16 Comments
User's avatar
JanieJane's avatar

People think I am spouting hyperbole when I label this as fascism. Yet these are classic fascist tactics: making up science and even scientific agencies to promote an agenda. And it's not just transgender issues. In Florida they label it a war on 'wokeness' when actually it is a war on freedom. They are attacking abortion rights, voting rights, black history, diversity, transgender rights and have just passed a resolution to make their Governor's travel activities secret from the public. If people don't start reacting with the alarm it deserves we can surely lose our democracy. Do we need to see bonfires of their banned books? This is deadly serious.

Expand full comment
Jennifer Gomez's avatar

I couldn’t agree more. Those who seek to minimize the severity of these actions will be stunned when they end up impacting them. It IS Fascism.

Expand full comment
Beverly Trafton 🏳️‍⚧️'s avatar

This does not surprise me and the fact that it doesn't just goes to show how bad things have gotten. It's disgusting, unjust, cruel, and so much more. My heart goes out to all trans Floridians.

Expand full comment
Ray Reed's avatar

Here’s to hoping that the lies will help overturn these gross misuse to legislative power and a huge shoutout to the ppl who spend their time analyzing all of this data in order to support the community!

Expand full comment
DisneyLover's avatar

Why do I have abide by other’s religious interpretations? Leave everyone be. I really don’t care about any expert medical opinion. I only care what my trans son thinks.

Expand full comment
Erica_Rose's avatar

Hopefully the house of Minnie and Mickey will take on DS until he is nothing but spoiled cheese

Expand full comment
Mental Health Therapist's avatar

(Reads headline) Of course they did. Would any reasonably intelligent, informed, non-ignorant person be shocked by this? This then begs the question: does any such person, in any position of power or means, exist in FL? :( ie: "does it matter?" Guess we'll see what the Courts say... then again, looking toward SCOTUS even does not bring hope.

Expand full comment
Tony D's avatar

Just as I expected.

Expand full comment
Diane's avatar

So glad this has been exposed. I watched the whole embedded video. So deeply disturbing 😦.

Expand full comment
Erica_Rose's avatar

Very disturbing video

Expand full comment
Victor Jose Morales Rosell's avatar

Thank you. Very interesting. I follow you on twitter. I like to be informed. Thank you. Love will win. The people violating our safe spaces are not trans people.

Expand full comment
Amy Graser's avatar

I really worry as a transgender woman who was born in Florida, changed my name there, and was married to a man there. I am in Maryland now, but I worry about what DeSantis could do to my records.

Could he nullify my marriage since I got married before the LGBTQ changes of 2015? Could he reverse my name change? If I go into the state (my parents are still there for now), could he deny health care if something happens? Could I get arrested for going into a women's restroom?

I know all of this is unlikely, but DeSantis is legitimately crazy and if he believes he can do these things, or the Florida legislature allows him to, he would.

Expand full comment
Alex's avatar

The same people also falsified research to make the COVID vaccine appear dangerous. Their lies are killing people, and not just in Florida.

Expand full comment
Darya's avatar

It's not manipulation if Jesus tells you to do it smh

Expand full comment
B. C. Skipalis's avatar

Yeah, I've been following this from the very beginning, and I knew that the data gathering process was politically driven and unnaturally skewed, but knowing and having the backing data to prove it are two different things. This is good, though I fear that our courts are stacked so much by two decades of judicial appointments by conservative governors that it might not matter. Watching this on the ground as it was happening, and having read all of the documents produced by AHCA for the Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine meetings, and all of the documents produced by medical organizations against these documents, and most of the sources cited in either one, and additional, newer research as it came out, it was absolutely clear that the data had been deliberately distorted for ideological reasons, and I'm glad that there is now proper proof of this. I just hope these challenges to the Florida "medical standards" (I say in deliberate quotes because they are not in line with actual medical standards) are successful in overturning them. As a trans person in Florida, I really, really hope this will overturn them, sooner rather than later.

Expand full comment
Valerie Love's avatar

Great job reporting on this, Erin. Congratulations on your engagement to another outstanding member of our community. When I saw Zoey propose to you it filled my heart with joy and hope not felt in a long time. Sending love to you both every day. Valerie in Boston.

Expand full comment