Times, they are changing

[Jani]

Regardless of your view of the President's last eight years, when I hear him include "transgender people" in his final address I think times are changing.  We may face a period of darkness under the incoming administration (but lets hope not) but we will prevail in gaining full equality, free of discrimination.  Maybe not in my lifetime but I know our younger members will experience it some day soon.

Jani     

[Charlize]

I will certainly miss the outgoing administration. I felt we had an ally in the Whitehouse.  In the last few years we have become much more visible and in that process have become a target as well.  One can only hope that in time acceptance not hatred will grow both for the GLBT community and all the "minority" groups who together make up this wonderful country.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Briana]

I have to say it was by far one of the best presidential farewell speeches I've heard.  And yes, these times they are a changin. 

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'

Bob dylan

[Guest]

Ever since that man got elected, I've been worried. I've had many people try to tell me that it doesn't matter, I just have a difficult time buying that. Even if it does turn out that Trump doesn't have a problem with LGBTQ, his entire cabinet does! :/ 

[Timber Wolf]

Hi Everyone,

I've been trying to ignore his upcoming inauguration as much as possible, as it's just plain depressing to me. I wish President Obama could have and would have run for and won a 3rd term instead, but that of course is just not the way it works. Goodbye, Mr. President. I believe history will prove you a far better President than the new one will be. I hope I'm wrong, as that will mean trump turns out much better than it appears he will. We will get through this though! 

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

[Guest]

I have some trans friends that are republicans, and are all fro trump, and tell me that he's pro LGBTQ. I pointed out that he's been a bit on the fence with it, but his dream-team cabinet are all haters. I left it as, I guess we'll see. But good for her she gets her GCS in eight days, before this all goes to hell.......

[TexasLibraryLady]

13 minutes ago, CyndiRae said:

You see there are whole lot of people that would simply just like us trans folks to go away, and not exist at all at least in public.

Cyndi -

I think you are right, because this is exactly the conversation I had with my father and his wife. While they "support" me, they don't understand why people have to know that I'm a transgender woman. "Why can't it be like it used to be when people knew that LGBT people existed but nobody talked about it."

[Guest]

" people have to know that I'm a transgender woman".

My wife kept asking me why I felt the need to tell people as I was going through this. I was completely shocked, and asked, how would you like to be in that situation? Not being able to talk about yourself, or show who you really are? Why would I want support from friends and family. One of the craziest questions ever.  I feel the pain, TexasLady, I do........

[Jani]

I think we are compelled to tell our story as otherwise when we transition it leaves a vacuum that will be filled with whatever stories your friends/family can come up with.  Not a good idea.  
Why would you want support?  Ask her to imagine a life without love, support and caring from anyone.  Scary.  Sounds like being in solitary confinement. 

Jani 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Jani423 said:

I think we are compelled to tell our story as otherwise when we transition it leaves a vacuum that will be filled with whatever stories your friends/family can come up with.  Not a good idea.  
Why would you want support?  Ask her to imagine a life without love, support and caring from anyone.  Scary.  Sounds like being in solitary confinement. 

Jani 

Well, she told me if I 'break our agreed upon terms', she has to leave

[Guest LesleyAnne]

Pence is my greatest worry.......Vice Presidents traditionally don't do much except break a tie, however they step in if the President vacates the office from whatever..... hmm like being bored, or just plain disinterested in continuing to lead! The  president elect is all about the delegation of power which is usually the way it's supposed to work, but when it comes to choosing a cabinet of extremists to head these posts it makes one shudder to think of the results from these appointments .

As an example.....Rick Perry, if true to his campaign promise to eliminate the EPA (the agency he couldn't remember during the debate) should fire himself after he tries to dismantle it. But knowing Rick he'll do nothing, he'll let the agency flounder without leadership so as to keep his paycheck. 

Pence is a strong R-wing christian who believes in reparative therapy, that LGBTQ is a choice! Not someone I relish to inherit the White House, or at the very least have the presidents ear. 

[MarcieMarie12]

Two things, the republicans do not have a super majority in the senate---so anything to onurus will be blocked by dems and a handful of sympathetic republicans there, and my take on Trump is that he does not like to look bad. He does not like it when things go off script--like people speaking up for themselves. He is in for a rude awakening, and when he discovers his underlings putting the rights of LGBT on the line the true test will be if we (the LGBT community and our allies) protest to a significant degree.

In this respect, the woman's march on the 21st (the day after the inauguration) in Washington will be the first such protest. I look at it as a warning shot for the incoming president. Yes as a (trans)woman and a pansexual, I am going.  

Just in case you missed it: https://www.womensmarch.com/

[Guest Grandmotherbear]

20 hours ago, Fiona said:

I have some trans friends that are republicans, and are all fro trump, and tell me that he's pro LGBTQ. I pointed out that he's been a bit on the fence with it, but his dream-team cabinet are all haters. I left it as, I guess we'll see. But good for her she gets her GCS in eight days, before this all goes to hell.......

There were Jewish Nazis in the early days. MY SO the historian says that she's sure they only heard the "let's get even with France" part of Hitler's message. They learned later, to their sorrow.

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, Grandmotherbear said:

There were Jewish Nazis in the early days. MY SO the historian says that she's sure they only heard the "let's get even with France" part of Hitler's message. They learned later, to their sorrow.

Cognitive dissonance? 

[Tejana]

1 hour ago, Fiona said:

Cognitive dissonance? 

W/ re: to the thread...I am ready for a change.  The past eight years have been very difficult, and until recently I saw no hope for positive change. 

W/ re: to the afore-quoted post....How so?

[MarcieMarie12]

Vivien, much of it is about economics and how regulated the US economy is. Too many small businesses (which employ the vast majority of Americans), have been hurt by regulators making small changes that require a lot of time and money to comply with. Often with little tangible benefit to the consumer or employees. The last 8 years have been horrible in this regard, so when the time came many business owners and others (such as employees of said businesses) affected by such things. It has nothing to do with LGBT issues, or anything else. They felt another 4 years of democratic control would destroy their business. 

The other issue is the Democratic Party, they messed this election up. Their first mistake was having more super delegates than delegates in the primary. The second is almost all of those super delegates deciding to vote for Clinton, even though Bernie Sanders had almost the same amount or more (I do not recall the number)  of delegates.

Third is Trumps protectionism, it got him a lot of votes from the blue collar workers in manufacturing. They will be sadly disappointed when the number of jobs that do come back are much less than they thought. Scary part is, the last major trade war was in 1929......I see that possibly happening again.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Tejana said:

W/ re: to the thread...I am ready for a change.  The past eight years have been very difficult, and until recently I saw no hope for positive change. 

W/ re: to the afore-quoted post....How so?

Jewish nazi? Trump supporting trans? How is this not  Cognitive dissonance? 

[Jani]

This thread is being moved to Politics as the discussion is more appropriate there.

[Cindy Truheart]

My wife and I campaigned for Bernie. IMO he was the only decent candidate out of all of them. Trump is the opposite of what this nation is supposed to be about. Anyone who makes excuses for his words or his actions or his gas lighting, are only fooling themselves. We plan on becoming even more involved in the future, the way we figure it we are now minorities four times over between the two of us. The only way things get better is if we go to work on it.