Mean Girls in Action

Image by Alexa from Pixabay

On Monday a Republican member of Congress introduced a resolution banning transgender women from using female bathrooms at the U.S. Capitol.

I expected this. About five minutes after hearing on Election Night that the state of Delaware had voted to send openly transgender Democrat Sarah McBride to occupy its lone seat in Congress, I knew Republicans would create a hullabaloo over the other kind of seats.

I firmly believed Georgia firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene would be the one to lead a Republican bog blockade, and was I ever surprised to read that South Carolina's Nancy Mace got there first. 

I assumed Greene would walk through glass for the chance to grandstand on this matter, but somehow Mace beat her to the potty punch.

It turns out, though, that Greene hasn't completely missed her opportunity. She declared Mace's legislation "doesn't go far enough," and she'd be willing to get into a physical tussle if McBride uses women's restrooms.

That's our Marjorie. Always ready to up the ante in the service of batshit crazy.

Can't Deny It

 

Awareness

Image:  Katie Rainbow at Pexels

It's Transgender Awareness Week, and every transgender person in America is aware that his or her life just got harder thanks to the election results.

How can the rest of us help? I'm glad you asked. 

Over the last few years, as state legislatures began targeting trans folks, some faith communities noticed. I'm a Unitarian Universalist, and my Seattle church is involved in a national effort to help transgender and gender-divergent folks escape red states.

We're a kind of aboveground Underground Railroad. Perhaps we should be called Thomas the Transgender Tank.

Anyway, my minister said that calls from frightened trans folks escalated after the election, which is no surprise. So we who are helping with the local endeavor realized we needed to up our game.

During both services today, a transgender congregant laid out how dire the situation is around the country. The money that was donated to the collection plates will be divided between the national Pink Haven Coalition and our local branch. I staffed the info table and was gratified to see church members signing up to join our group, work on fundraising or provide housing.

The refugees, whether individuals or families with kids, lack the resources to move across the country, so we'll help with temporary housing, grocery cards, info on medical and social resources, etc. And someone should probably be there with smelling salts when they first get a load of Seattle prices.

As the service I attended wrapped up today, our resident mezzo soprano launched into "You'll Never Walk Alone," and we were encouraged to join in. I did, and tears began to fall. Damn that Rodgers and Hammerstein.

I know all too well how hard it is to watch the news these days, or to do anything but fume. Unfortunately, time is tight, as wretched individuals will soon be coming for innocent people. This is what I'm doing about it. What can you do?

One Good Thing

Image:  Facebook

Trying to find anything positive in the election results is like trying to find a needle in the haystack on Donald Trump's head.

But there is one thing. According to The Hill, Trump lost ground with LGBTQ folks. Of voters who self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, 86 percent voted for Kamala Harris. That's a 22-point increase over 2020, when Joe Biden captured 64 percent of the queer vote against Trump.

Trump infamously gained ground with groups like Black and Latino men, but the opposite happened with us. Could it be that we did more than any other demographic to save democracy? Harvey Milk and Barbara Jordan would be so proud.

The reasons queer voters took this stand are obvious. Start with the Trump campaign turning transgender people into effigies. Beyond that, hell, we're gay:  We know when a production should never have gotten out of development.

This Week's Quote

Image:  Facebook

Another tiny ray of sunshine: Democrat Tom Suozzi won convicted felon George Santos's former congressional seat, causing George to throw a fit and shoplift five more Hermes sweaters and stress-eat an entire Little Debbie display at Stop and Shop.

Paul Rudnick

Source: X

We All Did

 

One Option

Image by Jude Joshua from Pixabay

My sister and I drove north to Vancouver over the weekend to visit our 91-year-old Aunt Cathy.

As soon as we sat down, Cathy offered her condolences on the American election. She added that both of us were welcome to move to Canada, since "here we like immigrants."