46 Comments
User's avatar
Kelly Wilson's avatar

This is infuriating, and it's madness. Using 2% of the population--and a vulnerable population at that--for political gain, when trans people are not hurting anyone, recruiting anyone, taking away anyone's religion, shooting up schools, molesting their congregations--none of it. They are not hurting anyone. No commandments are being broken. Then these opportunists come along and bring in some of the worst privacy-invasive legislation imaginable--the government gets to peek into our pants--or our chromosomes--just to issue a Driver's license? This is absolute hysteria. And it goes without saying, one more reason not to go to Florida.

mcvresearch's avatar

We have to punish these politicians and that means going after their private businesses I know some find that distasteful believing that private life and politics should be separated , well freaking hell look at these intrusive bills and tell me that

Fly Girl's avatar

Not distasteful at all. They need to be punished in every way legally possible.

D.J.'s avatar

We keep seeing time and time again that the majority of citizens aren't asking for these measures or approving of them. The average person doesn't care if someone changes their name, gets gender-affirming care, or a new drivers license. As someone who just changed their name and had to go through all the DMV, VA, and credit card forms and phone calls, that was my experience. They don't care who you are or what your story is. Fill out the form and show us the court docs. That's it.

They only start to care when some politician or media pundit tells them that it's something they should be worried about. And shame on the people who are easily fooled into believing it affects their lives in some way.

I also don't think these politicians are smart enough to come up with the bills themselves. This is all coming from someone/somewhere else. Someone has an agenda and they're using these politicians to do their will. But they can't do that if we vote them out of office. This is why it's so important to show up and vote every time.

Thank you for shining a light on these issues, Erin. Your work is important and appreciated.

Mad Girl Disease's avatar

These bills have historically been written as boilerplate by organizations like ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) and ADF (Alliance Defending Freedom, where Speaker Johnson cut his fangs) to be used as templates for legislatures around the country.

Mahilena's avatar

this is coming from conservative, religious and Terf groups

Sandra's avatar

This is almost unbelievably cruel and intrusive. There is no good reason for a person’s sex to even need to be on a drivers license in the first place. I fear that it may well pass the state legislature. Between this and the Ohio veto override on GAC for minors (which appears very likely to happen soon), this has been a difficult start to 2024 for trans people. I doubt many people expected otherwise.

Rachel's avatar

That's gonna go over well.

Imagine a nice older lady going to get a driver's license in Florida after moving from New York or Ohio or somewhere and having to fill out a "biological sex affidavit".

What's next? Blood tests? Forced pelvic exams for everyone?

D.J.'s avatar

I was thinking the same thing.

Tracy's avatar

Also...intersex people EXIST !

Jose A Rios's avatar

So we are living in Orwell 2.0, or better known as 2024. We need to go after these wack jobs, hit them where it hurts, a lot of these states depend on tourist dollars, let's do the things that worked in the past. Boycott Boycott Boycott, spend our money in other states, keep our kids our of their colleges. Boycott the organizations that support these hack politicians as well. So mad...

Natalie Kurtz's avatar

Erin can you please keep posting Fortune 500 companies or well known individuals that donate or contribute to politicians that introduce or support these awful bills and policies?

Leah Abram's avatar

See? This is what I'm talking about when I say that what's going on in the US vis-à-vis Trans people is Genocide! They want to kill us.

Elias W.'s avatar

This is absolutely monstrous. These people are obsessed with us and it's disgusting. We're apparently too insignificant a population to bother giving rights to, yet somehow we're simultaneously such a massive threat to everyone around us that they have to criminalize our existence? Everything about this is insane and fucked up and infuriating and heartbreaking all at once.

Michael Heyerman's avatar

I have to believe we're a test to see what they can get away with before they go after larger groups. Nothing else makes any sense whatsoever. Trans people are not hurting anyone.

Ericha Vance's avatar

Another portion of this bill deals with insurance coverage and seems to forbid insurance companies from denying payment for conversion therapy.

I'll admit this one hits hard, and given the GOP supermajority it will be near impossible to stop. It will be a difficult task for me to undo all of this before even beginning the job of Senator.

It truly makes me sad to see how fast freedom and democracy are being dismantled in my native state

Robin's avatar

Jesus fucking christ

WillHotkiss's avatar

So.... this is essentially Hitlers Pink lists.

Ellen Adele Harper's avatar

This is the legislative endgame then, rendering us illegal. This will not only make life more difficult for trans people, it will curtail the freedom of all citizens.

Kayla's avatar

I wouldn't be surprised if they included tattooing all their residents.

Leah Abram's avatar

Or forcing trans people to wear a 🏳️‍⚧️ patch that has the word “trans” on it.

Shayne's avatar

This only works if everyone who isn't trans goes along with signing the affidavit. I know it isn't likely but I can't help dreaming of a world where everyone responds by saying, "I see what you're doing and no one is willing to assist you in your evil, disgusting efforts!"