DeSantis Probing Universities For Info On Trans Students' Healthcare

[Carolyn Marie]

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/desantis-seeks-transgender-university-students-health-care-information-rcna66495

 

His obsession with us seems to be deep seated; a real hatred, phobia, or paranoia.  What else could explain his behavior??

 

Carolyn Marie

[Marcie Jensen]

I can't help but wonder if DeSantis is totally ignorant regarding HIPPA laws. Even if the universities wanted to comply, they can't under HIPPA. To do so would put the universities in violation of federal law, which would impact, among other things, their access to all federal funding. And, where is the Florida AG in all this? Surely they know DeSantis is in the wrong here.

[Ivy]

I'm sorry, but I can't help feeling that this man is simply evil.  And he has designs on the presidency.

 

"The survey was released the same day the university presidents voted to support DeSantis’ “anti-woke” agenda and to reject “the progressivist higher education indoctrination agenda,” while committing to “removing all woke positions and ideologies by February 1, 2023,” the state Education Department said in a news release."

 

What is "Woke" anyway?  It seems to be anything these people don't like.  Isn't an education supposed to teach you about stuff you don't already know?  And give you the tools to make up your own mind about it?

 

They are loudly shouting about freedom while actually repressing it.

 

What is this "Transgender Agenda" anyway.  For my part it's just leave us the heck alone.

[Charlize]

I doubt this nasty person really has anything against us but who really knows.  He is a shrewd politician who is building a campaign for president and finds us an unfortunate scapegoat.  

 

Ughs,

 

Charlize

[awkward-yet-sweet]

The problem with HIPAA has always been that the government can do an awful lot of prying both with and without warrants, while creating obstructions for family members trying to take care of somebody's medical bills.  It will be very difficult to keep state government out of medical records.

 

Removing leftist/socialist/regressive indoctrination from universities is a good thing...but replacing Lenin with Mussolini isn't exactly a win.  

 

 

 

[Vidanjali]

7 hours ago, Carolyn Marie said:

His obsession with us seems to be deep seated; a real hatred, phobia, or paranoia.  What else could explain his behavior?? 

 

49 minutes ago, Charlize said:

I doubt this nasty person really has anything against us but who really knows. He is a shrewd politician who is building a campaign for president and finds us an unfortunate scapegoat.

 

While it's difficult not to take it personally, I believe this is the case. Extremists will find any issue on which to build a platform. They usually do not care extremely about the issue, but they do care extremely about grabbing power by any means necessary, regardless of collateral damage. 

 

Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority, for example, enabled many others to follow suit. 

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-religious-right-wasnt-created-to-battle-abortion/

[Ivy]

14 minutes ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

Removing leftist/socialist/regressive indoctrination from universities is a good thing...but replacing Lenin with Mussolini isn't exactly a win. 

But I have to question if education = indoctrination.  Wouldn't it be better to present both ideologies so they could be compared with each other?

It's been years since I was in school but I never did accept everything that I was presented with.  And even now I am exposed to varying ideas.  There is no way I just uncritically accept everything that I am told - even here.

 

Withholding information seems antithetical to the freedom they claim to champion.

Withholding information is a tool of totalitarian regimes.

[Ivy]

4 minutes ago, Katie23 said:

I am waiting for him to require us to have pink triangles on our forearms.

This is not really necessary in this computer age.  Most of us already have an ID of some sort that can be brought up remotely.  Take note of the recent attempts in Texas to identify trans-people making gender changes.  The information is there.  It's only a matter of when some "DeSantis" decides to use it.  Saying these things violate HIPPA(?) or some other rule really means nothing.  They'll do what they want and justify it with some absurd excuse.

 

We are already being actively demonized by the most watched "news" network.

Perhaps my own legal name (and gender marker) change was not a wise move.

[awkward-yet-sweet]

1 hour ago, Ivy said:

Withholding information seems antithetical to the freedom they claim to champion.

Withholding information is a tool of totalitarian regimes.

 

I agree.  However, the pro-socialist leanings of the majority of institutions is no secret.  Students haven't been getting "both sides" for a long time.  Unfortunately, both of those sides are the problem, and DeSantis is just swapping out the woke regressive stuff for neo-Conservatism.  

 

The students I've talked to lately seem almost entirely unaware of the other possibilities, unable to think apart from what authority has decreed.  I find it disgusting that no matter what happens politically, students will have information withheld.  

 

I believe it is also suspicious and inappropriate for universities to have any involvement in student healthcare.  Large institutions are acting almost like their own governments now.  That overreach is now enabling the current abuse of state power.  

[Ivy]

On 1/20/2023 at 11:48 AM, awkward-yet-sweet said:

The students I've talked to lately seem almost entirely unaware of the other possibilities, unable to think apart from what authority has decreed. 

Having come of age in the 60's I don't understand this.  For better or worse it seemed like everything was questioned.

 

On 1/20/2023 at 11:48 AM, awkward-yet-sweet said:

I believe it is also suspicious and inappropriate for universities to have any involvement in student healthcare.

If US healthcare wasn't so messed up this wouldn't be an issue.

[Marcie Jensen]

@Ivyyour initial point about coming of age in the 60's is well taken. For me it was the 70's, but pretty much the same--everything was questioned. Most of the blame from @awkward-yet-sweet's comment can be traced to what's being taught, or rather isn't being taught, in public schools. For example, my kids graduated in the 2000's (2008 and 2012, respectively) and it is downright astounding what they haven't been taught.  For example, here are a couple of things: not being able to think for themselves; not knowing the basics of how our government was formed and why; can't diagram a sentence but knowing all about tropes; name calling instead of presenting an actual position on something; the list going on and on ad infinitum. It's sad.

 

And you're spot on about healthcare.

[Marcie Jensen]

FERPA may not apply if the students signed a release among the paperwork when they were admitted to college or accepted federally backed loans/grants.

[Sally Stone]

1 hour ago, Ivy said:

Having come of age in the 60's I don't understand this.  For better or worse it seemed like everything was questioned.

Ivy, I think you've hit an important fact that is often overlooked as we try to understand why political figures like DeSantis gain such popularity.  It is quite simply our fault for being ignorant of the facts.  As a society, we have become a lazy bunch who will not take the time to understand both sides of an issue.  Instead, we just accept what we read on social media or hear in a short sound-bite.  We no longer question issues because that takes actual effort.  The problem is, when we fail to have a good understanding of an issue and remain silent, the loud mouths speak for us.  We all need to become smarter, more well informed citizens, if we have any hope of fighting off the hate mongers like DeSantis.

[awkward-yet-sweet]

I believe that a big part of preventing stuff like this lies with the conservatives.  Most of them aren't fired up about the trans issue....a minority of a minority is not a threat to them.

 

It would be nice if conservatives could keep folks like DeSantis focused on fighting the establishment in ways that actually help.  Like lowering taxes, disbanding federal agencies, curbing inflation, reducing transportation and energy regulations, helping American factories, and returning as much local control as possible.  There's tons of positive work these people could do...

[Carolyn Marie]

3 hours ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

It would be nice if conservatives could keep folks like DeSantis focused on fighting the establishment in ways that actually help.  Like lowering taxes, disbanding federal agencies, curbing inflation, reducing transportation and energy regulations, helping American factories, and returning as much local control as possible.  There's tons of positive work these people could do...

 

Ah, but there's the rub, AYS; most of those things you mentioned are hard and take time and effort, and "the base" prob wouldn't appreciate it.  Targeting a tiny minority whose members are strange and different, hold little power, are usually liberal and whom "the base" has never encountered, is as easy as pie, and comes with little risk.

 

Carolyn Marie

[Marcie Jensen]

12 hours ago, Carolyn Marie said:

 

Ah, but there's the rub, AYS; most of those things you mentioned are hard and take time and effort, and "the base" prob wouldn't appreciate it.  

 

Actually, the things that @awkward-yet-sweet cited are the very things that conservatives supposedly stand for. As for why the trans community is targeted, well we are not only low hanging fruit (ie: easy targets) by both major parties, but are a convenient wedge issue to distract people from the real issues that plague our society.

[Davie]

 

"Crumbling schools, dilapidated buildings, property insurance, are the issues being ignored because we have to deal w/ the promotion of Jim Crow 3.0, by ppl who don’t know & don’t care about what’s happening in Black communities, but desire to referee how our history is taught."  — Shevrin “Shev” Jones

[VickySGV]

2 hours ago, Davie said:

"Crumbling schools, dilapidated buildings, property insurance, are the issues being ignored because we have to deal w/ the promotion of Jim Crow 3.0, by ppl who don’t know & don’t care about what’s happening in Black communities, but desire to referee how our history is taught."  — Shevrin “Shev” Jones

 

sad chuckle at truth there!!!