A new poll shows that the majority of people believe that decisions around gender affirming care with trans youth should be left to parents or doctors, not elected lawmakers.
It’s astonishingly ignorant and insane that anyone at all would want to give politicians power to control our bodies. What I understand from historians like Heather Cox Richardson is that among the general population, about 20% of people cannot be changed when faced with new information. My own thoughts are that that’s roughly the same amount of people who have an especially low tolerance for ambiguity—the same people who fill up fundamentalist churches to be yelled by pathologically abusive narcissistic shrieking preachers on Sundays, desirous of being told what to do, who to hate, etc, that vegetarianism’s the work of the devil, that Orange Jesus with his head pasted on Sylvester Stallone’s body, is king etc.. These people who can’t change are ill and need psychiatric help they’ll never get.
It makes sense to me to conclude that there’s a significant overlap between these two groups—the 20% that can’t be changed and those who surrender their autonomy to violently arrogant preachers. Whatever room remains within the 25% that wants politicians to rule over other people’s’ bodies, is made up of obscenely rich people who want a strongman leader so they can have a sixth summer home while 90% of the world starves to death.When looked at this way, that means 75% is a promising amount.
I’m a cis woman in my seventies and don’t have even one friend who wants politicians to be even remotely involved in decisions about our bodies. Every one of my friends is deeply disturbed by the cruelty of transphobia. Thank you for allowing me, an old cis het mom ally to participate in and learn from the group here in Erin’s substack. Love to all.
I don’t think they see this as a political winner so much as they just don’t care. Republicans have made it clear they would prefer to gerrymander, rig elections, do whatever it takes to stay in power without answering to the majority of voters.
I am hopeful as well but realistically can't see this happening in the near-term. I believe we are starting to slow down the crazy train but it will take many election cycles to weed out all the hateful bigots. At least to the point where they are not able to pass the dangerous legislation they have in the recent past.
I’m hopeful as well. As an older person/ally I’m encouraged by how much more educated cis people are than even ten years ago. Twenty years ago, I couldn’t even get google results for the word “transgender.” Searching online for books, I could only find two. Seriously. Two. “True Selves” and “She’s Not There.” If we can rescue democracy from looming autocracy, I think the future looks superbright.
It's great to see these numbers, but the issue is that while there's a vast majority of folks who don't want lawmakers legislating gender-affirming care, how many consider this a deal-brraker regarding their vote? There are still a lot of people who don't think the government should meddle in this, but will ultimately vote Republican. The only way these hate monger stop running on an anti-trans platform is if more people outright and soundly reject that platform and that position.
That’s still a really ridiculous amount of people who think lawmakers with no medical expertise should be making medical decisions... which is insane.
This is more hopeful than we’ve seen before though
Completely!
It’s astonishingly ignorant and insane that anyone at all would want to give politicians power to control our bodies. What I understand from historians like Heather Cox Richardson is that among the general population, about 20% of people cannot be changed when faced with new information. My own thoughts are that that’s roughly the same amount of people who have an especially low tolerance for ambiguity—the same people who fill up fundamentalist churches to be yelled by pathologically abusive narcissistic shrieking preachers on Sundays, desirous of being told what to do, who to hate, etc, that vegetarianism’s the work of the devil, that Orange Jesus with his head pasted on Sylvester Stallone’s body, is king etc.. These people who can’t change are ill and need psychiatric help they’ll never get.
It makes sense to me to conclude that there’s a significant overlap between these two groups—the 20% that can’t be changed and those who surrender their autonomy to violently arrogant preachers. Whatever room remains within the 25% that wants politicians to rule over other people’s’ bodies, is made up of obscenely rich people who want a strongman leader so they can have a sixth summer home while 90% of the world starves to death.When looked at this way, that means 75% is a promising amount.
I’m a cis woman in my seventies and don’t have even one friend who wants politicians to be even remotely involved in decisions about our bodies. Every one of my friends is deeply disturbed by the cruelty of transphobia. Thank you for allowing me, an old cis het mom ally to participate in and learn from the group here in Erin’s substack. Love to all.
I don’t think they see this as a political winner so much as they just don’t care. Republicans have made it clear they would prefer to gerrymander, rig elections, do whatever it takes to stay in power without answering to the majority of voters.
Hopefully this means they will start leaving us alone again and just let us blend in to society with out harrassment.
I am hopeful as well but realistically can't see this happening in the near-term. I believe we are starting to slow down the crazy train but it will take many election cycles to weed out all the hateful bigots. At least to the point where they are not able to pass the dangerous legislation they have in the recent past.
I’m hopeful as well. As an older person/ally I’m encouraged by how much more educated cis people are than even ten years ago. Twenty years ago, I couldn’t even get google results for the word “transgender.” Searching online for books, I could only find two. Seriously. Two. “True Selves” and “She’s Not There.” If we can rescue democracy from looming autocracy, I think the future looks superbright.
It's great to see these numbers, but the issue is that while there's a vast majority of folks who don't want lawmakers legislating gender-affirming care, how many consider this a deal-brraker regarding their vote? There are still a lot of people who don't think the government should meddle in this, but will ultimately vote Republican. The only way these hate monger stop running on an anti-trans platform is if more people outright and soundly reject that platform and that position.
Polls like these (and election results like November 7th) add confirmation to my belief that 🇺🇸 is a left-wing nation with a democracy problem.
Those numbers are moving in the right direction!!