All Rise, Here Comes The Judge!

And he is trans!

New York governor appoints the first openly trans male judge in the US

Gay Times

By Jordan Robledo

Governor of New York Kathy Hochul has appointed the United States’ first openly transgender male judge.

On 7 June, the democratic official announced the 11 new appointments and four reappointments of the New York State Court of Claims. 

One of the new individuals to join the aforementioned court is Seth Marnin, who is currently serving as the Director of Training & Education, Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action at Columbia University. 

Marnin’s appointment makes him the country’s first openly male trans judge and the first trans judge in the state of New York. 

But no the first trans judge! The guys are finally catching up to the gals.

Here is some of our history!

Once a Pariah, Now a Judge: The Early Transgender Journey of Phyllis Frye

The New York Times

By Deborah Sontag

August 29, 2015

Nearly four decades before Caitlyn Jenner introduced herself to the world, Phyllis Randolph Frye came out as a transgender woman in a far less glamorous way. No Diane Sawyer, no Vanity Fair.

It was the summer of 1976. As Bruce Jenner, 26, was celebrating his decathlon victory at the Montreal Olympics, Phillip Frye, 28, was admitting defeat in suppressing his gender identity. He, becoming she, had already lost a lot: He had been forced to resign from the military for “sexual deviation.” He had been disowned by his parents, divorced by his first wife and separated from his son. He had been dismissed from several engineering jobs.

[…]

But this moment — when transition stories are increasingly and empathetically featured in the media, campuses buzz with gender politics and the president condemns transgender persecution in the State of the Union address — did not materialize out of thin air. It evolved over the last quarter-century as Ms. Frye and others built a transgender civil rights movement, fighting dexterously to rebrand a highly marginalized group; demand, and increasingly win, equal protection under the law; and put the T in L.G.B.T.

She is one of our pioneers! She blazed the trail for us.

When I do a workshop on trans history I have these slides on her…

Phyllis Frye

1992: The International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy, Inc.

1994: Phyllis Frye and Karen Kerin go to Washington, DC to attempt to speak before the Senate Hearings on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Transgender people had been omitted from ENDA language

------

November, 1996: The next large transgender community meeting with HRC

Allison Laing, Phyllis Dickason, Yosenio Lewis, Gary Bowen, Jon Banks, Stephanie Young, Jamison Green, Janice Galeckas, Shannon Minter, Melissa Dixon, and Phyllis Fry

The NYT article goes on…

At the same time, Ms. Frye was one of the first to act on the need for transgender advocates to develop their own legal theories and agenda. In the 1990s, she convened annual transgender law conferences, where grass-roots activists from around the country first met and developed an aspirational transgender bill of rights. Between events, she helped tether the growing network through group emails she called her “Phyllabusters.”

“Caitlyn Jenner stands on the shoulders of somebody like Phyllis Frye,” said Shannon Price Minter, the legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and one of several transgender appointees by the Obama administration. “Phyllis is the grandmother of our movement.”

We are here where we are today because of many of our pioneers we stand on their shoulders but with today’s climate I predict that we will be creating a lot of new shoulders to stand upon.

***

Those who want to learn more about our history I recommend:

Stryker, S. (2008). Transgender History. Berkley CA. Seal Press.

A Full Court Press.

Politicians, social media, podcasts, YouTube, and Fox News they are all primed agaisnt us and it is working!

The Right Boosted Trans Hate — And Ran Up Their Follower Counts

Across social media, prominent conservative stars are gaining clout through transphobic content — and more and more are following suit

Rolling Stone

By EJ Dickson, Nikki McCann Ramirez

June 15, 2023

A FEW MINUTES into the documentary What Is a Woman?, Matt Walsh is seen striding into the woods with a fishing rod, his plaid shirt, vest, and close-cropped beard, giving off lumberjack dad energy. “I like to come out here to think,” he intones as he casts his line into the water. “Nature seems to always tell the truth, even when we don’t want to hear it.” He then asks himself a series of rhetorical, seemingly joking questions about gender and identity: “Is there a son trapped in my daughter’s body? If so, how do I get him out? Are any of my kids who they claim to be?”  

So begins that film, which premiered in June 2022 and features Walsh peppering a series of health-care providers, politicians, and LGBTQ activists with questions intended to expose what he refers to as the “insane ideological cult” of “gender ideology.” Walsh travels the world asking people to define the word “woman”; in a climactic moment, in which Walsh speaks at a Virginia school board meeting about a policy that would, among other things, require teachers to refer to trans kids by their preferred pronouns and allow them to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity, he proclaims, with sober piano music in the background, that those who support the policy are “child abusers” and “predators.” It ends with Walsh posing the question to his wife, who defines the term as “an adult human female” and then hands him a pickle jar to open.

So while he is out in the wild has he seen any trans animals, because there are trans animals. The San Diego Gay & Lesbian News (SDGLN) had an article about trans animals,

Transgender Monkeys Prove That Trans People Are Part Of The Animal Kingdom

By: Thomas M. Hubbard

September 10, 2022

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a growing acceptance of transgender individuals in our society. But did you know that trans identities are not limited to humans? In 2018, a study was published about transgender monkeys, proving that trans individuals exist across the animal kingdom. Let’s explore what this research means for our understanding of gender identity. 

[…]

One study found that 4% of male and 2% of female captive chimpanzees were transsexual. This suggests that chimpanzees are more transgendered than humans, where 0.6% are. Some animals can change sex. This happens when the animal reaches a certain age or size or in reaction to population fluctuations. Animals are most likely to undergo protandry.

Transsexual Chimpanzee

Transgender chimpanzees are rarely studied because most study focuses on their behavior in the wild. According to research, chimpanzee transgenderism is common. In one study, 4% of male and 2% of female chimpanzees in captivity were transsexual. Transgenderism is more common in chimpanzees than in humans (0.6% incidence). Transgender chimpanzees often use the opposite sex’s lavatory, play with their toys, or show male-like aggression.

Some how I don’t think that the chimps came out while watching social media.

The film did tremendous damage in terms of helping to “amplify anti-trans ideology, making it mainstream, providing it to a bigger audience,” says R.G. Cravens, senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center. “[It] took advantage of the underlying transphobia that exists in the country.” It also helped legitimize Walsh as a political authority, leading to an invitation for him to testify in front of the Tennessee House Committee regarding a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors in February 2023, “giving him entrée into places” that he would never have had access to before, says Cravens.

We have to get smart, we have to start educating the public with the truth, we have to get mainstream media to help us get the message the truth out!

But this isn’t just about Walsh. It’s about how a whole crew of right-wing pundits went hard on anti-trans talking points, seemingly all at once — building huge audiences by capitalizing on that carefully constructed rhetoric.

Joseph Goebbels, Nazi’s Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

The Republicans have learned their lesson well!

Party Time!

From Clker.com

I'm up at a cookout today up in Haverhill at a friends' house so no posts today.

They are having a smorgasbord of food! I can't wait to try his Stuffed Shotgun Shells!

But He's Got High Hopes

But he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes*Just what makes that little old man*

Think he'll move that Advanced Placement courses 

Anyone knows an man, can't

Move College Board courses

But he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes

He's got high apple pie, in the sky hopes

 

***

Ron DeSantis wants to scrub AP classes of LGBTQ subjects. The College Board isn't having it

By Zac Anderson

June 15, 2023

On the heels of a controversy over how to teach African American studies, another showdown over Advanced Placement courses could be brewing in Florida, this time over AP Psychology, as the nonprofit that runs the program faces pressure from state officials to remove or revise lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The conflict is another example of how Gov. Ron DeSantis' push to restrict how race and LGBTQ issues are taught is impacting Florida's schools.

The Florida Department of Education sent a letter to the College Board, which runs the AP program, on May 19 asking the organization to review all AP courses to see if they "need modification to ensure compliance" with a Florida law and state Board of Education rule targeting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The College Board responded Thursday with a defiant letter stating that "we will not modify our courses to accommodate restrictions teaching essential, college-level topics." That could set up a showdown between Florida and College Board officials.

DeSantis has high hopes that he can dictate to the rest of the country!

Three guesses what he wants to cut.

The AP Psychology class is a potential point of conflict. The course has a unit dealing with developmental psychology that includes discussion of gender and sexual orientation.

Okay these are students who want to go into psychology but DeSantis doesn’t want to have them learn about LGBTQ+ people.

The American Psychological Association issued a statement Thursday voicing "unqualified support" for the College Board. CEO Arthur Evans Jr. lambasted the state of Florida's "unconscionable demand to censor an educational curriculum and test that were designed by college faculty and experienced AP teachers who ensure that the course and exam reflect the state of the science and college-level expectations.”

[…]

"We are resolute in this position, in part, because of what we learned from our mistakes in the recent rollout of AP African American Studies," the College Board wrote. "In developing the framework for AP African American Studies, we tried to create a course that could be available in states across the country and accurately represent a college-level course on the subject."

The  Orlando Sentinel wrote...

The unit on gender and sexual orientation is an “important body of science,” he said [Arthur Evans, the psychological association’s CEO,], and needs to remain in a college-level psychology course. “This law is yet another attempt to erase LGBTQ+ people from public view based on biased thinking and irrational fear,” he added.

I have to wonder if colleges in Florida will pull the teaching of LGBTQ+ studies in psychology. I am also wondering about med schools in Florida if it will be prohibited and what about abortions? It seems to me that Florida colleges will be handicapped with all these new laws.

So here we are going to have a standoff… and I bet DeSantis will not win.

All problem's just a toy balloon

They'll be bursted soon

They're just bound to go pop

* High Hopes by Frank Sinatra

What Do You Think About TERFs?

The AP Stylebook says that we should stop using it.

AP Stylebook Recommends We Stop Saying 'TERF'

The newswriting overlords have decreed that the term is "vague and politicized," which, honestly, sounds like something a TERF would say.

Jezebel

By Laura Bassett

June 14, 2023

AP Stylebook, a standard-bearer for many journalists that occasionally takes stances on things like the Oxford comma (against) and using acronyms like PB&J and BLT for sandwiches (pro), decided to weigh into the culture wars on Wednesday by coming out against using the term TERF to describe people like J.K. Rowling.

“On our updated Transgender Topical Guide: trans-exclusionary radical feminist,” they tweeted. “We recommend avoiding the vague and politicized term to describe cisgender women or others who object to the inclusion of transgender women in women’s spaces.”

AP’s puzzling stance and explanation—as TERF is actually a pretty clear and useful way to describe certain kind of woman with a certain kind of politics, in my opinion—immediately got ratio’d on Twitter because, frankly, it sounded like a TERF wrote it. In fact, the queen TERF did basically write it back in 2020, after she got her feelings hurt that anyone would challenge her right to use her massive platform to peddle transphobia.

Is “TERF” like “Woke” where it means different things to different people and do we use it to broadly? Do we use it at the drop of a hat or after one derogatory word?

An open letter to AP Stylebook: We appreciate your tolerance of sandwich acronyms. We humbly disagree on the Oxford comma. We will absolutely continue to use the word TERF to describe women who are masquerading as feminists and gay allies while actively oppressing trans people. And we respectfully request that you turn your attention to more pressing issues, like headlines using the passive voice to describe police shootings, the vague and politicized term “groomers,” the deliberate misgendering of LGBTQ people in news stories, and major outlets using terms “racially tinged” and “racially charged” to avoid saying a thing was racist. Thanks!

The Advocate writes,

There are some feminists who do not consider trans women to be women. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, has often been called a TERF. However, many other feminists recognize trans women’s womanhood and support their inclusion in women’s spaces and the feminist movement in general.

[...]

The AP Stylebook is generally trans-inclusive, advising respect for each person’s pronouns and avoidance of terms have come to be considered anti-trans slurs. The TERF announcement met with mixed reaction on Twitter. Some said TERF is an accurate description, and others pointed out that some women call themselves TERFs. A few said AP should advise against the usage of “cisgender,” which describes women who are not trans.

I use the word sparingly and usually against those who persecute us, like Rowling. A search of my blog found about a two dozens times that I used the term out of almost 9000 posts and most of the time it was used in the article that i was writing about.

What do you think?

---

[Editorial]

The Republican call themselves the “Law and Order” party. How can you be a law and order party when you tear down the FBI, police, and prosecutors for doing their job?

Just look at Trump’s indictment how many Republicans are politicizing it.

[/Editorial] 

A Social Construct?

At the ten year anniversary of the passage of the marriage equality law they were a bunch of ten year olds running around. One of the people that I met there was my endo, she was with her wife and ten year old son.

When the bill was being debated and when the Supreme Court ruled marriage equality was legalized many right-wingers laughed the common narrative back then was LGBTQ+ slept around with different partners and no one wanted to marry. One couple just married after a 31 year relatinship.

When I came out one of the things that struck me was so many LGBTQ+ people were in long term relationships.

People still think this is a choice and all we do all day is f**k! They think all we do are one night stands and that we chose to be LGBTQ+.

Is Homosexuality a Choice?

Scientific American

By Marcia Malory

October 19, 2012

Ask this question, and you will probably receive one of two responses:

Yes. People choose to be gay. They are making an immoral choice, which government should discourage.

Or

No. Sexual preference is biologically determined. Government should protect gay people from discrimination because homosexuality is an unalterable aspect of their identity.

These two answers have something in common: With both of them, the science conveniently supports the moral decision.

[…]

We know, from many twin and adoption studies, that sexual preference has a genetic component.

A gay man is more likely than a straight man to have a (biological) gay brother; lesbians are more likely than straight women to have gay sisters.

In 1993, a study published in the journal Science showed that families with two homosexual brothers were very likely to have certain genetic markers on a region of the X chromosome known as Xq28. This led to media headlines about the possibility of the existence of a “gay gene” and discussions about the ethics of aborting a “gay” fetus.

Nature or nurture?

The structure of the brain might influence sexual preference.

In 1991, a study published in the journal Science seemed to show that the hypothalamus, which controls the release of sex hormones from the pituitary gland, in gay men differs from the hypothalamus in straight men. The third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus (INAH3) was found to be more than twice as large in heterosexual men as in homosexual men

This study was criticized because it used brain tissue obtained at autopsies, and all of the homosexual subjects in the study were believed to have died of AIDS.

[…]

Gay women and gay men are more likely to be left-handed or ambidextrous than straight women and straight men, according to a number of different studies. Some researchers have suggested that this difference in handedness – preference for one hand over the other can be observed in fetuses - is related to differences in the corpus callosum.

I notice that myself in a very dramatic way.

There was a LGBTQ+ youth conference here in Connecticut, it was the True Colors conference. We wanted to collect signatures on a petition for the passage of the gender inclusive non-discrimination bills so at the conference registration we had a number of people asking those inline to register so I was standing next to the registration desk and asking people to sign the petition. I noticed that there were an awful lot of left-handed people in line, it was very, very noticeable. It was like a half of the people inline were left-handed!

We know from studying rats that exposure to sex hormones in the womb during a critical period in brain development affects future sexual orientation. By manipulating hormone levels during this time, scientists can make rats engage in homosexual behavior later on.

I have no proof but… back when I was born the treatment for miscarriages was a form of estrogen  called DES now I don’t know for sure but I do know that my mother had several miscarriages between  my brother and me.

Even if gay people can never stop being attracted to members of the same sex, they can learn not to act on their desires.

But why would you want to deny who you are. The only reason that I can think of is social pressure.

Problems With The Blog!

They tell me that I have a broken link and that is preventing any of the links from working and the sidebar down at the bottom of the page.

So as I troubleshoot it please bear with me!

The People Are Behind Us.

We have to cultivate those that support us.

Six in 10 say prejudice against LGBTQ people a serious problem: poll

By Julia Mueller

June 14, 2023

Around 6 in 10 U.S. adults in a say prejudice against LGBTQ people in the country is a serious problem today, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The Quinnipiac University survey found that 33 percent say the prejudice is a “very” serious problem, and another 25 percent say it’s “somewhat” serious. 

Eighteen percent of Americans say prejudice against LGBTQ people is “not at all” a problem, and 20 percent say it’s “not so serious” an issue.

[…]

Roughly a third of Americans in the poll said they think LGBTQ people in the U.S. face more discrimination today compared to a year ago — though around a quarter think they face less discrimination. Another 35 percent report thinking the demographic faces the same amount of discrimination as a year ago. 

“By large margins, Americans think prejudice against a segment of the population, those identifying as LGBTQ+, is serious. Roughly one-third think it’s metastasizing,” said Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy in the report.

We need to find out why they think that the we are being persecuted and cultivate that in others, the Pew Research found that,

A majority of Americans think business owners should be able to refuse to provide services in situations where providing them may “suggest support for beliefs about lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) issues” to which they have personal or religious objections, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

[…]

But in a question reflecting the arguments in a pending Supreme Court case, 60% of Americans think business owners should not have to provide services if it might signal support for beliefs on LGBT issues that they oppose, according to the survey conducted in early April. Around four-in-ten (38%) say business owners should be required to provide services in these situations.

The poll also found…

As with opinions on same-sex marriage and transgender issues, there is a wide partisan gap in views of whether business owners should be able to refuse to provide services if it conflicts with their views on LGBT issues. Republican and Republican-leaning independents overwhelmingly side with business owners who object to providing services in these situations (82% vs. 17%). By a smaller margin (59% to 40%), Democrats and Democratic leaners say business owners should have to provide services in these cases.

I would like to know what percentage of people think it is okay to refuse Blacks or another religions. I think that is important because then we can use that logic to create talking point to persuade that discrimination against us is also wrong.

Meanwhile APM Research Lab found…

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s most recent Mood of the Nation Poll, conducted May 12-18, 2023, finds that a majority of American adults think teachers with same-sex spouses should be allowed to display pictures of their spouses on their desks, and that classroom discussions of lesbian, gay and bisexual people are acceptable in middle school. 

But the survey also finds that Americans are split on whether teachers should use a teen’s preferred pronouns—and a majority oppose assigning books with lesbian, gay and bisexual characters to middle schoolers.

According to poll director Eric Plutzer, Ph.D., “The ‘live and let live’ philosophy reflected in the display of a family photo does not extend to literature assigned to children.  Republicans in particular apparently see the latter as unacceptable advocacy, and this denies teens the opportunity see people like themselves reflected in books.”

We need to change peoples opinions of us by November 2024. I think the majority of people believe in fairness and we must work on that, we have to create talking points to help to bring favorable change.

---

He's a drug store truck drivin man*

He's a head of the Ku Klux Klan

It is getting dangerous out there!

They have guns!

Alleged Ku Klux Klan member pulls gun on LGBTQ+ protester in chilling video

An alleged Ku Klux Klan member reportedly pulled out a gun at an LGBTQ+ rally in the town of Corbin, Kentucky.

Pink News

By Emily Chudy

June 19, 2023

The protest, on 3 June, was opposing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being pursued in the state, including a bill banning gender-affirming care for young people – dubbed “the worst anti-trans bill in the nation” – which has since been vetoed.

The outlet Queer Kentucky reported that the “uplifting event” came up against “animosity and hate” when an alleged member of the KKK, named by local news as 43-year-old Clayton D Segebart, reportedly used gay slurs at attendees, before pulling out a gun. 

[...]

“They each had their hands on their guns, which were hidden in their pockets,” He added.

Osborne told the outlet that he confronted the two, “asking why on earth they’d need to have weapons as none of us were armed nor threatening them,” to which they reportedly replied: “I wanna rip your f**king face off and shove it up your f**king ass.”

He added: “They even proudly proclaimed to be homophobic and racist. At one point the man who later pulled his weapon in the altercation looked at me and said, ‘I’ll burn you and that sign.’”

These are the are the armed beer drinking (but not Bud Lite) white supremist who are capable for violence.

The police’s account of the incident, obtained by Raw Story, confirmed that two men on the scene had weapons, and that one male had held a gun out before they were cleared from the area.

No arrests have been made, however the incident has now reportedly been referred to the FBI.

Raw Story reported....

It also coincides with numerous protests nationwide by neo-Nazis, Proud Boys and other far-right groups against LGBTQ Americans and drag shows, as well as a rash of anti-trans rhetoric in right-wing media and legislative efforts to restrict the rights of trans people.

A Corbin Police Department “call for service” report obtained by Raw Story offers a minute-by-minute account of the developments on June 3.

“Male has gun out,” a police log entry at 2:21 p.m. states.

“Ruger 9mm,” says the 2:27 p.m. entry, followed by “Smith and Wesson” one minute later — references to the brand of guns.

“Both males that were there with weapons are 98,” the 2:46 p.m. entry reads — the “98” referring to the dispatch code for clearing the scene.

[...]

Hutton then hands the card to the man engaged in the argument, who is identified in the police report as Segebart.

“I want to rip your f---ing face off and shove it up your f---ing ass,” Segebart says to the LGBTQ supporter, flipping the card around to display it.

A voice offscreen can be heard yelling, “He’s got a KKK card!”

[...]

“He pulled out a f---ing gun on me,” the LGBTQ supporter said. “Call the cops.”

And the police let them go!

Trent Osborne, another organizer, told Queer KY that the officers took the men’s guns and emptied the bullets from their chambers. They then returned the guns to the owners after escorting them to their vehicles.

After escorting the self-identified Klansmen from the scene, Corbin police then told the LGBTQ supporters to leave the park because they had not obtained a permit, according to a Corbin police log obtained by Raw Story.

This had the practical effect of allowing the two self-identified Ku Klux Klan members to shut down the protest through their intimidation and harassment.

* "Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man" The Byrds 

What A Blue State Can Do.

You all have seen all the negative stuff coming out of Republican states but what about Blue states?

The state Illinois has a trifecta… The Democrats control the governorship, the House and the Senate and they passed what is the first in the nation… a ban on book bannings!

Illinois becomes the first state in the U.S. to ban book bans

Citing a “vitriolic strain of white nationalism,” Gov. JB Pritzker signed the measure withholding state grant money from libraries if they ban books.

WBEZ

By Alex Degman

June 12, 2023

With the strokes of multiple pens, Gov. JB Pritzker made Illinois the first state in the nation to withhold funding from public libraries if they ban books.

“Book bans are about censorship, marginalizing people, marginalizing ideas and facts,” Pritzker declared at the Harold Washington Library, the crown jewel of Chicago’s public library system. “Regimes ban books, not democracies.”

“All Illinoisans deserve to see themselves reflected in the books that they read, the art that they see, the history they learn,” he said.

Under the law, libraries have to adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, which says, among other things, that “materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.” If the public or school library chooses not to follow these guidelines or similar ones, they’ll lose access to grant funding.

WOW!

Alexi Giannoulias, the newly elected Democratic Secretary of State, campaigned on the issue and called librarians heroes.“Many librarians have been forced to quit after being harassed and subjected to intimidation and hateful messages on social media, others have been fired for refusing to remove books from circulation,” he said. “The concept of banning books contradicts the very essence of what our country stands for. It also defies what education is all about: teaching our children to think for themselves. When books are banned, we’re at risk from the harm that ignorance brings.”

Thanks to a reader who brought this article to my attention via Stana.

***

At the next meeting of the legislative LGBTQ+ Health and Human Services Network meeting we am getting briefed later this month on the LGBTQ+ legislation this session on the good, the bad, and the ugly bills that were introduced and what passed.

And this article has given my an idea to suggest a similar introduced here in Connecticut next session.

---

Florida want to ban… now get this… The Diary of Anne Frank!

Yup, you read that right!

'Anne Frank pornography' being banned in Florida, Texas schools

Jerusalem Post

By Andrew Lapin  

June13, 2023

Among the many books that conservative parents have recently asked their children’s schools to remove is a lushly illustrated version of the most famous Holocaust diary.

The graphic adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary, published in English in 2018, has found itself at the center of a growing number of controversies involving book removals from school libraries. A small number of passionate activists have pushed for the book to be removed from schools in Florida and Texas, calling it “pornography” and even “antisemitic.” Sometimes, they’ve succeeded.

[…]

Proponents of removing the book from schools say the graphic adaptation is essentially an obscene version that distorts Frank’s legacy and aids in “grooming” children. Even some Jewish parents and at least one Jewish lawmaker have objected to the book’s presence in schools.

So what got them in a dither?

Critics of the book say they are objecting to the small handful of passages in which Anne describes sexual matters. In one, she discusses a time she asked a female friend if they could show each other their breasts, but was rebuffed. (“If only I had a girlfriend,” she muses.) In another, she describes clinical details of her own vagina.

That what set them off… nothing sexual. Nothing pornographic. Just describing her own body, just like most teenagers thinks are their body goes though puberty.

But that is too much for the goody-two-shoes. 

What Hath Conservatives Wrought!

The battle of the genders that the conservatives have created for political gain takes no prisoners.

There are many who are caught in the crossfire…

A 9-year-old girl at a school track and field event was left 'shaking and sobbing' after a man accused her of being trans and demanded her disqualification, mom says

• A Canadian girl, 9, was brought to tears by a man who insisted she was trans, her parents said.
• It happened at a regional track and field competition for elementary school kids, per Castanet.
• The parents say the man, who has denied the allegations, wanted their daughter disqualified.

Insider

By: Joshua Zitser

June 14, 2023

A 9-year-old girl was yelled at during a regional track and field event in British Columbia, Canada, on Sunday by a man who insisted she was trans and that she should be disqualified from competing, her parents said, according to local news outlet Castanet.

The child's mothers, who chose not to disclose their daughter's name, told Castanet that the girl was competing in a shot put event at Kelowna's Apple Bowl when the grandfather of another participant began to yell at her.

Heidi Starr, one of her mothers, told the local news outlet: "Right before she went to throw, a grandfather of a student said, 'Hey, this is supposed to be a girls' event, and why are you letting boys compete.'"

The girl's mother clarified that her daughter is cisgender, meaning she was assigned female at birth and still identifies as a girl. She mentioned that her daughter has a pixie haircut, adding that the man also pointed and shouted at another girl with short hair.

The right-wingers are in such a feeding frenzy that they put sharks to shame… they smell blood and they go after anyone who do not fit the looks of their gender norms.

The incident left the girl "visibly shaking and sobbing," said Starr, according to the New York Post.

What all these anti-Trans laws are doing is denying us a safe places and only to those who don’t fit their idea of gender norms. Trans women who can assimilate are not picked on, cis women who don’t fit their ideal woman are picked on.

Starr told the New York Post that she hopes the situation shines a light on "how awful and extreme" anti-trans rhetoric has become.

She added: "This is proof that this has nothing to do with protecting children."

That is what the Republicans are doing, and they blame it on us. 

Where Is The Outrage Over Bathrooms!

The do-gooders are all up in a tizzy over trans people using the bathroom of our gender identity but I think not many of them have ever been to sports event or a concert. The lack of women stall is amazing, women either have to wait in line for extended period of times or… use the men’s room and where are the gender police? (Probably standing in line.)

There’s Something Odd Going On in Bathrooms at Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour”

Men who have to use the loo aren’t finding a very familiar scene.

Slate

By: Luke Winkie

June 12, 2023

Michael Carey, a 28-year-old from Minnesota, was in section 239 of Chicago’s Soldier Field for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” in early June. It put him in the enviable second pavilion above the floor seats—close enough that he wouldn’t need to rely on the jumbotron to enjoy the show—among a teeming legion of Swifties who’ve waited months, if not years, for this precise moment. This was going to be a marathon, and Carey timed his biological necessities accordingly. He left to use the bathroom just before Taylor Swift was scheduled to appear, ensuring that his body would be airtight and leak-free during the three-hour show. But as the facilities came into view, Carey began to panic. A serpentine line of women coiled out of the men’s bathroom and down the stadium corridor. The female Swiftie demographic massively outweighs the men, and in the spirit of majoritarian revolution, they’d overthrown the gender-specific lavatories.

[…]

“I moved past all of the women in line, telling them that I was going for the urinal,” he told me. “When I exited, two men were also skipping the line and doing the same thing without complaint. I was back to my seat within two minutes, and all the women in my row rolled their eyes at how fast I returned.”

Where are the gender police? Oh the horrors! The inhumanities! The immorality!

Hey wait! Did anything happen to the women in the men’s room? Did anyone complain? Was the sanctuary of the men’s room violated?

To be fair, neither Wickman nor Carey reported any friction between the genders as they went about their business in mixed company. “It did make it a bit difficult to make it to a sink to wash my hands as there was a crowd of women all doing their makeup with heart eyes or painting 13s on their hand with eyeliner,” Carey said. “Which is not something you typically see in a men’s bathroom.” In fact, after years of institutional male privilege—the simple bodily reality that the women’s queue tends to be longer than the men’s queue—Carey felt he was due to get a taste of his own medicine.

Two take away from this…

• First nothing happens when the genders are mixed in the bathrooms.
• Second, the building codes were written by men and need to face the realities of life. At stadiums, theaters, and other venues where there are large crowds there needs to be more stalls for women.

Yeah, I had to wait in line and it is no fun hopping on one foot and keeping your legs crosses and then making a mad dash to the open stall telling your bladder wait… wait just a little more.

When I went to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical just before intermission there was a rush of women leaving before the intermission. It took a minute to realize what was happening. So we have a choice a Hobson’s choice... missing the end of an act or the beginning of the next act.

In fact, if there’s any takeaway from Taylor Swift’s nationwide trek, it’s that despite the hysterical right-wing discourse, where vindictive statehouses are restricting the places trans people are allowed to urinate—as a way to humiliate and subjugate one of the most vulnerable populations—gender-neutral bathrooms get the job done. At the end of the day, all anyone wants to do is pee.

This Is One Of Those WOW!

Who saw CBS Sunday Morning this morning?

I was floored when I saw this story on this morning’s show… and I thought Wow, on network TV show.

Transgender youth and the fight over medical care

Six-tenths of a percent (0.006) of all Americans identify as transgender, including about 300,000 teenagers. At least 121,000 trans kids have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria – severe distress, even suicidal thoughts, related to their gender identity. But since 2021, 20 states have enacted full or partial bans of minors receiving care that doctors say could ease suffering and even save their lives. Correspondent Susan Spencer talks with family members trying to help their loved ones, and with the president of a conservative advocacy group working to make health care for trans minors illegal.

4:20 The guy from American Principles Project, Terry Schilling…

The state makes all types of decisions around our children, you have to 21 to smoke cigarettes, you have to be 21 to drink, 18 years old to get a tattoo, but we are going to let children to get cross sex hormones…

This is know as a False Equivalence:

noun

a logical fallacy in which one assumes or asserts that two things are the same or equal when, while alike in some ways, they are not sufficiently similar to be considered equivalent.

So what makes it a false equivalence? 

Do you have to go see a doctor to smoke a cigarette? Do you need to get permission from a doctor to drink alcohol? Do you need to get permission from a doctor to get a tattoo? However, you do to get a doctor to prescribe puberty blockers and hormones.

Second trans children do not start on hormones until they can have informed consent. That is why puberty blockers are given to give them time to make an informed consent. And puberty blockers are 100 percent reversible!

Wikipedia (I am not going to the American Principles Project website!) says this…

The American Principles Project (APP) is a socially conservative 501(c)(4) think tank founded in 2009 by Robert P. George, Jeff Bell, and Francis P. Cannon.[2] It is chaired by Sean Fieler.[3][4] It is led by Terry Schilling, the son of the late former U.S. Representative Bobby Schilling.[5][6] It has opposed Common Core standards and advocated for monetary reform by suggesting a return to the gold standard.[7][8][9] The organization has an affiliated super PAC, the American Principles Project PAC, which spent nearly $4 million during the 2020 election cycle.[10] 

[…]

LGBTQ people

APP has funded political campaign ads that reflect the organization's opposition to civil rights protections for LGBTQ people.[26] APP has opposed same-sex marriage and supported restrictions on transgender youth.[27]

In February 2021 Terry Schilling co-authored an op-ed in USA TODAY criticizing the proposed Equality Act, arguing that only biological women should compete in women's sports.[28]

The APP has said that its longterm goal is to eliminate transgender healthcare in its entirety.[29]

In February 2023, the group's president, Terry Schilling, told CNN that they oppose gender-affirming care for all Americans, regardless of age and that they are working with states to introduce and pass bans on it for all ages, but are starting with bans for children since "that's where the vast majority of the American people are right now."[30]

I thought the article was done nicely, the media is on a kick of reporting the “two side” on a one sided topic.

I Think We Knew This.

That the bathroom laws are more than just about bathrooms.

They are to bring back the 1950s with having to wear three items of male clothing on.

Why Florida’s anti-trans bathroom bill is so dangerous

The Hill

By Wynne Nowland, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR

June 12, 2023

There was a time when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said engaging in “bathroom wars” was not a “good use of our time.” Apparently, he has changed his mind on that issue.

On May 17, 2023, DeSantis signed legislation that imposes a number of restrictions on the transgender community in his state, including blocking them from using public restrooms that align with their gender identity.

I would argue that DeSantis should continue to see bathroom wars as a waste of time. In fact, the amount of time and energy legislators in Florida and other states across the country are spending on this issue is an outrage to me and, I believe, should be an outrage to every voter.

The trans population in this country represents less than 2 percent of the general population, yet politicians feel we need to occupy a much more significant portion of the political debate space. According to recent statistics, there are nearly 370 active anti-trans bills being considered by state legislators.

His war on “Woke” is costing Florida big $$$$! There is a growing court cost. Also it distracts the legislature from other import legislation.

With all the serious issues that our country faces, from immigration to inflation to abortion, it hardly seems that bathroom wars should be a priority for politicians. Yet, they routinely return to these kinds of matters, while avoiding the hard work that needs to be done to solve pressing and far-reaching problems.

Then there is the social costs… increased bullying in schools, more violence against our community, the increase of self-harm.

Consider the draconian details of the new Florida law; in basic language, it limits people to using the bathroom designated for the gender they were assigned at birth. Someone like me, who has gone through all the necessary psychological, medical and legal steps required to fully transition my gender, would still be required to use the men’s room. Safety is given as a reason for these laws, yet no one seems to care how safe I would be if I were forced to use a men’s room at this point in my life.

Education! Education! Education! The three “E” to our rights.

As history has shown us, however, people who do not have personal experience with an issue can be led astray and riled up by fear-mongering. That is exactly what is happening with the bathroom wars. Because the trans community is such a small part of the population, most people have no meaningful experience with transgendered persons. As a result, it is easier for politicians to use these issues to demonize us and stir up fear in those who are naive about the topic. It’s also politically safe for politicians to use that approach, since our numbers are not significant enough to make them care about our voting bloc.

They have banned books about Harvey Milk… they do not child to learn about him. It is toxic to their goals of forcing us back into the closet.

My name is Harvey Milk and I'm here to recruit you…

Gay brothers and sisters, what are you going to do about it? You must come out. Come out to your parents. I know that it is hard and that it will hurt them, but think of how they will hurt you in the voting booth! Come out to your relatives. I know that it is hard and will upset them but think of how they will upset you in the voting booth. Come out to your friends. If indeed, they are your friends. Come out to your neighbors, to your co-workers, to the people who work where you eat and shop. Come out only to the people you know, and who know you. Not to anyone else. But once and for all, break down the myths, destroy the lies and distortions.

Wow! Can you imagine the children today reading about him?

The Hill article goes on to say,

The voices of the trans community alone are not enough to fight this battle. It is time for those who were on our side in North Carolina to put pressure on Florida and other states to repeal these kinds of hateful and harmful laws. American life is becoming increasingly unsafe for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and these laws are a major reason why.

We couldn’t do it here in Connecticut by ourselves we had over one hundred allied organizations on the gender inclusive bill.

---

Connecticut Pride made the news along with other Prides

Transgender and nonbinary people are often sidelined at Pride. This year is different

AP News

By Susan Haigh

June 13, 2023

Kara Murphy, a transgender woman helping to organize the Union County Pride in a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, is heartened to see Pride celebrations across the country, big and small, shining a spotlight on transgender rights this year.

“When we look and see who’s standing up for us, it kind of signals the strength of the movement,” she said.

Whether it’s transgender grand marshals at the massive New York City Pride parade or a photo display of transgender victims of violence at the much smaller festival in Hastings, Nebraska, many celebrations this June are taking a public stand against state legislation targeting transgender people.

[...]

In New York City, where this year’s Pride theme is “Strength in Solidarity,” organizers selected representatives of the trans community to be among the grand marshals of the June 25 parade. There are also plans to have a float carrying transgender people of color.

A big difference from the first Pride parade in New York City where we were told not to come!

 In Connecticut, where restrictions on transgender people are not being proposed, organizers of the Middletown Pride still placed a major focus on trans rights in this year’s events, which Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont attended.

“Just seeing everything that’s happening in the legislation (elsewhere), we definitely wanted to make it a priority,” said Haley Stafford, event coordinator for the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce which helps to organize Middletown Pride. “Just because it’s not happening to us right now doesn’t mean that it can’t end up happening further down the line.”

I wonder is a Republican governor would march in a Pride parade?

 

Surprise, Surprise!

Who would have thunk it!

That I would be writing a positive blog on Rep. Santos, not me. But…

Santos introduces legislation defunding countries with anti-LGBTQ policies

The Hill

By Brooke Migdon

June 13, 2023

A new resolution introduced by Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) seeks to end federal funding to nations that persecute or discriminate against LGBTQ people based on their sexual orientation.

The resolution filed in March would cut all federal funding to countries where laws or policies discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, “including by criminalizing homosexuality or same-sex marriage.”

Santos, who is openly gay, on Monday said the resolution was motivated by laws including Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, which calls for the death penalty in cases of “aggravated homosexuality,” defined as homosexual acts carried out by those infected with HIV or acts involving children, disabled people or those drugged against their will.

Oh course you know that this has a snowball chance in hell in passing, but still.

“June is pride month, and the best way to celebrate the history and achievements of gay rights is to stand up to countries actively oppressing the LGBTQ community,” Santos said Monday in an emailed statement. “While waving rainbow flags and changing corporate logos may signify solidarity, we need to send a clear message that the United States will not offer federal aid to countries found to be violating the rights of individuals based on sexual orientation.”

This is really a surprise but I like it, I know that this just a gimmick to make him look good but I will take it… any port in the storm.

---

Another win in court!

A Utah city violated the First Amendment in denying a drag show permit, judge rules

AP News

June 17, 2023

The city of St. George must issue a permit for a Utah-based group that organizes drag performances to host an all-ages drag show in a public park, a federal judge ruled, calling the city’s attempt to stop the show unconstitutional discrimination.

“Public spaces are public spaces. Public spaces are not private spaces. Public spaces are not majority spaces,” U.S. District Judge David Nuffer wrote in a Friday ruling granting the preliminary injunction requested by the group. “The First Amendment of the United States Constitution ensures that all citizens, popular or not, majority or minority, conventional or unconventional, have access to public spaces for public expression.”

Southern Utah Drag Stars and its CEO, Mitski Avalōx, sued the city of St. George in May after the city denied the group permits for an all-ages show it aimed to host in a public park in April. A complaint filed in federal court accused city officials of “flagrant and ongoing violations of their free speech, due process, and equal protection rights,” and asked for St. George to reverse its decision and authorize a drag show at the end of June.

[...]

“Public officials take an oath to ‘support, obey, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Utah,’” Nuffer wrote. “They do not merely serve the citizens who elect them, the majority of citizens in the community, or a vocal minority in the community.”

He got that right!

Update: Judge Blocks Parts Of Indiana Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Trans Youth

More information has come in for the temporary injunction. First, amazingly it was a Trump appointed judge that made the ruling!

KEYT reported that,

A Trump-appointed judge in Indiana has blocked parts of a state law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth from going into effect next month.

The law, known as SEA 480, which Indiana’s Republican-controlled legislature passed earlier this year, prohibits physicians from providing minors with treatments such as puberty blocking medication, hormone therapy and surgery intended to help transition genders.

But US District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon, who was appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump in 2018, issued a preliminary injunction Friday that blocks the ban on most of those treatments. His order does, however, allow the prohibition on gender reassignment surgeries for minors to take effect on July 1, as planned.

“Because Plaintiffs have some likelihood of success on the merits of constitutional claims, a preliminary injunction is in the public interest,” Hanlon said in a 34-page opinion. “While the State has a strong interest in enforcing democratically enacted laws, that interest decreases as Plaintiffs’ likelihood of success on the merits of their constitutional claims increases.”

I bet the Republicans are having a hissy fit over this!

NPR said in an article that…

The ACLU filed the lawsuit within hours after Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill April 5. The challenge, on behalf of four youths undergoing transgender treatments and an Indiana doctor who provides such care, argued the ban would violate the U.S. Constitution's equal protection guarantees and trampled upon the rights of parents to decide medical treatment for their children.

[...]

Hanlon, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, wrote that he was blocking the law from taking effect because its opponents had demonstrated potential irreparable harm to those undergoing treatment and shown "some likelihood of success" in arguments that it was unconstitutional.

The ACLU had provided "evidence of risks to minors' health and wellbeing from gender dysphoria if those treatments can no longer be provided to minors — prolonging of their dysphoria, and causing additional distress and health risks, such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidality," Hanlon said. "While the State has identified legitimate reasons for regulation in this area, the designated evidence does not demonstrate, at least at this stage, that the extent of its regulation was closely tailored to uphold those interests."

We all knew this would happen, it didn’t take a legal scholar to see that these laws used faulty data to attack us. The judge also wrote,

The provisions of the law banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors in Indiana will have no immediate impact. Hanlon wrote in his ruling that no medical providers in the state perform those procedures on people younger than 18.

According to Erin in the Morning that the judge said in his ruling…

In essence, the discriminatory nature of the law is evident as it only forbids treatments designed to support transgender youth in their transition to a sex different from their assigned birth sex. Conversely, it permits the same treatments when used to maintain alignment with their birth sex. To put it plainly, if a cisgender boy experiences gynecomastia (enlarged breasts), he can access treatment for reduction; however, this option is denied to transgender boys. Similarly, a cisgender girl can get medical assistance to suppress excessive testosterone, but transgender girls are prohibited from the same treatment. These biased regulations are wholly founded on sex, leading the judge to unequivocally rule that “sex-based classifications are not just present in S.E.A. 480’s prohibitions, they’re determinative.”

Because the bill is based on sex, the bill must be narrowly tailored and have an “exceedingly persuasive justification.” Simply being “controversial and unsettled,” as the state erroneously describes gender affirming care, does not meet that standard. Hanlon analyzed the evidence around puberty blockers and hormone therapy, nevertheless, to determine if those justifications existed.

The state attempted to defend its position by wrongly asserting that puberty blockers pose a significant harm to transgender youth, thus warranting the broad ban. The state supported its argument with supposed side effect profiles of hormone therapy and puberty blockers, and relied on supposed “similar bans” on care in several European countries. In contrast, the plaintiffs correctly countered that the state has misrepresented the benefits of gender-affirming care. They contended that these medical interventions are life-saving, as they have been shown to alleviate suicide risk, anxiety, and depression in transgender youth. The plaintiffs emphasized that denying access to these treatments would further endanger the wellbeing of trans youth.

The judge knew BS when he saw it!

And the New York Times said this about other court rulings,

Federal judges have also blocked or mostly blocked enforcement of transition-care bans passed in prior years in Alabama and Arkansas. In Oklahoma, the state attorney general’s office agreed not to enforce a newly passed ban on transition care until a judge could rule on an injunction request. And in Florida, a judge said this month that the state could not prevent a handful of children whose families sued from continuing their transition treatments.

Okay, here is my prediction.

We are going to see these draconian laws drop like flies. I even predict that the Supreme Court will rule in our favor. These laws were written on junk science and that these laws were vindictive and  politically motivate.

---

I like to ask Google's Bard questions... How has Judge Hanlon ruling on transgender healthcare affect other states.

Judge Hanlon's ruling on transgender healthcare has had a mixed impact on other states. Some states have taken steps to follow Indiana's lead and ban gender-affirming care for minors, while others have vowed to protect transgender youth's access to healthcare.

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law in February that would have banned all gender-affirming care for minors, including puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy. However, a federal judge blocked the law from taking effect just days before it was set to go into effect. The judge ruled that the law was likely unconstitutional and that it would cause irreparable harm to transgender youth.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law in March that would have banned transgender students from competing in sports that align with their gender identity. However, a federal judge blocked the law from taking effect just days before it was set to go into effect. The judge ruled that the law was likely unconstitutional and that it would cause irreparable harm to transgender students.

These are just two examples of how states have responded to Judge Hanlon's ruling. It is likely that other states will continue to debate this issue in the coming months and years.

It is important to note that there is a growing body of scientific evidence that supports the use of gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Studies have shown that these treatments can help transgender youth to feel more comfortable in their own bodies and to reduce their risk of depression and suicide.

Despite the scientific evidence, some people continue to oppose gender-affirming care for transgender youth. They argue that these treatments are experimental and that they could have negative long-term consequences. However, the vast majority of medical experts agree that gender-affirming care is safe and effective.

The debate over transgender healthcare is likely to continue for some time. However, Judge Hanlon's ruling has sent a clear message that transgender youth have the right to access the healthcare they need.

On Vacation

I am going to bow out of playing Saturday 9 for the next two weeks, I am at the cottage and have company this weekend and a graduation party next Saturday.

My posts have been pre-written for the next two weeks because with company it will be hard to keep up with writing the blog.

News Flash! We Won Another!

Federal judge blocks much of Indiana’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors

AP News

By Tom Davies

June 16, 2023

A federal judge issued an order Friday stopping an Indiana ban on puberty blockers and hormones for transgender minors from taking effect as scheduled July 1.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sought the temporary injunction in its legal challenge of the Republican-backed law, which was enacted this spring amid a national push by GOP-led legislatures to curb LGBTQ+ rights.

The order from U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon will allow the law’s prohibition on gender-affirming surgeries to take effect. Hanlon’s order also blocks provisions that would prohibit Indiana doctors from communicating with out-of-state doctors about gender-affirming care for their patients younger than 18.

The ACLU filed the lawsuit within hours after Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill April 5. The challenge, on behalf of four youths undergoing transgender treatments and an Indiana doctor who provides such care, argued the ban would violate the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection guarantees and trampled upon the rights of parents to decide medical treatment for their children.

Euphemism.

“20 books were removed by visitor” i.e. Stolen.

Essex Library restores ‘Pride’ displays after over 20 books were removed by visitor

WTNH Ch 8

By: Olivia Perreault

June 12, 2023

Over 20 books were removed from curated Pride Month displays at the Essex Library by an anonymous visitor on Saturday, library officials said.

The library said they are “disappointed and troubled” by the unauthorized disassembly of the display and are investigating the incident.

On June 1, the library displayed a collection of books for and about the LGBTQIA+ community in honor of the celebration of Pride Month throughout June.

[…]

The library said materials in the Pride displays have since been found and restored.

In other words they went to the culprit who stole them and demanded them back.

The Hartford Courant reported…

“Essex Library is committed to providing free access to information for all individuals and families in our community and supports each person’s and each family’s freedom to choose what they want to read and to decide what is important or relevant for their own lives.”

What these people can’t get through their thick skulls is that by stealing the books they are forcing other people to their views and denying other people of their rights.

As I wrote on Monday state officials at a press conference reported a rise in bias crimes.

Connecticut sees 265% rise in hate crimes

WTNH Ch8

By: Tina Detelj

June 12, 2023

Connecticut’s commissioner of public safety didn’t mince words while talking about the rise in hate related incidents.

“Today, we’re gonna discuss a really disgusting trend,” Commissioner James Rovella said.

A Pride Month book display at the Essex Library was dismantled this weekend, and a swastika was painted on a Black Lives Matter mural in Hartford. There were also hate-filled letters left in driveways last week in Thompson.

“Freedom can be abused, as we saw in my town last week,” said Thompson First Selectman Amy St. Onge. “It truly broke my heart.”

Others have also spoken out against the hate.

“The distribution of a hate-filled letter especially stings deeply for my wife Erica and I, as it targeted three generations of our family members,” said Larry Groh, Thompson’s former first selectman.

Those letters, as well as flyers left in Hamden recently, may have meant to intimidate, but instead they have energized residents to fight back.

[…]

Another troubling trend is the age of the people committing hate crimes.

“I’m seeing a trend of juveniles being radicalized at an earlier age,” Rovella said.

State police are now armed with more tools in this fight.

One of the bills that the Governor's Hate Crimes Advisory Council which I am on proposed legislation to create a Bias Crime Task Force with the CT State Police.

A new law last year created a new hate crime charge of intimidation based on bigotry or bias, and the formation of the Connecticut State Police Hate Crime Task Force.

“This hate crimes unit does not work alone,” Connecticut State Police Lt. Kate Cummings said. “Its members cooperate with local, state and federal law enforcement.”

I have been told by many trans people that when they report a bias crime to the police it goes in one ear and out the other and that they only get lip service from the police. Now if we feel that the local police are fluffing us off we can report it to the bias crime unit.

Get Help Now:

• Contact the Hate Crimes Investigative Unit of the Connecticut State Police at hate.crimes@ct.gov
• Call your local police or 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
• You can submit a tip anonymously.

“Nobody should ever have to fear being the victim of the crime for being the person they are, and it is unconscionable that people continue to be targeted throughout our country 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...”

- Governor Ned Lamont

Hmm… I wonder if DeSantis and Abbott agree with that statement?

A Rough Road For Our Neighbors To The North.

The animosity toward us is spreading north! The conservatives are talking to the right-wingers and exporting the anti-LGBTQ+ rancor.

N.B. premier faces backlash after trans policy change — why experts say it's ‘embarrassing’

Celeste Trianon, a trans activist, spoke to Yahoo Canada about trans rights amidst the recent news.

Yahoo News

By Julia Ranney·Lifestyle Editor

June 11, 2023

On Thursday, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced new changes to a protective policy for queer students.

After weeks of controversy and discussion, Higgs said that teachers in the province will not be required to use the preferred names or pronouns of transgender or non-binary students under the age of 16 without parental consent.

The change occurred after a review of Policy 713, during which the province's child and youth advocate expressed that N.B. has an obligation to protect the rights of queer students.

For context, Policy 713 was initially adopted in 2020 to provide a safe, protected, inclusive and gender-affirming space for students, allowing them to be exactly who they are in an educational setting.

We can’t have safe and inclusive schools… that’s “Woke.”

The news received backlash and uncertainty among Higgs' Progressive Conservatives, as well as from the LGBTQ2S+ community.

"We’re going back in time, and it’s embarrassing. Canada is known for being an international leader in freedom and trans rights and that’s now being taken away," said Celeste Trianon, a trans activist, in an interview with Yahoo Canada.

This is happening not only here in the U.S. and Canada… the right-wing governments are moving to the far right, in Europe and Africa.

After announcing the review, Premier Higgs defended his position to reporters, saying the department will examine whether parents should be informed if children under the age of 16 decide to adopt a different name and/or pronoun at school.

"For it purposefully to be hidden from the parents, that's a problem," Higgs claimed.

While Higgs said he wants kids "to feel comfortable and safe" at school, he ultimately believes schools should be obligated to tell parents everything — including names, pronouns and genders of their children.

Does that sound familiar? It is right out of the Republican’s handbook of “parental rights.” at the detriment of the children.

When asked her reaction to the review, Trianon expressed her disappointment and worry for the future.

"It was not surprising for me, because I knew that something akin to this would happen, considering the toxicity that is brewing in the United States, here and also abroad," she said. "But it's still disappointing nonetheless, and it's endangering for trans people."

Initially, the policy was instituted in the best interest of the children themselves. In Trianon's  opinion, three complaints is not enough to prompt a review of the policy, especially because it was only adopted two and a half years ago.

Have you noticed that it only takes a handful of conservatives to out weigh dozens and dozens of tolerant parents. We see it all the time here… “We had a person complain so we pulled the book off the shelves.” ignoring all the rest of the people who object to the removal.

Last month, Trianon made an Instagram post drawing attention to the People's Party of Canada and their anti-trans platform for the federal by-elections.

According to Trianon, the platform includes "criminalizing gender-affirming care for trans youth and banning trans people's access to bathrooms, and more."

By posting the platform, Trianon aims to remind people that even though Canada is a relatively safe country, there is still injustice for trans people.

"If you think that we're safe in Canada, this is the final straw. We're not," the post read. "We're one election away from becoming Florida."

The oppression of us is spreading fast that COVID.

"We grew up thinking our titles as Canadians will protect us, that we are in a safe country. But human rights are fragile here too," Trianon said. "This is a form of an emergency that's happening in other places like the United States, and it can happen here too."