Humanity and Pride
Solidarity is the only way forward.
Who is granted humanity? Who is deemed worthy of rights and freedoms—of healthcare, free expression, the vote, and a voice in civic life? Who, in the eyes of society, has the right to simply exist?
The MAGA Regime, and the movement that helped bring it back to power, are attempting to redefine humanity and who has access to it in real-time. It’s not enough for them to believe that not everyone should have a seat at that table or access social and political capital. This movement, led by Donald Trump, has declared war on the right of marginalized communities to exist. They’ve empowered themselves with the mandate to cause as much harm as possible in service of this mission.
The right-wing majority of the Supreme Court is more than happy to serve this agenda, as we were reminded again this week when it upheld a Tennessee law banning gender affirming care for minors. I will let the experts break down what this case means from a legal standpoint, but it’s a blow to the trans community, in particular, families with children who are transgender seeking care.
One of the most disheartening developments of the last decade is how we’ve gone from broad public support for the idea that transgender individuals deserve human dignity to continually just asking questions and putting the humanity of trans individuals up for debate. The divide and conquer aspect is especially gross, as marriage equality became the law of the land, LGBTQ+ rights became more accepted by most Americans, the Right needed a new boogieman. They easily found one, latching on to a vulnerable community and the children within that community. Far too many people who don’t consider themselves right-wing were more than happy to take the bait.
The lack of support for children who identify as transgender and their families, a vulnerable community with little political power, is a mark of shame on all of us. Support from elected Democrats yesterday was tepid, with Senator Schumer suggesting that the SCOTUS ruling was a distraction from the bigger issue of Americans losing access to healthcare. (The fact that the ruling means that more children will lose access to healthcare was apparently lost on the Senate Majority Leader.) As parents in red states now wonder how they’ll be able to access the healthcare their children need, far too many of us are engaging in a pointless debate or choosing to remain silent in an attempt to avoid controversy.
Solidarity is the only way forward. The same court that took away my right to body autonomy took away the ability for families to access gender affirming healthcare. The same court continues to rule on who has the right to be considered a whole human being, entitled to rights and dignity, and for a growing number of us, the answer is not you. Every harm that the MAGA Regime and its enablers can cause to children who identify as transgender can happen to you and your children as well. And until we stop the MAGA Regime, they will continue to harm us all.
June is Pride Month, a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and the Stonewall uprising that sparked the movement for LGBTQ+ rights. It’s always a good time to stand in solidarity with one another, but I want to offer a few resources for anyone who wishes to step up their efforts to support transgender Americans in this moment.
Be an Ally - Support Trans Equality (HRC Foundation)
Supporting Transgender People (Advocates for Trans Equality)
ICYMI
If you only read one thing this week, let it be this: “Huerta is home now. But the fact that ICE would publicly detain someone with his visibility and institutional support simply for protesting should serve as the ultimate warning for anyone who believes in worker power… Because if they can come for David Huerta, they will come for us.”
A New Age of Trillionaire Philanthropy Is Coming. Democracies Should Be Wary. (Tech Policy Press)
“Whereas billionaire philanthropy has historically been institutionalist — investing in American civil society and seeding a robust network of scientific and educational institutions — trillionaire philanthropy, when it emerges, may instead embrace an ethos of accelerationism: an ideology that countenances dismantling institutions seen to obstruct a techno-libertarian vision of progress. Democracy may become collateral damage.”
The Definitive Story of Tesla Takedown (Wired)
Congratulations to #TeslaTakedown organizers for getting some well-deserved flowers from Wired. “The Tesla Takedown, an effort to hit back at Musk and his wealth where it hurts, seems to have appeared at just the right time. Tesla skeptics have argued for years that the company, which has the highest market capitalization of any automaker, is overvalued. They contend that the company’s CEO has been able to distract from flawed fundamentals—an aging vehicle lineup, a Cybertruck sales flop, the much-delayed introduction of self-driving technology—with bluster and showmanship.”
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Ctrl Alt-Right Delete got a shout out in the always excellent Democracy Notes newsletter this week!
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That’s all for now. Talk to you again next Sunday!