Way more Americans condemn adultery than homosexuality. Even among Republicans only 60 percent condemn homosexuality (that’s not good but it’s better than I expected) despite which the party is totally committed to anti-gay hatemongering (and, as noted at the link, quite tolerant of adultery in its leaders). It’s why they’re obsessed with the idea Michelle Obama is a man or that Obama is gay — they can’t let go of the idea this is a killer line of attack.
“The European Parliament on Wednesday voted in favor of banning so-called conversion therapy across the European Union. The proposed ban had the support of 405 MEPs. The European Commission is expected to formally respond to it by May 18.” Here the Republican SCOTUS has banned bans on conversion therapy. Justice Ketanji Jackson Brown pointed out that contrary to the Republican Sinister Six, this isn’t about “free speech” it’s about regulating medical practice, which is a standard government thing: “The Constitution does not pose a barrier to reasonable regulation of harmful medical treatments just because substandard care comes via speech instead of scalpel.” As noted at the link, SCOTUS is fine with state restrictions on what doctors can say about abortion, or with bans on gender-affirming care for trans kids.
Of course this partly reflects that the religious right has built up hating on LGBTQ as a primary tenet of Christianity (it isn’t) and equated defending LGBTQ as anti-Christian bias. Which is again, bullshit. Protecting the civil rights of people doesn’t infringe on the rights of people who hate them; that’s like arguing that ending Jim Crow infringes on the rights of white bigots … which come to think of it is what some people did argue at the time.
It’s also a reminder that when Republicans talk about freedom of religion they mean the freedom of religious people who align with their politics. Pro-gay? Pro-immigrant? Crickets. They insist the first amendment does not stop religion from getting involved in government but they’re outraged the Pope speaks up because he criticized the Toddler. In Denver, two Catholic schools want to receive state education funding while discriminating against children of gay or trans parents. If SCOTUS takes up the case I doubt the outcome will be just.
“The Trump administration on Monday will terminate multiple civil rights settlements aimed at ensuring transgender students’ rights to equal opportunity to an education, forcing school officials to choose whether to comply with the government’s interpretation of federal anti-discrimination laws or to abide by conflicting state statutes.” HUD is also rescinding housing protection for LGBTQ Americans.
“The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation Monday into Smith College, an all-women’s institution in Massachusetts, for admitting transgender women. The probe by the department’s Office of Civil Rights will look at whether the college violated Title IX, a 1972 law forbidding discrimination based on sex in education.”
Colorado homophobe Erin Lee claims ballot measures keeping trans kids out of sports are necessary because Colorado’s lawmakers are “actual demons.” A fellow activist of Lee’s admits the ballot measures are also intended to drive turnout at the midterms.
A new study finds 40 percent of trans youth have considered suicide in the past year. As noted at the link, this is not inciting the press coverage it should.
Right-wing Senator Doug Mastroiano is shocked, shocked that Gettysburg celebrates Pride.
“The preeminent threat to national security, according to the hapless folks at Donald Trump’s personal law firm, is anyone who ever donated money to LGBTQ civil rights organization GLAD. At least that’s the government’s new working theory as it tries to justify its retaliatory executive order against Susman Godfrey.”
Gay-hating Tony Perkins is outraged the government is still spending money on the PEPFAR AIDS relief program.
“Duke appears to have lost NIH grants because they used the prefix “trans” in reference to disease transmission, transgenic genetic material, translational studies, or signal transduction”
“An Indianapolis church is calling for members of the LGBTQ+ community to be put to death or to kill themselves. Local faith leaders are condemning the message.”
By contrast, Radiant Mobile founder Paul Fisher is moderate (sarcasm font): he just intends to block LGBTQ content from the phone’s Internet browsers.
“The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits. The move means that transgender service members will now be faced with the choice of either taking a lump-sum separation payment offered to junior troops or be removed from the service.” So much for supporting the troops.
“Gov. Ron DeSantis defended the state’s eradication of LGBTQ+ rainbow crosswalks on Tuesday, and said recalcitrant cities will be forced to get with the program.” He sneers the crosswalks are “virtue signaling” because admitting that support for LGBTQ can be sincere might make him look like the jackass he is. Here’s more Florida man homophobia.
Or Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary is: “Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter Tuesday to the 50 state governors, urging them to remove distractions from roads, including divisive and distracting political messaging like rainbow crosswalks.”
“Under this rule, the State Department will now require applicants to the program to indicate their “biological sex at birth” during all stages of the process, “even if that differs from the sex listed on the applicant’s foreign passport or other identifying documentation.” As if that wasn’t enough, the rule concurrently mandates that all applicants submit their passport information and a scan of their passport’s biographic page with the aim of “combating fraud.”
Last year, the Toddler’s Homeland Security Department canceled a program to prevent school shootings because two of the grantees work with LGBTQ groups.
I still believe the fascists will fail. A lot of people will suffer before that point.
