I have often felt that loudest, most vitriolic of the bigots are actually hiding something about themselves. In this case, we have a senator seemingly defending pedophiles and rapists while using us as his big political boogey man. I am thrilled that the detransition advocate's claims have all been proven to be false. Unfortunately, that won't prevent the bigots from continuing to use the statements. Just look at Riley Gaines.
It’s funny I’m reading this right now, after this episode of Star Trek DS9 from the first season I’m watching while folding some laundry. I hadn’t watched this show since…hell, since I was teenager. In the episode there’s a murder in a holosuite and Odo is blamed because the Bajoran majority on the space station is seriously mistrusting of a shapeshifter. It wasn’t odo. But the personal attacks on him for being a shapeshifter, the mob justice that assumed his guilt…that feels very, very fucking familiar to me as a parent of trans kid trying navigate this new world we’ve found ourselves in.
The difference between this show’s fictional universe and our reality, beyond the obvious, is that the system of the federation stood beside Odo, and protected him from the mob justice with reassurances of their faith in him and their willingness to maintain a real investigation into the murder.
If politicians would just be honest with the piles of science, research, and lived experiences the trans advocacy network has brought to them and defend trans folks publicly, the zeitgeist of mob justice against the “boogeyman” of trans existence could be curtailed over time.
Instead, we are seeing too many Dems doing what a number of the Texas dems did in 2023 and caving to the public pressure of the mob rather than following the facts of reality that tell the true story.
Fight back. The ad with the detransitioner Soren is a scam. She was 19 when her top surgery was done, and it was done in friggin' TEXAS! Hit back with that. She had plenty of counseling and was not rushed into any decisions. PLUS:
Stop throwing trans folks under the bus. They are born that way. There are biological variations that result in someone being born trans or intersex. It's not a kink, fetish, perversion or mental illness. They've been with us for millennia. Get yourself educated on this topic. Don't side with Republicans!!
Maybe he finally got it. Start deluging his social media with simple, easy to understand facts and info. Keep bombarding the other two politicians likewise!
Dr Amy might be salvageable. Marcy Kaptur might be showing signs of rigor mortis. Yeccch!
Thank you for catching this, Baum! I see it 2 ways, and both are hopeful. Either 1) Brown actually realizes he was wrong in his thinking and has taken this chance to show he stands with the Trans community completely; - Yay! or 2) Brown realizes standing with the Trans community is the popular thing to do for Democratic Votes and has jumped on the band wagon, in which case, it is a good sign overall - Yay!
Sucks that this only happened after he tried pandering to the bigots first, but it's still nice to see a Democrat showing Republicans his teeth for a change instead of his soft, fluffy belly. Nice to know that he actually has some- and perhaps, dare one hope, a 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 tucked away somewhere as well?
I suspect that the election results in Ohio will be... illustrative.
Congratulations, Sherwood Brown! You are taking the right approach by responding to the misinformation and attacks against the transgender community instead of allowing those attacks to dominate the conversation. It’s time to put the focus where it belongs: on those who continue to protect individuals implicated in the Epstein scandal and those who vote against releasing the Epstein files. The public deserves transparency, accountability, and the truth—not political distractions that target a vulnerable community. Stop the misinformation. Stop the distractions. Release the files. Hold those responsible accountable!
I'm glad that the ad did not include any anti-trans sentiment, but am I the only one to think political ads should be more like "You should vote for me because XYZ" rather than "You should not vote for the other because XYZ"?
Research shows attack ads are 50% more effective for opinion/uptake than institutional ads and generate a 20% more favorable turnout rate.
Humans are not very nice creatures as a whole, though some individuals may be more evolved.
I don't see anything changing positively any time soon without major campaign and electoral reform, which would require a constitutional amendment, which will never happen in our lifetimes.
I have often felt that loudest, most vitriolic of the bigots are actually hiding something about themselves. In this case, we have a senator seemingly defending pedophiles and rapists while using us as his big political boogey man. I am thrilled that the detransition advocate's claims have all been proven to be false. Unfortunately, that won't prevent the bigots from continuing to use the statements. Just look at Riley Gaines.
It’s funny I’m reading this right now, after this episode of Star Trek DS9 from the first season I’m watching while folding some laundry. I hadn’t watched this show since…hell, since I was teenager. In the episode there’s a murder in a holosuite and Odo is blamed because the Bajoran majority on the space station is seriously mistrusting of a shapeshifter. It wasn’t odo. But the personal attacks on him for being a shapeshifter, the mob justice that assumed his guilt…that feels very, very fucking familiar to me as a parent of trans kid trying navigate this new world we’ve found ourselves in.
The difference between this show’s fictional universe and our reality, beyond the obvious, is that the system of the federation stood beside Odo, and protected him from the mob justice with reassurances of their faith in him and their willingness to maintain a real investigation into the murder.
If politicians would just be honest with the piles of science, research, and lived experiences the trans advocacy network has brought to them and defend trans folks publicly, the zeitgeist of mob justice against the “boogeyman” of trans existence could be curtailed over time.
Instead, we are seeing too many Dems doing what a number of the Texas dems did in 2023 and caving to the public pressure of the mob rather than following the facts of reality that tell the true story.
Glad to see ANYTHING good come out of Ohio this time of year.
My native state in to which I no longer feel safe enough to travel.
Indeed! OH Dems need new leadership, and I think I see a candidate.
Sherrod kept begging me for money, via text.
Every text was answered with this:
Fight back. The ad with the detransitioner Soren is a scam. She was 19 when her top surgery was done, and it was done in friggin' TEXAS! Hit back with that. She had plenty of counseling and was not rushed into any decisions. PLUS:
Stop throwing trans folks under the bus. They are born that way. There are biological variations that result in someone being born trans or intersex. It's not a kink, fetish, perversion or mental illness. They've been with us for millennia. Get yourself educated on this topic. Don't side with Republicans!!
Maybe he finally got it. Start deluging his social media with simple, easy to understand facts and info. Keep bombarding the other two politicians likewise!
Dr Amy might be salvageable. Marcy Kaptur might be showing signs of rigor mortis. Yeccch!
Thank you for catching this, Baum! I see it 2 ways, and both are hopeful. Either 1) Brown actually realizes he was wrong in his thinking and has taken this chance to show he stands with the Trans community completely; - Yay! or 2) Brown realizes standing with the Trans community is the popular thing to do for Democratic Votes and has jumped on the band wagon, in which case, it is a good sign overall - Yay!
Sucks that this only happened after he tried pandering to the bigots first, but it's still nice to see a Democrat showing Republicans his teeth for a change instead of his soft, fluffy belly. Nice to know that he actually has some- and perhaps, dare one hope, a 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 tucked away somewhere as well?
I suspect that the election results in Ohio will be... illustrative.
Congratulations, Sherwood Brown! You are taking the right approach by responding to the misinformation and attacks against the transgender community instead of allowing those attacks to dominate the conversation. It’s time to put the focus where it belongs: on those who continue to protect individuals implicated in the Epstein scandal and those who vote against releasing the Epstein files. The public deserves transparency, accountability, and the truth—not political distractions that target a vulnerable community. Stop the misinformation. Stop the distractions. Release the files. Hold those responsible accountable!
I like.
Good for her!
Thank you for the reporting, Baum.
I'm glad that the ad did not include any anti-trans sentiment, but am I the only one to think political ads should be more like "You should vote for me because XYZ" rather than "You should not vote for the other because XYZ"?
Research shows attack ads are 50% more effective for opinion/uptake than institutional ads and generate a 20% more favorable turnout rate.
Humans are not very nice creatures as a whole, though some individuals may be more evolved.
I don't see anything changing positively any time soon without major campaign and electoral reform, which would require a constitutional amendment, which will never happen in our lifetimes.
the way it should be is so many layers beneath the way it is and has been that being positive is an archaeology project.