The OPM memo states that all health plans for government workers must cover faith-based approaches to gender dysphoria while banning gender affirming care coverage.
This has Russell Vought’s hands all over it. He is head of the OMB. He is a religious nutter and major architect of Project 2025 which has a goal of establishing the US as a Christian theocracy, with all the right wing authoritarian values that implies. These people are intolerant and afraid of anything outside their rigid and narrow world view so are working hard to erase anyone that is different from that view. The only way to counteract this hate is to get the Trumpists out of power. We have so many Americans who like this crap that it’s gonna be an uphill battle.
Vought is a good one to target for facing 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 18 U.S.C. § 241, & 18 U.S.C. § 242 prosecution. It is in fact against the law to conspire against the individual inherent human rights of American citizens and nationals.
He and the rest of them don’t care about the law. Vought is a firm believer that the president not congress should make spending decisions and has said the Impoundment Law passed after Watergate is unconstitutional.
Look folks, this is way bigger than Trump. If he got abducted by aliens tomorrow, we would still have this problem. There is a well-funded ideological movement to eradicate us that existed before Trump. I don’t think Trump even personally cares about this issue - he just know it’s throwing red meat to his base.
Gavin Newsom is going to run for president in 2028, and in order to burnish his credentials as a “moderate”, he is going to lead the way of Democrats abandoning trans rights.
Pick up your weapons, siblings, no one is coming to save us.
Our weapons are intellect persuasion empathy (for our pitiable clueless opponents ) .Don’t take the outrage they offer as bait . Upon our intellectual powers we must improve .
I am currently studying to go to law school, so that I may “arm” myself with the tools I can use to fight back.
This makes sense for me, given my existing disposition and orientation to the world. I am prepared to fight – but with words; with the law.
This means, functionally, that I am making a tremendous gamble – not only on myself, you see, but on the wider world. I am betting that in five years’ time, the rule of law will still mean something. I am wagering that the law can still be used to protect the vulnerable and hold power accountable.
This is my path. This is what I can do, at this very moment, to fight this.
But I may very well be wrong. God help us if I am.
They also understand the language of military force (e.g. deploying the military to california and dc). The arguments against responding in kind aren't moral, they're mostly strategic (fighting US military is hard and likely to end poorly).
Then you will get crushed. You can not meet overwhelming force with a rag tag band of misfits. It's not the movies. You are outgunned and outnumbered. You need to win hearts and minds and recognize that the transgender community has a public relations nightmare on its hands, and a good chunk of that problem was caused by the truly bizarre fringe elements of the community itself.
Doesn't conversion therapy results in the loss of license. Also, forcing people to take the faith based option is breaking freedom of religion, is it not?
I know he could care less about the constitution or facts, but still
The Constitution is null and void, if you hadn't noticed it already. There is no longer a separation between the christian church [sic] and state if they are mandating "faith based" conversation therapy. It is Project 2025 wrought in full, white-hetero-normative-cisgendered-washed christo-fascism.
In all honesty, no one is surprised this is happening, I am upset, but voting has consequences if people don't want to care, do research or listen to what will happen (Project 2025)
It just sucks that LGBTQIA+ People in the US is gonna keep on suffering over simply existing in our lives
This affects federal retirees as well, of which i am one. I gave 29 years to this country as an air traffic controller at one of the most difficult areas in one of the most difficult centers in the US. I'm sure the pressures and stresses of that time has shaved years off my life expectancy. And now this, a knife in my back.
i’m busy right now but upon my first skim of this (as is the case with many vague things on this topic) i think that the restrictions could extend to cis folks if the decision was made to do that stuff, gotta eat lunch but yeah this is ridiculous
This is exactly what I was thinking. "[C]hemical and surgical modification of an individual's sex traits through medical interventions" would include anything from breast augmentation to HRT for menopause to little blue pills. Those are all modifications of sex traits. Hell, shaving your face is a modification of a sex trait! Got an ingrown hair from shaving, sorry, your dermatologist appointment is not covered. Any fertility treatments needed? nope, modification of a sex trait.
I think the Supreme Court already decided that they can get away with sex-based discrimination as long as they are banning the treatment for "gender dysphoria" specifically. That's how they justified allowing the same treatment to continue for cis people while banning it for transgender people.
Nice catch! They're definitely aiming at eliminating birth control as an eventuality. But you can bet they'll carve out an exception for their little blue pills. Gross.
Just wondering- could faith based groups that support the right of a child or young person and their parent to approved of based on Freedom of religion. There is more than one branch of faith?
No, only fascist, theocratic "faiths" count. Not tolerant, accepting faiths that actually understand who Jesus was and what he said (as if he were the only faith).
This has wide-ranging effects to many people- Trans and otherwise. Though it is obviously aimed at the Trans community. This can only be fought in court and on Election Day. Although there is great value in speaking up and in peaceful protest. We still need to get those numbers up. Please encourage any women you know to get passports for voting purposes.
Even if Dems won freely and fairly in 2028 - I'm sorry, do you really see JD fucking Vance doing his duty and certifying that shit? No fucking way. They're not leaving. Anyone who thinks otherwise is fucking delusional.
Faith-based interventions do not heal. They kill. Trans people subjected to conversion therapy are over 4 times more likely to attempt suicide than those given no treatment, at all. On the other hand, gender affirming care reduces suicide risk by 70%. The cruelty is the point.
For generations, uneducated white men and religious conservatives held unchallenged dominance in American culture. Now, facing the erosion of that privilege, they mistake equality for persecution — and lash out by trying to drag others down. The cruelty is the point.
I fucking hate him so much.
hate them ALL with that same ferocity! Because it isn't one person. It's ALL conservatives.
You’re absolutely right.
They must wake up everyday and think "what is the most evil thing I can do today" trying to one up themselves and their colleagues in crime .
This has Russell Vought’s hands all over it. He is head of the OMB. He is a religious nutter and major architect of Project 2025 which has a goal of establishing the US as a Christian theocracy, with all the right wing authoritarian values that implies. These people are intolerant and afraid of anything outside their rigid and narrow world view so are working hard to erase anyone that is different from that view. The only way to counteract this hate is to get the Trumpists out of power. We have so many Americans who like this crap that it’s gonna be an uphill battle.
Vought is a good one to target for facing 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 18 U.S.C. § 241, & 18 U.S.C. § 242 prosecution. It is in fact against the law to conspire against the individual inherent human rights of American citizens and nationals.
He and the rest of them don’t care about the law. Vought is a firm believer that the president not congress should make spending decisions and has said the Impoundment Law passed after Watergate is unconstitutional.
Look folks, this is way bigger than Trump. If he got abducted by aliens tomorrow, we would still have this problem. There is a well-funded ideological movement to eradicate us that existed before Trump. I don’t think Trump even personally cares about this issue - he just know it’s throwing red meat to his base.
Gavin Newsom is going to run for president in 2028, and in order to burnish his credentials as a “moderate”, he is going to lead the way of Democrats abandoning trans rights.
Pick up your weapons, siblings, no one is coming to save us.
This is the way.
Our weapons are intellect persuasion empathy (for our pitiable clueless opponents ) .Don’t take the outrage they offer as bait . Upon our intellectual powers we must improve .
I am currently studying to go to law school, so that I may “arm” myself with the tools I can use to fight back.
This makes sense for me, given my existing disposition and orientation to the world. I am prepared to fight – but with words; with the law.
This means, functionally, that I am making a tremendous gamble – not only on myself, you see, but on the wider world. I am betting that in five years’ time, the rule of law will still mean something. I am wagering that the law can still be used to protect the vulnerable and hold power accountable.
This is my path. This is what I can do, at this very moment, to fight this.
But I may very well be wrong. God help us if I am.
If you're not willing to meet the fascists with a language they understand, then we will be steamrolled. Hate to tell you, but the civil war is now.
The language fascists understand is lying . Mirror their lies that they may see themselves , to borrow a metaphor from Don Quixote
They also understand the language of military force (e.g. deploying the military to california and dc). The arguments against responding in kind aren't moral, they're mostly strategic (fighting US military is hard and likely to end poorly).
Then you will get crushed. You can not meet overwhelming force with a rag tag band of misfits. It's not the movies. You are outgunned and outnumbered. You need to win hearts and minds and recognize that the transgender community has a public relations nightmare on its hands, and a good chunk of that problem was caused by the truly bizarre fringe elements of the community itself.
I hope he and his ilk die slow, painful, utterly hopeless, humiliating deaths.
Doesn't conversion therapy results in the loss of license. Also, forcing people to take the faith based option is breaking freedom of religion, is it not?
I know he could care less about the constitution or facts, but still
The Constitution is null and void, if you hadn't noticed it already. There is no longer a separation between the christian church [sic] and state if they are mandating "faith based" conversation therapy. It is Project 2025 wrought in full, white-hetero-normative-cisgendered-washed christo-fascism.
In all honesty, no one is surprised this is happening, I am upset, but voting has consequences if people don't want to care, do research or listen to what will happen (Project 2025)
It just sucks that LGBTQIA+ People in the US is gonna keep on suffering over simply existing in our lives
This affects federal retirees as well, of which i am one. I gave 29 years to this country as an air traffic controller at one of the most difficult areas in one of the most difficult centers in the US. I'm sure the pressures and stresses of that time has shaved years off my life expectancy. And now this, a knife in my back.
I don't know how to deal with this.
I am so sorry Beverly. These people are truly evil. 🫂
i’m busy right now but upon my first skim of this (as is the case with many vague things on this topic) i think that the restrictions could extend to cis folks if the decision was made to do that stuff, gotta eat lunch but yeah this is ridiculous
This is exactly what I was thinking. "[C]hemical and surgical modification of an individual's sex traits through medical interventions" would include anything from breast augmentation to HRT for menopause to little blue pills. Those are all modifications of sex traits. Hell, shaving your face is a modification of a sex trait! Got an ingrown hair from shaving, sorry, your dermatologist appointment is not covered. Any fertility treatments needed? nope, modification of a sex trait.
I think the Supreme Court already decided that they can get away with sex-based discrimination as long as they are banning the treatment for "gender dysphoria" specifically. That's how they justified allowing the same treatment to continue for cis people while banning it for transgender people.
On the one hand good luck making that stick, on the other hand, it will be difficult only because they are for now successfully denying reality . . .
The worm will turn.
Nice catch! They're definitely aiming at eliminating birth control as an eventuality. But you can bet they'll carve out an exception for their little blue pills. Gross.
Have to see if they apply it that way.
Does this qualify us for refugee status anywhere?
Not exactly refugee status, but Svalbard is an option if the cold never bothered you anyway.
Lol 😆
At least no body is going to bother me there
Why worry about little things like legality? Assholes.
Just wondering- could faith based groups that support the right of a child or young person and their parent to approved of based on Freedom of religion. There is more than one branch of faith?
No, only fascist, theocratic "faiths" count. Not tolerant, accepting faiths that actually understand who Jesus was and what he said (as if he were the only faith).
I hate them, I hate the conservatives on the Supreme Court, and I hate the enabling GOP. Fuck them all to hell.
This has wide-ranging effects to many people- Trans and otherwise. Though it is obviously aimed at the Trans community. This can only be fought in court and on Election Day. Although there is great value in speaking up and in peaceful protest. We still need to get those numbers up. Please encourage any women you know to get passports for voting purposes.
I highly doubt that there are going to be free and fair elections in 2026 or 2028, and possibly beyond.
We need alternative solutions as well - the institutions we depend on to uphold democracy and the rule of law have utterly failed.
Even if Dems won freely and fairly in 2028 - I'm sorry, do you really see JD fucking Vance doing his duty and certifying that shit? No fucking way. They're not leaving. Anyone who thinks otherwise is fucking delusional.
This is so dang depressing and infuriating.
Faith-based interventions do not heal. They kill. Trans people subjected to conversion therapy are over 4 times more likely to attempt suicide than those given no treatment, at all. On the other hand, gender affirming care reduces suicide risk by 70%. The cruelty is the point.
For generations, uneducated white men and religious conservatives held unchallenged dominance in American culture. Now, facing the erosion of that privilege, they mistake equality for persecution — and lash out by trying to drag others down. The cruelty is the point.
Death before detransition.