LGBT issues thread (was Supreme Court to hear same-sex marriage cases)

[Jaymann]

Someday the expression will be: I see who wears the skirt in this household.

[dbt1949]

Altho I don't like it, I agree everybody should wear what they want.

[LawBeefaroni]

Altho I don't like it, I agree everybody should wear what they want.

For sure.



Except flip flops.

[TheMix]

Except flip flops.

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

[Isgrimnur]

If you haven't personally tried wearing a utilikilt, don't knock it.

$200+ is rather a high bar of entry.

[hepcat]

Just don’t buy underwear and you can knock a few bucks off that.

[Alefroth]

If you haven't personally tried wearing a utilikilt, don't knock it.

$200+ is rather a high bar of entry.

You can get a lightly used one for half that.

[hepcat]

Are the mini skirt versions cheaper?

[Isgrimnur]

If you haven't personally tried wearing a utilikilt, don't knock it.

$200+ is rather a high bar of entry.

You can get a lightly used one for half that.

Do I have to send photos back to the original owner?

[Unagi]

If you haven't personally tried wearing a utilikilt, don't knock it.

$200+ is rather a high bar of entry.

You can get a lightly used one for half that.

Do I have to send photos back to the original owner?

Do you have nice legs?

[Isgrimnur]

Eeh...

[Jaymann]

If you haven't personally tried wearing a utilikilt, don't knock it.

$200+ is rather a high bar of entry.

You can get a lightly used one for half that.

Do I have to send photos back to the original owner?

Do you have nice legs?

I understand they are fabulous. But his elbows are a little pointy.

[Isgrimnur]

Thankfully not as pointy as Dee Dee Ramone's knees.

[Smoove_B]

In other news, A conservative school board candidate in Santa Rosa County, Florida, called for doctors who provide gender-affirming care to children to be lynched:

“These doctors that are going along with mutilating these children and prescribing hormone blockers to these kids, in my opinion, they should be hanging from the nearest tree,” said Alisabeth Janai Lancaster on Monday, before the audience burst into applause.

In her now viral speech, Lancaster said she’s against “social engineering projects” and “ideologies” that “do not belong in the school platform.” She listed critical race theory, or CRT, as an example.

And to be clear, not only did she say it, but the audience clapped. We've got a real big problem here folks.

[dbt1949]

I have learned since Trump became president that half our country are assholes. So this is not surprising to me.

[Blackhawk]

I have learned since Trump became president that half our country are assholes. So this is not surprising to me.

This is inaccurate. A quarter, perhaps, are assholes. A majority of the rest just have their heads in the sand.

[Unagi]

I have learned since Trump became president that half our country are assholes. So this is not surprising to me.

This is inaccurate. A quarter, perhaps, are assholes. A majority of the rest just have their heads in the sand.

hardly worth the correction, tbh

[Smoove_B]

This perfectly demonstrates what I've been mentioning in the abortion (and other threads) regarding the current strategy of the cultists trying to take over. They know what the law is so they creatively apply rules and regulations to subvert them, cause confusion and disrupt:

They repeatedly tell us that their policy is not a book banning policy. The definition of ban is “to officially or legally prohibit.” There is nothing in the definition that they aren’t doing. The fact that they are banning future books and not current ones does not mean it’s not a ban. The banning of future books, through the creation of highly restrictive and vague selection criteria, is the exact goal of this policy. And when the Central Bucks Library Department’s Proposal didn't fit these goals, they found language in a Texas policy that excluded books based on sexual content. Make no mistake, this policy is in complete contravention of the First Amendment.

On the advice of their lawyer, they admit that they have no authority to remove a book from the library. Instead, they set up a shadow committee, composed of nobody knows who, under nobody knows what scrutiny from the board, to review all complaints. As many as one lone person can lodge a complaint that will put the book through the ill-defined process, and there is no transparency, no notification of the public, and no recourse should the book be banned. Vague and subjective criteria, such as “implied nudity” (does this mean if a character takes a shower?) leads to anything they say it means, especially absent professional standards by which books might be evaluated objectively on their literary or other merit. Such vagueness and uncertainty is by design, to sow confusion, uncertainty, and fear, only to appease our resident alarmists. Certainly not to protect the rights of our children, families, and educators.

And what are they doing specifically?

The district has insisted that there is no desire on their part to eliminate any reference to sexual orientation or identity, but most of the books parents have singled out have in fact referenced LGBTQ issues and/or are by authors of color. While some of those who have spoken at school board meetings have openly disparaged the LGBTQ community, others have cloaked their intolerance in terms of “grooming”, “evil”, “demonic” and other assertions with no basis in fact. Six members of our school board appear to support this covert attack on our kids.

[malchior]

[Zarathud]

Damn, that’s within an hour South of where I grew up. Stupid Republican country.

[Isgrimnur]

They should just move it to city hall.

[Smoove_B]

GOP lawmaker attended gay son's wedding 3 days after voting against same-sex marriage bill

A Republican lawmaker attended his gay son’s wedding just three days after joining the majority of his GOP colleagues in voting against a House bill that would codify federal protections for same-sex marriage.

The gay son of Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., confirmed to NBC News on Monday that he “married the love of [his] life” on Friday and that his “father was there.” NBC News is not publishing the names of the grooms, neither of whom is a public figure.

Thompson’s press secretary, Maddison Stone, also confirmed the congressman was in attendance.

“Congressman and Mrs. Thompson were thrilled to attend and celebrate their son’s marriage on Friday night as he began this new chapter in his life,” Stone said in an email, adding that the Thompsons are “very happy” to welcome their new son-in-law “into their family.”

[Unagi]

Garbage Human Being

[gbasden]

In other news, A conservative school board candidate in Santa Rosa County, Florida, called for doctors who provide gender-affirming care to children to be lynched:

“These doctors that are going along with mutilating these children and prescribing hormone blockers to these kids, in my opinion, they should be hanging from the nearest tree,” said Alisabeth Janai Lancaster on Monday, before the audience burst into applause.

In her now viral speech, Lancaster said she’s against “social engineering projects” and “ideologies” that “do not belong in the school platform.” She listed critical race theory, or CRT, as an example.

And to be clear, not only did she say it, but the audience clapped. We've got a real big problem here folks.

The left has got to stop trying to take the high road and fight back against these medieval assholes. Along with always punch Nazis, we should also always punch anyone who advocates lynching. How are so many people such troglodites?

[El Guapo]

There was a group of white nationalist / proud boy types that showed up in my neighborhood this weekend to protest Drag Queen Story Hour at our local library. Had a giant sign that said something like "get out pedo scum". Delightful folks.

A counter protest quickly generated. The police were there too, and it sounds like there were a few scuffles between the groups, but nothing crazy it sounds like.

Still, first time I've seen something like that around here.

[Smoove_B]

It's an all out assault on all fronts:

More than 20 Republican attorneys general filed a lawsuit Tuesday against President Joe Biden’s administration over a Department of Agriculture school meal program that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The challenge, led by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery, claims that the federal government is attempting to force states and schools to follow antidiscrimination requirements that “misconstrue the law.”

The coalition of attorneys general are hoping for a similar result to a separate challenge from earlier this month when a Tennessee judge temporarily barred two federal agencies from enforcing directives issued by Biden’s administration that extended protections for LGBTQ people in schools and workplaces.

The judge sided with the attorneys general, ruling that the directives infringed on states’ right to enact laws, such as banning students from participating in sports based on their gender identity or requiring schools and businesses to provide bathrooms and showers to accommodate transgender people.

“This case is, yet again, about a federal agency trying to change law, which is Congress’ exclusive prerogative,” Slatery said in a statement. “The USDA simply does not have that authority. We have successfully challenged the Biden Administration’s other attempts to rewrite law and we will challenge this as well.”

Where?

The attorneys general involved in the lawsuit filed Tuesday are from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

[LawBeefaroni]

We demand that you give us government handouts!

I mean they can continue to discriminate, they just won't be eligible for federal funds. Seems like exactly what they would want.

[malchior]

What's scary to me is the rapid deterioration we are seeing in basic human rights in this nation. They are suing to keep children hungry! It is pure evil. They can try to wrap this up in some BS argument but we see them. Still in the past we could write this off as some misguided stunt. Red meat for the base. Now it's clear they are doing this evil because it has the distinct possibility of working.

[Blackhawk]

Now it's clear they are doing this evil because it has the distinct possibility of working.

I'd add that the fact that it's been shown to not have consequences has been just as much of a motivator.

[LawBeefaroni]

Now it's clear they are doing this evil because it has the distinct possibility of working.

I'd add that the fact that it's been shown to not have consequences has been just as much of a motivator.

There have undoubtedly been consequences. Immediate gratification through applause/likes and adulation, with long term funding through campaign contributions.

[Smoove_B]

What's scary to me is the rapid deterioration we are seeing in basic human rights in this nation. They are suing to keep children hungry! It is pure evil. They can try to wrap this up in some BS argument but we see them. Still in the past we could write this off as some misguided stunt. Red meat for the base. Now it's clear they are doing this evil because it has the distinct possibility of working.

I want to throw in that it's already gross that we (i.e. the GOP) let the universal free school meal program lapse, because apparently it's ok to just let kids go hungry - the pandemic is over!

An aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said last week that McConnell and other Republicans think schools no longer need the pandemic-era food provisions, The Washington Post reported. They say that with school closures no longer in effect, these programs have been rendered unnecessary.

Making sure that kids are fed is "unnecessary". So start there as your baseline. Now add in not only letting all kids go hungry but making sure when there are kids that qualify for assistance the states don't have to make sure they're adhering to non-discrimination policies. I'm half expecting them to pitch that K-12 kids need to be part of a work program to qualify next.

[LawBeefaroni]

A bit of a tangent for the thread but about half of 1M of our patients surveyed reported times of food insecurity in the past year. It's a shocking number to me.

We put in a free food pantry in the lobby of our hospitals here on campus. It has become a destination for a lot of families, coming in to grab a can or two and something from the fridge. I'd note that pretty much everyone self limits, taking only a few items. But it's still nearly empty whenever I see it, despite being stocked regularly. I bring in a bag of items every week and I'm hardly alone.

[Smoove_B]

This is..something.

Do you understand what is happening?

This has nothing to do with encouraging girls to be athletes.

This is totalitarianism. It is the white nationalist agenda. The anti-LGBTQ agenda. The anti-abortion agenda. It is all the same agenda.

This is real. Shared with permission.

(image of Affadavit for Woodall Public School in Oklahoma that parents are required to swear to the biological sex of their children at birth)

[LawBeefaroni]

This is totalitarianism.

I believe they call it "winning".

[Smoove_B]

I looked it up - the woman listed as the Superintendent has been an educator for 29 years and apparently she's totally fine with this.

[LawBeefaroni]

Well there is some wiggle room. They didn't use or check boxes. There's a line that says "male or female" under. Could you just put "male or female" like they appear to be instructing you to do? Or "yes"?



But in all seriousness, what is this required for? Participation in athletics?

[Smoove_B]

But in all seriousness, what is this required for? Participation in athletics?

Yes, presumably. The idea that it has to be notarized too is crazy. That can be a pain depending on where you live. The idea that 50+ parents would swarm into a bank to get this paperwork notarized is just weird.

EDIT: Someone in the comments posted the bill that was passed that apparently necessitates the use of this form: the "Save Women's Sports Act" of 2022:

When it comes to sports and athletics, girls should compete against girls.

Boys should compete against boys.

And let’s be very clear: That’s all this bill says.

It says: Athletic teams designated for “females,” “women” or “girls” shall not be open to students of the male sex.

And what we are trying to accomplish here is very simple.

We are protecting women’s sports.

We are ensuring a level playing field for female athletes who work hard -

Looks like similar bills were floated in South Carolina, Missouri and Ohio. Let me be the first to say f all those people involved.

Wear a mask? OUTRAGE. Sign and notarize a piece of paper that affirms your child has specific genitals? Perfect.

[LawBeefaroni]

What happens when they find out about mixed doubles tennis?

[Zarathud]

Disgusting abuse of legal process.

[Smoove_B]

In light of the other horrific things in this thread, book bans seem quaint, but they're targeting LGBTQ+ individuals so, I share:

Fifty-two books by 41 authors will be removed from the libraries of the Alpine School District in Utah, the state’s largest district, following a decision made by the district. The ban affects noteworthy titles such as Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, Forever… by Judy Blume, and the 2015 Caldecott Honor Book, This One Summer, by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki. The books were selected for removal after an internal library audit determined that they contain “sensitive material” under a new law, and “do not have literary merit.” Twenty-one of all titles removed (42%) feature LBGTQ+ characters and or themes.

...

PEN America Utah Chapter Leader Paisley Rekdal said: “Alpine School District’s ban on these books—some of which are beloved texts from my own childhood–is a grave and disappointing mistake. Banning books that tackle the complexity of sexuality, gender, identity, and young adulthood out of the misguided fear that younger readers can’t distinguish between fact and fiction, and won’t be able to comprehend and even critique for themselves any idea that challenges them is both patronizing and naïve. People long for more, not less complexity, and young readers should be given the texts—and tools—that allow them to navigate the world they actually live in.”

The audit was catalyzed by the passage this spring of a new law, H.B. 374, “Sensitive Materials In Schools,” and new guidance released by the Office of the Attorney General on June 1 that directed to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) “to immediately remove books from school libraries that are categorically defined as pornography under state statute.” At a July meeting the Alpine School Board explained that they conducted reviews of 275 books from lists provided by parents over a three-day period, resulting in the decision to remove these 52, and to put 32 additional titles into a more thorough investigation this fall, when they can be read “cover to cover.”