A dangerous 58% of Republican voters believe that white Americans are being replaced by people of color in the aftermath of the white supremacist-inspired mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. The YouGov poll straight up asked if pollers agreed or disagreed with the statement “white people in this country are being replaced by non-white people” and found shockingly similar results to polls that disguised the same sentiment with political euphemisms. Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian discuss on The Young Turks.
“A stunning 58 percent of Republicans agreed that “White people in this country are being replaced by non-white people” in a poll taken after the replacement theory-inspired Buffalo mass shooting.
The suspect in the terrifying racist attack in Buffalo — an 18-year-old White man named Payton Gendron— said in an online manifesto that he was motivated by replacement theory. And a raft of disturbing polls taken before and since that attack have shown large majorities of conservative-leaning voters — and even significant minorities of all Americans— agree with statements in line with that theory.
But those polls couched their descriptions of replacement theory in political euphemism with questions like “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
A group of people in this country are trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants and people of color who share their political views.”
But a new YouGov poll placed the question in explicitly racial terms, and found similarly sobering results.
Respondents to the poll were asked “Do you agree or disagree with the following? White people in this country are being replaced by non-white people.””
It has been revealed that Kevin Ranaghan, the founder of the Christian fundamentalist group the People of Praise, of who Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is a powerful member, controlled almost the entire life of a female member of the group. Kevin and his wife Dorothy allegedly had multiple inappropriate instances with the woman’s children in addition to controlling financial decisions and dating relationships. Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian discuss on The Young Turks.
“The founder of the People of Praise, a secretive charismatic Christian group that counts the supreme court justice Amy Coney Barrett as a member, was described in a sworn affidavit filed in the 1990s as exerting almost total control over one of the group’s female members, including making all decisions about her finances and dating relationships.
The court documents also described alleged instances of a sexualized atmosphere in the home of the founder, Kevin Ranaghan, and his wife, Dorothy Ranaghan.
The description of the Ranaghans and accusations involving their intimate behavior were contained in a 1993 proceeding in which a woman, Cynthia Carnick, said that she did not want her five minor children to have visitations with their father, John Roger Carnick, who was then a member of the People of Praise, in the Ranaghan household or in their presence, because she believed it was not in her children’s “best interest”. Cynthia Carnick also described inappropriate incidents involving the couple and the Ranaghan children. The matter was eventually settled between the parties.””
I want to thank Ali for sending me the link for this article. I find it to be well written and informative. Ali also has a comment in the comment section which I will try to post but if you go to the link remember where this newspaper is located and be prepared for the hateful things said in the comment sections. Some people are very proud of their ignorance and bigotry. Hugs
Commentary by Devin McCue, Sumner Newscow — Happy Friday. On Monday, Louisiana became the 18th state to target children who just want to play sports without someone looking at their genitals.
The legislation is ironically named the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” despite the fact it does just the opposite. It expressly bans transgender students from participating on the correct sports teams because Republicans believe it gives them an unfair advantage.
Actually, the belief is that trans girls have that advantage because of their testosterone injections. Trans boys will still be allowed to play, but I imagine they’ll change their minds as soon as a trans boy starts winning enough matches/games.
Before going further, here are a few quick facts:
Talent in sports varies as widely in the trans community as in the cis community and a person’s genetic makeup and internal and external reproductive anatomy are not useful indicators of athletic performance;
Since it’s Pride month and these bills aren’t likely to go away until they’re declared unconstitutional, CultureCow is here to direct you to a Hulu original documentary called Changing the Game.
Changing the Game follows three high school athletes who happen to be trans and all the vitriol they have to endure from raving adults. The kids come from Texas, Connecticut, and New Hampshire and have wildly different upbringings, but one thing is consistent: they just want to compete.
Mack is from Texas and is forced to compete in the girls’ wrestling division despite transitioning far before that. This actually isn’t as uncommon as you’d believe, but Mack is a special case because he’s dominating. People complain that he has an unfair advantage and Mack agrees, but Texas’ shameful policies force him to compete in the competitions “aligned with his birth certificate.”
Andraya runs track in Connecticut under the appropriate girls’ division but suffers the same transphobia as Mack. Her state allows her to compete with her gender identity, but can’t force parents (whose kids are never concerned as they are) from making asses out of themselves.
Sarah Rose races in Nordic skiing in New Hampshire and receives some of the hate that her costars do, but to a lesser extent. Because she isn’t winning every race. Despite what conservatives would call “her competitive advantage,” Sarah Rose is a middling athlete like the vast majority of trans kids.
Changing the Game is an important documentary because it’s the first one that actually takes the issue from the kids’ point of view. Most people who support these draconian policies say they do so “to protect their children,” but never seem to care what the kids actually go through.
These athletes just want to compete like all the other kids, but they have to put up with fear-mongers and professional liars like Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan who are shameful enough to politicize their existence. What makes this film special though isn’t just the bravery these kids exhibit, but the human experiences they go through like every other teenager, whether that be love, parental relationships, or just growing up in general.
If you find yourself sympathetic to the idea that this is a left vs. right issue, you’ll also want to watch to observe Mack’s grandma. A gun-toting, Christian, Republican, police officer who hasn’t changed her mind on any issue, but still supports her grandson entirely. Be like her, and let kids play.
Unfortunately, Louisiana’s transphobic bill isn’t the only state legislation making the news.
A Texas GOP lawmaker plans to file legislation next session that would ban any event that includes drag-performers that minors could attend. This comes after years of conservative backlash to the immensely popular drag queen story hours and likely won’t pass.
Like in the above story, however, in these people’s quest to “protect the children,” no one seems to care what those children actually think.
Kids love drag story time and every queen and school or library that’s done it has raved about how fun and successful it was. The American Library Association even released an explicit statement in support of the practice, which included a list of resources for anyone hoping to bring it to their library.
Getting kids to read is the actual best way to protect them, but I guess if we did that, there’d stop being conservatives in a few decades…
People (*cough* homophobes *cough*) like to complain that drag shows are inappropriate because they can “corrupt” the children’s minds, but that doesn’t make any sense. Firstly, if your sexuality is so flimsy that it can waver after watching a grown man lip-sync to a Britney song, you probably just aren’t straight in the first place. And secondly, even if drag shows and story hours somehow turned kids gay (which they can’t because that’s stupid), so what?
Being gay is fun and nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe care less about who other people love and focus inward on why you’re so afraid that someone is more honest with themselves than you are.
And lastly, I can’t emphasize enough how small a deal drag is.
Personally, I don’t like drag that much. I love going if one of my friends is in the show, but other than that, it’s just not for me. And there are thousands and thousands of straight people who love drag yet somehow don’t come out gay. A straight drag queen even competed in RuPaul’s Drag Race recently.
This Texas lawmaker and anyone else getting so worked up over drag, should take a lesson from their kids: calm down, have some milk, and take a nap because you’re throwing an embarrassing hissy fit.
Meme of the week
I, unfortunately, can’t look at every meme that dominates the internet every week, so if you see a meme and think it should be the meme of the week please send it to: SumnerCultureCow@gmail.com
If you disagree with my analysis, have a grievance or any other complaint please visit here
If, on the other hand, you’d like to read more from me head over to my blog, MouthfulofTeeth.com where you’ll find my favorite CultureCow articles and my other writing on politics, fiction, and anything else you’d like to read.
The Sumner Newscow continues to be the sports news and news asset that it’s always been. Everybody doesn’t like the same thing all the time, so since Culture Cow began, I’ve really appreciated it as a resource. Plus, it’s very well written, and I appreciate that.
I also appreciate the courage you and the Newscow show in posting features about issues that shouldn’t be contentious, but somehow are. I’m a Free Mom Hug giver and an ally, and I can’t wait to watch “Changing The Game.”
Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, was found to have emailed at least 29 Arizona lawmakers in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Allison Gill reports.
A five year old was told often enough that his family was wrong and that the HAD to have a mommy, by adults, that he started to lie saying his mom died. Is this the correct message to send to little kids, your loving two dads are so wrong you need to start lying to fit in? These two men who have a five year old son are now faced with having to move out of Florida. They are lucky if they can afford to do so, even though it shouldn’t be this way. The state of Florida has been taking over by Republican thugs on a religious culture war to incite their base to attack anyone different than them. Including a five year old. Sick. But the Republican party and their gang of thugs will do this everywhere they can get away with it, and they will do it in places they were not in before to show they can. As I posted earlier. We need to understand what is happening in the US right now, we are losing the country to a gang of thugs. Hugs
THERE IS NO CC AND WITH CNN The CC is useless anyway. Please try to listen anyway. It is about a five year old boy being told his family is not real enough for the haters. Hugs
Jordan Letschert and Robby Price are teaching their son Kellan how to talk about their family. But recent anti-LGBTQ legislation has led them to reconsider if this is a good place to raise him.
The violence by these right wing groups is getting worse. It started with hate preachers, and now is a normal tool of intimation and fear caused by gang thugs who are the brownshirts of the Republican party. We know how deep these groups were in the insurrection. I have a fear that this is what is going to be the normal for the right to any they disagree with. I also want to point out as I have before how traumatized these little kids must have been. These were little kids. As has happened before at other libraries and bookstores these little kids are being terrified by these angry men coming and screaming, yelling, angry, making threats and saying bad things. Yet these gang thugs claim there are there to protect the children, the very kids they are scaring to death. We had better take this seriously because this is a prelude to what will be happening at any event that displease the right, as we seen with school board meetings during Covid. Right now red states are passing bills to have their armed, yes in some cases armed, supporters as poll workers to challenge voters of color or those they know are democrats. This is not democracy. History has shown us what happens if this is not stopped. Hugs
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a group of men who disrupted a drag queen storytelling event at the San Lorenzo Library Saturday with homophobic slurs.
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred Saturday afternoon at around 1:30 p.m. at the San Lorenzo Library located on Paseo Grande.
Authorities said a group of men entered the library its “Drag Queen Story Time” event and made “homophobic and transphobic remarks against a member of the LGTBQ+ community who was hosting the event.”
From the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office:
When deputies arrived they learned a LGBTQ community member was hosting a reading event at the library called, “Drag Queen Story Hour.” Present at the event were children, parents and other community members.
A group of men entered the library and disrupted the reading event. The men were described as members of the Proud Boys organization, known to be a right wing hate group with anti-LGBTQ affiliations.
The men began to shout homophobic and transphobic slurs at the event organizer. The men were described as extremely aggressive with a threatening violent demeanor causing people to fear for their safety.
Deputies responded to the scene and were able to de-escalate the situation. An active hate crime investigation is underway as is an investigation into the annoying and harassing of children.
ACSO will dedicate all resources to ensure the safety of members of our LGBTQ community. We will make sure any future events at the library are safe against hate speech and threats of violence.
As we celebrate Pride Month, we will be swift in our response to any incidents where there are threats to harm members of this community.
Image above via Google Street View. The Proud Boys may have been alerted to the event thanks to a tweet from the anti-LGBTQ account, LibsOfTikTok.
Yesterday:
Proud Boys stormed Drag Queen Story Hour at San Lorenzo Public Library, wearing AK-47 shirts & calling the drag queen “pedophile” & “it.”
A right-wing militia was arrested for planning to attack Pride in Idaho.
Direct results of political attacks on LGBTQ people.
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) June 12, 2022
NEW: San Francisco drag queen Panda Dulce says their Drag Queen Story Hour for kids at San Lorenzo Library today was stormed by people shouting homophobic slurs and hate speech.
— Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez (@FitzTheReporter) June 12, 2022
I'm transcribing Dulce's post: "They were wearing AK 47 shirts. they recorded me on their phones, yelled, called me a 'tranny', a 'pedophile' and an 'it', and totally freaked out all of the kids. they got right in our faces. they jeered. they attempted to escalate to violence."
— Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez (@FitzTheReporter) June 12, 2022
"I left the room with the security guard. we hid in the back office while the other librarians called the sheriff.
when the sheriff arrived with backup, they escorted the protesters out. the protestors formed a line, tried to block the library exits and waited."
— Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez (@FitzTheReporter) June 12, 2022
Hate-crime investigation underway after 5 men who are members of the far-right Proud Boys interrupted a “Drag Queen Story Hour” at @aclib San Lorenzo Library w/kids, parents & community members & shouted homophobic & transphobic comments at event organizer, per @ACSOSheriffspic.twitter.com/6x5Uwaxc1B
These guys aren’t patriots: their self-description is as National Socialists. That’s NAZIS — literally. They actually promote the murder of all Blacks and Jews. They’re in favor of Genocide. The FBI needs to trail them relentlessly. https://t.co/VaO1Gzadt8
They also apparently object to the fact that the library’s activities are, gasp, funded by local property taxes. Presumably most people who pay property taxes have no particular problem with this activity or we would hear more from them. Question: what is the “libs” in this handle supposed to mean?
Generation that grew up laughing uproariously and without any sense of embarrassment at Flip Wilson in drag on prime time as Geraldine…
…now worried what will happen if kids see a drag show.
DeSantis now wants any parent who takes a child to a drag show to be investigated by DCF, charged with child abuse, and have their parental rights taken away.
The Proud Boys, the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers, among other neo-fascist groups, have been a big problem for quite a while now, and it’s only getting worse, rapidly.
Canada has wisely designated the Three Percenters and the Proud Boys, at least, as “organizations designated as terrorists.” We have not been so wise in the US.
“Investigating?” What exactly needs to be “investigated?” The Proud(ly Idiotic) Boys clearly engaged in trespassing and disturbing the peace. Why aren’t they being arrested?
I think literacy is a noble goal and should be a community effort. We need some of those Drag Queens to go into the teaching profession and teach numeracy too.
Kudos to all the Drag Queens who volunteer to further the effort of educating children. The Proud Boys only teach hatred, violence and idiocy. I see no purpose in being a Proud Boy, except to promote narcissistic Nihilism.
This is the county I live in. As I said before Florida is a divided state, but the minority Republican party try to rule it by force of intimidation, gerrymandering, and voter suppression. The Republican party under DeathSantis is a gang of thugs. We are very much in a dangerous time in the US and it looks like the republican media arm of rabid right misinformation / misdirection will convince the people angry at gas prices and inflation that it is Biden’s fault. The truth is both inflation and price increases are worldwide, and a lot of the price increases is price gouging. Oil companies admit they love rolling in the profits. But notice that these elections are supposed to be non-partisan and focused on the needs of the students, but instead the republicans are trying to gain control to make it about election power. Hugs
LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Some members of the Lee County Republican Party openly admitted they’re trying to take over the Lee County School Board during the upcoming elections.
That’s despite the fact the races in Florida are non-partisan. If you’ve seen the school board meetings over the last two years you know they’ve been contentious and at times violent.
But that isn’t stopping Republicans from trying to control the school board.
Conservative Republican Political Consultant Terry Miller pointed out that there are seven members of the school board and only three are republican in a county where every partisan race is held by a Republican.
He admits he wants to overhaul the board.
“What I’m doing is bringing forward conservative leadership for a conservative community,” Miller said.
He didn’t deny he was helping wage a culture war campaign
“There are aspects of that in the culture war because of the things you see happening on the school board,” Miller responded.
He’s backing Conservatives like Dan Severson.
“I’m talking about gender grooming and talking about very sensitive issues that should be family based,” Severson was stressing LGBTQ issues.
Many LGBTQ students in Southwest Florida schools reported feeling under attack.
“Because they feel like victims now they have the ability to use that a leverage to get privileged treatment,” Severson responded.
Jason “Big Mamma” Jones said no one should be attacked or bullied in the school system no matter who they are.
Jones is Severson’s republican competitor known fondly as “Big Momma” on the radio.
“I’m endorsed by sheriff Carmine Marceno. I’m endorsed by the Hispanic vote and I’m endorsed by Mayor Devin Anderson of Fort Myers,” he noted.
Both of his endorsements are republicans which signifies a split in the party.
They’re trying to unseat incumbent Debbie Jordan who believes school board races should be non-partisan and the focus should always remain on the children and not politics.
“It is a non-partisan race but there are different ways of achieving things and for me it’s following the conservative mind set,” replied candidate Sam Fisher.
Fisher is another one of Miller’s candidates who is up against two other republicans.
Kathy Fanny is also running for school board and she stressed politics has no place in the school race and she wants party affiliation left out of it.
“The curriculum is not partisan and to make it so would under serve our school population,” Fanny said.
All of the openly republican candidates also said they support electing the next school superintendent.
Scottie's Playtime 