54 Comments
User's avatar
Mitchimuspr1me's avatar

As a former TX teacher who also has a trans kid of my own…this was one of my greatest fears and a major factor in our decision to leave TX in 2023. To my fellow educators and parents in TX, I am so sorry yall have to suffer this.

Expand full comment
RRMother's avatar

I am also a former TX teacher with a trans kid of my own. I left teaching 15+ years ago for medical reasons, but also bc teaching is such an overall disaster in this state. I homeschooled both my kids.

Abbott and Paxton are trying damn hard to force all the good and mediocre teachers out of public schools so that all that’s left are the terrible ones. Why? Bc they want a MAGA version of segregated schools again. They want the kids from poor and minority families to be trapped in terrible schools to keep them uneducated - in order to better control them. Teach them nothing but MAGA propaganda from awful teachers in unsafe schools, while the upper middle class and wealthy are in the safe, well-run, well-taught schools… which happen to be charter schools run by the MAGA elites so they can make $$$ (stolen from the public schools).

And it’s not just happening in Texas... I really do worry and fear for our country’s institutions and democracy, along with my worries about my teen. I’m glad you all got out. We are stuck for now until the housing market rights itself again. Not happy.

Expand full comment
Jessica Tymczak's avatar

You made the right decision, trying desperately to get out of this fascist state. I have a good friend who teaches music that this affects, and I teach at the college level. Wondering when the state will end my employment because I am a transgender woman, I know it is coming, horrible state.

Expand full comment
Sonya Gonzo's avatar

This soulless creature is disgusting, he does not represent everyone in Texas. He needs to get out of office. The last I heard, there are more pastors or church ministers in the sex offender registry than transgender folks!

Expand full comment
Jessica Tymczak's avatar

Actually, I think there are no transgender people in the registry, hard to say.

Expand full comment
Sonya Gonzo's avatar

You are most likely correct! Thanks for this point. 😊

Expand full comment
Nicholas Ashwood's avatar

Oh joy, more punishments for people saying words... But sure, we're alllll about free speech. And freedom of expression. Until you're trans, then God forbid you get a haircut.

Expand full comment
Liz  Wilcox's avatar

So my name is Elizabeth. When I was in maybe kindergarten through 2nd grade that was the only name I would answer to. In third grade I decided I was Beth. My teachers and classmates had no issues with that! (Pretty amazing, right?)

Anyway, one day I wasn’t feeling well so I went to the nurse’s office. She called my mom to let her know “Beth” wasn’t feeling well. I hadn’t let my mom know I was Beth so she didn’t know who the nurse was talking about.

Believe it or not…my mom didn’t mind. She didn’t raise a red flag or anything!

It was my choice. One of my brothers insisted on being called “Wild Bill Hickok.”

My mom has no issue with that either. And she was Republican.

Sure, these were nicknames which are or could be considered quite different from preferred names but to me Beth was my preferred name.

The assholes wasting time, money, and effort on this manufactured outrage need to get a grip.

Expand full comment
Anarchist Bug's avatar

Yes, because they don't actually care about names, or pronouns even. They care about controlling little girls so that they grow up to be babymakers. Legitimately. That, and how DARE a "woman" invade the chiselled sanctity of manhood. Same for trans women, except add a little hot-under-the-neck action that makes them uncomfortable so kill them all, obviously.

These people are so pathetic.

Expand full comment
OscarMeyer Weiner's avatar

Same. I was having an identity crisis in middle school and I wanted to change my name. First I wanted to go by Lindsay, and then I thought about Bonnie. Then it wound up being that I wasn't as convicted as I thought. But all along, my family just tried to appease me. It wasn't a big deal. Kids are figuring out who they are.

And at what point do kids get to have a voice in their own lives? Lawmakers tend to dismiss the experiences of kids, which is dead wrong.

Expand full comment
Joan the Dork's avatar

The only child abuse I see in this story is being committed by the fucking Republican party.

Expand full comment
Veronica Erin's avatar

No school should be transitioning children unless it’s to make them manlier. They should be pumping T into the water supply. These kids are soft, no more eating soup in public, no more cereal that’s too close to soup and gives cuck vibes. I’m looking at you Trix. Only food provided at lunch will be foot long sausages. That way the students have something to aspire too(no goddamn ketchup either). Sausages everyday maybe a Polish one day followed by some knackwurst another day. Only classes taught will be shop, American History and Reagan. Oh yeah and each student will be allowed no less than 5 firearms for when the trannys try to invade. Long live the Texas Republic!

Expand full comment
Veronica Erin's avatar

Additionally, all complimentary soap in the bathrooms, actually strike that outhouses, bathrooms to weak will be Lava.

Expand full comment
Jendi's avatar

Yeah and no Lucky Charms either - rainbow marshmallows are gay! LMAO

Expand full comment
Jaimie Hileman's avatar

And one should probably not even bring up Fruity Pebbles or My Little Pony Crunchpuffs.

Expand full comment
Talia Perkins's avatar

Beware Poe's Law.

Expand full comment
Veronica Erin's avatar

Pass, the reader can draw their own conclusion . Thanks though

Expand full comment
Ellen McCammon's avatar

i had a good laugh, thanks

Expand full comment
Jaimie Hileman's avatar

Veronica, I love your humor! Please, more?

Expand full comment
Jessica Tymczak's avatar

What, no training in a militia for the 5 year olds so they can go out and hunt transgender people, for shame.

Expand full comment
Johnny's avatar

Texas is a nightmare.

Expand full comment
Yasha's avatar

So a child being transgender is "against the Christian faith"? I'm no longer Christian, but I've read the Bible many times and can't remember a single passage where that is indicated. (There is like one verse in the old testament that has been variously interpreted regarding crossdressing). However, I do remember other verses where Jesus is encouraging love toward Eunuchs, promotions of castration to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, Paul's letter to the Galatians, and the parable of the sheep and the goats where judgment is rendered based on what you've done "to the least of my brethren", because what you did unto them you did unto me (God). The implication being that God was within even those whom you considered the lowest people in society. There were also Church discussions about how, when we died, we were no longer going to have any gender at all. To say nothing of the long history of Christian mysticism that often encourages spiritual androgyny.

Of course, none of this matters, because this isn't about Christianity or spiritual principles, but cowardly cultural prejudice using religion as a shield.

Expand full comment
Sarah F's avatar

You might find it amusing that the evangelical men (Baptists) during the first few decades of American history would often become "brides of Christ." And yes, that involved taking on feminine personas. :-)

Expand full comment
Yasha's avatar

Very interesting!

Expand full comment
Jessica Tymczak's avatar

Thats why I am essentially a Buddhist. Christians are so far from the teaching of Jesus its sick. Need to call them something else, they're defaming his name.

Expand full comment
Jan S. Gephardt's avatar

Sure, why not come for the teachers? It’s not like there’s a shortage or anything.

Expand full comment
Jaimie Hileman's avatar

Republicans WANT to destroy public education. They created and maintain the teacher shortage by strategic disinvestment, union busting, and oppression. Now they will justify closing schools because of a teacher shortage. This is why Texas allows unqualified religious personnel to teach in schools that don't have enough teachers and have class sizes that violate federal standards.

No public schools, no real education, but plenty of Bible studies!

Which should be enough to prepare young Americans for their lot in life as techno-feudal serfs working for subsistence for one of the GOPMAGA broligarchs running MAGAmerica©!

Expand full comment
Jaimie Hileman's avatar

I forgot to add, they'll also continue justifying school closures for cost reasons, but that too is disengenuous because Texas has led red states in defining schools and giving that money instead to for profit religious charters and to force profit prisons for youth and child offenders. They build the charter schools in White areas while defunding magnets and charters in non-white areas, and insult to injury, build the prisons for children in non-white communities (where schools USED to be) or deeply rural areas (so their families and attorneys have little to no access to them).

This is a win win win for MAGAs because it allows for Christian indoctrination AND a re-segregation strategy.

I live in Illinois, where we DON'T have a teacher shortage except in rural areas with rapidly declining populations, and we welcome all the teachers moving here along with many other degreed, educated, and valued folks with necessary skillets.

Expand full comment
Jan S. Gephardt's avatar

I’m located on the Kansas-Missouri line in the Kansas City metro. We do have a teacher shortage here. Most of our smaller school districts have gone to a 4-day week, in an attempt to attract them (longer days, but also longer weekends). I agree that the Republican trends seem to be very much anti-education, especially public education. My husband is convinced they want us “uneducated so they can manipulate us more easily.” He’s not wrong.

Expand full comment
Jaimie Hileman's avatar

He's absolutely correct. I love Kansas City and St. Louis but I can't abandon the civil rights I have in Illinois. I don't visit KC and friends as I used to because Missouri is too dangerous to be in while existing as a Trans woman. The cities are safe it's the in-between, plus I don't like giving my money to people who would rather lynch me than sell me a martini.

Expand full comment
Claire Davis's avatar

Transgender people have existed since time immemorial and will continue to exist whether bigots like Greg Abbott and Steve Toth like it or not. Such disgusting behavior, trying to criminalize school personnel for supporting and affirming transgender students. The “love your neighbor as yourself” aspect of their purported religion is entirely absent from their behavior. Their lack of empathy will come back to bite them, as this level of cruelty inevitably erodes one’s humanity and leaves them soulless and alone. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to defend and support my trans students, always 🏳️‍⚧️💕

Expand full comment
Talia Perkins's avatar

Investigate for what? What pretended to statute is violated?

Expand full comment
Miranda Warren's avatar

"against ' the advice of [their] therapist '"

It is incredibly unlikely that the therapist would share what advice they gave a patient, even a minor, in a confidential setting. There is a credibility red flag on the claim.

Expand full comment
Jessica Tymczak's avatar

Oh, given the source, completely made up. They lie, that's what they do

Expand full comment
Jaimie Hileman's avatar

Excellent observation, Miranda!

Expand full comment
Mx_EddyNikko's avatar

Oh FFS these people are malicious as well as ridiculous. What endless energy they have for hate and harm. Miserable fvcks

Expand full comment
aaron's avatar

The cognitive dissonance it takes to vilify, marginalize and attack children under the pretense of somehow “protecting” them is mind-numbing. Seriously, WTAF are these people thinking?!?!

Expand full comment
Jessica Tymczak's avatar

Thinking, no thinking at all. That would require more than three working brain cells, not gonna happen

Expand full comment
RRMother's avatar

Oh, they actually ARE thinking!! And planning, manipulating and lying. See my comment above on what I think their overall plan is.

Expand full comment
Jaimie Hileman's avatar

They aren't engaging the frontal cortex and "thinking", they're only "reacting" with their cortisol and adrenal drenched amygdalae.

Expand full comment
Jessica Tymczak's avatar

Abbot can go pound sand. Nasty awful MAGA Nazi.

Expand full comment
Toni Bush's avatar

That they consider being kind, accepting, and supportive; abuse, that explains just so much about who they are and why they behave the way they do.the people who vote for them too.

Expand full comment
Anarchist Bug's avatar

There's no hate like Christian love.

Expand full comment