This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at The Conversation.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1459643
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1459643
Just people wanting to be people, love who they love, and be who they know themselves to be. Sounds like that line starting, “We the people…”
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In addition to the rational, data-driven arguments I wonder if this kind of hysteria to “save our daughters” from a largely fictional danger also distracts attention and resources from the very real and documentable danger of violent crime by cisgender persons. Anti-crime measures are not a zero-sum game, of course, but scapegoating like this does distract from real issues.
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The “save our daughters” narrative seems but a repeat of the old south’s “save our womenfolk” from, you know, those people.
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This is a worthy piece. But I think the argument against the bogus rationales for transphobic laws needs to make a political turn at the end. Yes, transphobic lawmakers, activists, etc., are wrong in the empirical claims they make. Their phobia is empirically unfounded. But it’s politically entirely real, and that’s the point. If you can unite your voters around irrational fear and hatred, in this case of trans people, they’ll support you in just about anything. “Give President Ron DeSantis, or Gov. Huckabee, or whoever, the emergency powers he needs to protect your daughters.” It’s a very old move for authoritarians. That’s what this is all about.
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Small minded people with small ideas are what we see going on in the reactionary conservative movement. In truth, actual liberty and diversity, pluralism, scares them into a false righteousness. Let’s hope their penchant in terrrozing others who are different from them can be reined in soon.
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And let’s let children be children. Let’s let sissy boys be boys, and tomboys be girls. Instead of telling them they are in the wrong body and that they will kill themselves if the don’t submit to sterilization and lifelong medical care.
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If you’re going to troll, I’d suggest avoiding the direct plagiarism of FOX, 4CHAN, or any of the other Murdoch new affiliates, it’s just… ignorant.
Now, if you’re interested in a real discussion, the only folks pushing trans culture on the country are conservatives, ironically enough. Every trans person I know just wants to be left the fuck alone to live their lives, equally to you and me, that’s all… don’t follow them into the restroom, don’t follow them into their bedrooms, don’t follow them into their doctor’s office, and just leave them alone. Or perhaps a friendly introduction and sincere interest in getting to know them as an individual, which usually comes with a name and not just ‘them’ or ‘those people’?
BTW, if you’re actually concerned about the health of kids, I’d suggest promoting universal Medicare for youth.
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I agree with absolutely everything you said, (except perhaps that I am a troll and plagiarizing conservative talking points.) I still stand by my original point. It is not contradictory to support trans rights and have concerns about medicalization of gender non conforming children.
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Putting men into women’s prisons simply because they identify as women has already resulted in rape and pregnancies. Yes, these are people with functional penises. Are they trans? Who knows? When you give male convicts the opportunity to join the female estate, are you surprised that some take advantage of this?
OK, then thanks for the discussion, I have a hard time when I hear political slogans lobbed at people I know and love . My issue is about folks ‘concerns’ that become talking points for culture-wide denigration of liberty or removing civil rights from select folks. ‘Concern’ means its not you, and the next thing that comes forward is fear, then hunting season opens.
Parent’s don’t have fiat over their children and their children’s liberty, that’s not a question in our society, especially when it comes to health.
If you choose to dig into trans-friendly sites, you’ll start seeing folks discovering themselves outside of a society wanting to use them as a political foil. You’ll also start reading about kids who’s parents abuse and denigrate them because they don’t fit the round-hole image the parent has for who their kid should be… or perhaps they were treated that way and believe in the ‘spare the rod spoil the child’ approach… and you’ll recognize the stories sound familiar about youth in general, not just trans youth. On very rare occasion you might hear about an accepting family, who listens to their children and supports them. From that point on it becomes fairly boring and sounds more like normal family drama, and the hero child struggling against society to find themselves turns out to be just another obnoxious teenager with normal obnoxious teenager problems.