If someone paid off all your bills and gave you an additional million dollars, tax-free, and you had to spend it on yourself, on what would you spend it?
Quote of the Day
"I found myself explaining that, in addition to the Constitution, the United States is bound by international treaties. I explained that there are fundamental human rights that belong to everyone and apply in all countries in the world, including the United States, and that my work covers both."—Hina Shamsi, Director of the ACLU National Security Project, in an essay about how distressingly different her travel abroad has been since Trump's executive order banning Muslims from seven countries.
The person to whom she found herself explaining these facts was a Customs and Border Protection officer.
I strongly encourage you to read the whole thing.
Inspiring Acts of Resistance
Share things you have seen that moved you, or actions you are taking. Please also feel welcome and encouraged to share links to Twitter users and/or news sites engaged in resistance that you recommend following.
I want to share this video, "Don't Be A Bystander: 6 Tips for Responding to Racist Attacks," by Project NIA and the Barnard Center for Research on Women, narrated by Aaryn Lang—who was interviewed about the process by Black Youth Project. [Hat tip to @prisonculture.] It's such a great guide for how to intervene in ways that center the safety of the person being targeted and the person intervening, with an emphasis on consent. I value this so, so much.
Aaryn Lang, a young, thin, Black woman, appears onscreen. Throughout the video, sometimes she is onscreen, talking directly to camera; other times, she speaks in voiceover, over relevant photographs.
Text onscreen: Don't Be A Bystander: 6 Tips for Responding to Racist Attacks.
LANG: The United States has a long history of violence against people of color, disabled people, Muslims, immigrants, and LGBTQ people. In our current political moment, white supremacists and white nationalists have been emboldened—and, as a result, public attacks are on the rise. Many people aren't sure what to do if they witness a racist or transphobic attack. Here are some ideas.
Text onscreen: 1. Be more than a bystander.
LANG: It might be tempting to look away out of fear, or because you aren't sure what to do. But not getting involved communicates approval and leaves the victim high and dry. If you can, talk with the victim. This is about supporting them: Look them in the eye; check in with them. Try not to escalate or provoke the perpetrator.
An illustration shows a Muslim woman being berated on public transportation by a white man, and a white woman sits down beside the Muslim woman and begins chatting to her about the weather, which frustrates the white man, who walks away.
LANG: Simply sitting or standing next to someone is better than nothing at all. It's difficult to witness any kind of violence, so try to breathe—and stay present.
Text onscreen: 2. Document the incident.
LANG: Many assume others will document an incident going on. If it's safe to do so, and the victim doesn't object, film or record an incident. This helps to keep track of the rise of incidents like this, and it also ensures that the victims' versions of events can be confirmed.
Text onscreen: 3. Support the victim by sticking around.
LANG: Check in with the victim. Ask them what they need. Get their consent and offer concrete ways to support them. Get them water. Help them get composed. Help them call a friend, or even get to a safer place.
Text onscreen: 4. Avoid the police.
LANG: Armed police presence often escalates rather than reduces the risk of violence in a situation. Because police have been trained to see people of color, gender-nonconforming folks, and Muslims as criminals, they often treat victims as perpetrators of violence. So, if the victim hasn't asked you to call the police, DO NOT. I repeat: DO NOT call the police.
Text onscreen: 5. Call out the everyday culture of white supremacy.
LANG: The culture of white supremacy and anti-Blackness is perpetuated by our media, political systems, and social media. You can contribute to making these attitudes unacceptable by challenging white supremacy even when you're not in a crisis. If you're white yourself, talk to your white family and friends about anti-Blackness and white supremacy. Do it every day, especially when you're in an all-white space. By doing this, you confront the culture without putting anyone else in danger of an immediate backlash.
Text onscreen: 6. Organize and protest for justice.
LANG: Now is the time for all of us who believe in justice to come together. It doesn't have to look one way. You can canvass, you can phone bank, you can write letters, or you can even create art for the movement. Taking it to the streets is always nice, but, if you don't have time for that, you could always support the marginalized populations, who are on the frontlines of this work, financially. White supremacy and anti-Blackness affects all of us—and fighting against it affirms all of our humanity.
I Don't Care
[Content Note: Lookism; fat hatred; disablism; white supremacy.]
I don't care that Donald Trump has unusual hair. I don't care that his skin is an unusual color. I don't care that he's fat. I don't care that he has a double chin. I don't care he's old. I don't care that he's been married three times. I don't care what he eats. I don't care about anyone's armchair diagnostics of his mental health, especially when said diagnosing is clearly just in service of disablist narratives.
I don't care that Steve Bannon is fat or scruffy or dresses like "a slob." I don't care that Kellyanne Conway is blonde, and I really don't care to hear misogyny spat in her direction.
I do care, very much, that Trump polices the way other people look. That he engages in fat hatred. That he audits women's femininity. That he slut-shames. That he ranks women and reportedly demeans men in his employ if they aren't good-looking and fashionable enough. That he mocks disabled people.
I care that Bannon values human beings based on their external characteristics and choices. I care that Conway engages in misogyny against other women, and bigotry of every sort.
All of Trump's bullying is inextricably associated with his authoritarianism. All of his administration's expressed and legislated bigotry is indelibly tied to its white supremacy and to the kyriarchal ideals that attend white supremacy.
I don't believe that engaging in the same garbage behavior that they do will mitigate or eradicate that behavior. To the contrary, it stands to legitimize it.
That is not an argument for not fighting hard, or even dirty.
You may have noticed that I am eminently capable of fighting hard, and sometimes dirty, against the Trump administration without ever mentioning any of the above.
To the contrary, it is an argument that we must fight in a way that does not simply replicate the very harm we're resisting.
Daily Dose of Cute
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
We Resist: Day 19
One of the difficulties in resisting the Trump administration, the Republican Congressional majority, and Republican state legislatures is keeping on top of the sheer number of horrors, indignities, and normalization of the aggressively abnormal that they unleash every single day.
So here is a daily thread for all of us to share all the things that are going on, thus crowdsourcing a daily compendium of the onslaught of conservative erosion of our rights and our very democracy.
Stay engaged. Stay vigilant. Resist.
* * *
Here are some things I've read today:
Elle Hunt at the Guardian: Images of Donald Trump in a Bathrobe Flood Twitter After Spicer Says He 'Doesn't Own One'. "An article published in the New York Times on Sunday painted an unsettling picture of life in the White House, with aides unable to locate light switches being forced to meet in the dark, visitors being left to find their own way out of the building after meetings and a 'darkened, mostly empty West Wing.' The president, it was reported, spent considerable time 'watching television in his bathrobe' and marking up negative news reports with a black Sharpie. ...Spicer took particular issue with the bathrobe report, which he said was 'literally the epitome of fake news.' 'I don't think the president owns a bathrobe,' he said. 'He definitely doesn’t wear one.'" Then people found a million pictures of Trump in a bathrobe. But here's the thing:
Love that Spicer thinks the bathrobe ITSELF is the point & not that Mr. Big League Stamina is a lazy shit who knocks off at 6:30.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) February 6, 2017
This administration will: 1. Lie about anything. 2. Continually get wrapped up in details that don't matter, because the president himself is fixated on them. Not good. Not good at all.
Chris Massie at CNN: WH Official: We'll Say 'Fake News' Until Media Realizes Attitude of Attacking the President Is Wrong. "'There is a monumental desire on behalf of the majority of the media, not just the pollsters, the majority of the media to attack a duly elected President in the second week of his term," [Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to President Donald Trump], a former Breitbart editor who also holds a PhD in political science, told syndicated conservative radio host Michael Medved. 'That's how unhealthy the situation is and until the media understands how wrong that attitude is, and how it hurts their credibility, we are going to continue to say, 'fake news.' I'm sorry, Michael. That's the reality,' he added." Chilling.
Meanwhile, they will continue to promulgate actual fake news: The White House Is Using a Fake News Lie to Baselessly Discredit Anti-Trump Protests. They continue to insist that protesters are being paid, which is absurd for a dozen different reasons, but also? So what if they were? I thought Trump was going to a "jobs president."
John Wagner at the Washington Post: Trump: I'll Take 'Common Sense' Travel Ban to the Supreme Court, if Necessary. "President Trump said Tuesday that he is prepared to take the case for his now-frozen travel ban to the Supreme Court—but added that he hopes it doesn't come to that." Well, if it does, the "so-called" justices of the U.S. Supreme Court can tell you it's unconstitutional, too.
Seung Min Kim at Politico: Cotton and Trump Plot Crackdown on Legal Immigration. "Overlooked in Donald Trump's campaign crusade against illegal immigration was his vow to crack down on legal immigration, too. Now, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a reliable Trump ally, is taking steps to execute that part of the president's immigration vision... Cotton's new legislation, being formally proposed Tuesday with Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and detailed exclusively with POLITICO in advance of its release, swings an axe at the nation's green-card system by eliminating several avenues for U.S. citizens and permanent residents to sponsor family members for green cards. ...The bill also dumps the diversity visa lottery, which allots about 50,000 visas per year for citizens of countries that traditionally have low rates of immigration to the United States. And it would limit refugees to 50,000 annually."
Aaron Rupar at Think Progress: President Trump Baselessly Accuses the Media of Covering up Terrorist Attacks. Meanwhile, David Smith at the Guardian: White House's 'Under-Reported' Terror List Includes Many Well-Known Attacks.
Tom Hamburger at the Washington Post: Melania Trump Missed out on 'Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity' to Make Millions, Lawsuit Says. "Richard Painter, a White House ethics counsel under President George W. Bush and a critic of Trump's decision to retain ownership of his real estate and branding empire while in office, said Monday that he was troubled by the suggestion in the new suit that Melania Trump intended to profit from her public role. 'There has never been a first lady of the United States who insinuated that she intended to make a lot of money because of the 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity of being first lady,' said Painter." This whole family.
During an interview with Bill O'Reilly, Trump was (again) talking about how the U.S. should have (illegally) seized Iraq's oils, and actually said the words "to the victor belong the spoils." JFC.
Paul Kane at the Washington Post: Mike Pence, a Man of the House, Becomes Trump's Eyes and Ears in the Senate. Every day, it keeps getting cooler to see dudes at major papers writing things I was predicting seven months ago!
What have you been reading that we need to resist today?
Donald Trump: Easily Manipulated into Failed Raid
[Content Note: Terrorism; death.]
With Donald Trump's onslaught of authoritarianism domestically, his first military operation, the bungled raid in Yemen, during which a reported 30 civilians and one Navy SEAL were killed, has gotten comparatively little attention.
But there are two very important stories about that raid today, which I want to highlight.
1. Cynthia McFadden, William M. Arkin, and Tracy Connor at NBC News: Yemen Raid Had Secret Target: Al Qaeda Leader Qassim Al-Rimi. The ostensible reason for the raid, we've been hearing from the administration, was intelligence gathering. But it turns out that was not the case.
The Navy SEAL raid in Yemen last week had a secret objective — the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who survived and is now taunting President Donald Trump in an audio message.He is alive and mocking Donald Trump in an audio recording: "The fool of the White House got slapped at the beginning of his road in your lands." That is troubling for a number of reasons, not least of which is that Trump will be piqued by such provocative taunting, which is precisely the point. That will make him even more reckless and dangerous.
Military and intelligence officials told NBC News the goal of the massive operation was to capture or kill Qassim al-Rimi, considered the third most dangerous terrorist in the world and a master recruiter.
But while one SEAL, 14 al Qaeda fighters and some civilians, including an 8-year-old girl, were killed during a firefight, al-Rimi is still alive and in Yemen, multiple military officials said.
How easily manipulated into bad decision-making Trump is cannot be in question, given the very manner in which he was talked into launching the raid in the first place. Which brings us to...
2. Caroline Mortimer at The Independent: Donald Trump's Staff Get Him to Agree to Policies by Saying 'Obama Wouldn't Have Done It'. And, yes, that includes the Yemen raid.
Defence Secretary, General James "Mad Dog" Mattis, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, reportedly convinced Mr Trump to go ahead with the raid by suggesting Mr Obama would never have been so bold as to actually go through with it.It was not. And despite the fact that the White House declared the raid "a successful operation by all standards," NBC News notes that the White House and Pentagon had no comment on the latest revelation of their intended target and failure to kill him.
They suggested that the death of al Rimi would be a "game changer" in the fight against al-Qaeda, according to a senior White House official.
At this point, it should be abundantly clear even to the most diehard Trump supporters that he has no idea what he is doing. And he is seeking input from people with their own conflicting agendas, who are eminently willing to manipulate him to get what they want, irrespective of whether it's good for the country.
We are in real trouble.
If Trump were the patriot he claims to be, he would admit he is profoundly out of his depth and resign his position immediately.
Today in Toxic Masculinity
[Content Note: Misogyny; toxic masculinity.]
Donald Trump was deeply unhappy about Melissa McCarthy's send-up of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer—although not for the reason one might expect.
More than being lampooned as a press secretary who makes up facts, it was Spicer's portrayal by a woman that was most problematic in the president's eyes, according to sources close to him. And the unflattering send-up by a female comedian was not considered helpful for Spicer's longevity in the grueling, high-profile job in which he has struggled to strike the right balance between representing an administration that considers the media the "opposition party," and developing a functional relationship with the press.This is, of course, unsurprising for anyone who has been paying attention to Trump's aggressive contempt for women, but it is nonetheless reprehensible all the same.
"Trump doesn't like his people to look weak," added a top Trump donor.
Again, I will note that it's remarkable we're supposedly the snowflakes, but apparently the entire Trump administration will implode if women play the men.
To that end! Rosie O'Donnell, Trump's longtime nemesis, has offered to play Steve Bannon. LOL. And I have a suggestion for who should take over Trump:
Sorry, Alec Baldwin, but the nation needs @Lesdoggg to play Trump from now on. https://t.co/HIxy7XGJ7V
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) February 7, 2017
And, while we're at it, Kate McKinnon should play Mike Pence. The Ghostbusters have got this.
"The Future Is Female."
Hillary Clinton recorded a message for the Makers Conference, and she looked pretty damn happy as she said, "The future is female."
Though she didn't attend, Hillary Clinton praises the "amazing energy" of the #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/dVRIgmbleu
— Monica Alba (@albamonica) February 7, 2017
Hillary Clinton, sitting and facing the camera: Hello, Makers. I know you have an incredible three days ahead, and I can't wait to see the exciting work you produce.By way of reminder, "women's vital roles" is something that has been at the center of Clinton's work for many years, and she has repeatedly spoken about how empowering women is the key to peacekeeping around the globe.
I'm proud to be a Maker, and to support Maker's mission: To share women's stories and celebrate women's vital roles in the past, present, and future of our country.
Despite all the challenges we face, I remain convinced that, yes, the future is female!
Just look at the amazing energy we saw last month, as women organized to march, that galvanized millions of people all over our country and across the world.
September 2009: "I have advocated for many years that women are the key to progress and prosperity around the world. I believe that. ...There are people who say, well, women's issues is an important issue, but it doesn't rank up there with the Middle East or Iran's nuclear threat or Afghanistan and Pakistan. I could not disagree more. I think women are key to our being able to resolve all of those difficult conflicts, as well as provide for a better future."
November 2009: "The most extraordinary day of the entire trip was a testament to this very idea, what Clinton calls 'smart power,' and it is something she is very passionate about: that the micro-economies of the poor are deeply important, and when the so-called soft issues—violence against women, food safety and agriculture, sustainable development—are not tended to, the result is chaos, instability, conflict, and war."
October 2010: "Women's participation in [peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peace building] is not a 'nice thing to do.' It's not as though we are doing a favor for ourselves and them by including women in the work of peace. This is a necessary global security imperative. Including women in the work of peace advances our national security interests, promotes political stability, economic growth, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Just as in the economic sphere, we cannot exclude the talents of half the population, neither when it comes to matters of life and death can we afford to ignore, marginalize, and dismiss the very direct contributions that women can and have made."
Just a few examples of her longheld belief in women's empowerment. No other U.S. politician has so passionately and eloquently tried to address women's oppression as a source of instability and warfare, nor women's empowerment as the key to stability and peace. None.
Thank you, Hillary Clinton, for believing in women.
Senate Democrats Hold the Floor Against Betsy DeVos
All night, Senate Democrats have been holding the floor in protest of Betsy DeVos' nomination for Secretary of Education. If you want to check in on the proceedings, here is C-SPAN's live feed.
At Cosmo, Gina Mei reports:
In a final, last ditch effort to derail the confirmation of President Donald Trump's nominee for education secretary Betsy DeVos, Democrats are currently holding the Senate floor for 24 hours and collectively speaking out in opposition to her.If you'd like to see some video clips from the all-nighter, there are a number at the link.
The all-night session comes after immense disapproval to DeVos' nomination from citizens across the country due to her lack of education experience, disdain for public schools, and previous investments in public and charter schools. Senate Democrats hope their arguments will convince just one more Republican to cross party lines and oppose the Michigan billionaire's confirmation — alongside Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who announced they would vote against her last week.
"I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to follow the courageous example of the senators from Maine and Alaska," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, according to NBC. "We have an obligation as Senators — not as Republicans, not as Democrats, but as Senators — to evaluate these nominees and their fitness for office, because these nominees are going to wield immense power over the lives of Americans for possibly the next four years."
As The Washington Post goes on to point out, because all 48 Senate Democrats have pledged to oppose DeVos, all they need is one more Republican to vote against her for her not to be confirmed. If they are unable to convince any of their colleagues to change their mind, however, Vice President Mike Pence will be called upon to cast the tie-breaking vote — which he's already confirmed will be in DeVos' favor.
I am grateful to the Democrats for taking this stand, even if it is ultimately futile. But it's not futile yet! If you can, keep making calls to Republican Senators and ask them to vote no on DeVos, because she is manifestly unqualified for the position and will ruin the Department of Education and destroy public education across the country.
(Which, of course, was the entire point of her nomination.)
It will be a bitter irony if Mike Pence, who once stripped Indiana's Superintendent of Public Instruction of power because she was trying to save the state from the very "reforms" that DeVos wants to enact, gets the deciding vote.
I hope one more Republican will stand up on behalf of the nation's children. I fear that no one will.
But, in the meantime, I'm not giving up. I will expect more and keep making calls.
UPDATE: And DeVos has been confirmed, with Pence's unprecedented, tie-breaking vote. Fuck.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Brenda A.: "What is your theme song? A song that when you hear it come on, makes you say 'That's me!'"
This is always and forever my answer to this question, lol:
Joan Jett: "Bad Reputation"
The Monday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by spinach.
Recommended Reading:
Imani: Donald Trump Is Full of Nonsense About the 'Very, Very Dishonest' Media
Lara: [Content Note: Misogynoir; choice policing] White Women: This Is Why Your Critiques of Beyoncé Are Racist
Flavia: [CN: Privacy violations] Big Data and the Ethics of Community Surveillance
Stavvers: [CN: Harassment; exploitation] Tips for Staying Safe Online If You Oppose Fascism
Donna: [CN: Anti-semitism; harassment; threats] What Everyone Gets Wrong About Anti-Semitic Twitter Trolls
Keith: Businesses Distance Themselves from Trump Family Amid Controversy
Maddie: Worst Wildfires in Chile's History Have Left Devastation in Their Wake
Leave your links and recommendations in comments. Self-promotion welcome and encouraged!
You're Goddamn Right I'm a Snowflake
[Content Note: Harassment; privilege.]
You may have heard, possibly because you have been on the receiving end of it, that Trump supporters refer to progressives as snowflakes.
If "cuck" is the insult of choice for the alt-right to lump together and dismiss establishment conservatives, "snowflake" has become the go-to for enemies on the left. There is not a single political point a liberal can make on the Internet for which "You triggered, snowflake?" cannot be the comeback. It's purpose is dismissing liberalism as something effeminate, and also infantile, an outgrowth of the lessons you were taught in kindergarten. "Sharing is caring"? Communism. "Feelings are good"? Facts over feelings. "Everyone is special and unique"? Shut up, snowflake.Snowflake is basically the new "Social Justice Warrior" (or SJW), which we were also supposed to consider an insult, despite the fact that it was an "insult" many of us wore proudly.
I have been called a snowflake countless times on Twitter and in my inbox, by the most pathetic projectionists who are aggrieved at my mere existence, but accuse me without a trace of irony of being intolerant and oversensitive.
There is, perhaps, nothing more perfectly indicative of the grim intersection of their aggressive arrogance, comprehensive rejection of self-reflection, and pitiable lack of imagination than wielding "snowflake" as a pejorative.
Snowflakes are fucking beautiful, each one a unique creation that melds fragility with the ferocity of survival on a planet that generally does not support its existence.
As snowflakes move through the environment, encountering different temperatures and pressures, their complex and individual shapes emerge. And once they fall to the ground, accumulating with other snowflakes, they undergo a metamorphosis and coalesce into a snowpack, which itself becomes stronger—and more resistant to being moved—than any individual snowflake.
This does not sound like an insult. This sounds like a pretty solid description of a vibrant and diverse resistance.
At protests, there are increasingly signs carried by "snowflakes" which contain some variation on: "Damn right we're snowflakes, and winter is coming."
Fucking right it is.
Trump Is Making Us Less Safe Around the Globe
Two things I just read back-to-back:
1. Karla Adam in the Washington Post:
The details of President Trump's state visit to the U.K. are still to be penciled in. But following an extraordinary intervention Monday evening, it now seems unlikely that he will be extended the honor of addressing both houses of British Parliament.The United Kingdom is such a close ally of the United States that it is described as a "special relationship." Now the other half of that special relationship is outright rejecting the United States president, and with good reason.
Citing "racism" and "sexism," the speaker of the House of Commons told lawmakers Monday that he was "strongly opposed" to the president addressing both houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall. President Barack Obama delivered a speech in the medieval hall in 2011, the first American president to do so.
"I would not wish to issue an invitation to President Trump," John Bercow said.
"We value our relationship with the United States. If a state visit takes place, that is way beyond and above the pay grade of the speaker. However, as far as this place is concerned, I feel very strongly that our opposition to racism and to sexism, and our support for equality before the law, and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations in the House of Commons."
...He added: "Before the imposition of the migrant ban, I would myself have been strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster Hall. After the imposition of the migrant ban by President Trump, I am even more strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster Hall."
Bercow's intervention was greeted with cheering and applause by some members of Parliament.
Even more alarming, an editorial by Klaus Brinkbäumer in the German newspaper Der Spiegel argues: "Europe Must Defend Itself Against a Dangerous President."
Germany must stand up in opposition to the 45th president of the United States and his government. That's difficult enough already for two reasons: Because it is from the Americans that we obtained our liberal democracy in the first place; and because it is unclear how the brute and choleric man on the other side will react to diplomatic pressure.Emphasis mine.
...It is literally painful to write this sentence, but the president of the United States is a pathological liar. The president of the U.S. is a racist (it also hurts to write this). He is attempting a coup from the top; he wants to establish an illiberal democracy, or worse; he wants to undermine the balance of power. He fired an acting attorney general who held a differing opinion from his own and accused her of "betrayal." This is the vocabulary used by Nero, the emperor and destroyer of Rome. It is the way tyrants think.
...Trump fuses these worries of his voters with nationalism and xenophobia. That's how demagogues work and it is how they become effective. The fact that the United States, a nuclear superpower that has dominated the world economically, militarily and culturally for decades, is now presenting itself as the victim, calling in all seriousness for "America first" and trying to force the rest of the world into humiliating concessions is absurd. But precisely because this nonsense is coming from the world's most powerful man, it is getting trapped by him.
This is not a threat that will somehow resolve itself. The German economy has become the target of American trade policy and German democracy is ideologically antithetical to Trump's vision. But even here, in the middle of Germany, right-wing extremists are trying to give him a helping hand. It is high time that we stand up for what is important: democracy, freedom, the West and its alliances.
This does not mean escalation or that we must abandon our contacts with America and all the working groups between our governments. What is does mean, though, is that Europe must grow stronger and start planning its political and economic defenses. Against America's dangerous president.
The above, in combination with increasing suspicion from our allies around the world that they cannot trust Donald Trump and the rest of his administration with intelligence that won't get leaked or shared with Vladimir Putin, is making us immediately and observably less safe. Which is to say nothing of Trump's belligerence toward foreign leaders, and his administration's determination to cause trade wars with Mexico and China, just for a start.
Republicans spent eight years (mendaciously) saying that President Obama had undermined our standing around the globe and made us less safe. That was not true. It was never true.
But in two weeks, Trump has done precisely that. And the self-proclaimed patriots of the Republican Party are silent.
Team Badass
Carmen Rios put together this awesome list: "Rebel Girls: 34 Badass Women Leading the Resistance (On Twitter)." I am incredibly proud to be included on it, among such extraordinary company.
But I'm not recommending it because I'm on it. (I mean, if you're reading this, you probably already know who I am, lol.) The truth is, when I clicked on it to read it, I didn't even know I was on it; that was just a pleasant surprise! I'm recommending it for the reason I clicked on it—because badass women are badass!
Seriously. Follow these women.
Daily Dose of Cute
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
We Resist: Day 18
One of the difficulties in resisting the Trump administration, the Republican Congressional majority, and Republican state legislatures is keeping on top of the sheer number of horrors, indignities, and normalization of the aggressively abnormal that they unleash every single day.
So here is a daily thread for all of us to share all the things that are going on, thus crowdsourcing a daily compendium of the onslaught of conservative erosion of our rights and our very democracy.
Stay engaged. Stay vigilant. Resist.
* * *
Here are some things I've read today:
A couple of useful resources: The Toronto Star has started keeping a running tally of Trump's lies since being elected. They're up to 33 so far, and it's an alarming commentary on Trump that I think that number sounds very low. Meanwhile, Lisa Desjardins at PBS has a list of all of Trump's executive actions so far.
Glenn Thrush and Maggie Habermann at the New York Times: Trump and Staff Rethink Tactics After Stumbles. That whole piece is a must-read, but I want to highlight this bit: "But for the moment, Mr. Bannon remains the president's dominant adviser, despite Mr. Trump's anger that he was not fully briefed on details of the executive order he signed giving his chief strategist a seat on the National Security Council, a greater source of frustration to the president than the fallout from the travel ban." In plain English: Trump didn't bother reading his own executive order elevating Bannon to the NSC before he signed it. That's how you make the best deals. By not even reading them.
Josh Rogin at the Washington Post: Inside the White House-Cabinet Battle over Trump's Immigration Order. This, too, is worth a read in its entirety. Nothing about it reassures me about anyone in the Trump administration, as Kelly, Mattis, and Tillerson seem to object primarily to being left out of the discussion, and only expressed dismay about the most egregious parts of the ban. Nothing suggests they would have intervened more significantly given the chance, anyway. The Green Card exemption they advocated is something, but not nearly enough. Reading between the lines, it sounds like they are not more decent, but only more adept at understanding how to sell such horrendous policy—which seems to be confirmed by Kelly's willingness to go out there and spin it, with garbage about "humane" bigotry. If the hope is this trio will be a moderating force, I don't see it. I see men who will put a more "respectable" veneer on white supremacy.
[Content Note: Video may autoplay at link] And speaking of reprehensible abettors of white supremacy: "Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that the federal judge who halted President Trump's temporary immigration ban 'made the wrong decision' and vowed to use 'all legal means at our disposal' to protect Americans. 'From the outset of his campaign and administration, the president of the United States has made it clear to put the safety of the American people first,' Pence said on Fox News Sunday. 'We are going to win this argument.'" Shiver.
[CN: Homophobia] In other Pence news, care of Andy Towle at Towleroad: Homophobic Liar Mike Pence Claims He Backs Donald Trump's Support for LGBTQ People. Perfect headline is perfect. (NB: Trump's claimed support for LGBTQ people is also a lie.)
Susanne Craig and Eric Lipton at the New York Times: Trust Records Show Trump Is Still Closely Tied to His Empire. "While the president says he has walked away from the day-to-day operations of his business, two people close to him are the named trustees and have broad legal authority over his assets: his eldest son, Donald Jr., and Allen H. Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's chief financial officer. Mr. Trump, who will receive reports on any profit, or loss, on his company as a whole, can revoke their authority at any time. What's more, the purpose of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust is to hold assets for the 'exclusive benefit' of the president. This trust remains under Mr. Trump's Social Security number, at least as far as federal taxes are concerned." In short: He has not separated himself from his business interests at all.
Julie Pace at AP: On Foreign Policy, Trump Still Speaking Campaign Language. Under this ridiculously benign headline is found this passage: "According to one U.S. official, national security aides have sought information about Polish incursions in Belarus, an eyebrow-raising request because little evidence of such activities appears to exist. Poland is among the Eastern European nations worried about Trump's friendlier tone on Russia." They are looking for crises that don't exist, in order to justify aggressive and indecent policies.
Sean Spicer tries to delegitimize protests by calling them "a very paid AstroTurf-type movement." As Leah McElrath notes: "If protesters are delegitimized, there will be less outcry when the govt responds with violence against citizens." Another familiar authoritarian strategy.
Tierney Sneed at TPM: John Yoo: 'Even I Have Grave Concerns' About Trump's Use Of Executive Power. When the author of George W. Bush's "torture memos" is raising a flag, you have utterly derailed.
McKay Coppins at The Atlantic: Bracing for Trump's Revenge. Conservatives who opposed Trump are worried about his penchant for retaliation. "'The question is not whether he's vengeful,' conservative columnist Ben Shapiro told me. 'The question is how willing he is to use the levers of government to exact that revenge.'"
Maria Tsvetkova and Andrew Osborn at Reuters: Kremlin Says It Wants Apology from Fox News over Putin Comments. Sure. This is normal. Everything is fine. (This is not normal. Everything is not fine.)
[CN: War on agency; rape culture] In state news, Charlotte England at The Independent reports: Arkansas Passes Law Allowing Rapists to Sue Victims Who Want an Abortion. "A pregnant woman's husband will have the power to stop her from having an abortion, even in cases of spousal rape, under a new law introduced in the US state of Arkansas. ...The [pregnant person's] parents or legal guardians can also sue to stop the abortion, if [the pregnant person] is a minor." Rage seethe boil.
[CN: Transphobia; nativism; sexual assault] Tom Dart at the Guardian: New Detention Center's Transgender Unit in Texas Raises Concerns over Intentions. "During the week of the inauguration of a president whose policies will lead to a sharp increase in migrant arrests, America’s newest immigrant detention centre opened in rural north Texas. Known as Prairieland, it has an unusual feature designed to protect an especially vulnerable section of the population: a unit for transgender detainees. Some LGBT advocates, though, question whether holding transgender people in a detached pod in a remote location will do more harm than good. ...Many of these detainees have fled to the US precisely because of their gender identity, only to find themselves in places where their risk of being sexually abused is significantly higher compared to cisgender heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or bisexual detainees, according to the Human Rights Watch report." Fucking hell. This is very worrying.
What have you been reading that we need to resist today?
Dispatches From the Queer Resistance
[content note: transphobia, homophobia, gender policing, sexual assault]
Exit polls showed that LGBT voters overwhelmingly cast ballots for Hillary Clinton (77%) compared to Donald Trump (14%) in Election 2016. With LGBT identities cutting across all racial, gender, ethnic, and religious/non-religious identities and socioeconomic classes, the reasons for this support are likely many. So, here I'll speak to my experience.
The first election in which I voted was in 2000, placing me within a generation of lesbians who came of age as adults during the Bush II years. I remember these years feeling like an ongoing barrage of anti-LGBT sentiment, not just from politicians but from the religious right, as well. Organizations like National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and Family Research Council ran campaign after campaign seeking to restrict LGBT rights and promote special privileges for anti-LGBT religious organizations.
George W. Bush generally opposed LGBT equality as President, opposing LGBT adoption, supporting Don't Ask Don't Tell, opposing marriage equality, and opposing hate crimes legislation that covered sexual orientation. In 2004, Bush succumbed to pressure from Evangelical Christians and supported an amendment to the US Constitution banning same-sex marriage, a move that set him apart from his Democratic opponent John Kerry. Of note, Kerry also opposed same-sex marriage, as did many prominent Democrats then, but I saw a general consensus among my LGBT friends that Democrats had more potential to evolve on the issue compared to Republicans. Questions about support for trans people's rights do not seem to have been regularly asked of candidates in "On the Issues" surveys back then, but I do not remember Bush as a public advocate for trans rights either.
Then, in 2009, early in President Obama's first term, the National Organization for Marriage released a propaganda video, "A Gathering Storm," which true to the group's gay-baiting style painted same-sex marriage as a quasi-terroristic threat to the nation. Instead of being effective, the video inspired a strong backlash against bigotry, as dozens of high-profile parodies and responses were created. In retrospect, the video seemed to foreshadow NOM's Obama Era decline. (It's really hard to even find the original video, but here is one version, in which someone inserted a laugh track, because of course they did).
During President Obama's two terms, as just some examples, he signed legislation repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, signed federal hate crimes legislation, supported marriage equality, called for an end to "conversion therapy" for gay and trans youth, and signed an Executive Order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation (and more). At the same time, progress has lagged for trans people. For instance, the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell did not end the ban on allowing trans individuals to serve openly in the military. And, anti-trans groups continue to propose "bathroom bills," demonizing trans people as predators and policing gender.
Now, with Mike Pence serving on Trump's team, Evangelical Christians rallying around Trump, and the threat of an upcoming Executive Order that would grant religious organizations the special privilege to discriminate, many in the LGBT community fear a rollback of progress made during President Obama's tenure.
It is no surprise to me then, that since November 8, 2016, my social media timelines have been full of LGBT people resisting Trump in various ways. Today, I'd like to highlight just a few recent instances that I'm aware of (which I'd like to make semi-regular updates to, as well):
1. Stonewall Protests Over the Weekend
On Saturday, thousands of LGBT people (and, presumably, allies) gathered at Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village to protest. The intent was, per The Guardian, "to stand with immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers outraged by the president’s executive order banning refugees and travelers from certain Muslim-majority countries from entering the US." I love the intersectional message here: you come for any of us, you come for all of us.
Stonewall Inn, of course, is a historic site of LGBT resistance in the US, even though advocacy work had begun before the riots of 1969. Many accounts credit a black drag queen, Marsha Johnson, and a Puerto Rican transgender woman, Sylvia Rivera, for sparking the crowd to fight back against the ongoing police raids at the bar, which many now see as the symbolic beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement. Other sources include further claims that the first punch was thrown by a butch lesbian who was being arrested. (ps - I skipped the recent Stonewall movie).
2. Comedians Raise Money for Trans Organization
As a reminder that mainstream Republicans are hardly innocent in paving the way for Trump, here is former presidential contender, and Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee tweeting over the weekend:
Here, Huckabee ridicules Senator Schumer for having gotten emotional while speaking out against Trump's Muslim Ban (Trump ridiculed Schumer as well). As a broad note, Mike Huckabee might be one of the political establishment's least funny guys. The Christian Reverend's Twitter "jokes" consistently rely on appealing to cruelty and a complete lack of empathy for other people. In this tweet in particular, Huckabee is policing gender (real men don't cry!) while also referencing as the "punchline" of his joke a movie that's based on Brandon Teena, a trans man who was raped and murdered by men who policed his gender.
Truly deplorable.
In response, actually-funny comedians (and real-life married couple) Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher started a campaign to raise money for the nonprofit Trans Lifeline, in Brandon Teena's memory. So far, they've raised $13,000.
I propose adding Mike Huckabee's opinions to the ongoing tally of things to never normalize. (ps - Take My Wife, starring Butcher and Esposito, is funny and good if you're looking to support queer women's art).Update: $13k raised 4 @Translifeline in memory of Brandon Teena. https://t.co/ds26GeAfvC@GovMikeHuckabee: 🤑 https://t.co/tf1NzLOUKr
— Cameron Esposito (@cameronesposito) February 5, 2017
3. Kristen Stewart on Saturday Night Live (SNL)
On a lighter note, I enjoyed Kristen Stewert's opening SNL monologue. She accomplished three important items:
- Liking Twilight is often derided as a sign of how shallow (especially young) women are. I don't believe that, but that's a separate post. We now live at a time where Trump appeals to many men precisely because they see him as an authentic "man's man," unlike the feminized "SJWs" or "cuckservatives." But, like, there he was - as Stewart points out - tweeting 11 times about her on-off relationship with her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, in 2012, and specifically disparaging her. What? Who does that? The man who won the electoral college in 2016, apparently.
- Stewart referred to herself as "so gay" during the monologue. I hear *some* queer women have feelings about that (n=1?). In all seriousness, by appearing on SNL, she's now in all likelihood on Trump's (and his fans') radar for further cyber-bullying. I hope she is able to navigate that safely.
- She also accidentally said "fuck" on live TV, which made Kate McKinnon have this reaction:
As a general note about resisting Trump, I've seen a fair amount of tsk-tsking about "appropriate" resistance behavior and cursing, in particular. I'll just point out that from a posterity standpoint, "I didn't oppose fascists because the people resisting said 'fuck' sometimes" is probably not going to age well.Kate's reaction to Kristen lowkey dropping the fuck bomb has added about 5 years to my life span pic.twitter.com/zBLIctvaHs
— . (@katemreactions) February 5, 2017
When I made foray into blogging 10 years ago, one of the first slurs aimed at me was from a homophobic Christian who called me a "potty-mouthed dyke." To paraphrase, Solange: yeah, well, we've got a lot to say "fuck" about.
Today in Creeping Authoritarianism
Donald Trump spent the weekend using his personal Twitter publicly trying to undermine the judiciary, because he doesn't like that judges have, quite rightly, put a stop to his unconstitutional Muslim ban.
Across a series of six tweets over two days, he wrote: "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned! What is our country coming to when a judge can halt a Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.? Because the ban was lifted by a judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country. A terrible decision. The judge opens up our country to potential terrorists and others that do not have our best interests at heart. Bad people are very happy! Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad! I have instructed Homeland Security to check people coming into our country VERY CAREFULLY. The courts are making the job very difficult!"
He has utter contempt for the rule of law. He does not respect checks and balances. He is dangerously indifferent to putting a target on any judge's back by publicly lambasting his or her decision and saying they should be "blamed" for doing their job.
And, as with every other tyrannical move he makes, this was eminently predictable, given his attack on Judge Curiel during the campaign.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Mike Pence—who, as I've been saying, is just as authoritarian as Trump—defended Trump's tirade against the judiciary, saying: "The president of the United States has every right to criticize the other two branches of government." As if what Trump did was merely "criticism."
This morning, Trump pivoted from an attack on the judiciary to an(other) attack on the media, saying across two tweets: "Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election. Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting. I call my own shots, largely based on an accumulation of data, and everyone knows it. Some FAKE NEWS media, in order to marginalize, lies!"
He has utter contempt for the role of the press. He does not respect the need for transparency and accountability. He regards the press as his opposition and actively encourages his supporters to be misinformed.
This, too, was a feature of his presidential campaign.
Also note: He is proclaiming what "people want," and saying that what they want is increased militarization and policy rooted in bigotry. This is another indication of an authoritarian: Using "the people's will" to justify oppressive, anti-democratic policy.
This is all deeply troubling.
And I feel extremely angry that the media—and, frankly, lots of progressives—treated Trump like a bit of fun entertainment for a year-and-a-half, while treating everyone who was raising giant red flags about this guy like hysterical lunatics, and now have the unmitigated fucking temerity to regard his assault on this nation's democratic institutions as a surprise.
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