Good stuff, big shout out to David Shor and his fellow pundits convincing the GOP their missing votes could be found at the bottom of a canyon, wouldn't have happened without them.
On Maher and Hillary, I think both scenarios apply: they're boomers whose reference for trans people is, well, men so gay that they want to remove their dicks. Extra gay. But they're also very afraid and convinced that every joke Reagan made about the libs is true, so the words "you're out of touch" trigger a Pavlovian response to them. It doesn't excuse them being bigots or being unable to read, but it does explain it.
Great article! I checked you out after hearing you on Chappo. I’m a trans woman who came out in 2006, and I agree with pretty much everything you wrote here. I tell all my friends we’re going to make it through the wave of hate we’re facing because nearly everyone in America who’s pro-LGB is pro-trans as well.
I live in Massachusetts, and I got firsthand experience of this in the 2018 bathroom bill ballot campaign. I went out knocking on doors with Freedom for All Americans every weekend for a year leading up to the vote. I talked to literally thousands of ordinary people about the issue, and not a single one was pro gay & anti trans. Nearly everyone who was ignorant on trans issues was easy to educate. We won a crushing victory with 2/3rds of the vote. That’s 7 points better than Warren did that year by the way.
The only thing I have to add to your article is my sense that Republican politicians are taking advice from self-hating gays. If you’re a middle-aged Republican gay man, the odds are really good you’ve bought into respectability politics and have spent decades condemning other queer people for breaking gender norms. There’s also probably a smattering of eggs and TERFs in their camp. Regardless, this is an inconsequentially small group of losers that nobody in their right mind would want to emulate or listen to.
Fantastic article, and I mean this genuinely. Absolutely getting my money's worth with this subscription lol. I do have a question though. Near the beginning, you seem to place the changing tide of public opinion on trans rights to the economic fallout caused by North Carolina's anti-trans statutes. I'm wondering, why would you say the business community was so repulsed by transphobia in NC, particularly when a non-discrimination ordinance in Houston was crushed resoundingly? Was it a matter of geography (the LGBT community being more economically salient in urban NC than TX), or time (by 2016 rather than 2015, more people had become concerned about trans issues)?
This article is really well written. As a 39 year old gay data scientist this piece does a fantastic job at providing a proverbial oral history of anti LGBT politics. As someone with family that has an AIDS foundation & has done LGBT advocacy -- there is plenty of work left for us.
Growing up in suburban Connecticut I didn't face this barrage of ant LGBT hate. My home state was the first legislative body in America that ever passed statewide lgbt non discrimination protections. That was done in 1975 by the state senate. However, it didn't pass the full body & get signed into law until 1991. And Connecticut under Gov Malloy became the first to make Trans protections lawful too.
Your sharp yet sober political analysis on this subject is much appreciated. I’ve been trying to explain to my friends that it’s not as bad for us as the Erin Reed’s of the world make it out to be but that it’s not exactly great either. Now I have a great article to send them which so elegantly articulates the situation we face.
Constructive comments t I'll make which justifies revisions to the article, or be included in subsequent parts is:
(1) how Evangelical/Southern Baptist (movement within the GOP 30% per PRRI) drives all the anti trans fuckery
(2) LGBT electorate 7-8% of America and how they are basically a national 82%-85% Dem voting block now. In key states (mentioned in this article) LGBT folks basically where a 90% Dem block in 22 /20/18.
Having born again family one side from Arkansas- it's 100% true the church has now gone outside the church. In other words; the Southern Baptist convention (after losing one million people plus mostly younger folks) in recent years due to rejecting inclusion of LGBT/racial minorities.
The ones in my family are are extremely bigoted believing LGBT shouldn't be able to serve publicly in the government. Mayor Pete triggers them so hardcore. And they don't believe Trans people should have any rights.
Mar 20, 2023·edited Mar 20, 2023Liked by ettingermentum
One thing I do sort of wonder is that why was the catalyst of opposing transphobia in the US, well, corporations?
Like it really does seem that the economic backlash in NC, the pushing of corporate-supporting pride visibility during June, it just seems odd that a lot of it appears to be coming from the corporate world rather than the activist bases of gay marriage or the civil rights movement, kinda unprompted? Was it just the writing on the wall after the gay rights movement?
(Not that it didn't start with the activist base, it did, I mean more about it reaching a critical mass of opposition and leading to general salience/backlash)
Great piece! As a trans woman it's both hilarious and terrifying to think that we might be the iceberg that the right is willing to sink its ship on.
What do you think this means for folks like Machaela Cavanaugh, Megan Hunt et al. who have recently made names for themselves by blocking anti-trans stuff at the state level in red states?
Good stuff, big shout out to David Shor and his fellow pundits convincing the GOP their missing votes could be found at the bottom of a canyon, wouldn't have happened without them.
On Maher and Hillary, I think both scenarios apply: they're boomers whose reference for trans people is, well, men so gay that they want to remove their dicks. Extra gay. But they're also very afraid and convinced that every joke Reagan made about the libs is true, so the words "you're out of touch" trigger a Pavlovian response to them. It doesn't excuse them being bigots or being unable to read, but it does explain it.
the republican party are nothing but monsters. anyone who votes for their bigoted party are themselves monsters.
Great article! I checked you out after hearing you on Chappo. I’m a trans woman who came out in 2006, and I agree with pretty much everything you wrote here. I tell all my friends we’re going to make it through the wave of hate we’re facing because nearly everyone in America who’s pro-LGB is pro-trans as well.
I live in Massachusetts, and I got firsthand experience of this in the 2018 bathroom bill ballot campaign. I went out knocking on doors with Freedom for All Americans every weekend for a year leading up to the vote. I talked to literally thousands of ordinary people about the issue, and not a single one was pro gay & anti trans. Nearly everyone who was ignorant on trans issues was easy to educate. We won a crushing victory with 2/3rds of the vote. That’s 7 points better than Warren did that year by the way.
The only thing I have to add to your article is my sense that Republican politicians are taking advice from self-hating gays. If you’re a middle-aged Republican gay man, the odds are really good you’ve bought into respectability politics and have spent decades condemning other queer people for breaking gender norms. There’s also probably a smattering of eggs and TERFs in their camp. Regardless, this is an inconsequentially small group of losers that nobody in their right mind would want to emulate or listen to.
Fantastic, thorough piece. Thank you for writing it.
Fantastic article, and I mean this genuinely. Absolutely getting my money's worth with this subscription lol. I do have a question though. Near the beginning, you seem to place the changing tide of public opinion on trans rights to the economic fallout caused by North Carolina's anti-trans statutes. I'm wondering, why would you say the business community was so repulsed by transphobia in NC, particularly when a non-discrimination ordinance in Houston was crushed resoundingly? Was it a matter of geography (the LGBT community being more economically salient in urban NC than TX), or time (by 2016 rather than 2015, more people had become concerned about trans issues)?
This article is really well written. As a 39 year old gay data scientist this piece does a fantastic job at providing a proverbial oral history of anti LGBT politics. As someone with family that has an AIDS foundation & has done LGBT advocacy -- there is plenty of work left for us.
Growing up in suburban Connecticut I didn't face this barrage of ant LGBT hate. My home state was the first legislative body in America that ever passed statewide lgbt non discrimination protections. That was done in 1975 by the state senate. However, it didn't pass the full body & get signed into law until 1991. And Connecticut under Gov Malloy became the first to make Trans protections lawful too.
Your sharp yet sober political analysis on this subject is much appreciated. I’ve been trying to explain to my friends that it’s not as bad for us as the Erin Reed’s of the world make it out to be but that it’s not exactly great either. Now I have a great article to send them which so elegantly articulates the situation we face.
Thank you.
Amazing work, truly.
Also is now the time to move from Ettingermentum to Coopermania?
Constructive comments t I'll make which justifies revisions to the article, or be included in subsequent parts is:
(1) how Evangelical/Southern Baptist (movement within the GOP 30% per PRRI) drives all the anti trans fuckery
(2) LGBT electorate 7-8% of America and how they are basically a national 82%-85% Dem voting block now. In key states (mentioned in this article) LGBT folks basically where a 90% Dem block in 22 /20/18.
Having born again family one side from Arkansas- it's 100% true the church has now gone outside the church. In other words; the Southern Baptist convention (after losing one million people plus mostly younger folks) in recent years due to rejecting inclusion of LGBT/racial minorities.
The ones in my family are are extremely bigoted believing LGBT shouldn't be able to serve publicly in the government. Mayor Pete triggers them so hardcore. And they don't believe Trans people should have any rights.
NYTimes is a believer in Ettingermentum!!! Cant stop wont stop
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/14/opinion/transgender-wisconsin-schools.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage§ion=Opinion
Magnificently researched and compellingly written. I'm subscribing on the strength of this piece alone.
One thing I do sort of wonder is that why was the catalyst of opposing transphobia in the US, well, corporations?
Like it really does seem that the economic backlash in NC, the pushing of corporate-supporting pride visibility during June, it just seems odd that a lot of it appears to be coming from the corporate world rather than the activist bases of gay marriage or the civil rights movement, kinda unprompted? Was it just the writing on the wall after the gay rights movement?
(Not that it didn't start with the activist base, it did, I mean more about it reaching a critical mass of opposition and leading to general salience/backlash)
Great piece! As a trans woman it's both hilarious and terrifying to think that we might be the iceberg that the right is willing to sink its ship on.
What do you think this means for folks like Machaela Cavanaugh, Megan Hunt et al. who have recently made names for themselves by blocking anti-trans stuff at the state level in red states?
FWIW, David Shor himself doesn't believe that transphobia is a winning issue for Republicans, and has said as much.
https://twitter.com/davidshor/status/1426204141567754241
https://twitter.com/davidshor/status/1561770210608222210
Your main point is excellent. The entire history of the Civil War is the original failure that they need to make themselves feel better about.
Any idea why the audio version doesn’t read the whole piece?