Solidarity!

Our Body, Our Choice!

Do you want to support LGBTQ+ rights?

Do you want to support body integrity?

Our Body, Our Choice!

This is a boycott not of a company but of states.

It is simply this… all you college graduates, all you new doctors, all those looking for a new job just don’t look for jobs in states that deny body integrity. It is as simple as that.

Already without the boycott the states are feeling the pinch. The legislators don’t but the businesses do.

Texas Companies Say Republicans Are Ruining Their Business
Newsweek
By Aliss Higham
December 16, 2023

A coalition of Texas businesses have said ambiguity over abortion bans in the Lone Star State is making recruitment harder, following the near all-out ban enacted by Republicans.

An amicus brief originally filed by law firm Reed Smith and signed by 40 Texas companies was filed in support of 22 women who are suing the state of Texas over its abortion laws. Numerous businesses have endorsed the letter. These include dating platforms such as Bumble and Match Group (owner of Match.com and Tinder); prominent advertising agencies Preacher and GSD&M; event organizers SXSW; and the United States Women's Chamber of Commerce, along with various Texas real-estate companies, law firms, and restaurant groups.

The companies say that Texas abortion laws render the state less appealing for families considering relocating to a place where they can comfortably start a family. The Texas Legislature, dominated by Republican representatives, passed a trigger law on abortion in 2021. It is currently illegal to have an abortion after a fetus has a heartbeat, which typically occurs around six weeks, often before the woman knows she is pregnant, unless there is a significant threat to the mother's life. The overturning of Roe vs. Wade by the Supreme Court in 2022 gave states the power to limit abortion access.

They are worried.

They already instructed their candidates not to talk about abortion… zip your lips.

Businesses are getting nervous, the best and brightest don’t want to go to those states. Medical students are thinking twice in going to states that want to control what they can say, what medical procedures they can learn, they want to tell you what books you can read, they want to tell you who you can love!

If you want to help us keep our freedom, do not apply to any company in those states. If you are a med student do n ot intern in those states, get a complete education and not one the states want to only learn. If you are going to be a student teacher don’t look in those states.

Our Body, Our Choice!

Vote Blue and save a life.

Nope. No Way.

That is the answer that a hospital gave the Texas Attorney General office that requested medical records for a trans patient.

Seattle Hospital sues after Texas Attorney General asks for handover of patient records
KXAN
By: Cora Neas
December 20, 2023

The Seattle Children’s Hospital filed a lawsuit in Travis County District Court on Dec. 7 against the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG), after that agency requested documents related to gender transition policies and any such care provided to Texas children.

However, hospital claims that the OAG lacks jurisdiction to demand such records from the hospital, and that Washington’s “Shield Law” protects it from requests made by states that “restrict or criminalize reproductive and gender-affirming care.”

“The Shield Law prohibits Washington-based entities such as Seattle Children’s from ‘[c]omply[ing] with subpoena, warrant, court order, or other civil or criminal legal process for records, information, facilities, or assistance related to protected health care services that are lawful in the state of Washington,'” the lawsuit stated.

I’m not a lawyer but it seems to me that no hospital has to turn over their patients for something that is not a crime in their state. What Texas asked for was…

That demand gave the hospital until Dec. 7 to produce documents to the OAG for the agency to identify the following:

• All medications prescribed by the hospital to Texas children
• The number of Texas children treated by the hospital
• Diagnosis for every medication provided by the hospital to Texas children
• Texas laboratories that performed lab tests for the hospital prior to prescribing medications
• Protocol/guidance for treating Texas children diagnosed with gender identity disorder, gender dysphoria or endocrine disorders
• Protocol/guidance on how to “wean” a Texas child off gender transitioning care

The other demand gave the same deadline date for the hospital to answer questions about the above points under oath.

In Connecticut our shield law was written broadly on purpose to say any records that involves reproductive health which our healthcare includes.

Along a similar line, the hospital’s attorneys claim that such an investigation violates the U.S. Constitution’s dormant Commerce Clause, which prevents States from enforcing “protectionist” laws that would erode a national marketplace.

Sorry Charlie… no way!

I see this case going all the to the Supreme Court. I see the hospital being tried in Texas for refusing to comply with the subpoena and the hospital thumbing their nose at Texas. Then the appeals start and since it is between two states the case will land in the federal court system.

 

---

 

 In another article, this one about trans athletes…

Cyclists Call Out Transphobic Critics: “We Refuse to be Falsely Presented as Victims”
KRISTEN CHALMERS SAID SHE WAS “PAINTED AS A VICTIM IN A NARRATIVE MANUFACTURED TO FUEL TRANSPHOBIA” AFTER THE ILLINOIS STATE CYCLOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Bicycling
BY MICAH LING
Dec 20, 2023

The Illinois State Cyclocross Championships took place the first weekend of December. Tessa Johnson and Evelyn Williamson took first and second place respectively, in the women’s single speed category. Kristen Chalmers took third place. It was a relatively small race in the scheme of things. But as news spread that trans women had earned gold and silver, outrage took over.

National and international publications began covering the event—but with an emphasis on the fact that the top two finishers were trans women. The Daily Mail wrote that, “Megyn Kelly simply called the incident ‘infuriating,’ while tennis legend Martina Navratilova wrote on X: ‘More mediocre male bodies taking podium places from female athletes. And it stinks!!!!’”

So Chalmers spoke up, calling out the headlines and defending her competitors and friends. Chalmers was upset not only with how people judged and sized up others, but also with how they made assumptions about her.

[…]

Chalmers went on to say, “Having images of and presumptions about my body and speculations about my reaction to the race being so publicly discussed was uncomfortable but what made it unacceptable was being painted as a victim in a narrative manufactured to fuel transphobia. While strangers’ online offers to personally pay me my ‘rightful’ $100 prize money in exchange for my boycott of future inclusive cycling events were almost comical, they demonstrated how out-of-context moments like our single-speed podium can be leveraged to keep people emotionally invested in transphobia.”

[…]

Chalmers told Bicycling, “Within 48 hours [of writing the letter], all of the cis-women racers in the Illinois Single Speed Championships signed it, along with 56 others who race in the women’s categories of the CCC. For context, 54 women competed in the Chicago Cross Cup’s Illinois State Championship races.”

It is the right-wing trouble-makers that are trying to stir the pot and rile up their base, the other athletes have no problem with trans athletes, only the outsiders agitators who have a problem with trans athletes.

What Is The End Game In Republican Education Goals.

[Political Analysis]

Back under Trump the Secretary of Education made major reforms in educations. Chalkbeat writes…

Days earlier, she had struggled to answer basic education policy questions during her confirmation hearing. Her confusion, the evocative details — in response to one question, she said schools may need guns to protect against grizzly bears — and a surge in protest and civic activism against President Trump turned DeVos into a household name.  

She has held onto that symbolic power. To many educators, her name remains a shorthand for feelings of frustration and disrespect. Her face became a staple of Democrats’ political ads nationwide, even though education policy was rarely central to the races. And when it became clear that Joe Biden would win the presidential election, the responses from many teachers came quickly: bye, Betsy.

[…]

The Republican Party believes in doing away entirely with federal loans. College tuition, and its consequential debt, is rising uncontrollably. At this point, it is rising far above the rate of inflation. College debt in America, as of 2012, had exceeded the amount of credit card debt. Republicans believe federal loans exacerbate this problem by their lack of transparency, and the fact that they are often more expensive than private loans. For these reasons, republicans believe that the federal government should no longer issue student loans. Greater private sector participation in loans would drive tuition costs down. The party believes that the federal government should, however, serve as an insurance guarantor for private sector loans.

One of the Republicans long term goals is to ax the Department of Education. The New Republic (A progressive website) wrote…

The Republican Plan To Devastate Public Education in America
Conservatives talk about “school choice.” What they really want, though, will result in the end of public education for the poor, and disfavored minorities like LGBT people.
By Brynn Tannehill
August 11, 2022



Republicans, and white conservatives, have long been hostile to public schools. School desegregation drove white evangelicals to become the strongest Republican demographic. Ronald Reagan promised to end the Department of Education in 1980. Trump put Betsy DeVos in charge of the Department of Education, precisely because she was a leading proponent (and funder) of defunding public schools, and funneling it to religious schools. During her confirmation hearings it became clear that she knew nothing about education, and provided plagiarized and laughably bad answers to questions, asserting that teachers need guns to ward off grizzly bear attacks.

Republican candidates talk about “school choice” and putting God and prayer back in schools. What they really want, though, will result in the end of public education for the poor, and disfavored minorities like LGBT people.

Let’s face it, the Republicans don’t want an educated proletariat, they believe that only the bourgeoisie should be educated.

Their plan looks like this: Parents are given a voucher for several thousand dollars that comes out of the state education budget. The money can be spent on tuition for charter or private schools, microschools (collective homeschooling), or regular homeschooling. Republicans say the “money goes to the kids.”

In reality, it reduces money going to public schools to a point where the schools will be dramatically underfunded.

The voucher program was designed to fail, to cut middle income public support for schools. First private schools can cherry pick the brightest student and toss back to public schools, second this leads to a downward spiral of public schools from more dropouts and less students going on to college. And third, less funding for public schools.

How School Voucher Programs Hurt Students
Time
By Joshua Cowen
April 19, 2023

In recent months, state legislatures across the country have broadened efforts to subsidize private school tuition with taxpayer dollars. New proposals for these programs—collectively called school vouchers—have appeared in more than a dozen states and passed as major priorities for Republican governors like Kim Reynolds in Iowa and Sarah Huckabee Sanders in Arkansas. Since 2021, Arizona, Florida, Utah and West Virginia have also created or expanded voucher plans. Meanwhile, a handful states like Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio and Wisconsin have run voucher programs for years. But do school vouchers actually work? We need to focus on what research shows, and what that means for kids moving forward.

As an analyst who has studied these and other forms of school choice for nearly two decades, I’m in a good position to give an answer. And based on data from existing voucher programs, the answer is almost unambiguously negative.

Let’s start with who benefits. First and foremost, the answer is: existing private school students. Small, pilot voucher programs with income limits have been around since the early 1990s, but over the last decade they have expanded to larger statewide initiatives with few if any income-eligibility requirements. Florida just passed its version of such a universal voucher program, following Arizona’s passage in the fall of 2022. In Arizona, more than 75% of initial voucher applicants had never been in public school—either because they were new kindergartners or already in private school before getting a voucher. That’s a problem because many voucher advocates market these plans as ways to improve educational opportunities for public school children.

That is exactly what the Republicans have hoped to archive and they knew that would happen.

But DeVos has acknowledged the poor track record for vouchers—at least when it comes to academic impacts. Asked about the dismal results of the Louisiana voucher plan while she was a public official, DeVos avoided detailed comment, but her answer back then was as good a summary as any that a voucher expert like me could provide. That program, she said, was “not very well-conceived.”

That goes for school voucher plans today, currently spreading across the country.

Why else to be pushing something that you know doesn’t work except to cripple public schools. It is not just K-12 that they are going after but also stopping the proletariat from getting educated!

Hearings, subpoenas, crackdowns: Inside House Republicans’ long-term plan to ‘defund’ elite universities

•     House Republicans have a long-term plan to strip elite universities of government funding and federal student loan dollars, Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told a group of business leaders during a private Zoom call last Friday.
• “The hearing was the first step,” said Banks. “The second step is the investigation, the subpoenas, gathering all of the documents and the records,” he said. “Third, that’s when we defund these universities.”

CNBC
By Brian Schwartz
December 18 2023


House Republicans have a long-term plan to strip elite universities of government funding and federal student loan dollars, Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told a group of business leaders during a private Zoom call Friday.

Banks, an ally of former President Donald Trump, sits on the House Education Committee. The panel recently launched investigations into Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania. The probe announcements followed a Dec. 5 hearing at which leaders of Harvard, MIT and Penn struggled to clarify their positions on antisemitic speech on campus.

Banks told the business leaders the hearing was the first step in a larger effort to take on Ivy League schools. An audio recording of the call was provided to CNBC by an attendee who requested anonymity in order to share a private conversation.

“The second step is the investigation, the subpoenas, gathering all of the documents and the records from these universities to prove the point,” said Banks. “That they’re not just allowing this behavior to occur, they’re fostering it and creating an unsafe environment for Jewish students on their campus because of it,” he said.

During these hearing the House Republicans seem to ignore the First Amendment, they hammered the college presidents for not stopping the peaceful anti-Israeli protests. The Republicans shredded the First Amendment.

Banks’ frank description of lawmakers’ plans offers a previously unreported window into at least some members of Congress’ long-term goals with regard to at least two Ivy League universities and MIT, another elite university. The House Education Committee chair, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said in an interview on NewsNation that the committee is also looking at Columbia University and Cornell University.

We don’t want any of those liberal college!

Restrictions on tenure and academic freedom have college professors eyeing the exits
Center for Public Integrity via USA Today
By Matt Krupnick
December 19, 2023

College professors once regarded Wisconsin as one of the safest places to work, with the right to be tenured baked into state law. Then, in 2015, the state removed that right and sent dozens of instructors running toward the exits.

Karma Chávez was among those departures from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Like her, many of the people who left were people of color or queer. After the change, Chávez said she started looking for a new job in another state immediately and landed at the University of Texas, Austin, where she chairs the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies.

Now, as she watches Texas politicians chip away at tenure protections and academic freedom in that state, Chávez has realized “there’s nowhere to run.”

“When it comes to higher education, I don’t know if there are any safe places,” she said. “If they can come after Wisconsin, they can come after anywhere.”

Texas, where a professor was suspended this year for criticizing the lieutenant governor in a lecture, is part of what many in the academic community say is an alarming, concerted attack on higher education spreading across the country.

Why are these bills being passed? The answer fits right in with the right-wing propaganda!

State Sen. Brandon Creighton, a Republican from the Houston suburbs who authored Texas laws banning diversity, equity and inclusion offices at Texas colleges and universities and watering down faculty tenure, declined to answer questions about the bills or their potential effects. One would ban diversity, equity and inclusion offices at Texas colleges and universities, while the other would water down faculty tenure.

We don’t want those liberal professors teaching the students to think for themselves!

Professors in Georgia said the 2021 policy making it easier to fire tenured faculty at the University System of Georgia has already altered the feel of the state’s campuses. Top talent has fled elsewhere, and some professors have avoided controversial topics, said Brian Magerko, a professor of digital media at Georgia Tech.

The same thing is happening with OB/GYN and trans healthcare providers are fleeing the states, med students are not going to colleges in those states with abortion and trans healthcare bans. 

---

Just look at what the right-wing conservatives are pushing in the field of education, right out the John Birch Societies play book.

What got me started on this topic was an article on NBC Nightly News,

Mother Jones writes back in 2018,

People turned to the New York Times and the Washington Post, Fox News, and even the Constitution for answers. But few sources were as widely consulted as “Do You Understand the Electoral College?” a five-minute video hosted by retired lawyer and television pundit Tara Ross. Her genial lecture, illustrated with colorful cartoons and pop-up text—”pure democracies do not work”—can be found at Prager University, an online video portal curated by the conservative talk-radio host Dennis Prager. The Electoral College video had about 850,000 views before the election, says Allen Estrin, Prager’s producer and consigliere. “Two weeks later, it had 50 million.”

[…]

Since 2012, PragerU has posted nearly 300 similarly digestible videos. Some of them dabble in topics like parenting or financial advice, but most cover core conservative doctrines. Delivering tidy arguments without the Limbaughesque acid reflux, they have accrued, collectively, just over 1 billion views—nearly 700 million in 2017 alone, according to marketing director

[…]

At PragerU, police are not biased against black men, and man-made climate change is debatable. You’ll find takes on animal rights (against), the $15 minimum wage (against), the gender wage gap (doesn’t exist), and why the South turned Republican (nothing to do with race). Prager has hosted a few dozen videos himself, including “Just Say ‘Merry Christmas,'” his take on the “war on Christmas” genre, and “He Wants You,” an apologia for men who ogle women. He personally approves every item, edits every script, and courts “faculty,” including heavy hitters such as Dinesh D’Souza, Steve Forbes, and former White House press secretary Dana Perino. Some presenters, like Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, are credentialed. Others, like comedian Adam Carolla, merely speak with the confidence of people who are.

So who are behind PragerU?

Among the major contributors are Dan and Farris Wilks, fracking billionaires who want to bring Christianity into public schools. (PragerU’s Educators Program encourages K-12 teachers and college professors to use “our curriculum as a teaching supplement.”) The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, another funder of right-leaning educational initiatives, has given a substantial sum, too.

In other-words… Oligarchs.

So where are we now?

Should Oklahoma teachers use PragerU content? Advocates weigh in on newly-announced partnership
Fox 25 KOKH
By TOM FERGUSONThu
September 7th 2023,

A new partnership between Oklahoma schools and conservative nonprofit PragerU is sparking fierce debate.

PragerU is a media group that puts out digital content the organization describe as pro-American and an alternative to, “dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media, and education.”

The content includes educational videos meant for kids. While some are welcoming this coming to Oklahoma classrooms, others aren’t so happy.

Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters (R) shared his enthusiasm for the partnership in a video related to the announcement that, “we want them to know about American exceptionalism, want them to know about those founding documents, want them to understand what made this country great.”

[…]

However, one advocate for Muslims in Oklahoma argued PragerU's content is biased against members of his faith community and others.

“PragerU is definitely skewed towards a certain political, and Christian-nationalistic, white-savior message that is not beneficial for minorities of any background here in Oklahoma," asserted Adam Soltani, the executive director of the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

He added that, “as a Muslim and as a father here in Oklahoma, I would want Ryan Walters to know that he is really playing with the lives and the emotions of people in our state.”

Education Week reports…

PragerU, Creator of Controversial Social Studies Videos, Now Has a Toehold in Schools
By Sarah Schwartz
August 31, 2023

As the school year starts, a controversial set of social studies materials are making headlines: videos from the conservative media company PragerU.

The company, which describes itself as an “educational media platform dedicated to promoting pro-American values,” creates free, online videos for children that cover a range of history, civics, and science topics. Some have hundreds of thousands of views.

The materials came under fire after the Florida Department of Education approved them in July for use in classrooms as supplemental resources. PragerU leaders say that the channel provides an alternative perspective to what they see as liberal biases in schools and universities.

But historians and researchers who study right-wing media say that the videos spread misinformation—and are qualitatively different from other social studies materials that teachers might use in schools.

“PragerU is not a university,” said Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of the history of education at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. “It is a political propaganda machine, and it promotes mistruths about climate change, slavery, and a whole host of other things.”

And for the last word… Southern Poverty Law Center says, now I want you to remember these video are being shown to K-12.

More troubling, Tripodi discovered, are the connections some PragerU presenters have with white nationalist thinkers. In her report, Tripodi highlights Dave Rubin, host of an immensely popular (nearly 18 million views) PragerU video titled “Why I Left the Left.”

[…]

Tripodi writes, “the implications of creating a dense network of extremist thinkers allows for those who identify as mainline conservatives to gain easy access to white supremacist logic. Leveraging the thoughts of someone like Stefan Molyneux can have disastrous consequences considering that Molyneux regularly promotes ‘alt-right’ ‘scientific racism’ on his own YouTube shows. The fact that such rhetoric is ultimately connected to the presenter of one of PragerU’s most widely circulated videos is alarming since Molyneux’s ideas of ‘natural law’ were used by the founders of the US to justify the subordination of African slaves, Native Americans, and white women.”

They are also going after the mainstream media.

Tripodi’s report also takes issue with a series of PragerU videos “aimed at discrediting mainstream media”: “Can You Trust the Press?,” “What is ‘Fake News’?” and “Why No One Trusts the Mainstream Media.” She writes, “By the end of the study the positions of PragerU and those I interviewed became indistinguishable. Time and again, I was told [by the study participants] that mainstream media are ‘fake’ because coverage is based on feelings instead of fact-based evidence.”

They call us “Groomers” but who are the real groomers?

 

 [/Political Analysis]

I’m Off To My Healthcare Provider.

Nothing new or special in that except my APRN has been my Endo since 2004 when I started this journey. She was supervised by Dr. Pedit until the tragedy struck his family. She treats my Gender Dysphoria and Diabetes.

Now she is in the medical director of the Transgender Medicine at Middlesex Hospital and one of the leading expert in our healthcare and teachers at Yale.

Our paths have crossed many times. One time was on the tenth anniversary of marriage equality, I was just putting a fork full of cake and frosting and she gave me a look that said “Really” and we both broke out laughing.

I have been on panels with her, we were both interviewed on PBS Where We Live, and many more times both professionally and at events.

I’m glad that we have her here in Connecticut.

A Unique Perspective

I turned on Nova and the title was “Picture a Scientist” S48/E06, women in STEM and I figured it would be all positive but it is all about gender discrimination and sexual harassment at work.

What a great show! From PBS,

Women make up less than a quarter of STEM professionals in the United States, and numbers are even lower for women of color. But there is a growing group of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists, exposing longstanding discrimination, and leading the way in making science more inclusive. A biologist, a chemist, and a geologist lead viewers on a journey through their own experiences in the sciences, ranging from outright harassment to years of subtle slights. Along the way, from cramped laboratories to spectacular field stations, scientific visionaries, including social scientists, neuroscientists, and psychologists, provide new perspectives on how to make science itself more diverse, equitable, and open to all. (Premiered April 14, 2021)

I have a friend that I lost track of but I remember a story she told, she was a project manager at a big engineering company. When “he” suggested something in a project meeting everyone hopped to it. However, once she transitioned all of a sudden it was she had gotten lobotomy, at one project meeting she was asked to get the coffee.

While a trans man told me that all of sudden it is as that he has a brain.

I am always reminded of Judy Collins song “Both Sides Now” I would like to change it from…

I've looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down and still somehow

To…

I've looked at gender from both sides now

From male and female and still somehow life is the same.

Long May It Proudly Wave.

The Trans Flag flying over the CT Capitol

But not down in Florida!

Florida bill would prohibit flying Pride flags at certain locations

House Bill 901 would prohibit flying flags that celebrate sexuality, gender orientation or race at schools or government buildings.

By Scripps News West Palm Beach

December 19, 2023

A new bill filed in Florida would require local governments and schools to "remain neutral" when it comes to displaying flags.

The proposed legislation, HB 901, was filed by state Rep. David Borrero, a Republican. It would prohibit flying flags that celebrate sexuality, gender orientation or race.

Compass LGBTQ Center CEO Julie Seaver is among those opposed to the legislation.

"I currently do not support HB 901," Seaver said.

The proposed legislation would limit where certain flags, including the Pride flag, can be flown at government buildings and schools.

"A rainbow flag of just inclusion is to me a beautiful thing," Lake Worth Beach resident Maxwell Chapman said, "but at the same time there are those that support that positive messaging and in fact want to bring us back to a darker time in my opinion."

[…]

"The bill actually is very specific that it says that flags may not be erected relating to politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation, gender or political ideology viewpoint, and that's simply all that I ever wanted,"  Deliu said.

I guess that the Republicans never heard of the First Amendment, nor of the Supreme Court cases that have ruled flags are covered under the First Amendment.

The bill will be up for consideration during the upcoming legislative session, which starts Jan. 9.

Another one want to palce bets on what the Republican legislature will do on Jan. 9th?

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While I was reading the article they had a link to the history of the Pride flag.

The history behind the ubiquitous Pride flag

Its story begins in the 1970s with artist and activist Gilbert Baker.

Scripps

By Casey Mendoza

June 16, 2023

It's one of the most recognizable symbols in the world, on par with the American flag or the recycling symbol, and especially during Pride Month: The rainbow pride flag.

But this flag wasn't always so ubiquitous, and its predecessors included a lavender rhinoceros, the Greek letter lambda and the pink triangle — all of which have their own separate meanings and histories, but weren't accepted by the LGBTQ+ community at large.

So, how did we get here with the rainbow pride flag? Its history starts in the 1970s with artist and activist Gilbert Baker.

"Gilbert had become fascinated with flags in 1976, during the Bicentennial," said Charley Beal, president of the Gilbert Baker Foundation. "He just suddenly thought, 'These things are powerful.' He saw armies marching into war under a flag and he thought: 'We don't just need a new symbol. We need a flag.'"

It was flown for the first time in “1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade”. The colors in the flag mean… “the flag's stripes represented sex, life, healing, sunlight, nature, magic, serenity and spirit.”

By the way, the trans flag was created in 1999 by Monica Helms.

What Hath Republicans Wrought.

This is very disturbing what happen down in Florida, the animosity the Republicans have stirred up resulted in an attack on a trans women and a lesbian down in Miami.

Lesbian and trans woman beaten by group of men in Miami, video shows
A spokesperson for the Miami Police Department confirmed that the incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime. No arrests have been made.
NBC News
By Matt Lavietes
December 15, 2023

At least two LGBTQ women were beaten by a group of men in Miami, video exclusively obtained by NBC South Florida shows, in what police say they are investigating as a possible hate crime.

The incident took place in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood — known worldwide for its art galleries and colorful street murals — on Nov. 26, according to NBC South Florida, which obtained footage of the encounter from one of the victims this week.

The video shows multiple men attacking the women and their male friend, who reportedly tried to intervene. The victims can be heard pleading with their attackers to stop and saying that they’ve already called the police.

[…]

“I definitely felt targeted for sure; I mean they were definitely trying to hate on the fact that we were gay,” she said in a video interview. “I don’t understand to this day why.”

Bias crimes against us has skyrocketed up over 30% from last year! Ask yourself why have they jumped in the last few years? Could it possible be because the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric coming out of the Republican politicians mouths? Could it possible be because of all the anti-trans laws coming out of Republican legislation? Could it possible be because of the vile right-wing social media?

“It’s very concerning to see that they are still out and about and free and nothing has happened to them yet,” the woman who said she was beaten unconscious said.

The Miami New Times reported on the attack…

Relaying the narrative she told police, Melendez says the confrontation began in the late-night hours on November 26, when she and her group were leaving an LGBTQ "White Party" and met up outside with a friend in the arts district. Melendez told police that the friend became upset when she heard "catcalls" from a group of men and that the woman confronted them.

Melendez says that during the verbal dispute, insults flew back and forth, and one of the men derided the group's LGBTQ background, suggesting that lesbians would never experience satisfying sexual intercourse. According to the police report, Melendez's friend then told another individual, the alleged assailant, that he had a "small penis," prompting him to make a crude comment about the genitalia of a transgender woman in the group.

The report (attached at the bottom of this story) describes how things quickly escalated. Melendez told police the man went ballistic and proceeded to clobber the woman who insulted his manhood. She fell to the ground, hit her head on the concrete, and was left unconscious in a pool of blood.

Yes it is very concerning to see the violence against us, it sends shivers up and down our community spine. Every times we leave to go a night club, every time we go to a movie, every time we go grocery shopping we wonder are we safe?

This is the "new" Republican party.

Schools And Us.

All around the country the Trump courts are ruling against us and you know that they will all end up at the bench of the Supreme Court.

Ohio Senate clears ban on gender-affirming care for minors, transgender athletes in girls sports
PBS News Hour
By Samantha Hendrickson, Associated Press/Report For America
December 13, 2023

A Republican-backed proposal that would drastically affect how LGBTQ youth in Ohio live their everyday lives cleared the state Senate on Wednesday, despite adamant opposition from parents, medical providers and education professionals who call it cruel and potentially life threatening.

State senators, by a vote of 24-8 approved a multifaceted bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors and block transgender student athletes from participating in girls and women’s sports. A lone Republican, Sen. Nathan Manning of Northeast Ohio, joined Democrats in a “no” vote.

The bill now returns to the GOP-majority state House for amendment agreements before heading to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk for final approval. DeWine has not said whether he will sign it. He previously had expressed doubts about the sports restrictions, saying such decisions were best made by individual sports organizations.

Under the legislation, minors in Ohio would be prohibited from taking puberty blockers and undergoing other hormone therapies or receiving gender reassignment surgery that would further align them with their gender identity.

Now I would like to point out that this Supreme Court voted in favor of Grimm in the 2021 Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board case where the court order school to allow trans people to use the bathroom of the gender that we are.

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The case is finally being heard!

Federal trial starts over Florida ban on transgender treatments
By CBS Miami Team
December 13, 2023


With the mother of a transgender girl testifying that it would be "devastating" if the child could not get treatment, a federal judge Wednesday began a trial in a constitutional challenge to Florida restrictions on such things as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender people.

The mother, a St. Johns County resident identified by the pseudonym Jane Doe, was the first witness in what is expected to be a multi-day trial in the challenge to a state law and rules approved by the Florida Board of Medicine and Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine.

The law and rules block transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapy to treat gender dysphoria, while placing additional restrictions on treatments for adults.

[…]

During opening arguments Wednesday, Mohammad Jazil, an attorney for the state, said the "state has every right to dictate some of the norms for medical treatment" for gender dysphoria, which the federal government defines clinically as "significant distress that a person may feel when sex or gender assigned at birth is not the same as their identity,"

But Thomas Redburn, an attorney for the plaintiffs, accused the state of "invidious discrimination" against transgender people. He said, for example, the state has not barred puberty blockers and hormone therapy to treat other types of conditions.

"The state has singled out transgender people for disparate treatment without any adequate justification," Redburn said.

A number of courts that have said that not covering trans healthcare is illegal. However many courts have ruled against us so you know that this case will also be headed to the Supreme Court where it will be decided with the Trump court.

---

 

The next article is from Maine where a school board is not following the law. Back in 2014 GLAD wrote,

•     In this 2014 breakthrough decision, Maine’s highest court ruled that denying a transgender girl the use of the girls’ restroom at her school violated her rights under Maine’s Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against transgender people.
•     The decision on behalf of Orono, Maine student Nicole Maines [I met Nicole Maines and her mother at the CTAC Transhealth and Law Conference when I was the Executive Director of CTAC], marked the first time a state court has ruled that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathrooms that match who they are.

Now we have this case...

Augusta school board votes down transgender-inclusive policy
Some school board members argued the policy needs more work, but others said there was plenty of time for adjustments since the document was introduced nearly a year ago.
Kennebec Journal via Central Maine.com
By Emily Duggan
December 15, 2023

In a polarizing vote, the Augusta Board of Education rejected a policy aimed at fostering a safe learning environment for transgender and gender expansive students.

The proposed policy would have required school staff to use students’ chosen names and pronouns, allowed students to use the restrooms and locker rooms that most closely match their gender identity and enabled affected students to work with their teachers to create education plans suited to their needs.

It would have also prohibited administrators from discussing a student’s gender identity with their parents without first notifying the student, in order “to avoid inadvertently putting the student at risk” if they have not come out to their family.

The board deadlocked in a 3-3 vote during the first reading of the policy at Wednesday night’s meeting, with James Orr, Kati McCormick and Pia Holmes opposing it and Rita Pello, Kimberly Martin and Kevin Lamoreau in favor of it.

Board Chair Martha Witham, who votes only when a tie must be broken, then voted against the policy, effectively killing it.

Meanwhile other schools around the state have adopted the policy.

The same policy — called “ACAAA Transgender and Gender Expansive Students” — has been adopted in a number of central Maine schools, including Hallowell-based Regional School Unit 2 and Gardiner-area Maine School Administrative Unit 11. Farmington-based Regional School Unit 9 adopted it just last week.

However, the policy is not mandated, it is up to the school district to adopt it but them the school system is responsible for any monetary awards for discrimination or any bullying.

I Miss You.

You never get over it, it is always there, a hollow feeling, an emptiness, of not feeling whole that a part of you is missing.

On this day in 2002 my mother passed away, I still miss her. I think about many time through out the year and shed a tear.

They wanted a photo for their anniversary and I was taking formal pictures of them that they posed for but in between posses I snapped this candid photo of them.

I miss them both.

Round 4: No asterisk!

It has been a very long time with this case in the court system, appeal… appeal… until we win! That is the philosophy the Alliance Defending Freedom.

Court revives lawsuit over Connecticut rule allowing trans girls to compete in school sports
Connecticut Public Radio
By Larry Neumeister / Associated Press
December 15, 2023

Opponents of Connecticut’s policy letting transgender girls compete in girls high school sports will get a second chance to challenge it in court, an appeals court ruled Friday, which revived the case without weighing in on its merits.

Both sides called it a win. The American Civil Liberties Union said it welcomes a chance to defend the rights of the two transgender high school track runners it represents. The Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the four cisgender athletes who brought the lawsuit, also said it looks forward to seeking a ruling on the case's merits.

In a rare full meeting of all active judges on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, judges found the cisgender runners have standing to sue and have described injuries that might qualify for monetary damages. The runners also seek to alter certain athletic records, alleging they were deprived of honors and opportunities at elite track-and-field events because they say “male athletes” were permitted to compete against them.

The case had been dismissed by a Connecticut judge in 2021, and that decision was affirmed by three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit a year ago.

[…]

In a statement Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation of Connecticut cast the ruling as a victory for the two runners they represent — Andraya Yearwood and Terry Miller — noting that the 2nd Circuit wrote that the transgender runners have an “ongoing interest in litigating against any alteration of their public athletic records.”

No asterisk! We do not want any asterisks next to their wins!

And he pointed out that no one was able to cite any precedent in which a sports governing body retroactively stripped an athlete of accomplishments when the athlete complied with all existing rules and did not cheat or take an illegal substance.

“It is not the business of the federal courts to grant such relief,” Chin said.

And then we have Fox News;

Selina Soule, Chelsea Mitchell, Alanna Smith and Ashley Nicoletti, former runners who filed a lawsuit against the state’s high school sports governing body, had their case heard before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City, a year after the case was previously dismissed because the claims were found to be speculative.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is representing the former athletes, announced in a press release Friday that the lawsuit will now proceed in federal district court after all 15 members of the panel agreed "unanimously" to reinstate the case.

[…]

"The en banc 2nd Circuit was right to allow these brave women to make their case under Title IX and set the record straight. This is imperative not only for the women who have been deprived of medals, potential scholarships, and other athletic opportunities, but for all female athletes across the country."

What the ADF is doing is trying to put Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) to rewrite the rules.

 

The Hartford Courant wrote,

The narrowly focused decision Friday by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit orders the suit to proceed without resolving the central question raised by the four young women: Whether a policy requiring them to compete against transgender athletes violates Title IX of U.S. civil rights law, which requires schools receiving federal money to provide equal athletic opportunity to women.

Should the women prevail in the reinstated suit, it could lead to a ban against transgender athletic competition.

[...]

 

After concluding that Chatigny did, in fact, have jurisdiction, the appellate court concluded that the four high school girls had argued persuasively that they had “a concrete, particularized, and actual injury’ that could be “redressable by monetary damages and an injunction ordering Defendants to alter certain athletic records.”

So this court case here in Connecticut could have big implications nation wide!

Can A Shepherd Change His Spots?

Wow, just wow!

I never thought that I would see this…

Pope Francis Allows Priests to Bless Same-Sex Relationships
A church official said the blessings amounted to “a real development” that nevertheless did not amend “the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage.”
The New York Times
Jason Horowitz
By Jason Horowitz
December 18, 2023

Pope Francis has taken one of the most concrete steps in his efforts to make the Roman Catholic Church more welcoming to L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics by allowing priests to bless couples in same-sex relationships, the Vatican announced on Monday.

Priests have long blessed a wide variety of people, offering a prayer asking for God’s help and presence. The Vatican had long said it could not bless same-sex couples because it would undermine church doctrine that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

The new rule was issued in a declaration by the church’s office on doctrine and introduced by its prefect, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who said that the declaration did not amend “the traditional doctrine of the church about marriage,” because it allowed no liturgical rite that could be confused with the sacrament of marriage.

“It is precisely in this context,” Cardinal Fernández wrote, “that one can understand the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage.”

Notice one thing though… he doesn’t say “marry” just bless a wedding!

But still this is a mega step forward!

“This new declaration opens the door to nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples, something that had been previously off-limits for bishops, priests and deacons,” said the Rev. James Martin, a prominent advocate for L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics. “Along with many priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex unions.”

And remember last month, this from Reuters…

Last week, the Vatican's doctrinal office issued a statement saying transgender people can be godparents at Roman Catholic baptisms, witnesses at religious weddings and receive baptism themselves.

LGBT rights advocates in the church welcomed the move while conservatives condemned it, accusing Francis of sending confusing signals about sexual morality to the faithful.

The Pope also had lunch with trans people in November and he also removed a Texas Bishop. Texas Standard wrote,

Pope Francis fired a Texas bishop over the weekend, a rare move that some say highlights the growing divide between the Vatican and more conservative factions of the Catholic Church.

Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler publicly clashed with the pope over social and theological issues. He even went so far as to say that Pope Francis was undermining the Catholic faith on social media last summer.

The Vatican did not give a reason publicly for Bishop Strickland’s removal, but it came following a formal investigation into his leadership.

[…]

Bishop Strickland is probably the most outspoken American example of a wing of the church that sees Francis as really dangerously liberal on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. Just last week, the pope clarified that trans Catholics can serve as godparents and receive the sacrament of baptism in certain circumstances. Things like that are really troublesome to some more conservative Catholics.

I remember growing up and in Catechism class we learned that the Pope leads the Catholic Church has full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the universal church in matters of faith and morals but now a days the Pope’s authority is being questioned… will we see a split in the Catholic Church? Is he going too far for the conservative Bishops and Cardinals? Like what happened in 1978 to Pope John Paul I when he was leading the church to the left?

---

Update: 12/19/23 @ 2 AM

There is growing pushback to the Pope...

American Catholics Split on Pope’s Blessing for Gay Couples

Some conservatives registered disappointment, but gay Catholics hailed the new rule as a landmark moment for the church’s acceptance of L.G.B.T.Q. faithful.

New York Times

By Ruth Graham and Amy Harmon

December 18, 2023

Pope Francis announced on Monday that he would allow priests to bless same-sex couples, a shift that angered some conservatives but was celebrated by those who said that the decision was a substantial step in moving the church toward greater acceptance of L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics.

“It really is a landmark and milestone in the church’s relationship with L.G.B.T.Q. people that can’t be overestimated or overstated,” Francis DeBernardo, the executive director of New Ways Ministry, a Maryland group that has advocated on behalf of gay Catholics since the 1970s, said. “This declaration is proof that church teaching can — and does — change.”

Conservative Catholics in the United States, many of whom are deeply skeptical of Francis’ leadership, were disappointed. Some reacted with anger and others with a sense of resignation.

Will this cause a schism in the Catholic church like what happened with the United Methodist Church?

Year End Donations

The airwaves are flooded with ads to donate to non-profits, you know the ones with this tearful ads.

Well I got a couple for you…

After a year of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, a lifeline for trans and nonbinary people faces cuts
Nation
If you are a person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe place to talk, there are hotlines and online resources that can help.
PBS News Hour
By Hannah Grabenstein
December 14, 2023

The nation’s only mental health hotline designed specifically for — and almost entirely staffed by — transgender people will pause operations for the last two weeks of the year, and will decrease its hours of operation when it returns in 2024. As corporate donations have fallen, the Trans Lifeline has faced a major budget shortfall, leaders at the nonprofit said.

According to an announcement released on its website, the Trans Lifeline will also temporarily pause its microgrant program, which distributes small funds to trans people who may need financial assistance, including for things like changing their name and gender on official documents.

They are hurting! In this anti-trans world they are suffering.

The lifeline started this year with a $6.1 million budget, a sum that its leadership was confident would be reasonable based on gradual but sustained growth. In the past few years, the lifeline received substantial corporate donations, Bunny said.

“Word among the nonprofit campfire, and especially among queer and trans nonprofits, is that we’ve all seen our funding fall precipitously this year,” said Bunny, the Trans Lifeline’s director of operations who goes by a single name.

“Some nonprofits have had to shut down completely, others have had to do massive layoffs. It’s just a really hard landscape out there right now.”

As Republican politicians ramped up anti-trans rhetoric this year, and state legislatures passed dozens of bills limiting the rights of trans youth and adults, the organization saw corporate funding slow to a trickle, Bunny said.

They need financial support, they need community support, they need your, and they have mine.

• Trans Lifeline
• The Trevor Project

They Look Out For One Another Or We Got Your Back…

The dictators support each other.

Hungary blocks €50bn of EU funding for Ukraine
15th December 2023
By Jaroslav Lukiv in London & Jessica Parker in Kyiv
BBC News

Hungary has blocked €50bn ($55bn; £43bn) in EU aid for Ukraine - just hours after an agreement was reached on starting membership talks.

"Summary of the nightshift: veto for the extra money to Ukraine," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said after Thursday's talks in Brussels.

EU leaders said Ukraine would not be left without support.

Ukraine is critically dependent on EU and US funding as it continues to fight occupying Russian forces.

The aid blocking was announced by Mr Orban shortly after the EU leaders decided to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia.

Hungary - which maintains close ties with Russia - has long opposed membership for Ukraine but did not veto that move.

Mr Orban left the negotiating room momentarily in what officials described as a pre-agreed and constructive manner, while the other 26 leaders went ahead with the vote.

He told Hungarian state radio on Friday that he had fought for eight hours to stop his EU partners but could not convince them. Ukraine's path to EU membership would be a long process anyway, he added, adding that parliament in Budapest could still stop it happening if it wanted to.

Have you noticed the right-wingers support dictators?

Europe’s true beliefs on Ukraine are put to the test
Hungary and Ukraine fatigue risk undermining ‘as long as it takes’ vow.
Politico EU
BY BARBARA MOENS
DECEMBER 14, 2023

As long as it takes? Or as long as we feel like it?

For nearly two years, the EU has promised to support “Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes” — taking in millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s war of aggression, supporting Kyiv with financial and military aid, rallying diplomatic support across the world, and shrinking its economic and energy ties with Russia.  

But the bloc’s 27 member states are now struggling to agree unanimously on a longer-term €50 billion aid package for Kyiv, as well as on opening the door to future membership as this week’s European Council summit commences. At a time when $60 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine is stuck in the U.S. Congress, support from Brussels is essential to Kyiv’s continuing fight against Russia.

Putin’s propagandists are working overtime to stir unrest…

It’s not the first test of the EU’s unity on supporting Ukraine. The bloc’s salvo of sanctions against Russia were often watered down because of the economic concerns of various EU countries, sometimes leading to weeks of horse-trading and internal wrangling. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in particular has regularly used his veto power to win concessions for Budapest, such as exemptions for Russian oil imports, but has so far never prevented an agreement.

This time around, however, Orbán is rejecting not only extra money for Ukraine but also opening accession talks with Kyiv, calling the latter proposal “unfounded and poorly prepared.” Instead, Orbán wants a strategic debate on the EU’s Ukraine policy and is calling for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine.

The fascists are backing Putin, their hero, and that includes the Republicans who don’t want to support Ukraine anymore. Do the Republicans want Putin to win, it sure seems that way.

What Color Is Connecticut?

[Political Analysis]

Most people see Connecticut as Blue but is all about where you look. Take a snippet of a city and you will find “True Blue” but if take a sample in New Canaan it will be fiery red.

The suburbs and rural areas are Republican and the city are Democratic. If you look at my Senate district it split in half city and half suburbs, right know it is Democratic control but it switches back and forth. My House district is also split in have but this time they are both suburban towns and right now we have a Republican representative. However, for the last 12 years we had a Democratic representative.

In 2021 a bipartisan committee drew up the districts not the ruling party.

If you look at the map you will see some gerrymandering but… But there was give and take by both parties.

If you look at the national map you see Blues on the shores where there is a dense population and red in the middle (Hmm… kind of like a medium steak.) where the population is less dense.

I have been through parts of the mid-west and the west. And I tell you driving through Kansas on I-70 there is nothing! Absolutely nothing. Oh look there are some trees it must be another farm!

So why the divide? Anywhere you have a dense population they are liberals, everywhere you have a homogeneous population you have conservatives while where you have heterogeneous population you have liberals.

It is that homogeneous population is what does, those who are different are the “others.” Whether their skin is black or yellow, whether they worship another god, whether they come from another country, whether they are attracted to the same sex, or they are trans… they are the other.

While in the cities the close proximity to diverse groups can expose individuals to different perspectives, potentially have more liberal view on diversity. They are “Woke.”

So it is not only a divide between conservatives and liberals but also suburban/rural vs. urban.

The $64,000 question is how so we as a nation overcome this divide?

[/Political Analysis]

Saturday 9: The Christmas Blues

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions!

Sam’s Saturday 9: The Christmas Blues (1953)
 

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…

 

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
 
1) In this song, Dean Martin sings that the streets are white with snow. Do you anticipate a White Christmas this year?
HA! It is forecasted to be in the forties! I am glazing in my crystal ball… I foresee very little snow once again this winter. Our winters here are becoming more like South Carolina or Georgia winters

2) He tells us he's done plenty of window shopping this season. Do you find you're influenced by a retailer's window dressing and store decor? Are you more motivated by price? Or do you do most of your shopping online, making holiday decorations irrelevant?
Nope, I haven’t gone out shopping in decades for Christmas gifts,

3) Dean was born in Steubenville, OH. Though he rarely returned to his hometown, it was in his thoughts during the holidays. Every Christmas he made like Santa and sent toys to hospitalized children in the Steubenville area. Are there toys on your shopping list this year?
Well… it depends upon what you mean by toys. Is a new lens for my camera considered a new toy?

4) He had fast hands when it came to cards and before he was famous he worked as a dealer in Atlantic City. When you play cards, what's your favorite game?
Hearts.

5) Dean Martin was an avid reader ... of comic books. Especially im bed when he was on the road and couldn't sleep. Much as he enjoyed comic books, he was embarrassed by them. What do you do when you can't sleep?
Well… Ah… Um… I… er… Smoke a little bit of pot. I woke up around 2 last night night and couldn’t get back to sleep so I gave up around 4 and smoked a little Sativa. I woke up again around 8.

Now let's have a few holiday-specific questions:
 
6) Every year, the United States Postal Service introduces special holiday stamps. Do you purchase them?
Nope. I stopped sending out cards. Now it seems like everyone is sending postcard and Christmas cards.
 
7) Do you have a funny/ugly holiday sweater?
Nope. I did have holiday earrings though, now I a have only one earring.
 
8) Do you wrap your presents or use gift bags?
When I do give gifts I do both.

9) We're doing Christmas karaoke! What holiday or winter-themed song will you perform?
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer… when it is time for everyone to leave, that is when I sing. It drives them right our of the house.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

---

What a wild right home Monday! I closed up the cottage last weekend and headed home Monday morning.

I left the cottage at 6 AM and it was just very windy.

When I got to Eastham and it is pouring cats and dogs, wipers on high, everyone was doing 25 mph.

At the Orleans rotary still doing 25 – 30 on Suicide 6 [Suicide 6 got its name from all the head-on accidents, the road goes from a 4 lane road down to a 2 lane road for 13 miles then it changes in to a divided highway.], it was still pouring but not as heavy, speed is now up to 35, puddles everywhere! My idiot light on the dash keeps on blinking “Traction”

A gray car is tailgating me.

More puddles! Cars are fishtailing through the puddles.

Back to fours lanes divided highway and the gray tailgating me is a state police car!!!

A big, big puddle several inches deep, I slow to 25. A car on the left lane goes flying through the puddle and goes squirrely, fishtailing back and forth.

Another squall line, pouring rain, twenty, thirty feet visibility. Rt. 6 [Route 6 goes from Provincetown to California] looks like a river.

Traffic back up to 60. I randomly go through puddles… “Traction,” “Traction”

Another squall line, traffic is down to 35. Cars and trucks in the right lane go flying by and go through a puddle… brake lights come on. That is the wrong thing to do when hydroplaning! They almost lose it, fishtailing back and forth.

I get to the Sagamore bridge and it is light rain. A really big puddle on Rt. 6 between the Sagamore bridge and Rt. 25. I mean big! It is almost like a brook. So big I take a side road instead of going through it, the back roads were just as bad.

On to I-195 traffic is going 50, most of the driver are driving sane except a “crazy” now and then.

Beach Pond in Volutown CT was the highest that I ever seen it, it was almost over Rt. 165. But the rain has stopped.

I made it home at 11. Five hours for a normal under 4 hour drive.

Please, Please, Tell Me…

In this holiday season what are “family values”? So many people say they are for family values… but what are they? Is it “Father Knows Best” values? Or are they the Bundy families in “Married with Children” values? Are they your "family values" or mine? Are they the "family values" of the Republicans or Democrats? Did we take a national poll to determine them? We all have a different notion of what are "Family Values."

Credit: Pat Byrnes, PoliticalCartoons.com / CTNewsJunkie via Cagle Cartoons / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

OP-ED | The Continued Hypocrisy Of So-Called Family Values Conservatives
CT News Junkie
By Elwood Watson, Ph.D
December 11, 2023

Do as I say, not as I do. This sort of Victorian philosophy seems to be par for the course among many of the so-called family values conservatives.

Recent reports that Christian Ziegler, the husband of Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, is under police investigation in Sarasota, Fla. following a rape allegation sent shockwaves through the right-wing echo chamber while eliciting eye rolls from many progressives and others on the cultural left.

[…]

The fact that Christopher and Bridgett Ziegler, both high level officials in Florida politics, were having group sex with a woman have led to accusations of hypocrisy from Democrats and LGBTQ groups.

“Family Values” are those “pie-in-the-sky” ideas like patriotism, apple pie, and god, everyone has them but everyone has their own ideal of them. When your child misbehaves do you A) Hit them with your belt? Or B) Give them a timeout? those are some people ideas of “Family Values.” “Our Country Right or Wrong” are some people ideas of "Family Values" but what does it mean? Do we stand by our country no matter what? Or do we try and change it… but then what do we change it to?

Groups like Moms for Liberty and their socially conservative co-horts often target everyone from drag queens to school officials of being sympathetic to sexual predators and similar deviants. Just last month, a similar story exposed a Philadelphia organizer for Moms of Liberty for his 2012 conviction of sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy.

I find that there is probability those crying the loudest for “Family Values” have the worst values and think everyone else is like them.

With permission of the politically-infected racist and acidic climate of the Trump years, such rhetoric and sentiments were granted permissive license to expose and express themselves in the larger public domain, and have been eagerly embraced by those who identify with such a regressive value system.

It is incumbent upon those of us determined to reside in an America where diversity of all facets are allowed to flourish without fear of being harmed or silenced. The future of democracy, as we know it, may very well depend on it.

We each have a notion what “Family Values” are and they are all different.

Since we humans can’t decide on “Family Values” I turned to machines to ask that question…
Google’s Bard…

"Family values" is a broad term that encapsulates the guiding principles and beliefs that shape a family's identity and decision-making. It's essentially the moral compass that navigates their lives together. Here's a breakdown:

Core elements:

• Shared beliefs and ideals: These could be around things like honesty, respect, loyalty, compassion, hard work, or religious faith.
• Prioritization of family: Family comes first, and members support each other through thick and thin.
• Communication and understanding: Open and honest communication is crucial for resolving conflicts and building strong bonds.
• Traditions and rituals: Shared experiences and customs strengthen the family unit and create a sense of belonging.
• Roles and responsibilities: Each member has defined roles and contributes to the family's well-being.

Important to remember:

•     Variety and evolution: Family values differ across cultures, backgrounds, and even within families themselves. They can evolve over time as families adapt to changing circumstances.
•     Subjectivity and nuance: There's no one-size-fits-all definition of "good" family values. What matters most is that the values are shared, understood, and practiced by the family members.
•     Potential for conflict: Different values can clash, leading to disagreements and challenges. Open communication and respect are essential for navigating these situations.

Examples of common family values:

•     Love and affection
•     Honesty and integrity
•     Respect and trust
•     Compassion and empathy
•     Hard work and responsibility
•     Education and self-improvement
•     Community and service
•     Religious faith or spirituality

Ultimately, "family values" are about creating a supportive and loving environment where individuals can thrive and grow together. It's about shared understanding, mutual respect, and a commitment to building a strong family unit.

I hope this explanation helps! Feel free to ask further questions if you'd like to delve deeper into specific aspects of family values.

ChatGPT…

"Family values" typically refer to the moral and ethical principles that are considered important within a family unit. These values often guide the behavior, decisions, and priorities of family members. While the specific values can vary between cultures, religions, and individual families, some common elements often associated with family values include:

• Love and Support: Families often value unconditional love and support for one another. This involves showing care, empathy, and understanding.
• Communication: Open and effective communication is considered crucial for a healthy family. This includes sharing thoughts, feelings, and concerns in a respectful manner.
• Respect: Respecting each other's opinions, boundaries, and individuality is a key aspect of family values. This may involve treating each family member with kindness and consideration.
• Trust: Trust is foundational in family relationships. Family members generally strive to be reliable and trustworthy, fostering a sense of security within the family unit.
• Responsibility: Families often emphasize the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions and contributing to the well-being of the family as a whole.
• Tradition and Rituals: Many families place value on maintaining traditions and rituals that help create a sense of continuity, identity, and belonging.
• Ethical and Moral Standards: Families may uphold specific ethical and moral standards that guide their behavior. These standards often align with cultural or religious beliefs.
• Education and Personal Development: Valuing education and personal development is common among families, emphasizing the importance of learning, growth, and self-improvement.
• Caring for Others: Encouraging a sense of compassion and empathy toward others, both within and outside the family, is often considered a positive family value.

It's important to note that family values can vary widely among individuals and cultures, and there is no universally agreed-upon set of values. Additionally, families may evolve and adapt their values over time based on changing circumstances, experiences, and generational shifts.

I also asked Microsoft's AI...

Family values are a set of principles and beliefs that a family agrees upon and holds in high regard. These values serve as a guide, influencing familial relationships, individual behaviors, and the overall emotional growth of family members1

Some examples of family values are empathy, family time, honesty, love, loyalty, perseverance, and respect. Different families may have different values based on their culture, religion, and personal preferences2

Family values are important because they can help families cope with challenges, strengthen their bonds, and promote the well-being of each member. Family values can also shape the morals and worldview of children as they grow up32

If you want to learn more about family values, you can ask me follow-up questions or check out these web sources:

• 7 Values for Strong Families and How to Teach Them - WebMD
• Family values - Wikipedia
• Family Values: What Values Should I Instill In My Family? - ReGain

Did you notice something?

Bard: Love and affection, Honesty and integrity, and Compassion and empathy.

ChatGPT: Love and Support, Ethical and Moral Standards, and Caring for Others.

Microsoft's AI: empathy, honesty, and love.

 

The machines recognized that the primary “Family Value” is… Love and support.

 

Some families have hating those who are different as family traditions, some families embrace all and try to see the good in people as their tradition.

As we are in the holiday season, we open our hearts to all. We welcome the not only Christian celebrations, but also the Muslim and the Jewish holidays. We welcome those who celebrate Kwanzaa and the Three Kings Day.

We open our arms to our trans children, to our gay and lesbian children, we don’t throw them out on the street. We take and nurture their individuality to to grow and flourish. We guide them we do not tell them. We have a shoulder to cry on and a band aid... but most of all we let them learn to be themselves.

What is your family traditions and values?

Round 2!

Yesterday I wrote about the federal court case on the Florida law denying us healthcare, well the Feds are also going after Florida.

Feds take aim at Florida's Medicaid ban on transgender care
The Department of Justice says that Florida's decision to block coverage for hormone therapy and puberty-blocking medications violated a federal Medicaid law and the Affordable Care Act.
The News Service of Florida
By Jim Saunders
December 8, 2023

The Biden administration this week urged an appeals court to uphold a ruling that Florida violated federal law by blocking Medicaid coverage for transgender people seeking hormone therapy and puberty blockers.

Lawyers from the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services filed a brief at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals saying decisions by the state Agency for Health Care Administration and lawmakers to prevent coverage for the treatments violated a federal Medicaid law and the Affordable Care Act.

In part, the brief pointed to what it described as “nondiscrimination requirements” in the Affordable Care Act. It said “Florida’s (coverage) exclusions target transgender people and prevent them, because of their sex assigned at birth, from receiving care available to other Medicaid beneficiaries.”

[…]

The Medicaid coverage prohibition applied to minors and adults, but much of the debate in Florida and other states has focused on whether minors should be able to receive puberty blockers and hormone therapy.

In a brief filed in October at the appeals court, attorneys for the state wrote that the case is about “whether public funds should be used to reimburse for these treatments.”

“It’s a health and welfare question; it’s a medical policy issue,” the brief said. “It’s an area where the state gets to draw the line between what’s permissible and what isn’t. Here, the state of Florida made its decision in legislation … and an administrative rule. … It decided to deny Medicaid reimbursement for the treatments. That’s a decision the state gets to make. And given the evidence (or lack thereof) supporting the treatments, its decision was reasonable.”

These Republicans ignore the laws, the law plainly states we must have our healthcare covered, the Republicans don’t care.

The Biden administration attorneys wrote that “as the district court found, treating gender dysphoria with these medications remains consistent with widely accepted standards of care.”

“The district court correctly held, based on the trial record, that by categorically barring coverage for puberty blockers and hormone therapies when used to treat gender dysphoria, Florida violated Medicaid’s EPSDT and comparability requirements,” the 41-page brief, filed Monday, said.

You know that this is going all the way to Trump’s Supreme Court.

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It is amazing! We all think that the democracy is going to hell in a hand-basket but from there we differ,

Americans agree that the 2024 election will be pivotal for democracy, but for different reasons

AP News

By GARY FIELDS and LINLEY SANDERS
December 15, 2023

In a politically polarized nation, Americans seem to agree on one issue underlying the 2024 elections — a worry over the state of democracy and how the outcome of the presidential contest will affect its future.

They just disagree over who poses the threat.

A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 62% of adults say democracy in the U.S. could be at risk depending on who wins next fall. Majorities of Democrats (72%) and Republicans (55%) feel the same way, but for different reasons.

 

[...]

 

 “I think from the side of the left, it’s pretty obvious that they’re concerned about electing a president who is avowedly authoritarian, someone who clearly wants to reduce checks and balances within the government to strengthen the presidency and to do so in ways that give the executive branch kind of an unprecedented reach across the population and sectors of the government,” said Michael Albertus, political science professor at the University of Chicago.

“From the right, the Republicans think about government overreach, big government, threats to freedom and mandates to act in a certain way or adopt certain policies,” he said.

I don't think any of us find it amazing that the divide exists I think what we are amazed about that the Republicans still think that Trump won!

Robert Lieberman, a professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, has studied the fall of democracies elsewhere and the common elements that feed their demise.

The factors include polarization, growing ethnic or racial antagonism, rising economic inequality and a concentration of power under a country's executive officeholder.

And a political party is working to make the split wider because it means more votes for them to get their base riled up.

Trump is not the cause of the pattern, Lieberman said, but “seems to have an unerring instinct to make things worse, and he certainly has authoritarian impulses and a lot of followers who seem to validate or applaud him.”

The AP-NORC poll found that 87% of Democrats and 54% of independents believe a second Trump term would negatively affect U.S. democracy. For Republicans, 82% believe democracy would be weakened by another Biden win, with 56% of independents agreeing.

[...]

Social media platforms and news sites that reinforce biases accelerate the polarization that leads people from different political perspectives to believe the other side is the one representing the gravest threat to the nation’s democracy, said Lilliana Mason, an associate professor of political science at Johns Hopkins.

Vote Blue!