#arizona anti-gay bill

[robertreich]

The Case Against RFK Jr.

RFK Junior is not who you think he is.

It pains me to say it, but he is a dangerous nutcase.

He claims to want to heal America, but his vision for our future is tainted by his endorsements of hateful conspiracy theories – and the fact that he is being funded in large part by donors aligned with Donald Trump.

It’s time to lift the curtain on a campaign based on false, irresponsible, and self-contradictory claims.

RFK Junior repeatedly promoted a right-wing conspiracy theory that chemicals in the water are turning people gay or transgender.

He suggested COVID-19 was a bioweapon, mysteriously designed to spare Jewish people.

[RFK Jr.: “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”]

He’s spent years spreading anti-vaxx lies.

And in his 2021 book, RFK Junior alleged, with no plausible evidence, that Dr. Fauci performed genocidal experiments, sabotaged treatments for AIDS, and conspired with Bill Gates to suppress information about COVID-19.

These are not the words of someone who is serious about leading – let alone healing – this country.

As someone who once worked for his father, RFK, and admired his uncle, JFK, I’m disturbed to see RFK Junior speak this way.

RFK Senior would never have suggested that a deadly virus was targeted at certain races. And as president, JFK signed the Vaccination Assistance Act in order to, “achieve as quickly as possible the protection of the population, especially of all preschool children.”

If not for his illustrious name – and role as a potential spoiler – RFK Junior would be just another crackpot in the growing pool of fringe politicians.

It’s no coincidence that he shares top backers with the likes of Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene — or that Trump allies Roger Stone and Steve Bannon encouraged him to run in the first place.

But the Kennedy brand is political gold, and it could pull away just enough sympathetic voters to tip the race toward Trump.

Democracy won by a whisker in 2020. Just 44,000 votes in Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin decided the outcome. If RFK Junior — or any third-party candidate — peels off just a fraction of the vote from Biden, while Trump’s base stays with him, they will deliver a victory to Trump.

If Junior had any respect for the principles his father fought and ultimately died for, he would withdraw his candidacy. Immediately.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

On Monday, Protect Kids Colorado announced at a sparsely attended press conference that all its anti-transgender ballot initiatives failed to meet the signature requirements to appear on the 2024 ballot. The initiatives included a forced outing bill and a transgender sports ban, as well as previously failed measures such as banning gender-affirming care for trans youth. Colorado joins a series of states where anti-trans ballot initiatives have failed to meet the ballot signature requirements, indicating potential fatigue on the issue among conservative voters.

"We are striving to make Colorado a safer place to live for families and children. Despite falling short of the required signatures to make the 2024 ballot, we consider this ballot initiative effort a major success," the group announced to a handful of people carrying signs. The only video of the press conference appeared on a small YouTube account titled "1A Media," which briefly panned to show only two other people attending. The group was responsible for two ballot initiatives approved for signature collection. The first, titled “Parental Notification of Gender Incongruence,” would have required public school employees to notify parents of any observed gender incongruence among students, effectively instituting a "forced outing" policy. The second, titled “Public Athletics Programs For Minors,” aimed to bar transgender individuals from participating in sports according to their gender identity. Other initiatives, such as “Prohibit Certain Medical Procedures For Minors,” which sought to ban gender-affirming care in the state, had failed earlier in the process.

The initiatives were heavily promoted by SPLC-designated hate groups and anti-transgender activists. Riley Gaines, for instance, called on "parents, coaches, spiritual leaders" to support the initiative effort on the Protect Kids California channel. Chloe Cole, who had pushed a similar failed initiative in California, also boosted the organization on her Twitter account. Gays Against Groomers Colorado posted the most widely viewed announcement, stating, "Although we were not successful in this round to get these issues onto the ballot, we were successful in educating Colorado voters about what is happening to children and motivating parents to become involved." Anti-transgender ballot initiatives, once touted by influential activists as the next front in targeting transgender people, have faced significant setbacks in recent months. In Arizona, Republican Senator Ken Bennett cast the deciding vote against a ballot referendum that would have banned transgender youth from using bathrooms matching their gender identity. He expressed concerns about the constitutionality of the bill and mentioned in a separate hearing that he had family members who would be affected. Had he voted in favor of the bill, the question would have appeared on the 2024 ballot.

Good news: Anti-trans ballot measures fail to make the ballot in Colorado.

The two that were rejected were a forced outing and a ban on trans sports in genders matching their gender identity instead of gender assigned at birth.

A gender-affirming care ban was rejected at an earlier stage.

[transformationsproject]

Trans rights are still under attack in the United States. Please visit our website linked below to learn about your state and contact your reps. Here's a thread of today's updates:

A bathroom bill denies access to public restrooms by gender or trans identity. They increase danger without making anyone any safer and have even prompted attacks on cis and trans people alike. Many national health and anti-sexual assault organizations oppose these bills.

Iowa SF335, a school-based bathroom bill, was introduced and referred to the Senate Education Committee.

Arizona SB1040, a school-based bathroom bill which passed in both of its Senate committees, was placed on the Senate floor calendar.

Healthcare bills go against professional and scientific consensus that gender affirming care saves lives. Denying access will cause harm. Providers are faced with criminal charges, parents are threatened with child abuse charges, and intersex children are typically exempted.

Florida S0952 was pre-filed. This bill, the so-called "Reverse Woke Act," would force employers who provide coverage for gender-affirming healthcare to also cover detransition care indefinitely, even when employees no longer work at the same company.

Arkansas SB199 passed committee and will now head to the Senate floor.

Oklahoma HB2177 passed committee and will now head to the House floor. It also had an emergency added.

Kansas SB233 passed in committee and will head to the Senate floor.

Missouri SB49 was combined with SB164 and SB236 and passed committee and will now head to the Senate floor.

Mississippi HB1125, which already passed in the House, passed in the Senate today. It will now head to the Governor for signature.

Schooling / Parental Rights bills force schools to misgender or deadname students, ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and make schools alert parents if they suspect a child is trans. They remove life-saving affirmation and support for trans youth.

Arkansas SB294 was introduced and referred to the Senate Education Committee yesterday and had a hearing this morning. This is a sweeping educational reform bill that includes an "indoctrination" section that would ban, among other things, classroom instruction on sexual orientation/gender identity for K-5 students.

Arkansas HB1468, a forced misgendering bill, was introduced and sent to the House Education Committee.

Montana SB413, a "Don't Say Gay" bill for K-6 students, was introduced and referred to the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee.

Indiana HB1608 passed in Committee and is now on the House floor.

Iowa HF8 passed committee and was renumbered to HF348.

Sex designation bills make it harder for trans folks to have IDs, such as birth certificates, that match their gender identity.

They can force a male or female designation based upon sex assigned at birth.

Some ban a non-binary “X” marker or require surgery to qualify for ID updates.

Kansas SB180 passed committee and will head to the Senate floor.

Missouri SB14 passed in committee and will head to the Senate floor.

These are other negative bills that attack trans rights outside of the bill types above.

Book ban North Dakota HB1205, which already passed in the House, was introduced in the Senate, had its first reading, and was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

We also have good news to share! These are either updates on positive bills which protect and affirm trans individuals or updates on anti-trans bills that have failed.

Maryland HB359, a sports ban bill, failed in committee.

It's not too late to stop these and other hateful anti-trans bills from passing into law. You can go to http://transformationsproject.org/ to learn more and contact your representatives

[adamwatchesmovies]

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde is the Anti-Matter Universe version of Legally Blonde. The story follows the same broad strokes with the same characters - it's practically the same movie, down to that one bad cringey comedic scene in the middle - except this time, none of it works. At all.

Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is now engaged to Emmett (Luke Wilson). To have the perfect wedding, she wants her chihuahua’s mother to attend. Unfortunately, the dog’s mother is owned by a cosmetic company that uses her to test products. Having found a new calling, Elle leaves Boston and goes to Washington, D.C. to work on a bill that will outlaw animal testing in the United States.

Two things made Legally Blonde an unexpected treat: Reese Witherspoon’s portrayal of Elle and the way the character was written. As before, Witherspoon is terrific in the role. She fully commits and is so bubbly you instantly fall for her. You side with Elle right away, even if the incident that’s prompting her crusade for animal rights is pretty stupid. Witherspoon's charms count for a lot but not enough, not when the screenplay by Kate Kondell is this awful.

Now that Elle Woods has graduated college and moved onto the big leagues, her brain has shriveled. It’s that scene where she walks into class with nothing but a pink, heart-shaped notebook and a fuzzy pen all over again. You’d think the years of studying and school would’ve trained her for the real world, but no. Over and over, she proves herself who everyone thinks she is: clueless, totally out of place and unfit to perform the task at hand. I feel so sorry for any young girls (or boys, I suppose) who saw "Legally Blonde", admired Elle's ability to be both a capable lawyer and a woman who dressed fashionably, became inspired and then went to see this follow-up. Why such a drastic change? Because of Amanda Brown, or rather, the lack of. The first movie was based on her experience studying at Arizona State University. It was both funny and although exaggerated, had just enough basis in truth to be relatable. Red, White & Blonde is science fiction.

Even if you’ve never been interested in politics, you can tell all of this is plastic. The Congressmen who pose an obstacle to “Bruiser’s Bill” are just a single conversation from doing a complete personality 180. The villains are either never adequately addressed or taken down with such ease you’ll roll your eyes.

Another layer of artificiality hangs over the entire movie: the plot itself. Not the wedding; Elle’s quest to abolish animal testing. In the real world, that stuff still happens so what does it matter if she succeeds on the screen? It’s a pointless victory. Even if you ignore the dated and embarrassing gay stereotypes (let’s be fair to the movie, as it was released 12 years before same-sex marriages were allowed in the U.S.), you won’t be able to dismiss a cheerleading scene so misguided it makes you want to die or the fact that the stakes are just too high for Elle to lose. I mean, is anyone wondering whether the film will end with Bruiser's mother still getting cruelly used in a lab with all the pink and the gags surrounding that colour?

Though Luke Wilson only makes a brief appearance, most of the other characters you liked before (such as Jennifer Coolidge’s Paulette) return. Notably absent is Selma Blair’s Vivian, who has been rebooted as Grace (Regina King). More attention is given to the legal case and less to the romance, which makes it a poor man’s version of the original movie or a gender-swapped even poorer version of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Legally Blonde 2 is a profoundly disappointing follow-up. We're talking Bridget Jones' Diary 2 kind of letdown. The conclusion hints at a sequel which you’re unlikely to have any kind of appetite for but I’m sure if it ever happens it’ll be better than the next actual chapter in the series, Legally Blondes. (June 26, 2020)

[mariacallous]

What Warnock’s Win Means for the Equality Act

Rev. Raphael Warnock won the special election runoff Tuesday, successfully defending his position as Georgia Senator, giving Democrats control of the upper chamber with 51 seats. For LGBTQ+ people, his win means Senate Democrats inched ever so slightly closer to having enough votes to pass the Equality Act, which would add gender identity and sexual orientation to federal civil rights legislation. As TransLash Founder Imara Jones argues, the Equality Act is not only important substantively but also symbolically at a time of significant attacks against the LGBTQ+ community. 

The legislation is currently blocked in the Senate because it doesn’t have enough Republican votes to overcome the 60-vote threshold and override a conservative filibuster. The bill continues to languish at the mercy of the filibuster even though another LGBTQ+ rights bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, which offers minimal federal protections for gay marriages, was recently passed in the Senate with a 61-37 decision.

The filibuster is a procedural rule requiring a 60-senator vote to end debate on a bill and proceed toward resolution. It’s somehow treated as an ancient tradition in the chamber even though it’s not mentioned anywhere in the constitution. It was first put to extensive use by segregationist senators in the 1960s and early 1970s who opposed civil rights legislation to block votes on bills.

Over the last two years, the filibuster has been the primary tool by which Republicans have blocked Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. A quick perusal of the president’s campaign promises shows a string of priorities, like codifying Roe v. Wade, passing comprehensive voting reforms, and passing the Equality Act, left for dead in the legislative graveyard of the Senate filibuster.

For the first time in several decades, Democrats made a serious effort early in Biden’s term to kill the filibuster and force through bigger pieces of legislation, however, Democrats didn’t have enough votes within their own caucus to do so.

Just two Democratic Senators stood in the way of overturning the filibuster, West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, and Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema, though it’s possible that there are other senators who would vote against killing the filibuster if an actual vote were to be held on it.

With the midterms fully behind us, the push to end the filibuster faces critical crossroads. Democrats no longer have the ability to push through legislation, now that they’ve narrowly lost the majority in the House. And there would be little purpose in progressives killing the filibuster now, especially with a scary 2024 election ahead.

In two years, 21 Democratic Senators will be up for reelection, including a few from very conservative states, like the aforementioned Manchin, along with Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Jon Tester from Montana. Sinema will also be up for reelection in Arizona, though she will likely face a primary challenge given the way she has thumbed her nose at Democrats over the last few years.

In turn, Republicans are only defending 11 Senate seats, and all of them are from deep red states in the nation’s heartland. Even during a presidential election year, there’s a scary enough chance of a conservative takeover of the Senate in two years.

Without the filibuster, the only way Democrats could hope to stop potentially horrific federal anti-LGBTQ+ bills like the ones we’re seeing in red state legislatures would be to hope the House stays blue. This is a risky bet when so many conservative states have successfully gerrymandered themselves into having more congressional seats than their vote share would indicate they deserve. The court system has been a willing accomplice in the GOP gerrymandering attack—allowing non-partisan voting maps to be scrapped by conservative legislators and stopping reform efforts that would undercut Republican seat counts.

The filibuster isn’t sexy, but it might just be necessary for queer people if a federal Republican-controlled legislature is on the horizon. There is a worrisome possibility that we missed our window for substantive filibuster reform in order to pass bills like the Equality Act.

Conservatives, of course, could just kill the filibuster themselves in order to pass their extensive anti-LGBTQ+ agenda the next time they get the federal trifecta of control of the House, Senate, and the White House.

For now, however, we have 51 senate seats ostensibly on our side, which means that we can at least continue the record-breaking pace of confirming federal judges that believe LGBTQ+ people are free and equal members of society, especially as several important trans rights cases work their way through the court system.

For LGBTQ+ people, and trans people, in particular, the filibuster is both a blessing and a curse. We just lived through a time when the filibuster held back progress on our rights, but we may just be entering a time when the filibuster would be our chief weapon to hold back the darkness.

[pashterlengkap]

Brittney Griner, Priscilla, and a drag queen’s revenge

Here are this week’s most popular positive stories, with some fun social media posts tossed in too. Like seeing uplifting content like this? Sign up for our Good News email. While I’ve loved doing the Good News beat here at LGBTQ Nation for so long, I’m moving over to our sibling site GayCities. This is the last newsletter I’ll be doing. I’m handing it over to Senior Editor Daniel Villarreal. Daniel and I have worked together for almost a decade, so I know you’ll love him too. Shoot me an email sometime. Love to you all. -Bil Someone call HR stat View this post on Instagram A post shared by page ragan (@pagan.rage) Drag Race star gets sweet payback against rightwing idiot If there’s one thing that right-wingers should have learned lately, it’s never to mess with an angry drag queen. Hundreds of them swarmed the Florida state capitol in 2020. And in 2023, hundreds more took over the Missouri state capitol building. Brittney Griner & wife are expecting a baby They say they can’t wait to meet their “favorite human being.” Despite last-minute GOP push, all anti-LGBTQ+ bills fail in Iowa legislature These bills keep failing. Could the tide be turning? You’re doing it wrong View this post on Instagram A post shared by Elle Deran (@elle.deran) This teen’s powerful speech helped defeat an anti-trans bill Republicans were powerless against her. Another country ends ban on being gay Dominica’s colonial-era law belongs in the past. Arizona governor spikes one of the most awful anti-trans bills yet She warned them. She followed through. Jane Fonda in 1979 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Retrospection (@retrosspection) Pete Buttigieg announces major upgrade for airline passengers Two words: Cash. Refund. These are the best LGBTQ+ greeting cards Three finalists were chosen by the Greeting Card Association. Which one do you like best? Priscilla, Queen of the Desert sequel confirmed 30 years later, the original cast and director will return to the big screen. It actually was a decision View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr. Hannah Gadsby (@hannah_gadsby) From Our Sibling Sites * GAYCITIES: The Kentucky Derby’s big winner is this gay artist * OUTSPORTS: Are gay footballers about to come out as a group? Here’s what we know. * INTO: Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran cast as lesbian couple for cult movie remake * QUEERTY: Jonathan Bailey confirms ‘Heartstopper’ cameo, but don’t miss his other great queer TV role http://dlvr.it/T65QYs

[truck-fump]

The Case Against RFK Jr.RFK Junior is not who you think he is.It...

New Post has been published on https://robertreich.org/post/748574074988560384

The Case Against RFK Jr.RFK Junior is not who you think he is.It...

The Case Against RFK Jr.

RFK Junior is not who you think he is.

It pains me to say it, but he is a dangerous nutcase.

He claims to want to heal America, but his vision for our future is tainted by his endorsements of hateful conspiracy theories – and the fact that he is being funded in large part by donors aligned with Donald Trump.

It’s time to lift the curtain on a campaign based on false, irresponsible, and self-contradictory claims.

RFK Junior repeatedly promoted a right-wing conspiracy theory that chemicals in the water are turning people gay or transgender.

He suggested COVID-19 was a bioweapon, mysteriously designed to spare Jewish people.

[RFK Jr.: “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”]

He’s spent years spreading anti-vaxx lies.

And in his 2021 book, RFK Junior alleged, with no plausible evidence, that Dr. Fauci performed genocidal experiments, sabotaged treatments for AIDS, and conspired with Bill Gates to suppress information about COVID-19.

These are not the words of someone who is serious about leading – let alone healing – this country.

As someone who once worked for his father, RFK, and admired his uncle, JFK, I’m disturbed to see RFK Junior speak this way.

RFK Senior would never have suggested that a deadly virus was targeted at certain races. And as president, JFK signed the Vaccination Assistance Act in order to, “achieve as quickly as possible the protection of the population, especially of all preschool children.”

If not for his illustrious name – and role as a potential spoiler – RFK Junior would be just another crackpot in the growing pool of fringe politicians.

It’s no coincidence that he shares top backers with the likes of Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene — or that Trump allies Roger Stone and Steve Bannon encouraged him to run in the first place.

But the Kennedy brand is political gold, and it could pull away just enough sympathetic voters to tip the race toward Trump.

Democracy won by a whisker in 2020. Just 44,000 votes in Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin decided the outcome. If RFK Junior — or any third-party candidate — peels off just a fraction of the vote from Biden, while Trump’s base stays with him, they will deliver a victory to Trump.

If Junior had any respect for the principles his father fought and ultimately died for, he would withdraw his candidacy. Immediately.

[newjerseyprelawland-blog]

Republicans Propose “Don’t Say Gay Bill”

By Anika Ponni, Rutgers University–New Brunswick Class of 2026

October 28, 2022

Recently, politicians have taken aim at individuals’ rights to sexuality. On October 18th, 2022, the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act” was introduced in Congress by Lousianna Rep. Mike Johnson and 32 other Republican members. The bill prohibits “the use of Federal funds to develop, implement, facilitate, or fund any sexually-oriented program, event, or literature for children under the age of 10, and for other purposes.” If passed, the repercussions of this bill would be quite extensive since a wide range of institutions receive federal funding. These include schools, libraries, and hospitals to name a few. The “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act,” dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, bans “sexually-oriented material” which includes “any topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related subjects.” The bill also gives parents and guardians the right to sue a “government official,  government agency, or private entity for a violation” if their child is under the age of 10 and has been exposed to such topics at a federally funded institution [1].

Understandably, the bill received instant criticism from many leaders in the LGBTQ+ community for politicizing basic human rights.

Sarah Kate Ellis [President and CEO of GLAAD]: “Instead of joining the rising tide of acceptance and bipartisan support for LGBTQ people, members of Congress trying to score political points propose a bill filled with misinformation with the futile attempt of smearing and erasing who we are….The American people see this for what it is: a desperate and losing effort targeting the most vulnerable students, with the goal of spreading lies.”

David Stacy [Government Affairs Director of Human Rights Campaign]: “A federal 'Don't Say Gay or Trans' bill…aiming to drive LGBTQ+ families and teachers out of the education system – is their latest cruel attempt to stigmatize and marginalize the community, not in an attempt to solve actual problems but only to rile up their extremist base” [2].

Melanie Willingham-Jaggers [Executive Director at GLSEN]: “Erasing LGBTQ+ issues from classrooms jeopardizes the foundation of our democracy” [3].

Alejandra Caraballo [Clinical Instructor at Harvard Law School and Transgender-rights Advocate]: “Your bill defines ‘sexually oriented material’ as anything that involves sexual orientation, gender identity, or related subjects…Equating LGBTQ people to sexually explicit material is dehumanizing and disgusting. Let’s call this what it is, a national ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill” [4].

Inspired by Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” law, the bigoted nature of the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act” is not new to Americans. Florida’s law states that “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade three or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Essentially, both pieces of legislation contribute towards creating an unwelcome atmosphere for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Alabama, Arizona, Iowa, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky,Tennessee, Ohio, and Oklahoma, all already have either similar legislation enacted or in the works [4].

Currently, the chances of a “Don’t Say Gay” bill becoming law at the Federal level is extremely unlikely considering that Democrats control the executive branch, the House, and the Senate. However, with the November midterm elections approaching, Democrats’ hold in Congress is becoming more and more uncertain. Overall, the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act” exemplifies how Republicans have directed their efforts toward advancing anti-LGBTQ agendas as a means of rallying their base [5].

______________________________________________________________

[1] Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, H.R.____, 117th Cong. (2022). https://mikejohnson.house.gov/uploadedfiles/johnla_083_xml.pdf

[2] Yurcaba, J., & Valle, J. (2022, October 20). What a national “Don’t Say Gay” bill wouldmean for education. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/national-dont-gay-bill-education/story?id=92005939

[3] Natanson, H. (2022, October 20). Republicans propose bill barring lessons on gender, sexuality for children. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/10/20/lgbtq-gender-sexuality-bill-school-mike-johnson/

[4] Jones, D., & Franklin, J. (2022, April 10). Not just Florida. More than a dozen states proposeso-called “Don’t Say Gay” bills. NPR.https://www.npr.org/2022/04/10/1091543359/15-states-dont-say-gay-anti-transgender-bills

[5] Levine, S. (2022, October 20). Republicans aim to pass national “don’t say gay” law. TheGuardian.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/20/republicans-national-dont-say-gaw-law-lgbtq

[batboyblog]

Senate 2022: You'd Better Vote!

If you're an American VERY IMPORTANT! elections are coming up on November 8th. Since the 2020 election the US Senate has been tied at 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans with Vice-President Harris casting the tie breaking vote that gives Democrats their majority. Even with such a tight margin Democrats have managed to pass the largest climate action taken by any country so far on earth (yet), lower prescription drug costs, pass the first gun control law since the 1990s , made lynching a federal crime after over 100 years of trying, made Juneteenth a federal holiday, confirmed the first black woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court, passed a trillion dollar infrastructure bill to rebuild our roads, bridges, transportation, better internet, clean water, and support electric cars, saved the US Post Office, passed a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act which had been in limbo since 2019.

Imagine all that the Democrats in the Senate could get done in the next 2 years with a stable majority? On the Flip side if Republicans net just one seat Mitch McConnell has made it clear there will be no progress if he's majority leader again. There are 35 Senate seats up on November 8th, I'm gonna list out the 9 seats with vulnerable Democrats who need re-electing and seats Democrats can flip to expand their majority. Everyone needs to vote, but voting is the start, the most basic thing you need to do, if you live in any of these states PLEASE sign up to volunteer for these candidates, to go talk to voters, to register new voters, to give rides to the polls etc. If you don't live in any of these states, you can still volunteer to make phone calls or text voters it's easy! if you have money to give please please give money campaigns are so expensive. Finally most of these campaigns have merch shops so if you feed more comfortable buying a shirt or a bag or whatever do that lots of them have cool pro-choice things.

Arizona

Mark Kelly (Re-elect)

Senator Mark Kelly was elected in a special election in 2020 and is running for a full term this year. Kelly is a former astronaut and the husband of gun violence survivor and gun control advocate Gabby Giffords. Kelly is a strong supporter of gun control an issue he's worked on with Giffords as an activist for 10 years before Congress. Republicans have nominated Blake Masters, who worked for one of Trump's top supporters, Peter Thiel, Thiel spent 13 million dollars to get Masters nominated. Masters calls himself a "America First Conservative" and a "hard-core nationalist". Masters has embraced the racist "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory, supports Trump's conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being stolen, is against gay marriage, says gun violence is all the fault of black people, and is against aid to Ukraine. Kelly is a good democrat, Masters is a white nationalist and election denier, we need Kelly back in the Senate, and we need to keep Masters far far away

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Florida

Val Demings (Flip)

Congresswoman Val Demings has represented the city of Orlando in the US House since 2017. Before that she served as Orlando's first woman chief of police. In Congress Demings has used her law enforcement background to lend credibility to gun control and police reform. Demings also served as one of the impeachment managers in Trump's first impeachment trial. If elected Val Demings will be Florida's first woman and first black Senator. Demings is running to unseat Republican Senator Marco Rubio. After running against Trump in the 2016 primaries Rubio became one of Trump's biggest supporters in Congress. Rubio reacted to the Parkland shooting in his state by doubling down on opposing any gun control, Val Demings voted to ban assault rifles. Rubio has also been a cheerleader for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' anti-LGBT/anti-Trans policies that bully queer students in Florida, he doesn't believe in the right to same sex marriage and is for banning books. Rubio also wants a total ban on abortion in all cases, Val Demings has a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America. Florida needs a strong supporter of Gun control, climate action, the right to choose, and LGBT rights in the Senate, Florida needs Demings not Rubio

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Georgia

Raphael Warnock (re-elect)

Senator Raphael Warnock was elected in a special election in 2020 and is running for a full 6 year term this year. Warnock is the first black senator from the State of Georgia and the first Democrat elected in 20 years. Before becoming a senator Warnock was the pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, which was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's church and a center of the 1960s civil rights movement. Warnock used his position to protest and fight against the death penalty, to expand medicare in Georgia, for gun control, and for voting rights. In the Senate, Senator Warnock has been one of the most outspoken on voting rights pushing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act named after his late friend Georgia Congressman John Lewis. Republicans for nominated former football player, and Trump super fan, Herschel Walker to try to unseat Senator Warnock. Walker vocally supported Trump's election lies, posting many times on social media that Biden did not win the 2020 election. Walker declared this week that climate action was "giving money to trees" and "don't we have enough trees?". Walker believes in a total ban on abortion, and is against LGBT rights. Walker is against gun control and floated the idea of the government monitoring all social media and internet usage by Americans instead of gun control. Walker beat his now ex-wife Cindy Grossman, and threatened her with a gun and knives multiple times, after the divorce Grossman feared Walker would kill her and her boyfriend. Walker also is a dead beat dad who has a number of children out of wedlock that he has no contact with, he has criticized black men many times for being absent fathers. The US Senate doesn't need a man who threatens to shoot women, re-elect Senator Warnock.

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Nevada

Catherine Cortez Masto (re-elect)

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto was narrowly elected in 2016 and his running for her second term in the Senate. Senator Cortez Masto is the first women elected to represent Nevada in the Senate and the first and to date ONLY Latina elected to the US Senate. When she was Nevada's attorney general Cortez Masto sued Bank of America for it's predatory lending practices and won nearly a billion dollars against the bank. As a US Senator Cortez Masto has been a major supporter of clean energy jobs and hopes to turn Nevada into the solar energy capital of America. Republicans have nominated former Nevada attorney general Adam Laxalt to try to unseat Cortez Masto. Laxalt spent his time as AG (2015-2019) suing the Obama Administration EPA to fight against strong climate regulations. Laxalt opposed a multi-state law suit against ExxonMobil for it's role in downplaying Climate change. Laxalt also sued the Obama administration to stop DACA, filed briefs supporting radical anti-abortion laws from Texas and Mississippi when they went to court, and sued the Obama Department of Labor to stop certain workers being paid over time. After leaving office Laxalt was the Chairman of Trump's 2020 re-election effort in Nevada. As Chairman Laxalt was the leading figure in the election conspiracy in Nevada claiming the election in his state was fraudulent and Biden hadn't really won Nevada. Laxalt has made many false claims of election fraud in Nevada in the 2020 election. Laxalt launched his 2022 campaign for Senate claiming "woke corporations" "academia" and "the radical left" have taken over America. Nevada has to send Cortez Masto, the only Latina in the Senate, back for another term, Laxalt is dangerously unfit.

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New Hampshire

Maggie Hassan (re-elect)

Senator Maggie Hassan was elected in the closest senate race of 2016 and is running for her second term in the senate. Senator Hassan was a key vote to save Obamacare from repel in 2017. During her time in the US Senate Senator Hassan has helped pass bills to more than double the funding to help treat the opioid crisis as well as banning surprise medical billing. Senator Hassan first ran for office 20 years ago as a way to advocate for her son who has Cerebral palsy, she's been a strong advocate for disability rights and special education through out her time in public service. Because New Hampshire has one of the latest primaries (September 13th) we don't know for sure which Republican will be nominated to face her in November. The front runner is a retired general named Don Bolduc. Bolduc's first foray into into politics was spinning and supporting 2020 election denial conspiracy theories, even after the January 6th riot. Bolduc has closely tied himself to Trump. Bolduc called fellow Republican, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu "Chinese Communist sympathizer" and accused him of "supports terrorism" for not being conservative enough and loyal to Trump enough. New Hampshire should send back a Senator who gets things done and not a wing-nut calling people in his own party communists and terrorists.

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North Carolina

Cheri Beasley (flip)

Former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Cheri Beasley is running to fill a Senate seat opened up by the retirement of Republican Senator Richard Burr. In 2008 Beasley became the first black women to win a state wide election in North Carolina when she was elected to the Court of Appeals. In 2012 she was appointed to the state Supreme Court and won election in 2014. She was appointed the Chief Justice in 2019 the first black woman to serve as the State's Chief Justice. Beasley lost by less than 500 votes her run for a full term as Chief Justice in 2020. In her time as a public defender and elected Judge and Justice Beasley has stressed fairness and equity. If elected she'd be the first black Senator from North Carolina. She's stressed health care and abortion rights as key issues of her campaign. Republicans have nominated Congressman Ted Budd to try to fill the seat. Congressman Budd is a member of the radical "House Freedom Caucus". He voted to repeal Obamacare in 2017. Budd was also a major support of Trump's attempt to over throw the result of the 2020 election. Congressman Budd voted against certifying the election result on January 6th, even after the capital had been stormed by violent Trump supporters. Budd is Trump's hand picked candidate for the North Carolina Senate seat, Budd only launched his campaign after meeting with Trump in Mar-a-Lago. North Carolina doesn't need an election denying Trump toady for Senator, send Cheri Beasley to Congress.

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Ohio

Tim Ryan (flip)

Congressman Tim Ryan is running to fill a Senate seat being opened up by the retirement of Republican Senator Rob Portman. Congressman Ryan has represented the Youngstown area of Ohio since 2003. In his time in Congress Ryan has been a champion of unions and American workers. His Senate run is focused on protecting American manufacturing jobs and bring well paying union jobs back to the American heart land. Ryan is strongly pro-choice. Republicans have nominated author and venture capitalist JD Vance. Vance is closely tied to Trump money man Peter Thiel as well as Arizona candidate and white nationalist Blake Masters. Vance has publicly said that women should stay in abusive marriages. Vance is against abortion in all cases even rape or health of the mother. Vance has also publicly stated he sees the populist, antisemitic, anti-LGBT dictatorship of Hungarian Prime Minster Viktor Orbán as a model for America. Vance talked about how he hopes in a second Trump term to purge all civil servants who don't agree with Trumpism and replace them with "our people". America does not need a pro-fascist who supports wife beating in the Senate, send Tim Ryan to the Senate instead.

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Pennsylvania

John Fetterman (flip)

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman is running to fill a seat opened by the retirement of Republican Senator Pat Toomey. First elected Lt Governor in 2018 Fetterman has used his platform to advocate the legalization of marijuana. Fetterman also is a vocal supporter of the LGBT community clashing with the Republican state legislature repeatedly about the display of a pride flag off the balcony of his official office at the state capital. Fetterman is running a campaign that is strongly pro-choice, supportive of criminal justice reform, and calls healthcare a human right. Republicans have nominated Mehmet Oz, better known as Dr. Oz. As a reality TV star "physician" Oz was criticized repeatedly for advocating fake cures and dangerous weight loss pills. During the Covid-19 pandemic Oz pushed Trump's favorite fake cure, Hydroxychloroquine, which is not a treatment for Covid. While running for the senate Oz has endorsed banning trans people from sports by law, and that trans youth are based on "false science". Oz is also says he'd vote to repeal Obamacare and strongly supports fracking. Pennsylvania doesn't need a flip flopping TV huckster from New Jersey as its Senator, election Fetterman.

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Wisconsin

Mandela Barnes (flip)

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes is running to unseat Republican Senator Ron Johnson. Barnes served in the state legislature from 2013 till 2017 before being elected Lt Governor in 2018, he is the first black person to win state wide office in Wisconsin. As Lt Governor Barnes served as the chair of the Climate Task Force putting forward a 55 point plan to combat climate change. Barnes has been a vocal supporter of policies like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and marijuana legalization. If elected Barnes would be the first black Senator from Wisconsin and one of only two Senators in their 30s. Incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson has been Wisconsin's Senator since 2010 and is running for his 3rd term in office. In the Senate Johnson was one of Trump's strongest allies. Johnson was one of the main congressional pushers of the 2020 election conspiracy theories to the point his home town paper the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called him a member of the "Sedition Caucus". Johnson also has pushed conspiracy theories that the January 6th riot was the fault of Nancy Pelosi or the FBI, and said he didn't think it was a big deal and felt safe during the attack because they were Trump supporters. Johnson has also pushed Covid misinformation, such as mouthwash as a treatment for Covid-19 or that "thousands" of deaths had been linked to the vaccine. Johnson has blamed mass shootings on a failure to teach "values" and is against gun control. in resent weeks Johnson has floated the idea of privatizing Social Security and Medicare. Protect Social Security, send Barnes to Congress.

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If you're one of the 85 million Americans who live in one of these States please PLEASE PLEASE remember to VOTE November 8th

Everyone remember to VOTE NOVEMBER 8th! vote in EVERY election from School Board on up to Governor and Senate, now more than ever all these elections matter and they matter a lot.

if you have $10, $5, even $1 to spare please please please think about giving it to one of these candidates, Democrats are passing big things and are running against the worst of the worst.

If you live in one of these states please please PLEASE think about giving just one weekend between now and Election Day to talk to voters and help turn out the vote. Even if you don't live in any of these states you can call or text voters in these states and help these campaigns

[fatliberation]

Here Are Some Fat Positive Activists, Educators, Therapists, and Artists to Know!

First and foremost, the pioneer of organized fat activism:

• Bill Fabrey (he/him)

Bill Fabrey, a self-proclaimed fat admirer, founded NAAFA (the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance) in 1969 after gaining an understanding of the day-to-day oppression and discrimination faced by his wife, Joyce. Fabrey founded the organization in hopes to raise awareness of weight stigma, criticize biased studies, and increase overall acceptance and accessibility to fat Americans. He is considered one of the pioneers of the fat liberation movement, and is heavily involved to this day.

• Judy Freespirit, Sara Fishman, Lynn McAfee, Ariana Manow, & Gudrun Fonfa (she/her for each)

(Members of The Fat Underground, 1979)

Fat, radical, feminist members of NAAFA! Their agenda was much more aggressive than NAAFA’s, and eventually they broke off and formed their own group called The Fat Underground, which acted as a catalyst in the creation and mobilization of the fat liberation movement. Based in LA in the 1970s, the Fat Underground did not fight to change discriminatory laws but rather discriminatory thoughts and practices in different aspects of society, which included those of doctors and other health professionals who perpetuated the unhealthy habits encouraged by diet culture. In 1973, Judy Freespirit and Alderbaran published the “Fat Liberation Manifesto” which establishes that fat people are entitled to what they were denied on a daily basis: “human respect and recognition.” The other objectives then outline the commercial exploitation of fat bodies by both corporations and scientific institutions. (x) I will go into more detail about the Fat Underground in my next post, “The History of Fat Activism!”

• Dr. Lindo Bacon (they/them), PhD

(no photo)

Creator of the concept of HAES (Health At Every Size).

Dr. Bacon is best known for their paradigm-shifting research and advocacy upending the weight discourse. They have mined their deep academic proficiency, wide-ranging clinical expertise and own personal experience to write two best-selling books, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight, and the co-authored Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, or Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight. Both are credited with transforming the weight discourse and inspiring a hopeful new course for the fat liberation movement. Dr. Bacon holds their PhD in physiology, as well as graduate degrees in psychology and exercise metabolism. Dr. Bacon formerly taught at City College of San Francisco, in the Health Education, Psychology, Women’s Studies, and Biology Departments. A professor and researcher, for almost two decades Dr. Bacon has taught courses in social justice, health, weight and nutrition; they have also conducted federally funded studies on health and weight and published in top scientific journals. Their research has been supported by grants from the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health. A truly great pioneer in medical health research! 

https://lindobacon.com/ | HAES | IG

• Aubrey Gordon, a.k.a. Your Fat Friend (she/her)

(no photo)

Aubrey Gordon writes about the social realities of life as a very fat person, previously publishing anonymously as Your Fat Friend. She is the author of What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Lit Hub, Vox, Gay Mag, and has been covered in outlets around the world. She also hosts the podcast Maintenance Phase, in which she and cohost Michael Hobbes debunk and decode wellness and weight loss trends. Her articles are incredibly heartfelt and enlightening. You can read all of them at www.yourfatfriend.com !!

@ yrfatfriend on IG & Twitter

• Sabrina Strings (she/her), PhD

Sabrina Strings is an associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine and the author of Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia, which exposes fatphobia’s roots in anti-blackness. Strings contributed an opinion story to The New York Times titled “It’s Not Obesity. It’s Slavery.” With Lindo Bacon (creator of HAES), she coauthored “The Racist Roots of Fighting Obesity,” published in Scientific American. Strings has a BA in psychology and an MA and PHd in sociology. This book is #1 on my to-read list!!

https://www.sabrinastrings.com

• Hannah Fuhlendorf (she/her), MA LPCC NCC

Hannah is a highly educated and experienced counselor whose work focuses on self acceptance, eliminating the effects of internalized oppression, and practicing through a HAES lens. She is a fat liberationist who puts out educational videos daily. Hannah is also married to a healthcare professional, and the two of them are working toward making the medical field more accessible to fat people in their local community, and offering education on how to be fat allies. I really admire Hannah and the work that she does!

@ hannahtalksbodies on IG and TikTok

• Tracy Cox (she/her)

Tracy is an award-winning performer and artist, who co-created the web series “Angry Fat People” with Matthew Anchel, which takes a pop culture approach on serious issues faced by fat performers. She has been interviewed by the New York Times on fat politics and accessibility, and currently has a huge following on IG where she unpacks fat performance, fashion, and politics. You may know her as the creator of the ‘fat vanity’ trend on TikTok!

@ sparklejams on IG & TikTok

• Da’Shaun L. Harrison (they/them) 

Da’Shaun is a non-binary abolitionist, community organizer, and writer. They are currently a managing editor and columnist at Wear Your Voice Magazine. They travel throughout the United States and abroad to speak at conferences, colleges, and lead workshops focused on Blackness, queerness, gender, class, religion, (dis)abilities, fatness, and the intersection at which they all meet. Da’Shaun is the author of the book Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness, which is expected to be published in July 2021. They have an incredibly enlightening social media presence as well!!

@ dashaunlh on IG and Twitter

• Lauren Buchness (she/her)

Lauren Buchness is one of my favorite artists. She’s a contemporary artist and fat activist based in Tucson, Arizona. By combining painting & performance, she aims to question Western standards of beauty and create conversations that alter preconceived notions about the fat body. Go check out her gorgeous work!!

@ ladybuchness on IG and TikTok

If you’re interested in learning about diet culture and intuitive eating, check out

Shana Minei Spence (she/her), MS RDN CDN

Shana is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who opposes food restriction and encourages intuitive eating! She spreads food positive daily messages on her platform. She used to work in fashion, but she left after being dissatisfied with the industry and went back to school to become involved in food policy and public health. She offers counseling on a HAES approach. I have much respect for Shana!

@ thenutritiontea on IG

And right here on tumblr (who was my personal introduction to fat lib) -

@ bigfatscience !!!

An anonymous fat liberationist. They share so many great resources, diving head-first into the scientific research of weight and health, they’ve found that the relation between the two is extremely complex. They tackle the biases of  research in a system that profits off of fatphobia, and they offer a fat positive perspective based on scientific studies. Their blog serves as an easily accessible resource for fat folx and fat activists who want to learn about fat positive science to support their own personal interests/activism. Thank you for your work, bigfatscience!! (if you have questions for them, you will have a greater chance of getting a response with anon off!) 

• Sonalee Rashatwar (she/they), LCSW MEd

Sonalee is an award-winning clinical social worker, sex therapist, and grassroots organizer. They’re a superfat queer bisexual non-binary therapist and co-owner of Radical Therapy Center. Sonalee is specialized in treating sexual trauma, internalized fatphobia, immigrant kid guilt, and South Asian family systems, while offering fat positive sexual healthcare. Go, Sonalee!!

@ thefatsextherapist on IG

• Fat Rose (org)

Fat Rose organizes fat people, building a more radical fat liberation movement in strong relationship with other social movements, such as anti-fascism, anti-ableism, and anti-racism. Check them out on Facebook!

fatrose.org

Honorable IG mentions: (Some anti diet culture specific blogs in here, as well)

@fatangryblackgirl  @msgigggles @thefatphobiaslayer @bodyimagewithbri @saucyewest @fatpositivetherapy @fatlippodcast @chairbreaker 

BOOKS

And here’s an amazing list of fat-positive book recommendations from HannahTalksBodies!

Science & Health:

Health at Every Size by Lindo Bacon PhD

Body Respect by Lindo Bacon PhD and Lucy Aphramor PhD, RD

Secrets from the Eating Lab by Traci Mann PhD

Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison MPH, RD

Fat Liberation:

Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings PhD

Fat Activism by Dr. Charlotte Cooper

Fat Politics by J. Eric Oliver

The Fat Studies Reader by Esther Rothblum (Editor) and Sondra Solovay (Editor)

Fat Shame by Amy Erdman Farrell

Self Acceptance:

The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

Things No One will Tell Fat Girls by Jes Baker

Eating in the Light of the Moon by Anita Johnson PhD

Happy Fat by Sofie Hagan

You have the Right to Remain Fat by Virgie Tovar

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to share this list of resources!

Image descriptions below.

1. [ID: A black and white photo of Bill Fabrey, a straight-sized, balding white man with thick black glasses wearing a suit and tie, standing at a poduim in front of a sign that reads, “NAAFA”. Beside the image is another photo of Fabrey, from his left side.]

2. [ID: A black and white photo of seven fat, female and gender non-conforming members of The Fat Underground, performing a recital.]

3. [ID: The cover of Sabrina Strings’ book, Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. On the cover is an illustration of four upper-class white people in fancy colonial period clothing showing shock and disgust at a Black woman’s exposed body. Beside the book cover is a photo of Sabrina Strings, a straight-sized Black woman with dark brown curly hair wearing a blouse.]

4. [ID: Hannah Fulhendorf, a fat, white woman with straight hair dyed blue, wearing a black tank top and holding her shoulder while smiling brightly and looking into the camera.]

5. [ID: An artistic picture of Tracy Cox, a fat, white woman with long, straight brown hair, laying topless on a bed of flowers. There are flower petals placed strategically in her hair on her skin, and along her lower eyelid. Beside that image, is an image of the album cover for Angry Fat People, picturing two angry faces made out of white paper against a grey background. In the top left corner, black, bolded text that reads “AFP” and “FAT LIBERATION”.]

6. [ID: Da’Shaun L. Harrison, a fat, non-binary Black person with a beard, glasses, and long dreadlocks, wearing a shirt that reads, “TO BE VISIBLY QUEER IS TO CHOOSE YOUR HAPPINESS OVER YOUR SAFETY. -DA’SHAUN HARRISON” against a natural backdrop of autumn leaves.]

7. [ID: A watercolor painting by Lauren Buchness of a white and tattooed fat body, hands caressing abstract rolls of fat with wild blueberries and grapefruit between folds. Beside it is another Buchness watercolor painting of Black hands with long sharp nails, caressing the midsection of a fat Black body, with purple crystals growing out of the skin.]

8. [ID: Shana Minei Spence, a straight-sized, Black woman smiling with bright pink lipstick and her long wavy hair pulled back, wearing a floral pattern shirt and jean shorts. She is holding small marquee that reads, “BE CAREFUL OF WELLNESS COMPANIES THAT SAY THEY’RE PROMOTING HEALTH YET ARE STILL ONLY TRYING TO GET YOUR BODY SMALLER” and a heart symbol.]

9. [ID: Sonalee Rashatwar, a superfat, South Asian non-binary person with short black hair, wearing a long floral dress, standing in front of large glowing text that reads, “BIG GIRL ENERGY” against a coarse-textured wall.]

10. [ID: A circular logo with a red fist in the center, with text surrounding it that reads, “FATTIES AGAINST FASCISM” with roses separating the word “RESIST”. Beside it is another image, of eleven fat and superfat activists, standing and sitting on mobility scooters, holding fists and middle fingers in the air, wearing T-shirts and holding banners that both read, “FATTIES AGAINST FASCISM”. In front of the group is a large cardboard sign that spells the acronym “F.A.B.” which stands for “Fat Antifascist Brigade”.]

[cannabiscomrade]

Protesters on Thursday urged Gov. Doug Ducey to veto a bill that would ban classroom discussion of topics related to gender identity, sexuality and AIDS, among others, without express parental permission.

Senate Bill 1456 would require parents to opt their child into sex education classes, rather than the long-standing practice of having them opt out. It also would forbid any form of sex education before fifth grade.

Critics say it's an attempt to reinstate anti-LGBTQ policies that were repealed two years ago and moves Arizona backward in terms of treating all populations equitably.

Secretary of State Katie Hobbs urged the Republican governor to veto the bill, which she said would be in keeping with his action in 2019, when he quickly signed the repeal of what was referred to as the "no promo homo" law. That law banned any sex-ed curriculum that could be construed as putting homosexuality in a positive light.

As quoted in Them. : 

Opponents have warned that the legislation could be extremely restrictive, potentially forcing teachers to make parents sign a waiver to discuss books that touch on LGBTQ+ issues, such as Catcher in the Rye or The Color Purple. State Rep. Diego Rodriguez (D-27th District) said it sends a message to students that “there is something different about gender identity and gender expression.”

“And that difference is something that should be feared,” Rodriguez added in comments reported by the Arizona Daily Star.

This bill poses a danger to LGBT children in Arizona, and it will go into law if Ducey does not veto it. 

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Daniel Villarreal at LGBTQ Nation:

The Log Cabin Republicans (LCR) has touted itself as the “nation’s largest Republican organization dedicated to representing LGBT conservatives and allies.” Despite this, LCR has increasingly endorsed anti-LGBTQ+ political candidates and policies that seek to ban LGBTQ+ content in schools and gender-affirming care for trans minors. This article provides an overview of the group’s history, its meager standing in the Republican party, its stated core principles, and a list of LCR’s recent actions that repeatedly contradict those principles.

History of the Log Cabin Republicans

The Log Cabin Republicans formed in California in 1977 in opposition to Proposition 6 (also known as the Briggs Initiative), an unsuccessful ballot measure that sought to ban gay people and their supporters from working in public schools. While the group wanted to be called the Lincoln Club, an Orange County conservative group was already using that name. Nonetheless, the group’s chosen name still references former President Abraham Lincoln, who “built the Republican Party on the principles of liberty and equality under the law” and was born in a log cabin, LCR’s website states. In the 1990s, LCR members and its allies tried to educate influential Republican politicians about issues affecting gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. But in 1996, then-presidential candidate Bob Dole rejected LCR’s $1,000 donation, though he later accepted the cash. In 2000, LCR endorsed then-presidential candidate George W. Bush, noting his promise to unite the country and his lack of anti-gay campaign rhetoric. But while Bush established PEPFAR, a largely successful African HIV-prevention program, in 2003, he endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) to ban same-sex marriage.

In response, LCR spent $1,000,000 to fight the FMA and aired its first TV ad campaign against it. In 2004, Congress rejected the measure. In 2008, LCR endorsed then-presidential candidate John McCain, citing his opposition to the FMA, even though he supported a same-sex marriage ban sought by legislators in his home state of Arizona and also opposed efforts to end the ban on gay and bisexual military members known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). In 2010, LCR filed a successful federal court challenge to DADT. In 2012, LCR endorsed then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney even though he opposed same-sex marriage, the repeal of DADT, and the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act. While the national board of LCR chose not to endorse then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016, numerous state chapters of LCR did. But the national LCR endorsed Trump in 2020, with board members writing an op-ed in The Washington Post proclaiming that “Trump met his commitments to LGBTQ Americans.”

In reality, the Republican Party platform — which has remained unchanged since 2016 — calls for a ban on same-sex marriage and transgender military members and supports both “ex-gay” conversion therapy and making it legal for businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. Trump’s numerous policies against the queer community have made him one of the most anti-LGBTQ+ presidents of all time.

Core principles and beliefs

According to its national website, LCR supports legislative protections against anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in the workplace, housing, adoption, and other civil areas; a national ban on so-called conversion therapy for minors; continued policies to fight the HIV epidemic; the international decriminalization of LGBTQ+ identity; and also acceptance of LGBTQ+ refugees in the United States. The group also supports lower taxes and firearm ownership rights.

[...]

Recent developments

It has defended Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill by comparing its opponents to pedophiles who have “wet dreams of gender fluid, indoctrinated, and groomed children.” The group’s president, Charles Moran, has written op-eds opposing transgender civil rights and also the Equality Act, legislation seeking LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections. Earlier this year, the group named a straight self-described homophobe as one of its ambassadors. The group’s executive director, Jerri Ann Henry, called President Donald Trump’s numerous anti-LGBTQ+ policies “hiccups.” The organization also endorsed 14 anti-LGBTQ+ Republicans during the 2018 midterm elections and 12 anti-LGBTQ+ extremists in 2020, including Trump, Mike Pence, and a woman who thinks pedophiles are part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Log Cabin Republicans have been a voice for LGBTQ+ conservativism.

The organization’s beginnings arose to opposition to the homophobic failed Briggs Initiative.

Until the Trump era, the LCR have at least pretended to care about LGB issues. Nowadays, despite purporting to champion LGBTQ+ conservativism, they support anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ policies and politicians.

[transformationsproject]

We got some more trans rights updates in the US, so let's dive in.

Arizona introduced the "Arizona Accommodations for All Children Act," which restricts bathroom use by "immutable biological sex as determined by anatomy and genetics at birth."

Texas introduced a drag ban, defining drag as dressing up in the "opposite gender's clothing" and "performing for an audience." It defines drag as a sexually oriented business.

North Dakota introduced an emergency health care ban and a bill preventing updating the gender marker on a birth certificate due to gender identity change.

South Carolina introduced the "Live and Let Live Act" which seeks to protect religious "right to discriminate" in direct response to expanded tolerance in other states. South Carolina also introduced a standard parent's rights bill that forces outing and prevents care without consent of the parent.

Iowa introduced a standard "don't say gay or trans" bill, banning discussions on LGBTQ existence through 3rd grade.

On the federal level, US HB216 is a bill that would withhold federal funding from elementary schools that do not require written consent from parents before discussing LGBTQ topics. It is a de facto "don't say gay or trans" bill on the national level.

It's not too late to stop these and other hateful anti-trans bills from passing into law. YOU can go to http://transformationsproject.org to learn more and contact your representatives

[beloved-not-broken]

Hear our prayer, Lord.

Within the last hour, someone leaked a draft opinion that indicates Roe v. Wade might be overturned. While it hasn't happened yet, various anti-LGBTQ laws are currently affecting U.S. residents:

Don't Say Gay bill (Florida)

Directive classifying gender-affirming care as child abuse (Texas)

Save Women's Sports act (passed in Arizona, Kentucky, and Oklahoma; similar legislation proposed in Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah)

I feel helpless in the midst of all this, but I know that prayer is powerful. So I'm doing all I can do in this moment: praying.

---

God, we know that You hold the Earth in your hands—the Earth, and everything in it (Psalm 24:1). You know the past, present, and future, and You work all things for good for those who love You (Romans 8:28).

We also know that You don't tolerate injustice, and You call everyone in positions of power—especially those who claim to obey You—to judge fairly (2 Chronicles 19:7).

But we know the systems of this Earth are corrupt. You experienced the systemic oppression firsthand at the hands of the religious leaders who preferred following the letter of the law rather than the spirit of it (Matthew 23:23-28). The same is happening today—the powers that be are stripping the rights of the very people You called them to protect (Proverbs 28:3).

God, we know You are more powerful than them all (Psalm 2:2-4). Change the hearts of those in power, and demonstrate Your love for the LGBTQ community, women, and other marginalized groups. And be with us in the midst of this chaos, like You were with Moses as he challenged Pharaoh.

May Your will be done. Amen.

[mariacallous]

The recent electoral optimism among Democrats has many causes: gas prices are down, Biden’s legislative victories are up, and Republicans are nominating candidates from New Hampshire to Arizona who appear to be out of step with the voters. But the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a woman’s right to an abortion may be, by far and away, the most powerful development yet this year. As the results of a ballot initiative in Kansas—a state Donald Trump won by nearly 15 points—showed, when the issue is on the ballot by itself it wins big.

The question is—will support for abortion rights also result in support for Democratic, pro-choice candidates?[1]

Three interesting developments are changing the expectations for November. First are special elections. There have been five special elections in 2022 that pitted Democrats against Republicans. In four of these elections the Democrats did better than Biden did in 2020 and the Republicans did worse than Trump did in 2020. In New York’s 19th congressional district, the Democrat was expected to lose but he ran a single-issue campaign—pro-choice—and won. The fifth special election in Alaska was conducted under new rules known as ranked choice voting so it is harder to compare to past elections. But there, to the surprise of many, a Democrat won for the first time in 50 years.

The second development is data coming in from many states indicating that voter registration is surging and that most of those new voters are women. Tom Bonoir, a political consultant wrote in the New York Times that when he looked into new voters in Kansas, 69% of them were women. This finding was “… more striking than any single election statistic I can recall discovering throughout my career.” An Upshot analysis of 10 states with available voter registration data showed that women registering to vote rose 35% after the Supreme Court’s decision whereas men had an increase of only 9%.

A third and even more intriguing point are reports from Republicans scrubbing their anti-abortion stances from their websites or seeking to moderate their positions. In Arizona, Blake Masters, the Trump-supported Republican Senate nominee overhauled his website and tried to paint himself as a moderate on abortion, saying “look I support a ban on very late-term and partial-birth abortion… and most Americans agree with that.” Of course late-term and partial-birth abortions are not at all the issue at hand nor was that an accurate reflection of Masters’s complete stance on abortion during the primary. And when Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) introduced a 15-week abortion bill in the Senate this past week he was quickly rebuffed by many of his Republican colleagues, including the Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.). McConnell, aware of what this issue could do to his hopes of being Majority Leader again said, “I think most of the members of my conference prefer that this be dealt with at the state level.”

But even with all these signs, the question still remains: will voters who support abortion rights transfer their feelings to the individuals running for office in their state or district?

For the answer to that we need to move to an election eighteen years ago—the presidential election of 2004. That election took place between then-Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) and President George W. Bush. It has since become the stuff of legend because Bush’s victory has been widely attributed to his win in Ohio. There, a referendum banning gay marriage was placed on the ballot (as it was in several other states) with the express purpose of driving Evangelical and other conservative voters to the polls. Bush won Ohio in a race close enough that had Kerry won he, not Bush, would have been president.

Soon after, three political scientists set out to determine how important the gay marriage ban was to George Bush’s vote. After carefully controlling for other factors, they conclude:

“What is most striking about the results is that support for anti-gay marriage measures in both states affected the vote for Bush in 2004, even when controlling for his level of support in 2000…. In Michigan, for every percentage point increase in a county’s support for Bush in 2000, support for Proposal 2 increased by nearly half a percentage point (.48). Similarly, in Ohio, support for Issue 1 increased by a third of a percentage point (.31) for every percentage point increase in a county’s support for Bush in 2000.”[2]

Although the ban on gay marriage did not push Bush over the top in every state (Bush won Ohio but Kerry won Michigan) its power in affecting the vote for president was clear. Ever since, political parties and candidates have attempted to use referenda to not only get around state legislatures, but to boost the vote for their candidates. On the Democratic side, referenda on voting rights, minimum wage, and cannabis have all been placed on the ballot not only for their own merits but with the expectation that they will boost turnout.[3]

In this fall’s election we will see a pro-abortion ballot measure appear in two states, Michigan and Kentucky. Michigan is the quintessential swing state, going narrowly for Biden in 2020, for Trump in 2016 and for Obama before that. It has a Democratic governor and a Republican legislature. The ballot measure, “Reproductive Freedom for All” would codify abortions up to 23-24 weeks. It got 325,000 more signatures than the 425,000 needed and overcame an attempt to block it by Republicans on the Board of Canvassers.

If the ban on gay marriage worked to boost the Republican vote in 2004, imagine how powerful a ban on abortion could be for Democrats in 2022. It could mean a victory for Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who started this election year as the most endangered House Democrat; it could mean a victory for Hillary Scholten, a Democrat running in Michigan’s 3rd congressional district (an open seat and what would be a Democratic pick up), and it could mean a strong victory for the incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is facing a strongly anti-abortion challenger.

Kentucky is the other state where abortion is on the ballot. It is a solidly Republican state so there are not likely to be many congressional upsets. However, the battle is being fought at the state legislative level where an increase in pro-choice turnout could have unanticipated effects.

The referenda outcomes in these two states and their effect on the vote for other offices will be studied more intently than any similar elections in history. Already, Republicans in states like Arizona and Arkansas are asking for constitutional amendments to increase the threshold for getting referenda on the ballot, a sign that they are worried. And pro-choice groups see the ballot referendum as a tool for getting around heavily Republican states legislatures on issues with broad appeal. If the votes in Michigan and Kentucky prove to have the power to carry Democrats, expect to see, in 2024, pro-choice referenda of some sort in every state that has banned or attempted to ban abortion.

[pashterlengkap]

Kenya safe havens at risk with draconian anti-gay bill

In Kenya, the latest Kill the Gays copycat bill is moving through Parliament and threatens thousands of LGBTQ+ refugees fleeing persecution in neighboring Uganda. The proposed law, the latest in a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced across Africa, would expel refugees and asylum seekers who identify as gay, in addition to meting out punishment for an exhaustive list of other “immoral” or abetting offenses. --- Related Stories Ugandans flee as Kill the Gays gains momentum across Africa Arizona-based Family Watch International is a key player stoking anti-LGBTQ+ hate across the continent. --- Provisions in the bill seek the “expulsion of refugees and asylum seekers who breach the law” and would mandate “psychotherapy and rehabilitation of offenders,” raising the prospect of reeducation camps and forced conversion therapy. The bill mandates life in prison for anyone engaging in homosexual sex. Kenya has been the primary destination of LGBTQ+ individuals fleeing Uganda in the wake of that East African nation’s Kill the Gays bill 2.0, which President Yoweri Museveni recently sent back to Parliament for further consideration of additional penalties.   Museveni congratulated lawmakers who stood up to “international pressure and shielded Uganda’s moral fabric during the passing of the bill” and signaled his intention to sign the law. While Ugandans fleeing persecution are holed up in refugee camps and safe houses throughout Kenya, hostility toward LGBTQ+ people has been growing in the former British colony, as well. In February, the Kenyan Supreme Court ruled that the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission could register as a non-governmental organization there, sparking outrage among conservative lawmakers and President William Ruto, who ordered his government’s attorney general to challenge the court’s decision as a violation of Kenyan and moral law. Then earlier this month, Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma introduced his copycat Family Protection Bill, modeled on Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. The lawmaker’s proposed legislation followed a summit of anti-LGBTQ+ activist lawmakers in Uganda in March, organized by Family Watch International, an Arizona-based organization committed to spreading anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion ideology around the world. The group was instrumental in crafting the original Kill the Gays bill in Uganda in 2009. “Same-sex sexual acts and unions are sterile by nature,” Kaluma said, introducing the legislation. “If tolerated or supported and propagated, would lead to the extinction of the human race.”  Paradoxically, Kenya is the only East African nation to accept LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers without questioning their sexual orientation.   The country hosts more than half a million displaced people from nearby countries in refugee camps in Dadaab and Kakuma. Kakuma is one of the largest in the world. Multiple reports from the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration and the U.N. Refugee Agency in Kenya document human rights violations against LGBTQ+ people at both refugee camps. Earlier this year, more than 300 LGBTQ+ refugees at Kakuma launched a signature drive protesting discrimination, torture, and mistreatment. “As refugees who have sought safety and refuge from conflict and persecution, we should not have to endure further suffering and discrimination within the confines of the camp,” the petition reads. “Yet, this is the reality for many of us.” Police brutality and mistreatment have led to death, disability, and “a climate of fear and insecurity within the camp, where we are unable to live freely and openly as members of the LGBTIQ+ community,” the signatories wrote. “We are tired of living in fear, and we demand an end to these injustices.” http://dlvr.it/SnB9dr