Traditionally one welcomes a new colleague with flowers, or maybe a card. At the very least a hearty handshake. But a transphobic rule governing who can and can't use the women's restroom aimed at one specific person? That's a choice.
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Shame on her. All the shame. And then, when you think no, that's enough shame? More shame. Because I mean for real. Huh? Shame on who? |
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South Carolina: famous for uh...seceding from the Union? Oh and now, transphobia. |
That's South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace who, in anticipation of newly elected Delaware representative Sarah McBride,
introduced a measure to ban trans women (like McBride) from using the women's bathrooms at the U.S. Capitol. Mace, a Republican--sorry, I didn't mean to insult your intelligence.
Of course she's a Republican--is presenting the measure as some kind of protection for women and yes, is openly saying it's because of McBride's recent election. So, yeah. Cool welcome.
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Above: an unrelated picture of two men discussing forcing themselves into women's spaces. |
"This is a biological man trying to force himself into women's spaces, and I'm not going to tolerate it."
-Mace, evidently unclear
on what "trans" means
But, trans women are women. That's the whole point. And I don't want to tell her how to TERF, but is Mace's statement kind of weird coming from a supporter of Donald Trump.
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Huh, I never knew there were that many billionaires in the country. Wait, unless... |
Having lost the argument when it comes to gays, the GOP have now turned their transparent scapegoating to trans people (immigrants as well, but that's nothing new) in hopes that they can scare enough low information voters into supporting them against their interests. You may you recall the darkest day in recent history (like, two weeks ago), when they won control of the House, the Senate, and the White House in a narrow victory which they are now claiming is a mandate to to tear down decades of progress.
Anyway, you might think this is a petty, politically motivated move motivated by ignorance and/or a desire to engage in the kind of performative harassment the new, crazy, Trump-drunk American Right wing is famous for.
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"No, you see when I do it, it's not creepy."
-Rep. Mace |
And you'd be right, but Mace
is presenting this in the TERF-y "I'm actually
protecting" women argument:
"I'm absolutely, 100 percent, going to stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women's restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms, I will be there fighting you every step of the way."
-Mace, promising to
lurk outside bathrooms
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Her opposition to off-shore drilling is basically her Harry Potter: good, but forever tainted by her TERF-ness. |
In the interests of fairness, I did some research--that is to say I looked Mace up on wikipedia--and as Trumpy Republicans go, she sounds not
as egregious as a lot of them? She opposes offshore drilling, wrote a prison reform bill, and even condemned the January 6th attack. It doesn't change the fact that she's a transphobic jerk. But I want to at least acknowledge that those on the right aren't universally redeemable monsters. They're just like, 90% monster.
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We've twice now tried to make this a women's space, but, well, here we are. |
And look, you know this, I know this, we all know this, and I've already said it above, but I'm going to say it again anyway, so bear with me: trans women
are women. No one is going to argue that women's spaces aren't under threat, but they're under threat from men, specifically sexual predators and not, you know women and certainly not congresswomen. McBride, for her part, is calling this out for what it is: a distraction. Does Mace believe her own nonsense or is this just a means to an end? I don't know. And I'm not even sure I know which is worse.
The Right won this last election by running on a platform of fear, hatred, and ignorance and they know, like they know that they're full of shit. They know it. And they just need it to work long enough to get them what they want.
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Huh? Oh, a hyper-capitalist, misogynistic, theocratic dystopia. But eggs will be cheaper somehow? I guess? I'm unclear on that part. |