Bias Crimes

I like calling them Bias Crimes instead of Hate Crimes because bigotry is not a hate crime, it is a bias crime. "I didn't sell him (__full in the blanks__) because I hate him but because (Select one or more: Lazy, Criminals, Dope addicts, Welfare Queens)." hate is hard to prove, there is discrimination but no hate the salesperson believes in stereotyping which isn't motivated by hate but rather by bias. But it is still a crime, a bias crime.

 

Down the river in Deep River there have been a number of bias incidents...

 Deep River officials decry flyers with 'homophobic and transphobic' messaging distributed in town
CT Insider

By Hana Ikramuddin,
April 3, 2025

 

 

 Local officials denounced flyers with "homophobic and transphobic" messaging that were seen around Deep River Wednesday ahead of an event held at a local library.

 

 Deep River First Selectman Carol Jones said in a statement that the flyers had been spread around town and were "full of messages of hate and intolerance."

 

[...]

 

"What do we do when we are so blatantly reminded that the hatred and bitterness that we read about in the paper or see on the television exists here in our own little town? First, we have to acknowledge that this type of hatred does exist and while it offends most all of us, it can and does produce very real fear in some of us, and we ought to think a bit about that," Jones said.

But this wasn't an isolated incident, last December...

 Norwalk police investigating 'prejudicial' flyers found around City Hall
By Peter Yankowski,
Dec 18, 2024

 

 

 Police are investigating after flyers with "prejudicial" material were found scattered around the City Hall area Wednesday morning in what they described as a "hate incident."

 

 Dispatchers received reports Wednesday morning that the flyers were "scattered about several streets in the area," a statement released by Deputy Chief Terrence Blake said. 

"The flyers contain prejudicial messaging against certain cultures and religions in various languages," he said.

He did not specify what the flyers said. It was not immediately clear what group or groups were targeted by the flyers.

It is not just here but all around the country that bias crimes are increasing against all minorities! The Hartford Courant reported,

 DESPP commissioner: How we are fighting increased hate crime in Connecticut
Our collective goal is to make Connecticut a safe place

By Ronnell A. Higgins
March 30, 2025

 

 

 Amid the debate surrounding Gov. Ned Lamont’s sound proposal to revise and strengthen hate crime laws in Connecticut, we must step back and again remind ourselves about an alarming reality.

We’ve seen a 50 percent increase in reported hate crimes in Connecticut just since 2021. Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League says that over the past five years it has seen a 450 percent increase in incidents they document in Connecticut.

There is a problem with hate in Connecticut and it isn’t going away. How we address this matters a great deal.

And just as law enforcement would respond to a surge in violent crime, auto thefts, or to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs through our state, it is our duty at the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to organize and take a leadership role.

We are not waiting to respond to what Gov. Lamont has described as the unconscionable targeting of people “because of the color of their skin, the religion they practice, the person they love, their country of birth, or any other personal attributes that identify who they are.’’

What the governor's bill does is to combine all the bias crime statutes into one location. [Fair disclosing: I am on his council that made the recommendations to the governor], for example bias crimes against gays and lesbians were in a different location in the criminal statutes then bias crimes against us. That made it had for a law officer to look up the statute, now they are all in one place.

 

Here is what the governor wrote:

 The following is a list of existing hate crimes laws in the Connecticut General Statutes that Governor Lamont is seeking to consolidate into one new chapter:

Hate Crime Causing Physical Injury
Hate Crime Causing Physical Contact
Hate Crime Affecting Property
Hate Crime Affecting Religious Property
Hate Crime by Threat of Physical Contact
Hate Crime by Threat to Property
Hate Crime by Threatening in the First Degree with Respect to House of Religious Worship or Religiously-Affiliated Community Center
Hate Crime by Threatening in the Second Degree with Respect to House of Religious Worship or Religiously-Affiliated Community Center
Hate Crime by Advocacy or Urging
Hate Crime by Deprivation of Civil Rights
Hate Crime by Burning Cross
Hate Crime by Noose
Hate Crime with Mask or Hood
Ridicule by Commercial Advertisement
Discriminatory Public Accommodations Practice
Discriminatory Housing Practice
Hate Crime by False Report
Hate Crime by False Report to Law Enforcement
Hate Crime by False Report Resulting in Serious Physical Injury or Death
Hate Crime by Stalking
Hate Crime by Misuse of Emergency 9-1-1 System
Governor Lamont is scheduled to deliver his annual budget address to a joint session of the General Assembly on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. Documents containing the full details of his biennial budget proposal and other legislative proposals, including this bill on hate crimes, will be filed on that date.

 You know you have to wonder why bias crimes are going up?

Mini-Post: Mine's Bigger Than Your!

This reminds me of tow little boys comparing who has the biggest...

Protestors set up outside Camping World in support of flag

WNCT

By Lauren Beachy

April 7, 2025

The fight to keep the Camping World flag up in Greenville continues.

Four people stood in front of the flag on Evans Street with signs in support of the Camping World flag.

Just last week, the Greenville City Council voted to file a civil action against Camping World. Now, people are showing their support with the company that is refusing to take the flag down.

“Being a retired Marine, this means so much to me, and so when I heard that the Greeneville, all of a sudden decided that they want to stop, you know, have them take it down or do a smaller one, that’s not acceptable,” Marty Rebello said. “I mean, you’ve got to have a lot of love and hope for this country, I mean it takes good care of us, and we need to take good care of it.”

Just what does having a huge flag prove... that you are more patriot than everyone else or that you are a big d**k head then anyone else?

Where I used to live one summer in Rochester NY there was a people down the street who flew a normal size flag. On windy days you could hear the flag snap in the wind... I can't imagine how loud that would be with a flag that size! Also the metal snaps that mount the flag banged against the metal pole... it was like a bell ringing all hours of the day!

If he is so patriot why is he ignoring the law and creating a public nuisance.

MSN write...

A massive American flag flying at Camping World in Greenville sparked a debate between city regulations and patriotic symbolism.

The 3,200-square-foot flag soars 130 feet above the ground.

It has been the subject of fines from the city council for violating ordinances that limit flag sizes to 70 feet in height and 216 square feet in area.

But he is a true patriot fighting city hall and angering the neighbors.

You Find What You Are Looking For.

When you control the search criteria you control the research!

Two of the most important thing of any research is how you define the problem and how you get your subjects. We saw that in the research of "Rapid Onset of Gender Dysphoria" the researcher got her subjects from a conservative parent's website. She never talked to any trans children, only their parents which flawed the study.

So now we have Trump ordering a study of " to study ‘regret’ after transgender people transition" and right off the start them title is biased! When you are looking just for regrets it will bias the study.

Exclusive: Trump White House directs NIH to study ‘regret’ after transgender people transition

After cancelling nearly all NIH projects studying transgender health, Trump’s team instructs the US biomedical agency to study negative consequences of transitioning.

Nature

By Max Kozlov

April 3, 2025

As the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) continues to defund nearly every research project on transgender health, the White House has directed the agency to focus on studying “regret” after a person transitions to align their body with their gender identity. Several NIH employees, who were granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the press, confirmed the directive to Nature.

Look at the wording of the charge given by the acting NIH director gave to the department, does that sound unbiased?

Two weeks ago, Matthew Memoli, who was acting NIH director at the time, sent an e-mail to the directors of several NIH institutes. It said that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is the NIH’s parent agency, “has been directed to fund research on a few specific areas” related to what it calls “chemical and surgical mutilation” of children and adults — a reference to gender-affirming care and surgery. “This is very important to the President and the Secretary” of the HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the e-mail added.

Just look at the language! “Chemical and surgical mutilation” does that sound unbiased?

There have been a number of studies of trans regret but the results were not what the Republicans liked so they are going to do their own study.

Transgender regret? Research challenges narratives about gender-affirming surgeries

The Conversation

By Harry Barbee, Bashar Hassan, & Fan Liang

January 22, 2024

You’ll often hear lawmakers, activists and pundits argue that many transgender people regret their decision to have gender-affirming surgeries – a belief that’s been fueling a wave of legislation that restricts access to gender-affirming health care.

[...]

Evidence suggests that less than 1% of transgender people who undergo gender-affirming surgery report regret. That proportion is even more striking when compared to the fact that 14.4% of the broader population reports regret after similar surgeries.

For example, studies have found that between 5% and 14% of all women who receive mastectomies to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer say they regretted doing so. However, less than 1% of transgender men who receive the same procedure report regret.

What will Trump & Company find? Pub Med reported...

Historical data suggest that regret following gender transition in adulthood is rare (Blanchard et al., 1989; Dhejne et al., 2014; Lawrence, 2003; Pfäfflin, 1993; Rehman et al., 1999; van de Grift et al., 2018; Weyers et al., 2009; Wiepjes et al., 2018). However, studies reporting low rates of regret are generally from an era when hormonal therapy and surgery were only undertaken under strict protocol. Regret was ascertained by a variety of methods, including retrospective review of medical charts for documentation of regret, or unvalidated questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, which are susceptible to non-response bias (Blanchard et al., 1989; Lawrence, 2003; Rehman et al., 1999; van de Grift et al., 2018; Weyers et al., 2009; Wiepjes et al., 2018). Other researchers have used a very narrow definition of regret, such as application to have birth sex reinstated as legal sex (Dhejne et al., 2014). More recently, patients with post-operative regret were identified using requests for surgical reversal, although it is unknown what proportion of those who experience regret pursue further surgery (Narayan et al., 2021). Patients who started hormonal therapies but did not proceed further with surgical removal of the ovaries or testes were often excluded from assessments of regret (Dhejne et al., 2014; Wiepjes et al., 2018); it is possible that those who were disqualified from or choose not to undergo gonadectomy had higher levels of regret than those who went on to complete their surgical transition (D'Angelo, 2018). Many studies also suffered from high rates of loss to follow-up, and patients who died by suicide or from medical complications were frequently not included in the analyses (Dhejne et al., 2014; Wiepjes et al., 2018), which may mask regret.

For many trans people problems with other medical problems like diabetes, kidney disease, heart problems prevent them form have Gender Confirming Surgery and were counted as having regrets! So it is very important in how they define "detransition" and "regrets," I know about five people who detransitioned. The majority of those people did it not because they were not trans but rather for family or financial reasons and one because of religious pressure. One of them who detransitioned for financial and family reasons retranistioned.

There is a lot of money going to the anti-trans organizations... GenderGP writes in Detransition Facts and Statistics: Challenging the Myths Around Detransitioners

In Europe alone, there’s over $186 million in funding for anti-gender movements coming from the Russian Federation. Furthermore, the Russian government has over 50 anti-gender actors operating within the continent. Of course, these actors spread misinformation with the intention of influencing the conversation around detransitioning to their advantage.

[...]

One study, paraded around by the anti-trans crowd, claimed that 80% of trans children desisted later in life. However, when the study underwent scrutiny, researchers discovered that the methodology was deeply flawed. The study in question did not differentiate between the following:

• Young people with gender dysphoria
• Young people who socially transitioned but not medically

In fact, nearly half of the children involved in the study could not be located at its conclusion. They were recorded as “desisters” by default, and thus, “detransitioners”. However, they’re not the same thing.

In fact, the only justifiable conclusion that peer reviewers could be draw from the study upon scrutiny of its data, was that strong gender dysphoria was a good predictor of future medical transition.

Of course the right-wing conservatives don't like the results so they are doing their own study (So much for DOGE to cut government waste!

So pay attention on how they define "regrets" and "detransitioning!"

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Sorry for the late post, but I was     watching the UConn Women's Basketball win the Women's NCAA Tournament! They demolished No. 1 overall seed UCLA 85-51 two days ago and now they win against South Carolina 82 - 59

The Polls

There is a consistent block of voters who approve of Trump in the polls... they are White males under 30! Why? What are the dynamics behind them, is it some sense of machismo?

Why Gen Z men love Trump’s reign of destruction

Trump’s appeal to the demographic might not have to do with his policies.

Washington Post

By Catherine Rampell

February 21, 2025

Many Americans are disturbed by President Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution and nuking of the federal government. But one group seems to love what Trump is doing: young men.

New survey data show that support for Trump among this demographic has surged since the election.

In November, men ages 18 to 29 voted for Trump by a 14-point margin (56 percent to 42 percent). It was the first time a GOP presidential candidate had claimed an outright majority of the group since 1988 (when George H.W. Bush swept most age and gender combinations in a landslide victory, unlike Trump’s slim popular-vote win).

That begs the question... Why? To me Trump doesn't seem like much of a macho man, to me he seems like a dumpy grumpy old man.

“A lot of young men had the sense that the Democrats didn’t see them as having problems,” Reeves said. “They saw them as being the problem.”

Yet in many ways, men are faring worse than their female peers. Young men have lower academic achievement. They’re more likely to still live with their parents. They suffer more deaths caused by opioid overdoses and suicide. Younger White men from low-income households in particular are worse off than their fathers by most economic and social measures.

Men today have also become more isolated. Americans across the board spend more time alone than was the case 20 years ago — but this is especially true for young men.

Somehow, young men now see educations as being "un-macho". I think one of the problems is that they worry about having friendships with other men might be seen as being "un-macho". He has to be stoic, unmoving, unemotional, he can't be seen as wimpy, indecisive.

That’s arguably how Trump won over young men, too: less with his policies and more with his macho affect and his ability to help isolated young men feel welcome and liked. After all, Trump’s agenda has done little to address the economic and mental health challenges young men face. Indeed, Reeves says American men’s policy preferences haven’t changed much in recent years.

What about Trump’s policy choices since he came into office?

Some seem tailored to appeal to stereotypical right-wing bros, such as his war on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The administration has also advocated on behalf of self-proclaimed “misogynist” influencer Andrew Tate, who faces criminal charges in Romania related to human trafficking, sexual misconduct and money laundering.

I believe that they see every woman, every Black man, every gay or trans person as taking away their job. It couldn't be because their attitude, their lack of skills, it must have been because DEI!

Interestingly the Baptist News has a different take on those who voted for Trump,

More specifically, young Gen Z white men — mainly those without college degrees — voted overwhelmingly for Trump (67%), which is eerily similar to their just-older millennial peers (also 67%).

Nic Sumners, a 21-year-old cosmetic car repairman from Virginia, says Trump talks about the American people in a way that resonates with him, without — in his opinion — faulting him for his gender and sexual orientation. “I’m a straight white man, and I feel like we take the blame for a lot of things,” Sumners says.

In other words... "They feel picked on and left out!"

Jennifer Mercieca reminds us Trump is a rhetorical genius and a marketing genius. He is a creature of television, and his rhetoric and actions sound and look scripted. His use of social media attracted young white males already fans of Joe Rogan, for example.

Trump’s masculine performances are more than what we hear and see on the surface. His coarse, vulgar, indecorous and unapologetic rhetoric feeds a collective fantasy that he is a big, tough man who will get things done by shaking up politics as usual. Robert Ivie says, “His act is political theater that stymies rather than presages positive change.”

He then observes, “Trump’s performance of carnivalesque rhetoric provides a kind of pleasure in spectacle that merges entertainment with politics, skepticism with fantasy, and violence with authoritarianism.” Like a modern P. T. Barnum, Trump sold his supporters sheer entertainment.

Trump speaks and acts the way young white men wish they could speak and act. They feel empowered by Trump’s act of sheer maleness. One Trump voter said, “I hate the way he talks and the way he treats the presidency, the way he treats women and minorities and everybody — but nevertheless I voted for him because of some of the promises I saw in his administration.”

Just look at the theme song that Trump had played at the political rallies...

Young man, there's no need to feel down, I said

Young man, pick yourself off the ground, I said

Young man, 'cause you're in a new town

There's no need to be unhappy

Young man, there's a place you can go, I said

Young man, when you're short on your dough you can

Stay there and I'm sure you will find

Many ways to have a good time

Village People YMCA

Yeah, it is a gay song but it is also an "upbeat disco classic with thumping beats that can energize crowds and create a lively atmosphere",  has become a universal party song, and "which playfully embody archetypes of American masculinity."

Scientific American had a... well... a scientific approach to why young males went for macho Trump.

But as with every generation, there are outliers. And these outliers can surprise us and teach us what makes the subgroups of a generation tick.

As a social psychologist who studies the interplay between societal structures and individual psychology, I have seen that relationship come into focus during this presidential election. I’ve followed exit polls closely, watching for psychological “surprises” in policy trends—places where behavioral expectations for individuals and groups (based on their psychology, history and sociodemographic orientations) diverge from what actually unfolds. What I’ve seen in the voting trends of Gen Z is something politicos need to pay attention to as the next generation reaches voting age: the young white male vote is skewing conservative, in part because of how society defines and sets expectations around masculinity.

We've taken away their "balls" sociality has emasculated them!

Gen Z, as a bloc, should have voted blue. Democrats, after all, claim to be the party of progress, especially when compared with the present iteration of the Republican Party, and Twenge argues that Gen Z individuals are “obsessed with safety, focused on tolerance, and have no patience for inequality.” Kamala Harris centered herself on a key progressive issue—salvaging women’s right to abortion—whereas Donald Trump’ campaign was full of sexist remarks and a promise to roll back protections for transgender students in schools. And while Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz was hailed as a progressive champion, Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance espoused regressive and demeaning views about women’s place in American society. All in all, if it’s true that Gen Zers are defined by their progressive views on sociopolitical issues, they should have voted overwhelmingly for the Democratic ticket. The Harris-Walz campaign was certainly counting on it.

When I read this I see a couple of things... first: abortion, the father has no rights! Second, what could be more emasculating then us, trans people! While with Trump, they see a womanizer, swearing, macho man who gives them permission to scratch their balls in public and curse out trans people.

Young man, there's no need to feel down, I said

Young man, pick yourself off the ground, I said

Young man, 'cause you're in a new town

There's no need to be unhappy

Young man, there's a place you can go, I said

Young man, when you're short on your dough you can

Stay there and I'm sure you will find

Many ways to have a good time

Cuckoo Award

This one is awarded to the people of the United States... for voting for this guy! You knew what he was like from his first term. In all the political ads he promised the world and you knew he was lying through his teeth, but you still voted for him. You believed him, a man who is a convicted felon... convicted for... cooking the books or in other words... lying.

How many millions did it cost us the taxpayers to send him to play golf at his own golf course instead of going to honor the servicemembers who died in a training exercise? Half of those people in the photo are probably Secret Service agents.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

But what gets me is that a lot of veterans voted for "Mister Bone Spurs" who thumbed his nose at the fallen soldiers of the D-Day invasion calling some "suckers" and "losers" still voted for him. And now this... "Trump Picks Golf Dinner Over Dignified Transfer of U.S. Troops’ Bodies"

So today's Cuckoo Award goes to you the voters who voted for Trump... you guys are nuts!

Mini-Post: Peace!

All around the world the Hands Off protests have been peaceful! I searched Google, Firefox, Perplexity AI, ChatCPT AI, and Gemini AI and all of them didn't any violence at any of the rallies! Everywhere you look on Facebook there were photos of events all over the country.

In Buffalo there was a counter protest but it was peaceful, shouting "Shame" at them.

Here is the Washington DC rally...

It Is Not Just Here!

It has spread like a virus, like the plague... like hate.

Mother of trans teen takes legal action over Queensland's puberty blocker freeze for new patients under 18

Exclusive by Emma Pollard and Janelle Miles

ABC News AU

April 4, 2025

A mother of a trans teenager has successfully taken the first step in legal action against the Queensland Health Director-General over the state's freeze on puberty blockers.

The woman, whose name cannot be published to protect the identity of her daughter, has obtained an order in the Supreme Court to force Dr David Rosengren to provide her with a statement of reasons for the freeze.

In late January, Dr Rosengren approved a health service directive which banned public doctors from providing puberty blockers and hormone treatment to new gender dysphoria patients aged under 18.

When I read this I first thought that they were writing about the U.S. but then I saw the ".au" and I realized that it was Australia!

Adolescents who had already started the medications before January 28 were able to continue.

The ban has no end date but is due to be reviewed within 12 months.

In the meantime, the government has established what it described as an independent review into the evidence base for the therapies, led by former Victorian chief psychiatrist Ruth Vine. 

When Health Minister Tim Nicholls announced the sudden intervention in the medical treatment of children with gender dysphoria, he said it was necessary to "ensure that care is grounded on solid evidence".

Of course we know what they will find, they will use garbage research to base their findings to ban something that has been used since the 1970s with no problems but all of sudden because we use the same drug it has now "Become a problem!" but it is not a problem for kids with precocious puberty.

A trans teen's mother filed an application in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on March 20 to force Dr Rosengren to provide her with the statement of reasons explaining his decision to impose the ban.

This week, the court ordered Dr Rosengren to give her his statement of reasons by April 8 and to pay her legal costs.

The woman said she had asked him to provide her with the reasons in early February, but he failed to do so within the timeframe under the Judicial Review Act.

Here in the states a judge was tired of all the vapor research the conservatives based their banning us from bathrooms and the judge said "Show me the facts!"

"This application is hopefully just the first step in the battle. Once we get the statement of reasons my legal team will give me advice about whether I can challenge his decision and get his directive set aside."

They will not any legitimate reason to ban the puberty blockers because they do no harm. They have no data that shows that the reason they denied us the healthcare is purely for political reasons. 

Cuckoo Award

Congratulations!

Today's Cuckoo Award goes to our fearless leader Trump!

In just 74 day he crashed the stock market, on January 20th the market was 43,487.83 and today it is... 38,887.14 @ 1 PM when I'm writing this and dropping!

But wait! There is more... one year ago today the market was 41,797.87 so he wiped out a whole year of growth! in just seventy-four days!

Boy did he ever fix the economy!

I leave you with this clipping from the Los Angles Daily newspaper from October 1936 for something to think about...

And So It Begins!

You knew this was going to happen! There was no doubt that this was going to happen! Well it happened down in Florida.

Transgender student’s arrest for violating Florida bathroom law is thought to be a first

AP News

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM

April 3, 2025

A transgender college student declared “I am here to break the law” before entering a women’s restroom at the Florida State Capitol and being led out in handcuffs by police. Civil rights attorneys say the arrest of Marcy Rheintgen last month is the first they know of for violating transgender bathroom restrictions passed by numerous state legislatures across the country.

Capitol police had been alerted and were waiting for Rheintgen, 20, when she entered the building in Tallahassee March 19. They told her she would receive a trespass warning once she entered the women’s restroom to wash her hands and pray the rosary, but she was later placed under arrest when she refused to leave, according to an arrest affidavit.

Rheintgen faces a misdemeanor trespassing charge punishable by up to 60 days in jail and is due to appear in court in May.

Now she told them that she was going to do it but how otherwise would they have known?

Her arrest comes as many Republican-led states that have enacted restroom restrictions grapple with how to enforce them. Laws in Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky and North Dakota do not spell out any enforcement mechanism, and even the state laws that do largely rely on private individuals to report violations.

What are the potty police going to do? Everyone drop their draws to be inspected, but then they would catch those who had GCS. What they are really doing is going after those who don't look female and they are going to net a lot cis-women. How embarrassing will that be for a cis-woman who gets netted.

Question: How will they know that the person walking into a bathroom is trans? The Advocate reported,

The officers initially told Rheintgen they would only issue a notice to appear before the judge and release her. They subsequently declared her unsuitable for release and arrested her after she became “sassy,” and they feared she would try to use the restroom again, according to the arrest affidavit.

You go girl!

Just think for a moment, they are not going to arrest any trans woman who passes, it will be trans woman like me who are immediately identified as trans. Also what will happen with someone like me down in Florida, my birth certificate say "female" the Constitution says,

Article IV

Section 1

Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

My state recognizes me as female so I would assume that all the other states have to also recognizes me female in their states because Article IV, Section 1.

I think that we should take a page out of the Civil Rights era of the 1960s and 70s and have massive arrest like they did with the lunch counter sit-ins. Have a line of trans women who one at a time go in the bathroom to be arrested. Just flood their judicial systems.

A Tale Of Six States!

This is a tale of how three states passed or did not pass legislation about us.

Transgender bathroom restrictions take effect as Montana governor signs law

The law requires public buildings including the state Capitol, schools, jails, prisons, libraries and state-funded shelters to provide separate spaces for men and women.

AP News

March 27, 2025

Transgender people in Montana can no longer use bathrooms in public buildings that do not align with their sex assigned at birth after Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed new restrictions into law Thursday.

The law, which takes effect with its approval, requires public buildings including the state Capitol, schools, jails, prisons, libraries and state-funded domestic violence shelters to provide separate spaces for men and women.

It defines the sexes in state law based on a person’s chromosomes and reproductive biology, even as a district court ruling earlier this year declared the definitions unconstitutional.

Attorneys for the ACLU of Montana filed a legal challenge to the law within hours of it being signed. They asked a state judge in Missoula to block Gianforte and Monana Attorney General Austin Knudsen from enforcing the law.

And the results of that trial...

Montana’s anti-transgender bathroom restrictions are on hold under a judge’s order

AP News

April 2, 2025

A judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a Montana law that restricts transgender people’s use of bathrooms in public buildings.

The measure, which Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed into effect last week, threatened to deprive transgender people of their constitutional right to equal protection under the law, Montana District Court Judge Shane Vannatta ruled. The law prevents people from using restrooms in public buildings that do not align with the sex they were assigned at birth.

The five people who sued over the law were likely to prevail, Vannatta added in his ruling.

The new law “is motivated by animus and supported by no evidence that its restrictions advance its purported purpose to protect women’s safety and privacy,” Vannatta wrote.

If they want to ban us they should also ban pastors and legislators!

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Meanwhile down in California  the state legislature rejected a trans ban on student athletes.

Political Notebook: After heated hearing, CA legislators kill trans sports ban bills

Bay Area Reporter

By Matthew S. Bajko

April 1, 2025

After a heated hearing Tuesday in Sacramento, California legislators killed two anti-transgender sports bans introduced by Republican lawmakers. It comes as the Trump administration is investigating a statewide sports organization over the Golden State’s policy that allows transgender student athletes to play on the sports teams aligned with their gender.

Assembly Bill 89 authored by Assemblymember Kate Sanchez (R-Rancho Santa Margarita) aimed to ban trans girls from playing on female athletic teams. AB 844 by Assemblymember Bill Essayli (R-Corona) would also have banned trans boys from playing on male sports teams.

A fool’s errand, as the Democratic-controlled Legislature was never expected to adopt the bills, the votes on the transphobic legislation by the Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Committee was appropriately scheduled Tuesday on April Fools’ Day. The panel rejected AB 89 on a 7-2 vote and AB 844 on a 6-2 vote during the hearing but left the roll open for absent members.

Here in Connecticut the 30+ anti-trans bills including bill that banned us from sports never made it out of committee.

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Over in Colorado...

Statehouse Democrats move to expand protections for transgender Coloradans

Democrats in the Colorado legislature introduced two bills that would add protections for transgender people in schools and the courts. They’re expected to meet strong Republican opposition.

Colorado Sun

By Lucas Brady Woods

April 1, 2025

The Colorado Senate commemorated Transgender Day of Visibility on Monday with a resolution on the chamber floor, but Democrats want to do more than just talk.

They’re also proposing new protections for trans people.

“Transgender Coloradans are part of the fabric of our communities. They are parents, students, care givers, faith leaders and neighbors,” said one of the resolution’s sponsors Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Jefferson County Democrat. “They experience elevated levels of poverty, discrimination and violence.”

All Senate Republicans refused to support the resolution, staying seated as it was presented on the chamber floor while other lawmakers stood in recognition. But their steadfast opposition isn’t deterring the legislature’s Democrats, who introduced two bills on Friday aimed at further protecting trans rights under state law.

At the state capitol here in Connecticut, a rally was held in the Capitol and one of the guest speakers was the Lt. Governor.

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Down in the peach state of Georgia, the Democrats walk out!

Georgia Democrats’ frustration with anti-transgender bills boils over into a walkout

AP News

By  JEFF AMY

April 2, 2025

 Boxed into what they saw as an unsavory vote on outlawing spending on gender affirming care for transgender prisoners, Georgia Democrats chose a third option Wednesday. They walked out.

Chants of “Take a walk!” echoed under the gold dome of the state Capitol from dozens of House Democrats who said they’re exhausted by a blizzard of bills attacking transgender people.

The bill at hand, Senate Bill 185, would ban state prison spending on “sex reassignment surgeries,” hormone replacement therapy, or other surgeries “intended to alter the appearance of primary or secondary sexual characteristics.”

The 100-2 vote, which sent the measure to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto, was a chance for Republicans to embarrass Democrats on an issue that the GOP believes is unpopular with voters.

The federal courts have all said you cannot deny us "medically necessary" treatment which includes hormones and gender confirming surgery. So all this really does is play to their base.

---

Down in Florida you know that they had to introduce an anti-LGBTQ bill...

GOP advances bill that would legalize anti-LGBTQ+ workplace discrimination

One critic called the bill an insult LGBTQ+ people and a waste of government resources.

LGBTQ Nation

By Daniel Villarreal

April 1, 2025

Florida state Republican lawmakers have advanced a bill that would allow public employees and state contractors to openly discriminate against LGBTQ+ co-workers without fear of punishment.

The so-called “Freedom of Conscience in the Workplace Act” (S.B. 440) would forbid public employers from requiring workers to use transgender people’s personal pronouns and forbid employers from punishing any employee for expressing “a belief in traditional or Biblical views of sexuality and marriage, or … gender ideology.”

The legislation would also remove “nonbinary” gender options from employment forms and forbid any entities from requiring workers to undergo LGBTQ+ cultural competence training. The bill would not apply to private employers.

[...]

 

One bill would ban local governments from enacting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies (including any recognition of Pride Month) by defunding these initiatives and removing local officials who promote them. Another would prohibit any taxpayer funds from supporting DEI initiatives in state agencies, among state contractors, or grantees.

Of course the state entirely ignores Title VII! Which Trump's Supreme Court ruled in our favor in the 

G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board case and the R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v EEOC & Aimee Stephens case!

---

And to end on a positive note...

Minnesota House rejects bill banning transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports

CBS News

By Jonah Kaplan

March 3, 2025

The Minnesota House has rejected a bill that would have banned transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports.

The Republican-backed bill was voted on Monday evening. All 67 GOP House members voted for the bill, while all 66 Democrats opposed it. Sixty-eight votes were needed for the bill to pass. 

An executive order from President Trump fueled debate inside the Minnesota State Capitol before the vote.

The hours-long debate capped a full day of rallies in support and opposition of the proposal, including a visit from Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimming star turned activist.

The Republicans even brought in some heavy guns... a women college swimmer to testify. But even with her the bill was rejected the was introduced as a result of a Trump executive order.

"History has never looked favorable upon any movement that criminalizes people based solely on the fact of who they are," Rep. Leigh Finke, DFL-Falcon Heights, said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

These bills and bathroom bills are throw backs to the days of the Jim Crow laws banning Blacks from bathrooms used by Whites. They used the same arguments to ban Blacks, they used the same arguments to ban gays from bathrooms... save the children!

Is This His Guidebook?

I have to wonder where is Trump getting all his evil ideas? It from Putin whispering in his ear? Or is it from other dictators? Because I don’t think Trump is smart enough to think of it on his own.

America’s Future Is Hungary

MAGA conservatives love Viktor Orbán. But he’s left his country corrupt, stagnant, and impoverished.

The Atlantic

By Anne Applebaum

May 2025

Flashy hotels and upmarket restaurants now dominate the center of Budapest, a city once better known for its shabby facades. New monuments have sprung up in the center of town too. One of them, a pastiche of the Vietnam War memorial in Washington, D.C., mourns Hungary’s lost 19th-century empire. Instead of war dead, the names of formerly “Hungarian” places—cities and villages that are now in Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Poland—are engraved in long granite walls, solemnly memorialized with an eternal flame.

But the nationalist kitsch and tourist traps hide a different reality. Once widely perceived to be the wealthiest country in Central Europe (“the happiest barrack in the socialist camp,” as it was known during the Cold War), and later the Central European country that foreign investors liked most, Hungary is now one of the poorest countries, and possibly the poorest, in the European Union. Industrial production is falling year-over-year. Productivity is close to the lowest in the region. Unemployment is creeping upward. Despite the ruling party’s loud talk about traditional values, the population is shrinking. Perhaps that’s because young people don’t want to have children in a place where two-thirds of the citizens describe the national education system as “bad,” and where hospital departments are closing because so many doctors have moved abroad. Maybe talented people don’t want to stay in a country perceived as the most corrupt in the EU for three years in a row. Even the Index of Economic Freedom—which is published by the Heritage Foundation, the MAGA-affiliated think tank that produced Project 2025—puts Hungary at the bottom of the EU in its rankings of government integrity.

Gee does all this sound familiar? Is this where we are heading? To the bottom of the dung heap?

Hungary was taken over by a “strongman” who took over like Trump did but Viktor Orbán did it in 2010 when he started his second term. Since then he has wrecked the political system, bullied the media, and appointed his cronies to the courts. Hmm… sounds like Trump’s playbook doesn’t it?

What is this Hungarian model they so admire? Mostly, it has nothing to do with modern statecraft. Instead it’s a very old, very familiar blueprint for autocratic takeover, one that has been deployed by right-wing and left-wing leaders alike, from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Hugo Chávez. After being elected to a second term in 2010, Orbán slowly replaced civil servants with loyalists; used economic pressure and regulation to destroy the free press; robbed universities of their independence, and shut one of them down; politicized the court system; and repeatedly changed the constitution to give himself electoral advantages. During the coronavirus pandemic he gave himself emergency powers, which he has kept ever since. He has aligned himself openly with Russia and China, serving as a mouthpiece for Russian foreign policy at EU meetings and allowing opaque Chinese investments in his country.

Getting chills up your spine yet?

This autocratic takeover is precisely what Bannon, Roberts, and others admire, and are indeed seeking to carry out in the U.S. right now. The destruction of the civil service is already under way, pressure on the press and universities has begun, and thoughts of changing the Constitution are in the air. But proponents of these ideas rarely talk about what happened to the Hungarian economy, and to ordinary Hungarians, after they were implemented there. Nor do they explore the contradictions between Orbán’s rhetoric and the reality of his policies. Orbán talks a lot about blocking immigration, for example, but at one point his government issued visas to any non-EU citizen who bought 300,000 euros’ worth of government bonds from mysterious and mostly offshore companies.

He rhapsodizes about family values, even though his government spends among the lowest amounts per capita on health care in the EU, controls access to IVF, and notoriously decided to pardon a man who covered up sexual abuse in children’s homes.

Forget Mein Kampf! This is the new Twenty-First Century version complete with social media.

Hungary’s transformation into an ‘electoral autocracy’ has parallels to Trump’s second term

AP News

By  JUSTIN SPIKE and NICHOLAS RICCARDI

February 15, 2025

Hours before President Donald Trump was sworn in to begin his second term, promising a “golden age” for America, the leader of a Central European country was describing the years ahead in strikingly similar terms.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Trump’s return would usher in Hungary’s own “golden age” and mark the “collapse” of liberal democracy.

The messaging overlap was no surprise.

Orbán’s strongman style has long served as an inspiration for U.S. conservatives, who have looked at Hungary as a possible model for a right-wing America with less immigration, fewer regulations and the removal of democratic constraints they see as unwieldy or inconvenient.

So is Trump taking instructions from Putin and Orbán? It is almost like a conspiracy of dictators coaching one another!

Orbán has formed a close bond with Trump and has made multiple visits to the president’s Florida resort. This week, the prime minister praised Trump’s unilateral outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. During one of last year’s U.S. presidential debates, Trump praised Orbán as “a strong man. He’s a tough person.”

I don’t know about you but I don’t get a warm-fuzzy feeling about this!

Orbán used state power to crush rivals, remake the judiciary and game elections to make it much harder to oust his party. He has cracked down on LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, the media and civic organizations.

Just this week Trump issued elections reforms by executive order! The Brennan Center writes…

A coalition of voting rights organizations filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to challenge President Trump’s unlawful executive order on voting that attempts to seize the power to set voter registration rules from Congress and the states, and doing so in a way that would violate federal law and the Constitution if carried out by the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Key provisions of Trump’s order could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters, particularly voters of color, women voters, naturalized citizens, voters with disabilities, voters with low incomes, and first-time voters.

The Constitution specifies that Congress and the states can set the rules for our elections, not the President. On March 27, several of the groups also sent a letter to the EAC urging them not to take action in response to key provisions in the executive order, as doing so would violate federal law.

Late last month Trump attacked the law firms that filed cases against him in an effort to intimidate the legal system, he has threatened to impeach judges that ruled against him, VOX wrote,

Their democracy died. They have lessons for America about Trump’s power grab.

Hungarians who lived through Viktor Orbán’s 2010 power grab warn Americans: Act now, before it’s too late.

by Zack Beauchamp

Feb 5, 2025

A leader who voters rejected several years ago returns to power, largely thanks to discontent with the incumbent party’s economic performance. Almost immediately upon taking office, the leader launches a blitzkrieg designed to strengthen his personal grip on power. He claims unprecedented power over the budget, fires the leaders of government oversight agencies, and places vast policymaking power in the hands of an unelected wealthy ally. The opposition, divided and disorganized after electoral defeat, struggles to formulate an effective response as democracy begins to buckle.

The country I am describing is, of course, Hungary in 2010.

That year, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán returned to power after his defeat in 2002. He then launched an ambitious plan for turning a vibrant democracy into an authoritarian state, moving so swiftly to remove all formal checks on his power that few Hungarians truly understood how much power he was accruing. Judges and watchdogs were replaced with pliant cronies; his top allies took command of policymaking apparatus while developing tools for controlling the press.

[…]

Orbán’s 2010 takeover depended crucially on his legislative dominance. His Fidesz party had a majority large enough to amend the Hungarian constitution at will. With that much power, it was easy for him to seize full control over the government in record time.

By contrast, Trump’s House majority is one of the narrowest in history. And in the Senate, the filibuster severely limits what Republicans can pass. The legislative balance of power situation forces Trump to rely on executive orders of dubious legality, creating a number of different ways to check his abuse of power (like lawsuits) that wouldn’t have worked in Hungary of 2010.

But the thing is the Republicans in Congress are gutless… they worry about Musk throwing millions of dollars against them, they worry about Trump’s wrath instead of the Constitution and the people of our country.

We still have time but the sand is running down... they talk about the elections the other day being a wakeup call for Trump because the elections were so close. But I say it has to be a wakeup call for us! We lost, I don't care how close it was this time... we lost! The MAGA block is untied in tearing down the country, they hate LGBTQ+ people, they hate immigrants, they the government and they want to make it into a fascist nation to punish us and everyone else who is not White, evangelical Christian, and straight. And if you look at Hungary that is exactly where they are now!

So be scared and hope that the courts can stop him!!!!!

---

Update: April 16, @ Noon

Robert Reich posted this...

Trump’s playbook is Viktor Orbán’s

My breakfast with Orbán expert John Shattuck

Apr 15, 2025

A few days ago I had breakfast with my old friend John Shattuck, who, as president of Central European University in Budapest, saw firsthand how Viktor Orbán took over Hungary’s democracy and turned it into an authoritarian state.

When Trump was elected in 2016, Trump endorsed Orbán, and Orbán started attacking universities — forcing the Central European University out of Hungary.

John believes Trump is emulating Orbán’s playbook. (Steve Bannon once declared that “Orbán was Trump before there was Trump.”)

Orbân’s playbook has 10 parts, according to John:

One: Take over your party and enforce internal party discipline by using political threats and intimidation to stamp out all party dissent.

Two: Build your base by appealing to fear and hate, branding immigrants and cultural minorities as dangers to society, and demonizing your opponents as enemies of the people.

Three: Use disinformation and lies to justify what you’re doing.

Four: Use your election victory to claim a sweeping mandate — especially if you don’t win a majority.

[...]

Europe’s three biggest countries, Italy, France and Germany, have all swung toward the far-right, but so far they remain democracies.

On My Soap Box Today.

I’m in a “Grr…” mood today for some reason. Maybe it is the political climate we are in but today I’m waiting for the news on the tariffs… I have a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime and I was planning on getting a new one but forget it if Trump puts a tariff on them. You know it affects not only me but also the car dealers, the mechanics, the sales and office staff.

I am making Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits (The house smells delicious!) to have with strawberries and blueberries, and whipped cream. I glanced at the blueberries… product of Peru. So that will most likely be hit with a tariff!

After four years of steady growth we are now back to where we were back in Trump’s first term, it only took 70 days for him to tank the economy.

*****

Then we have all the anti-trans bulls**t.

This is from GLAD (GLBT Legal Advocates and Defenders)...

Second Federal Court Blocks Trump’s Transgender Military Ban   

Lead attorneys in earlier case Talbott v. Trump respond to the now second nationwide preliminary injunction—this time in the case of Shilling v. Trump

In Shilling v. Trump today, U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Hale Settle issued what will now be a second nationwide preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the transgender military ban resulting from Trump’s January executive order. Earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes in Talbott v. Trump issued a first nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the ban. In a forceful order in which Judge Reyes held that the ban undermines national security and is likely unconstitutional she called it “soaked with animus and dripping with pretext.” Earlier tonight in Talbott, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the Department of Defense can take no action negatively impacting any servicemember while the court is considering the department’s motion for emergency stay.

Department of Defense implementation of the ban to identify and separate transgender servicemembers was scheduled to begin on March 28, a rapid timeframe former military leaders have characterized as “rushed” and “alarming,” noting that the complexity of the military personnel system requires “months of careful planning and timelines.”

Today’s order in Shilling, along with the injunction previously issued in Talbott by Judge Reyes, prevents the Department of Defense from initiating separation proceedings against any transgender service members or otherwise enforcing the ban.

I am friends with a number of lawyers at Glad and one of them wrote on Facebook:

I've never really understood Shakespeare's line 'The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers' from Henry VI. Admittedly, I've never even thought about it that deeply, not being a Shakespeare fan myself, far from it. But given the current climate, I find myself repeating this line over and over, trying to make sense of what's happening. Turns out (probably not news to my more literate friends), it's spoken by a character plotting to overthrow the government, recognizing that eliminating those who uphold the rule of law is the first step toward creating tyranny. This takes on new meaning as we witness systematic attempts to neutralize the legal profession's independence, a cornerstone of our democratic system.

[…]

And then there is the policy activated by this administration to routinely request bond, essentially a financial deposit, from plaintiffs challenging government actions. People who seek to challenge unconstitutional government action could face demands for thousands of dollars as "security" before a case moves forward. This money stays locked up during litigation, which often takes months or years. Everyday citizens don't have this kind of money lying around, exactly why this administration is pushing this policy. It's another way to deny access to justice for those who can't afford the cost of admission.

These tactics reveal a comprehensive strategy to neutralize legal opposition, and some major law firms are helping it happen.

[...]

This isn't merely, or even largely, about bringing powerful law firms to heel. It's about neutralizing the essential mechanisms of democratic accountability. By intimidating the legal profession, the administration creates a chilling effect on those who are sworn to uphold the constitution and preserve its values.

These tactics are what dictators do. It what fascists do, and it what authoritarians do! 

Through My Lens

I wanted so much to go to the Capitol on Monday but my back said... "No I don't think so!" I did not think I could stand that long on hard marble floors. But one thing that I did notice from all of the post on Facebook about it at that and at other LGBTQ+ events.

Nobody spoke for the seniors or the disabled. "Nada", "Zilch" and "Zip".

They need a check list...

☐ At Pride parades events do they have a trolley or a bus for seniors or the disabled people to ride?

☐ At rallies do they have anywhere seniors or the disabled people can sit?

☐ At Pride events do they have sign language interpreters or other forms of communication assistance for those with hearing impairments?

☐ At Pride events do they have any speakers for the disabled or seniors at the events?

At many events I see that they do have sign language interpreters, they do have seating for those who can stand too long but those are far and few between.

Pride is all about inclusion but let us not forget those in our community who have additional barriers to cross.

Editorial: What Are They Hiding?

[Editorial]

Set your Wayback Machine to the House Select Committee on Benghazi hearings on March 4, 2015! They were investigating Secretary of State Hillary Clinton use of a private email server. All totaled Secretary Clinton received  House Republicans issued over 70 subpoenas and letters as part of broader investigations into Clinton-related matters while she was in office.

Fast forward to today…

Trump says he won’t ‘fire people’ over Signal messages, reiterates support of national security team

AP News

By  CHRIS MEGERIAN

March 29, 2025

President Donald Trump on Saturday made his clearest commitment to not fire anyone over an embarrassing accidental leak of his administration’s plans for an airstrike against the Houthis in Yemen.

“I don’t fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker.

He also said that he had confidence in Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, and Pete Hegseth, his Pentagon chief.

Waltz inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic magazine, to a group text using the Signal encrypted messaging service where top officials were discussing plans to attack the Houthis.

Is there a parallel?

What are the Republicans in Congress focusing upon? The use of an unclassified app? No… The violation of Federal Records Act? No… Who invited the reporter? Yes…

This shows that at a high level the disregarding for laws and security, and exposing the backroom antics by cabinet level people to the light of the public. This is more than the use of an unclassified app and the violation of federal laws… this goes to the morality of the politicians. How twisted the Republican party has become.

You have to wonder about what they are hiding when they use an app they disappears in 30 days? Why do the cabinet Secretaries think they have to hide their conversation from the public? I am on a government committee and if more than a certain of us meet we have to record our “meeting” when the committee does meet it is recorded, but somehow these government offices think this is okay?

I suggest you look back in history to the time of the Robber Barons for parallels. Tammany Hall and the breaking up of the monopolies… we did it once we can do it again.

[/Editorial] 

Mini-Post: Indefensible

Just listen to her!

She can't answer any of the question he asks, she just dances around answering his question... why don't you follow the AMA, the APA, and all the other mainstream medical associations?

I don't think any Republicans can answer his question... "Why do you follow the mainstream medical associations for all other things but for us?"

Not An April Fool's Joke

Letting the grubby little hands of the billionaires get their hands on all the money!

'Rates are going to go up': The challenge in privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

The government-backed companies could be released from oversight when home affordability is near an all-time low.

Yahoo Finance

By Claire Boston

March 31, 2025

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shares jumped this week after new comments from Trump administration officials and a board shake-up at the companies drew fresh attention to their potential release from government control.

But beyond the stock market, housing experts see plenty of reasons to be skeptical about the end of an arrangement that dates back to the depths of the financial crisis. The biggest one? Privatization will probably send mortgage rates higher.

“We can debate how much of a cost it will be,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “That’s a legitimate debate, but rates are going to go higher.”

The Trump administration is considering sweeping changes to a crucial piece of the US housing ecosystem at a time when affordability is near an all-time low and home sales are mired in a years-long slump. While Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac don’t make mortgages, they play a crucial role in lending by buying up mortgages from banks and other lenders and packaging them into bonds. The system frees up money for more loans.

Okay what are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. According to Perplexity AI:

Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) are government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) created by Congress to provide liquidity, stability, and affordability to the U.S. housing market. They play a pivotal role in the secondary mortgage market by purchasing mortgages from lenders, bundling them into mortgage-backed securities (MBS), and selling them to investors. This process ensures that lenders have access to capital for issuing new home loans, making mortgages more accessible and affordable for Americans.

Key Functions

• Liquidity: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy mortgages from banks and other lenders, providing them with funds to issue more loans.
• Stability: By securitizing mortgages into MBS, they attract investors, ensuring a steady flow of funds into the housing market.
• Affordability: Their operations help lower interest rates on mortgages, making homeownership more attainable for families.

Historical Context

• Both entities were placed under federal conservatorship during the 2008 financial crisis due to their significant exposure to subprime mortgages. They remain under the oversight of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).
• Together, they support around 70% of U.S. residential mortgages.

Recent Developments

In March 2025, discussions about privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have intensified under the Trump administration. Privatization could potentially increase profits for investors but may also lead to higher mortgage rates and reduced affordability for homebuyers due to diminished federal backing

ChatGPT wrote:

"So, these financial institutions were designed to support affordable housing for low-income people, but in 2008, they faced a collapse during the 2008 Financial Crisis. Many of these institutions, particularly mortgage lenders, were involved in risky practices that contributed to the crisis, including the widespread use of subprime mortgages. When the housing market collapsed, it triggered a wider financial collapse, impacting brokerage houses and banks.

The U.S. government intervened to bail out these financial institutions to prevent a complete economic collapse. However, the bailout was not necessarily in exchange for nationalization in all cases. Some institutions, like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, were placed under government conservatorship, which is different from full nationalization. Others, like AIG and the big banks, received emergency loans or capital injections, but they were not directly nationalized."

Key Points to Clarify:

Affordable Housing and Subprime Mortgages: Institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created to support affordable housing, especially for low-income individuals. However, the 2008 crisis was exacerbated by the widespread issuance of subprime mortgages (loans to borrowers with poor credit), which were packaged into risky securities.

The 2008 Financial Crisis: The collapse occurred when these risky mortgages and mortgage-backed securities lost value as home prices plummeted, causing widespread panic. Financial institutions, including banks, brokerages, and insurers, faced massive losses, leading to the government stepping in to stabilize the system.

Government Bailouts: The government provided bailouts to many financial institutions. For example, AIG received a massive loan, and major banks were supported through capital infusions. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed into conservatorship, meaning they were temporarily taken over by the government, but they were not fully nationalized (i.e., the government did not own them outright, but it did take control).

Nationalization vs. Conservatorship: Nationalization involves the government taking complete control and ownership of a company. In contrast, conservatorship means the government takes control to stabilize an institution but doesn’t necessarily take full ownership.

So now Trump & Company want to give them back to the billionaires so they can rip us off again!

Yahoo goes on to write...

In the years since the financial crisis, Fannie and Freddie returned to profitability, paid back the government, and developed new methods to shift credit risk away from taxpayers. Meanwhile, the housing market recovered, and homeowner equity sits near record highs.

Now that it profitably they want it back!

Most experts agree that Fannie and Freddie would need some sort of government guarantee when they go private to continue without disruption. Even a return to an implicit guarantee would likely raise mortgage rates, said Jim Parrott, a nonresident fellow at the Urban Institute and a former White House economic adviser during the Obama administration.

So if it goes belly-up again, it won't cost the billionaires anything, we take all the risk and they take all the money!

"This is such a big issue," Fratantoni said. "The numbers are so big ... that this is going to take a lot of attention from the Treasury and particularly from the Treasury secretary."

Keep in mind that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created to help low income people buy their first home to insure their mortgages, if they become "for profit" again how will it affect low income buyers?

Mini-Post: What Hath He Done?

This is a short post on a big topic... the tearing down of the United States! This is from the Canadian Juno Awards...

Listen to the crowd!

We used to be the leader with human rights... now we have warnings posted about coming here.

We used to be the leader with the environment... now we are becoming the pigsty of the globe.

We used to be the leader with humanitarian aid... now the world is looking to China and Russia for humanitarian aid.

We used to be aligned with the democratic nations... now we align  with Russia, China, and Venezuela, authoritarian regimes.

We used to have a rising economy since October 2022 the stock market has been on one of the longest growth period in history... now since January 20^th we have been in a decline! It only took a little over two month to put us on the edge of a recession!

We used to be on a friendly terms with Greenland... now we are talking about invading it.

We used to be respected... now we are the laughing stock of the world!

Golden Cuckoo Award

I have been amiss in awarding the coveted Cuckoo Award, today it is for the crazy stuff that Musk is saying to justify his job.

Musk shares 'mind blowing' chart showing millions of 'noncitizens' given Social Security numbers under Biden

'We went there to find fraud and we found this by accident,' DOGE advisor said

Fox News

By Alec Schemmel

March 31, 2025

Elon Musk shared a chart during a get-out-the-vote rally in Wisconsin over the weekend, which he claimed showed millions of noncitizens received Social Security numbers during former President Joe Biden's tenure. 

The event came just a day-and-a-half before polls opened in a contentious state judicial race. 

The Sunday town hall garnered a lot of attention Monday over Musk's move to hand out $1 million checks to two Wisconsin voters who signed a petition calling for an end to "activist judges," after the state's Supreme Court declined to take up a challenge arguing the sweepstakes was unlawful.

After handing out the money, Musk brought friend and DOGE colleague Antonio Gracias on stage to discuss the work he has done with the federal government's Social Security system. Shortly after Gracias joined Musk, a large graphic that read, "New Non-Citizen Social Security Numbers Issued," was illuminated on the screen behind them.

Now here is the thing. They have Social Security numbers , now get this, because they pay taxes. If you don't have a SS you can't file a tax return!

To receive a Golden Cuckoo Award you have to double down...

Last week, DOGE said it had removed approximately 7 million Social Security accounts belonging to people listed as being over 120 years old. DOGE has also found through its audits that the Social Security database included 20 million dead people marked as alive, Musk said at the Wisconsin town hall Sunday.

Um... that is because the computer language the tax data is in is written in COBOL and the young computer aces have no idea what they are doing!