religious and maga gang thugs.Β Hugs
An LGBTQ+ float has been denied participation in the Prattville Christmas parade, with Mayor Bill Gillespie citing safety concerns. βThis morning, it was brought to the Cityβs attention from Prattville Pride that there are serious safety concerns regarding Prattville Prideβs participation in the Christmas parade,β Gillespie said in a statement Thursday morning.
Asked to clarify these safety concerns, Gillespie said the safety concerns were brought to the attention of the city by Prattville Pride itself in a Thursday morning email:
βSubsequent to the city council meeting held on Dec. 3, there have been some additional threats made against our organization referencing harmful actions to be taken against us and our float during the Prattville Christmas Parade. At this time, Prattville Pride is requesting Prattville police officers to specifically monitor us and our surroundings during staging, as well as assign two officers to walk near the crowd alongside our float.β
After a hearing for an emergency injunction Friday morning, an Alabama LGBTQ organization is waiting for a ruling from federal judge about whether it can participate in the city of Prattvilleβs annual Christmas parade, scheduled for Friday evening. Prattville Pride filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the city after it withdrew permission for the organization to march.
Caryl Lawson, vice president and co-founder of Pratville Pride, told the council the group had been subjected to βhateful pushback and rhetoric.β On social media forums, there have been suggestions the group will be clad in lingerie or will toss sex toys and LGBTQ literature to children along the parade route. There were also threats to vandalize the groupβs float or toss objects including βrotten tomatoesβ at members of the organization.
Prattville Pride was the very first organization to enter the City of Prattvilleβs annual Christmas parade this year. The group paid the fee like other organizations and says they plan to abide by the cityβs rules. However, Clean Up Alabama, the group that originally formed to challenge LGBTQ+ titles in the Prattville library, is calling on the city to reverse course and deny Prattville Pride the opportunity to participate.
βThe Christmas parade is a celebration of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah. It is NOT a time to celebrate someoneβs sexual preferences. And it is certainly not a place for a drag show,β Clean Up Alabama said in an email pushing for the removal of Prattville Pride. The fervor started after a far-right website highlighted Prattville Prideβs participation in the event.
Again notice the gang thugs threatening violence to get what they wanted.Β All it takes for places to cancel LGBTQ+ events or participation is to make a threat against them.Β Seems to me to show these people did not want the LGBTQ+ event or participation in the first place. There goal is to remove us from society and public view.Β Β Why are we letting these thugs, these brownshirts drive us out of public life.Β We must fight back with everything we can.Β Β Hugs.Β Β
Prattville, Alabama, USA – May 12, 2017: Official seal for the City of Prattiville hanging at Stanley Jensen Stadium, the city-owned football stadium.Β
An LGBTQ+ float has been denied participation in the Prattville Christmas parade, with Mayor Bill Gillespie citing safety concerns.
βThis morning, it was brought to the Cityβs attention from Prattville Pride that there are serious safety concerns regarding Prattville Prideβs participation in the Christmas parade,β Gillespie said in a statement Thursday morning. βUntil today, there has only been conjecture and speculation regarding potential safety concerns that Prattville Prideβs participation in the parade may cause. The City will not put the rights of parade participants ahead of the safety of its citizens. Because of the safety concerns for Prattville Pride, other parade participants, as well as parade bystanders, the City has made the decision to remove Prattville Pride from the Christmas parade.β
Asked to clarify these safety concerns, Gillespie said the safety concerns were brought to the attention of the city by Prattville Pride itself in a Thursday morning email.Β APRΒ has obtained that email, sent from Prattville Pride Vice President Caryl Lawson to Prattville Police Chief Mark Thompson and Assistant Chief Jeff Hassell.
βSubsequent to the city council meeting held on Dec. 3, there have been some additional threats made against our organization referencing harmful actions to be taken against us and our float during the Prattville Christmas Parade,β Lawson wrote. βAt this time, Prattville Pride is requesting Prattville police officers to specifically monitor us and our surroundings during staging, as well as assign two officers to walk near the crowd alongside our float.