GA Hearing: Only Anti-Trans Proponents Allowed To Speak

[Ivy]

https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/ga-hearing-only-anti-trans-proponents?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=994764&post_id=141646575&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=k5hac&utm_medium=email

 

"Immediately after the bill's sponsor spoke about the bill, he ceded the floor to Jeff Cleghorn, a gay anti-trans activist who calls transgender people "mentally ill sex fetishists" and regularly shares content from groups like Gays Against Groomers and Libs of TikTok. Following an incendiary speech in which he advocated for separating transgender individuals from the LGBTQ+ community, Republicans allowed four people to speak. These included a former president of the Young Republicans, a representative from Gays Against Groomers, and a representative from the Georgia Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay Republican activists. They then abruptly ended the debate, preventing the dozens of attendees opposed to the bill from speaking."

 

This is how the Republicans "debate" an anti-trans bill.

I am so disgusted by now.  I expect they'll be doing this here in NC soon.  They've already done a "Parents bill of rights" thing of some sort.

[Ivy]

 

"3. Having reported on thousands of hours of these hearings, I can say that I have never seen this before. Sometimes they will weigh it in favor of proponents, sometimes they will allow no testimony, but allowing only proponents is unprecedented."

[Ivy]

I swear, I don't want to be bitter about these things, but sometimes it's hard.

[Carolyn Marie]

This is part of the new Republican playbook.  If courts rule against you, ignore the courts; if the public tries to go around you by putting propositions on the ballot, block them from doing so; if the propositions they disapprove of win voter approval, ignore what the state constitution now requires; and if Dems win elections, gerrymander their districts out of existence.

 

What has become apparent to me and many others is that these MAGA Republicans don't like our Constitution (except for the 2nd Amendment) and don't care much for democracy, either.  Polls have shown that conservative voters would not approve of many of the existing tenants of our own Constitution and would vote to eliminate them if they could.  😪

 

Carolyn Marie

 

 

[Ivy]

8 hours ago, Carolyn Marie said:

This is part of the new Republican playbook. 

They're going for minority rule.

They've convinced themselves that they are the only true Americans, and they need to "Take our country back".  

[Ashley0616]

Another negative article about us goodness gracious! I'm sure Mississippi will follow as well. I hope to God that a democrat who favors us is elected president!

[VickySGV]

1 hour ago, Ashley0616 said:

who favors us is elected president!

 

For heaven's sake, get out and vote!!!!

[Ashley0616]

26 minutes ago, VickySGV said:

 

For heaven's sake, get out and vote!!!!

Oh I will. I'll just have to deal with a crowd and I can't stand crowds. 

[Ivy]

3 hours ago, Ashley0616 said:

I'll just have to deal with a crowd and I can't stand crowds. 

Dn't like crowds much meself.  Do y'all have early voting?  That's what I usually do.

[Ashley0616]

1 hour ago, Ivy said:

Dn't like crowds much meself.  Do y'all have early voting?  That's what I usually do.

I think so but from I heard it's busy during that time too. 

[Ivy]

I think it was in the 2020 election I went on Election Day.  There was a huge line.  Outside, up the stairs, then a bunch of switchbacks.  I was wearing a dress.  I think I was the only visibly queer person there.   Stuck it out though.  Of course the Repubs carried the county - but it wasn't my fault.

 

Last year's off-year election, I went.  I had my new ID by then.  The poll people looked at me funny, but I did it anyway.  I don't know what will happen this time.  I suppose if they challenge me, it might be time to consider looking for a new home.

To be honest, I don't expect it.  The Repbs know they'll carry the county anyway, and probably the state.  I just vote to mess with them.  I'm kinda stubborn like that.  I'm in my 70's and don't have much to lose anymore.

[awkward-yet-sweet]

This stuff isn't a surprise.  Standard political fare.  Anytime a particular group controls a committee or a hearing, you only hear from the people they choose.  Most committees are a partisan witch hunt. 

 

We are supposed to have a Republic, not a democracy.  The original goal was to prevent majority rule.  Or minority rule.  It was supposed to make sure that decisions required more than a majority.  Population-wise, the nation is split about 50/50.  The Constitution works if everybody supports the Bill of Rights for everybody....except that basically nobody does.   One side supports freedom of speech for themselves and not for others.  The other side does the same.  One side supports freedom of religion for basically everybody except conservative Christians.  The other side seeks some form of theocracy.  Violent mobs masquerade as "protests."  The right to petition is basically meaningless because nobody reads letters from common folks.  Independent media is rare and persecuted...you get one party's mouthpiece or another. 

 

The 50-state Republic is basically dead.  I'd love to see a new, separatist republic in my area.   I suspect, however, if we get a separatist state it is likely to be a theocratic oligarchy of sorts.  Talking with folks here lately, its shocking how many would support theocracy, possibly even a monarchy.  But that's what happens when people get jaded and sick of the constant trouble. 

 

 

[Davie]

11 hours ago, Ashley0616 said:

I think so but from I heard it's busy during that time too. 

I've never seen a line at early voting. I vote early in the day. 

[Marieh]

The most disturbing aspect of this is the fact of  Gay groups attacking transgender people. They really ought to know better. They should also remember they're next in line for the bigots. 

[KatieSC]

2 hours ago, Marieh said:

The most disturbing aspect of this is the fact of  Gay groups attacking transgender people. They really ought to know better. They should also remember they're next in line for the bigots. 

I am actually not surprised about som of the gay folks attacking us. I have met a some gay folks who were rather mean, as well as misinformed. They had much disdain for transgender individuals. Hate comes in many different forms. I suspect that there is a segment that thinks if they throw us under the bus, they come out looking better. 

 

We are unfortunately in for some rocky times down the road.

[Davie]

1 hour ago, KatieSC said:

I am actually not surprised about som of the gay folks attacking us. I have met a some gay folks who were rather mean, as well as misinformed. They had much disdain for transgender individuals. Hate comes in many different forms. I suspect that there is a segment that thinks if they throw us under the bus, they come out looking better. 

 

We are unfortunately in for some rocky times down the road.

Yes. Many gays are ill-informed about our place in LGBT+ history. And the irony in all this is that the Gay uprising at Stonewall or the Stonewall riots, that led to much progress for gay people since were led by two transgender women of color, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who were said to have resisted arrest and thrown the first bottle (or brick or stone) at the cops, respectively at the riot.
https://www.history.com/news/stonewall-riots-timeline 

[Ivy]

4 hours ago, Marieh said:

Gay groups attacking transgender people.

We should be allies, but unfortunately that is not always the case.  

But then, being transgender is not the same thing as being gay although they often overlap.  I do kinda like the blanket term "queer" though.

To be honest, there are trans people that I don't really identify with.  But I certainly support their right to be who they are.  Same with cis gay people.

[VickySGV]

I fully support the right of all people to just mind their own business in peace!!

[Ivy]

Here's another note from Georgia…

 

Georgia Senator Vows to Protect Girl, But Then Runs Away After Learning She Is Trans

 

https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/georgia-senator-vows-to-protect-girl?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=994764&post_id=141716994&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=k5hac&utm_medium=email

 

A real hero, this one.  /s

[Carolyn Marie]

They are all cowards.  They fear a negative reaction from their base if they don't harass and threaten trans people.  They fear losing their lofty jobs.  They are pathetic.

 

Carolyn Marie

[VickySGV]

A counter side to that however is that some of our own activists have acted so desperately to show our legitimacy that they have "OUTED" our closeted ALLIES who should have the same rights about "coming out" that we claim for ourselves.  I don't know if this was possible in  this case, but it is something to keep in mind.