Animal rescue gets death threats after drag queen reads to dogs

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/10/animal-rescue-gets-death-threats-drag-queen-reads-dogs/

I hope this shows everyone how these anti-drag queen haters are not doing this to protect kids, they are doing this to enforce a mistaken idea of what gender roles they feel must be enforced regardless of how others do not agree.   We have progressed as a society enough to know that the stereotype of gender roles is not only stupid but based only on the idea that men should control women.   Seriously there are religious preachers getting furious that women might wear pants or other things considered men’s clothing.   Why?   Also these same preachers / people go crazy over men / boys wearing what they think are women’s clothing.   Yet that ignores that until the 20th century boys and girls both wore dresses until about 10 or 11 years old.   Until the boys started to go through puberty.   It was done for a lot of reasons, and it was seen as a boy growing up and becoming a man to graduate to knee length shorts.    I wonder how many boys would rather have kept the freedom and ease of wearing dresses.   I also think that these people stuck on what each gender should be allowed to wear forget history where men wore wigs and before that togas and other non-pants dress.    Frankly clothing has no sex / gender.   Clothing is just fabric and it is simply stupid to get upset by the idea that one piece of fabric can be worn only by one sex / gender.    The real discussion to have is in a civilized society how much modesty should be required by each sex / gender.   For example why are men allowed to go shirtless in society and women are not just because their breasts are bigger, well sometimes bigger.  I live in a Florida trailer park and there are retired large old men whose breasts are larger than a lot of women’s.  Really that is simply sexist and makes no sense.    If a woman wants to walk around topless why shouldn’t see be allowed to do so.   it is not her responsibility to control others, they have a duty to control themselves.   And don’t say that kids shouldn’t see her breasts.  Why?   They see men’s breasts all the time.    It is a social convention that needs to go bye bye.   Breasts exist, kids know people have them, they are not dirty or harmful, but we tell kids they shouldn’t ever see them.  Why.   See how some sexist old fashion out of date stereotypes of male and female dressing makes no sense?   This is nothing more than the Christian Taliban mentality.    Are women in the US going to be required to wear burkas?   Think of the dress code for Amish women and ask, does it make them a better person or does it simply make their daily lives harder. The fact is these thugs are attempting to use lies along with threats of violence to shut down a legal completely non-sexual event because they want to rule what is allowed in society and what is banned.    If you don’t do what these people want they will hurt you.    That is the message they are delivering.   Well is that a democracy?   Is that a civilized civil society for the 21st century?    This is what the right wing media and republican governors like DeathSantis are promoting and inspiring.  “You guys are total f**king scumbags … You sick f**ks secretly WANT to sexualize little kids because deep down you’re twisted and demented pedos who really really want to f**k kids,” one message said. “I seriously hope that the next workplace shooting occurs at our organization and snuffs out everyone who approved of this. Maybe then our children will be safe from predators like you.”  For reading stories to dogs by a man dressed in a costume.   Have they seen the outfits that clergy dress in?     Hugs

 
dog with rainbow flag
Photo: Shutterstock
 

A dog shelter is receiving death threats because it had a drag queen read books to dogs.

On September 24, the Hard Knocks Rescue & Training facility of Huntsville, Alabama had a drag queen named Miss Majesty Divine read to the dogs in its care.

Chaya Raichik, who goes by LibsofTikTok on social media, posted an article that sought to generate outrage about the event. Video of the live-streamed event — which had only one child in its in-person crowd — showed the drag queen reading Walter the Farting Dog: Banned from the Beach and making innuendo comments about men liking “meat” and “big bones.”

After Raichik published her article, the dog shelter began receiving violent threats. Her posts, which regularly accuse LGBTQ people of “grooming” children for sexual abuse, have inspired death threats against drag performers, educators, and healthcare providers.

James Miller, the drag performer who read to the dogs, has since been put on paid leave from his job as a teacher in the Huntsville School District after Raichik’s post. He has said the jokes he made weren’t any worse than the innuendo that has appeared in children’s cartoons.

“You guys are total f**king scumbags … You sick f**ks secretly WANT to sexualize little kids because deep down you’re twisted and demented pedos who really really want to f**k kids,” one message said. “I seriously hope that the next workplace shooting occurs at our organization and snuffs out everyone who approved of this. Maybe then our children will be safe from predators like you.”

The shelter also began getting bad reviews on its Google and Facebook pages.

In a video responding to the threats, the shelter owners said, “We’re not backing down on what we do…. We know this is a risk, but it is the right side of things to be on.”

They also said they had reported the threats to the police and FBI but would continue to operate as they usually do.

“We are being very careful about security,” they continued. “We understand that this is a scary situation. It’s a scary situation. For us. It’s a scary situation for our volunteers, and it’s probably going to make a lot of our clients uncomfortable as well.”

They also noted that Miss Majesty Divine had helped them fundraise and host story hour events at their shelter in the past. The books read during the event focus on “inclusion, acceptance, being authentic, being comfortable in your own skin,” they added.

“Our mission is to focus on the outcast dogs, the underdogs, the dogs that nobody wants to work with,” they said. “The people that we kind of gravitate to and pull into our circle are the people who have always felt pushed out.”

One of the owners also said that they knew what it was like to feel marginalized because they grew up with a gay father during the 1980s.

“To have had a place to go and activities that we could have gone to together as a family that also encompassed other things that we liked, would have been life-changing for me,” one owner said.

The shelter also said it wants to begin a program to help at-risk LGBTQ youth work with dogs so they can both “heal together.”

“We would rather be excluded for those we include that included for those we exclude,”  the nonprofit’s CEO Lisa Maasen said.

At Least 20 Cultists Now Spreading “Litter Boxes” Lies

Again this is a made up myth, a lie repeated to attack trans kids and to mock allowing trans gender kids to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with.   This is done so these republicans don’t get called bigots.   An attack by proxy.   The truth is their base, the people in their party understand what it is about and glory in the hate.   That is what these kind of people do.  Trans people and trans kids do not harm them.   The majority of major medical associations support affirmative gender care for trans

kids which includes full medical work ups, mental health exams, social transitioning, puberty blockers when needed, hormone therapy when needed, and finally when old enough and sure of the gender intensity sexual reassignment.   That cannot be argued by the anti-haters that want to use the fringe skeptic doctors and fake studies to pretend the hate they spread is correct.   Just like vaccine deniers and Covid hoax fringe claimants.    The truth is the major medical organizations have looked at the issue and have formed best practices, and until they change their minds the haters can stay silent with their lies.    Hugs

NBC News reports:

At a luncheon for Republican women in Mesa County, Colorado, last week, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., warned that educators “are putting litter boxes in schools for people who identify as cats.” The week before, on Sept. 29, Minnesota GOP gubernatorial nominee Scott Jensen asked during a campaign stop, “Why do we have litter boxes in some of the school districts so kids can pee in them, because they identify as a furry?”

At least 20 conservative candidates and elected officials have claimed this year that K-12 schools are placing litter boxes on campus or making other accommodations for students who identify as cats, according to an NBC News review of public statements. In Colorado, GOP gubernatorial nominee Heidi Ganahl insisted in several recent interviews that students were dressing and identifying as cats, disrupting class, and the state’s schools were tolerating it.

Read the full article.

How pathetic. The litter is there for terrified students who are locked in during a school murder spree. And now it’s spun into a filthy lie to use against another vulnerable group.

Cat litter can be used to soak up vomit. Not uncommon to have it around for many things at a school. We never had cats growing up, but always had some kitty litter to soak up oil or other car fluids in the garage (Dad was a mechanic).

Ty • 2 hours ago

How would GED Boebert know – its not like she is familiar with anything school related

Philly Mike 🐸 Ty • 2 hours ago

She has an honorary Phd in being a loud broad with a Glock and isn’t that really what matters.

Mike P • 2 hours ago

Why can’t the media call out these Republicans as the FUCKING LIARS they are.

KarenAtFOH Mike P • 2 hours ago

Can’t have a proper horserace if one side is wrong.

Todd20036 • 4 hours ago

Trans people will be the first ones marched into the camps. Followed by gay men

worstcultever • 4 hours ago

After all this time – why on earth isn’t there some prominent, loud, rapid response entity to debunk the fuck out of this shit before it literally drowns us to death in mass mental illness?

What happened to that Jersey girl (e.g.) who was briefly tweeting for the WH and slew all kinds of crapola in single deft snarky strokes?

Why, why, WHY do we allow this poison to go unanswered?????!!!!!

The_Wretched worstcultever • 3 hours ago • edited

Clearchannel and sinclair own everything. Professor Senator Warren has monopoly break up plans. All of them are needed to restore democracy.

Lestat worstcultever • 4 hours ago

That ship sailed with the death of mass media. There was a time when Walter Cronkite could go on television and, for better or worse, be believed by the vast majority of people. Now we are utterly beholden to the rumor mill and the “social media” profiteers who depend on it.

Random Observer Lestat • 2 hours ago

This. Decentralization of “truth” means that you get a bunch of cheap hacks, rather than a few experts.. In one way, it was an unintended consequence of cutting the cord..

Kevin Perez • 4 hours ago

There is no way to publicly humiliate these losers because their echo chambers have become so large that they never see the rest of us pointing and laughing at them.

April Smith • 4 hours ago

Since EVERYONE carries a phone (with a camera) you would think we’d have “proof” of all these furry litterboxes at schools by now.

SkokieDaddy – wiener dog dad • 4 hours ago • edited

The right has for years (Tea Party anyone?) interrupted town halls and other candidate and representative events. We need to put them into defensive put up or shut up mode.

“Miss Politician, can you, within 24 hours provide concrete proof of these litter boxes for students who identify as cats. The school address, classroom, etc. If you cannot, do you agree to resign from office, as we cannot trust you to make intelligent decisions for your constituents if you promote such a laughable claim with zero evidence.”

Paula • 4 hours ago

At school, I will occasionally see see student, usually a girl, wearing those slip on cat ears. They are just being silly teenagers, there’s nothing to it. I guess they will be banning those now.

SkokieDaddy – wiener dog dad kaydenpat • 4 hours ago

And as we laugh at the lies and the media reports, no one is talking about negotiating drug prices, yesterday’s stock market surge, DeSantis being sued, Trump’s deposition in the defamation case, etc. etc.

Its a very intentional strategy.

Bruce_in_Mpls • 4 hours ago

Isn’t it time we started banning musicals?

Thumbnail

Bob from CT • 4 hours ago

In this day and age when everyone can take photos and record videos on
their phones why isn’t there visual evidence of at least one school
litter box? You’d think some disgruntled custodian who has to dispose of
the waste and refill the box with clean litter would have already been a
special guest on Tucker.

DmR • 4 hours ago

Where are the photos of kids going doo-doo in the litter box? I’m sure one of those kids woulda taken one and posted it on F-book!

Ed B • 4 hours ago

Cat litter is also good for keeping in your trunk in case of snow. For traction.

But I digress…

Anti-LGBTQ activists protest after being enraged at Disney-themed drag event

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/10/anti-lgbtq-activists-protest-enraged-disney-themed-drag-event/

The right has tried hard to equate drag shows with sexual orgies.   They have convinced a lot of people that drag shows are the same as strip shows.   Drag shows are not trans gender events either.   Drag shows, doing drag is simply dress up role playing.   It is no different than Halloween.    The right loves to demonize anything they dislike or cannot understand.   One last point.    Dragging your kids to a hate protest where you are screaming and saying nasty things about a group of people is indoctrination and grooming them to hate.   If these parents don’t want their children to go to drag show events then don’t take them there, but don’t try to deny parents who do want their kids to see them and enjoy them their parental rights to grant their permission.   You raise your kids, don’t try to force others to live by your hatreds.   These people want to force everyone to have their views of things, their idea of right and wrong, they don’t care that others disagree with them.   They don’t care about the many parents and others that know these events are just good fun, but they want to rule over others and force everyone to live by their views.    Hugs

 
Anti-LGBTQ parents, community activists, and school board candidates protest the Boo Bash.
Anti-LGBTQ parents, community activists, and school board candidates protest the Boo Bash. Photo: Screenshot
 

A group of around 60 people gathered in Encinitas, California earlier this week to protest a family-friendly queer Halloween event.

TransFamily Support Services’ Boo Bash first made waves late last month when a flyer for the event appeared on the Encinitas Union School District’s community events platform, Peachjar. The flyer describes Boo Bash as “the queerest free Halloween party for youth and families,” and promises games, trick-or-treating, a costume contest, and a family-friendly drag show.

Parents reportedly took issue with the event, specifically the drag show and some of Boo Bash’s sponsors, which include Fabulous Hillcrest, Rich’s San Diego, SD Loyals, North County LGBTQ Center, and San Diego Pride. An earlier version of the flyer also listed Align Surgical Associates, which provides gender-affirming care, as a sponsor.

“A lot of people are just generally not comfortable with the idea of pushing drag queen shows on little kids but separate and apart from that I think the biggest concern with this event are the sponsors,” said Paul Jonna, an attorney who says he was contacted by concerned parents. “We submitted a public records request to find out more about their involvement, their communication with these sponsors and sort of this event.”

Parents, community activists, and school board candidates gathered Tuesday evening outside the Encinitas Union School District’s headquarters to protest the event.

“It is very clear what the agenda is,” said Joleene Burts, who home schools her children. “It is not a family-friendly event and the district is lying to our children and these are our children.”

According to a September statement from the school district, Boo Bash is a “non-district event” and all digital flyers distributed through Peachjar feature a disclaimer noting that “distribution of this flyer does not imply endorsement by the Encinitas Union School District.”

But TransFamily Support Services director Kathie Moehlig told San Diego’s NBC7 that the flyer would not have been delivered to Encinitas parents via Peachjar if the district had not approved it. The frequently asked questions section of the platform’s website clearly states that flyers submitted to Peachjar by community organizations are “routed to the appropriate school district(s) for approval.

On Tuesday, the district released a statement claiming the flyer had been removed from the platform three weeks ago because it did not meet approval criteria.

Moehling said that the flyer remains on the Peachjar sites of four other schools. She also dismisses the idea that Boo Bash’s Disney-themed drag show is inappropriate for kids.

“These drag queens are going to be performing a Disney villain show and they are going to be dressed appropriately to Disney villain themes, just as you would see any other entertainer wear who is doing entertainment for young children,” she said.

Despite the protest, Moehling said that Boo Bash will take place as scheduled on October 29.

“We’re not going to back down from doing what we know is right and appropriate to support these youth and their families, just because some people think they can use it as their mega piece to get talking points and get attention,” she told KGTV in September.

 
 

GOP Senate candidate Adam Laxalt said Democrats want to “indoctrinate kids” into being transgender

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/10/gop-senate-candidate-said-democrats-want-indoctrinate-kids-transgender/

This guy has a long history of hating the LGBTQ+ community.   He hates gays and trans people for some reason and doesn’t even bother to understand what being trans is.  Worse he doesn’t understand that what these don’t say gay bills do is not stop gender indoctrination from happening in schools, but it makes sure that only cis gender is accepted, and that only straight orientation is seen.   The object of these bills is to deny gays, lesbians, and trans people / kids exist.   By not letting it be talked about or married same sex teacher show their spouse they are telling the kids that it is bad to be gay, lesbian, or trans and it is bad to be in a same sex marriage.   By removing the books about gay, lesbian, and trans kids from libraries the kids are denied seeing people in stories that feel and are like themselves.   It is an attempt to wipe the LGBTQ+ from society.   But it won’t make kids stop being gay or having gender identities different from the born gender assignment.   Kids were born gay long before positive stories about gay people were written or positive gay characters in movies.   Same with gender identities.   These things are inborn, you are born with sexual orientation and gender understanding, they are not something you can get from others, it is not a disease, it is not caused by sexual abuse or reading about it in a book.    Hugs

 
Adam Laxalt
Adam LaxaltPhoto: Gage Skidmore
 

Republican Senate candidate Adam Laxalt of Nevada is getting attention online for comments he made earlier this year about how LGBTQ people want to “indoctrinate” young children with “transgenderism in kindergarten” during a discussion of child sex abuse.

Laxalt appeared on the Breitbart News podcast on March 31 and the host brought up the conservative accusation that Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is “soft on child predators.” Laxalt responded by bringing up Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill, which banned discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in younger grades and restricted such discussions in older grades.

“I mean, why in the world are they fighting so hard for the ability to indoctrinate kids from age, kindergarten to third grade?” Laxalt asked. “Why are they fighting – I should say – against this bill if it were not because they want to be able to indoctrinate kids at these ages?”

He said that there “can’t be virtually any parents that would actually support the indoctrination, by strangers, of their children in schools,” referring to learning about diverse groups of people.

“And so, you know, kudos to DeSantis for signing this bill,” Laxalt concluded. “And then for going on offense.”

The Las Vegas Review-Journal asked Laxalt’s campaign about his comments and a campaign spokesperson said he was referring to “transgenderism in kindergarten.”

The spokesperson said that Laxalt’s opponent, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), “should be explaining to Nevada parents why she has cozied up to fringe elements of her own party who push transgenderism in kindergarten.”

“Cortez Masto sides with the most vile elements of the radical left as they continue poisoning our education system,” the spokesperson said.

“We will not hide like the millions of those who came before us, who would be arrested for being gay, beaten and killed or given electroshock therapy,” Gender Justice executive director Sy Bernabei said in response to Laxalt’s positions. “No matter how much you try to break us, invalidate us and terrorize us, we will prevail.”

Laxalt has a long history of opposing LGBTQ equality. In 2018, HRC Nevada pointed out that Laxalt had an “obsession with attacking the LGBTQ community.”

This obsession included a 2014 statement against marriage equality and opposition to LGBTQ people serving openly in the military. In a 2010 op-ed, he wrote, “Senior officers and non-commissioned officers will have to, under the color of Military Law, proactively endorse and eventually foster homosexuality.”

RealClearPolitics shows Laxalt and Cortez Masto neck-and-neck in the election, with Laxalt averaging a 1.7-point lead in recent polling.

 

A Young Victim Of Incest Was Denied An Abortion In Florida And Forced To Travel For Care, Planned Parenthood Said

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annabetts/abortion-florida-ban-incest

I am back.   My internet is up and running and my computers have all been hooked up.   Tomorrow I will post a picture of the new set up and maybe even get to doing all the things I love to do online.   Now to the post, tell me what you would do as a desperate teenager, maybe 13, 14, 15 years old and seeing all your hopes and dreams disappearing because of something growing inside you that you did not want.   I know the stupid fucked up fundies say well if the girl did not want to be pregnant she shouldn’t have had sex.    Screw that.  Her boyfriend may have forced her into it, she may like sex as it feels great for all involved if done correctly and damn it that includes women.  Yes women / girls get to enjoy sex and orgasming also, it is not just a boys right / fun thing to do.  The girl might have been raped and sadly that is too often the cause of young teen pregnancies.   Whatever the reason a zygote / fetus with no viability shouldn’t have the right to overrule a already living breathing alive human person.    The religious assholes like to say well it is a potential life, Ya well the girl / woman / pregnant person with the unwanted thing growing inside them is a life also!   A fully developed life!   I am sorry for being rude and strident, but I will no longer play nice when the other side is ruining lives and killing people because they have a weirdly wrong view of their holy books.  Those people did not understand how germs works and to wash their hands.   Today we have the Webb telescope showing us nearly the beginning of the universe.  I am done being nice and trying to reason with these people.   They are domestic terrorist harming the female population.   I am not going to accept their right to do that.  Jesus I am sitting here thinking of my fears that age and have such compassion for a young girl that age.   How terrifying it must all be.  People don’t seem to understand.    Your body is changing, you want to hide what happened regardless if you wanted it, liked it, or had if forced on you the last thing you want is everyone knowing about it.   Then your body changes, the adults in your life freak, and you get told because you tried to hide it or make it go away it is too late to medically do anything to help you.  You as a child who cannot sign contracts, need your parents to agree and sign for medical treatment, need adults to legally run your life are now suddenly expected to also bring a baby into the world.   Good fucken luck.    Hugs

Florida’s abortion ban prohibits the procedure after 15 weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest.

 
 
 
 
 

A child who was the victim of incest was denied an abortion in Florida since the state instituted its 15-week ban in July, the local Planned Parenthood chapter told BuzzFeed News.

The GOP-controlled state legislature allowed exceptions to the 15-week ban in order to save the pregnant person’s life, prevent a serious injury, or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. There are no exceptions for rape or incest, and violators of the law could face up to five years in prison.

Laura Goodhue, vice president of public policy for Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida, did not disclose the patient’s exact age or the state they traveled to receive an abortion, but she told BuzzFeed News they were in middle school. Goodhue had initially said another middle schooler who experienced incest was denied an abortion in Florida, then on Thursday clarified to BuzzFeed News that the cause of the second patient’s pregnancy was not confirmed.

In order to obtain the procedure, both of the young patients had to travel “at least two, three states away,” she said. Planned Parenthood helped arrange their travel, and they were accompanied by family members.

“The cruelty of forcing a very young person, who has already survived a horrible case of violence, to give birth, it just takes away their rights to bodily autonomy, and it is really turning a blind eye to what is happening in our society,” she said.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Democrats in Florida had tried to add exceptions for rape, incest, and human trafficking into the bill before the ban was in effect, but that effort was rejected by the Republican lawmakers in February.

The 15-week ban came as neighboring states like Georgia and Alabama have almost or completely banned abortion. Since June, Florida clinics near the state’s border have seen more than double the typical number of patients, Alexandra Mandado, president of Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida, said in a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

At their clinics, Mandado said, they are also seeing an increase in young people seeking abortions, as well as an increase in survivors of domestic abuse, rape, and incest, “none of whom have any say of their own bodies if they are over 15 weeks pregnant,” she said. “We are seeing patients who did not know that they were past 15 weeks of pregnancy.”

Mandado told the story of a patient who had been experiencing symptoms of chronic fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Multiple doctors attributed her symptoms to long COVID. But after weeks of doubt, she finally took a pregnancy test and found that she was unexpectedly pregnant, Mandado said.

“When she arrived at Planned Parenthood, she learned that she was past the limit of our state’s abortion ban,” she said.

Dr. Shelly Tien, an OB-GYN who provides care in northern Florida and also spoke at the press conference, said many of the patients who have been turned away because they are past the 15-week mark are young or experiencing intimate partner violence.

“We are seeing this restriction have profound and terrible effects for some families in the most desperate of situations,” Tein said.

Tein added it was heartbreaking not to be able to provide care locally for the young incest survivor.

“To not be able to provide that service because of the restriction for a patient in such a terrible and violent situation is horrible,” Tien said. “This patient was sent to another health center in another state … but that is another delay and barrier that that young girl should not need to face.”

Let’s talk about a Cuban referendum and party and policy….

GOP Leader Nods As MAGA Mom Says ‘Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion’ Is Marxism

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy nods to parents calling “diversity, equity, and inclusion” Marxist programs The Majority Report crew discusses how there is no pushback to conservatives openly advocating to end anti-bullying programs after the critical race theory panic and passing of legislation such as the don’t say gay bill. The crew also talks about how parents are being activated to go to the polls by hateful right-wing rhetoric.

Trans youth charity Mermaids responds to The Telegraph ‘investigation’ amid breast binder row

Again the right has to lie about medical facts, make up fake “investigations”, and lie about the safeguards the charity has for their trans kid subscribers all to drive as much hate as possible against trans.   Please notice that the famous well known TERF J.K Rowling is pushing the lies and myths hard as she does with anything atni-trans.    Hugs

Mermaids marches at Pride in London

Mermaids marches at Pride in London, 2019. (Barcroft Media via Getty/ Wiktor Szymanowicz)

Trans children’s charity Mermaids has responded to an “investigation” by The Telegraph which suggested the charity was putting children at risk.

On Sunday (25 September), The Telegraph ran a story headlined: “Trans charity Mermaids giving breast binders to children behind parents’ backs”.

The story largely relied on an unidentified adult masquerading as a 14-year-old child to access services from Mermaids, including the charity’s youth forum and web chat helpline.

 

The newspaper reported an email exchange between the charity and the adult – pretending to be a 14-year-old trans boy named “Kai” – in which staff agreed to provide them with a free binder after they had become “a member of the charity’s online Youth Forum for a month and posted three times”.

Mermaids also reportedly provided extensive information about safe binder wearing, and risks associated with binders, which can reduce dysphoria in some trans people.

The Telegraph expressed outrage that the charity did not grill the “child” on their mental health and require that they inform an adult, even though “Kai” had already described their family as unaccepting.

Although Mermaids refused to comment for The Telegraph’s “investigation”, the charity said in its own statement addressing the issues raised: “Some trans masculine, non-binary and gender diverse people experience bodily dysphoria, as a result of their chest, and binding, for some, helps alleviate that distress.

“Mermaids takes a harm reduction position with the understanding that providing a young person with a binder and comprehensive safety guidelines from an experienced member of staff is preferable to the likely alternative of unsafe practices and/or continued or increasing dysphoria.

 

“The risk is considered by Mermaids staff within the context of our safeguarding framework.”

Although Mermaids’ youth forums are designed to be a safe space for young people, The Telegraph also published information about the kind of conversations being had by teenagers, including on the topic of puberty blockers.

Researchers in 2020 found that puberty blockers can be “life-saving” for trans youth, drastically decreasing their chance of suicide, depression and anxiety, and the Endocrine Society describes hormone-blocking medication as a reversible treatment option to “give adolescents more time to explore their options”.

The newspaper tried to paint Mermaids’ forums as unsafe, including quotes from anti-trans campaigners like Transgender Trend founder Stephanie Davies-Arai, and MPs Joanna Cherry and Miriam Cates, who claimed the “investigation” raised “huge safeguarding red flags”.

But the charity clarified: “We have robust security and moderation processes in place to ensure our forums are a safe space for trans, non-binary and gender diverse young people and their families.

 

“In August 2022, an individual – possibly a journalist – tried to gain access to the youth forums by pretending to be a 14-year-old in need of support, seemingly with the aim of discrediting Mermaids.

“This person was caught in the moderation process and has since been blocked. Security of our platforms and safeguarding of young people is of the utmost importance to us and we will continue to regularly review our processes and procedures to make sure our forums remain safe and secure.”

The article from The Telegraph has spread like wildfire across social media, stoking unfounded accusations of safeguarding concerns at Mermaids, and was shared by JK Rowling.

https://twitter.com/Seej/status/1574391777909424128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1574391777909424128%7Ctwgr%5E0b3a0bb3d483139fe9bcb5d3774f6b3e3995a951%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinknews.co.uk%2F2022%2F09%2F26%2Fmermaids-the-telegraph-investigation-puberty-blockers-breast-binder%2F

In response, Carrie Lyell, head of communications at Mermaids, told Rowling: “I’d be happy to have a chat about what we actually do at Mermaids. But then, real life is never quite as interesting or salacious as fiction, is it?”

Rowling has not publicly taken up their offer.

 

 

Texas school board bans teachers from saying that trans people exist

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/08/texas-school-board-bans-teachers-saying-trans-people-exist/

As I have said this is never about protecting kids, it is about making the hated icky trans people maga dislikes go away.   It is about their bigotry wrapped up in acceptable language of protect the children.    This is what was done in Russia and Chechnya.   Remove the mention of these people in society and the haters feel more comfortable, only two genders and the bigots are happy again, ban rights for women and minorities and the racists are happy, and when they get rid of democracy the right wing is ecstatic.  Who is next on the hit list, well the don’t say gay already bans the mention or display of same sex couples and gay rights.   It removes anti-discrimination laws and removes anti-bullying displays.   Then when all the LGBTQ+ are wiped from society what next, Jewish people?   Pentecostals?  Who goes away next until there is a homogeneous white single religion population that Tucker Carlson and right wing fascist are pushing for?    Notice most of the people at this meeting were against the anti-trans policy but the minority haters pushed it through anyay.   I will leave you with something famous about this below.   Hugs

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade

Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemöller

 
Teacher and a student with masks.
Photo: Shutterstock
 

A local school board in Texas has adopted a sweeping new set of guidelines that ban discussion about the existence of transgender people – which they call “gender fluidity” – and critical race theory, prohibits the use of pronouns that aren’t aligned with the sex on a student’s birth certificate, and restricts use of restrooms and locker rooms, among other new prohibitions.

The new guidelines, approved by the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District near Dallas, are the result of a concerted campaign organized by conservative Christian group Patriot Mobile Action, which has spent millions of dollars electing conservative majorities to Texas school boards.

Hundreds of residents showed up to the contentious meeting Monday night, with a majority speaking out against the proposed restrictions.

Among a far-right wish list of prohibitions, the new rules include guidance based on flawed definitions.

“Gender Fluidity” is defined in the text as “any theory or ideology that (1) espouses the view that biological sex is merely a social construct; (2) espouses the view that it is possible for a person to be any gender or none (i.e., non-binary); or (3) espouses the view that an individual’s biological sex should be changed to ‘match’ a self-believed gender that is different from the person’s biological sex.”

Gender fluidity is actually the idea that a person’s gender identity or expression can change over time. What the school board is calling gender fluidity is, in fact, the idea that transgender people exist at all.

Also, “nonbinary” means that a person isn’t male or female; it doesn’t necessarily mean they have no gender (that’s usually called agender).

The district also banned the use of pronouns for students and teachers “in any manner that is inconsistent with the biological sex of such person.” The district also limited the use of restrooms and other facilities to the one associated with a person’s gender on their “biological birth certificate.”

The district also banned teaching certain aspect of the history of racism in the U.S., specifically citing the 1619 Project and “critical race theory,” a catch-all term used by conservatives to describe teaching about racism in history.

Over a hundred people spoke in opposition to the proposal, including a United Methodist pastor who said the guidelines reflect a “fascist agenda” that does not represent Christian values.

A Patriot Mobile activist can be seen behind him.

BREAKING: the Grapevine-Colleyville school district board (GCISD), my hometown public school which recently elected a conservative majority, is proposing new guidelines for the district. This includes a ban on any discussion of what they define as "Gender Fluidity."

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Also: "the district will not promote, require, or encourage the use of titles or pronoun identifiers for students teachers or any other persons in any manner that is inconsistent with the biological sex of such person" and that employees may comply "at their discretion."

2/

Another item on the Grapevine-Colleyville school board agenda includes the banning of "equity audits" across the district, casting them as a tool of Critical Race Theory.

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New restrictions on books are also being proposed by the GCISD board. Some of these proposed restrictions could result in the removal of items from the library that go against "prevailing standards in the adult community." The adult community fired the first Black principal.

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There's even a proposal in the GCISD agendat around "bathrooms and changing facilities" which is clearly a part of an anti-trans agenda.

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The conservative members of the GCISD board also specifically seek to downplay the role of slavery in the founding of the United States.

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This is happening after the election of new conservative board members at GCISD like Tammy Nakamura, who made waves and may have violated school policy by speaking proudly about the firing of the first Black principal at a conservative activist forum.

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As @Mike_Hixenbaugh noted, GCISD is one of the districts that Patriot Mobile boasted about "taking over." It is now proposing language against "Critical Race Theory" that is stricter than the state law against CRT, but that language doesn't define CRT.

8/

Meanwhile, "GCISD saw a 40% jump in retirements and resignations this year." The district has a large number of teacher vacancies. The board has considered raising pay to stop the bleeding, but hasn't seemed to consider the role of their policies.

9/

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/education/texas-teacher-retirements-and-resignations-have-spiked-in-2022-creating-a-crisis-for-districts/287-28c38d2b-cdc8-466d-b248-c7d5c374fcb5

Originally tweeted by steven monacelli (@stevanzetti) on August 19, 2022.

Gavin Newsom WIPES THE FLOOR with DeSantis in scathing takedown

At the Texas Tribune event in Austin, Texas on Saturday afternoon, California Governor Gavin Newsom took aim at far-right Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for his anti-freedom stances, which span from his treatment of asylum seekers, the banning of books, the rollback of reproductive rights and beyond. Francis Maxwell reports.