Join in and help the #BlueWave wipe out the GOP.

We can’t do anything if Republicans still control the Senate and block everything, and the States could use some help too!

And don’t forget governor’s races!

municipal races are important too

Reblogging to give my US based mutuals a big heads up!

Go to Vote.org, or Ballot Ready, or Democracy Works. Educate yourself about your local reps and your local officials. Find out who’s up for election, what their stances are, and what party they’re with. It’s not always obvious once you get in the voting booth.

VOTE BLUE ALL THE WAY DOWN THE BALLOT.

I want to make one things very clear to every queer person making excuses for Republicans and arguing respectability politics -

There is no point at which we will be wholesome enough, respectable enough, pious enough, or common enough for these bigots to deem us "acceptable." And when I say US, I mean ALL of us, no matter which part of the community we belong to, no matter how wealthy or influential we might be, no matter how spotless our reputation, no matter our level of visibility, now matter how "normal" we look, no matter how comparatively "safe" we think we are.

If one of us isn't safe, NONE OF US ARE SAFE.

Supporting the mob that's running around with torches and pitchforks does not mean they won't burn you. The fact that you aren't in the crosshairs right now does not mean you're not on the list.

How Republicans react to ideas like free healthcare and student debt forgiveness.

REPUBLICANS LEGISLATORS IN OHIO ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO TAKE AWAY THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO CHECK THEIR HEAVILY GERRYMANDERED POWER BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OHIOANS WILL VOTE TO LEGALIZE ABORTION.

AS IF THIS WASN'T HEINOUS ENOUGH, THEY SCHEDULED A SEPARATE VOTE AND CHANGED VOTING LOCAIONS FOR 200,000 PEOPLE IN CUYAHOGA, SUMMIT AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES AT THE LAST MINUTE.
THIS AFFECTS CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS, & A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF BLACK VOTERS IN THE STATE.

CHECK YOUR POLLING LOCATION &
VOTE NO ON ISSUE ONE TODAY TO PRESERVE DEMOCRACY.

CUYAHOGA VOTERS CHECK YOUR POLLING LOCATION HERE.

I cannot stress enough that this is NOT exaggeration they are calling for the complete abolition of trans people. And you may go "haha well. Thats just West Virginia" which first of all, fuck you for downplaying the struggle of trans people in a place just because you dont live there, and second of all its not just west virginia. This is the goal of all republican regimes across the country.

If you are not fighting against republicans with every fiber of your being at this point you are not a trans ally. If you tolerate the republicans in your family without challenging their ideas about trans people you are not a trans ally. Fight for us goddamnit or we will be culled and our blood will be on your fucking hands.

Vote blue.

Are those "Biden protections" in the room with us at the moment? Go eat shit and die.

They are in fact in the room with us right now.

4/26/24 - Biden/Harris administration incorporates latest rule to the ACA that includes protections on the basis of sexual orientation and improves pre-existing protections for gender identity, mandating nondiscrimination in health care and insurance coverage for LGBTQ+ Americans.

4/19/24 - Biden/Harris administration finalized a Title IX rule that clarifies the scope of nondiscrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity throughout educational activities and programs.

1/9/24 - Biden/Harris administration reverses Trump/Pence era “License to Discriminate” rules.

6/8/23 - Biden personally announces a series of initiatives that include efforts to protect queer and trans foster youth, improve access to mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth and address the rise in hate-fueled violence.

4/26/23 - Biden/Harris administration files lawsuit against the state of Tennessee, challenging the constitutionality of recently enacted legislation banning age-appropriate, medically necessary gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

2/7/23 - Biden uses his SotU address to encouraged Congress to pass the Equality Act “to ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity.”

12/13/22 - Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act, one of the biggest legislative wins in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality in over a decade, guaranteeing federal rights, benefits and obligations of marriages in the federal code for same-sex couples. The legislation also repealed the Defense of Marriage Act and affirmed public acts, records and proceedings should be recognized by all states.

8/4/22 - Biden/Harris administration declares Monkeypox a public emergency and wields federal power to ensure equal access in the distribution of vaccines and treatment.

3/21/22 - Biden/Harris administration takes steps on Transgender Day of Visibility to protect trans Americans that includes issuing passports with an “X” gender marker, streamlining identity verification during the travel experience and providing resources to transgender kids and their families.

And that’s just the last two years, without including any educational or research work done towards new policies or educating Americans about LGBTQ identities and politics, like displaying parts of the AIDS quilt in the White House or regularly acknowledging Pride, days of visibility, or other issues within the community.

You may be too young to remember this, but Biden was one of the first major federal-level politicians to support gay marriage, and he dragged Obama along kicking and screaming to the finish line. This administration is one of the strongest allies the LGBTQ community has had. Ever.

For the many many people who do not seem to understand how a government actually works, this doesn't mean Biden himself came up with these decisions, but they were approved and implemented by Congress because conservatives didn't have both the presidency and a majority. They desperately want the white house right now because it will allow them to make any policy changes they want uncontested.

If anything breaks!

Image Descriptions:
Image 1 - digital art of a sad minish cap link holding up a trans flag. ezlo is on his head and says, "The USA is currently under Genocide Warning with anywhere from 4 to 8 out of 10 stages of genocide being perpetuated against trans people in many states. It's time to listen up and act!" end ID.
Image 2 - digital art of minish cap link smiling while holding up a trans flag. ezlo is on his head and says, "With every reblog, I will curse a transphobic state legislator." end ID.
image 3 - digital art of minish cap link smiling while holding up a trans flag. ezlo is on his head and says, "Protect all trans kids or face my wrath." end ID.

Essay below the cut:
As I write this on April 22nd 2023, a total of 498 anti-trans bills have been introduced in the USA during 2023 alone. 19% of these bills have failed (96/498). 9% have passed (43/498). 72% of these bills are still being actively considered (359/498). This is already 286% more anti-trans bills introduced in 4 months than in the entirety of 2022 (176 bills were introduced in 2022). These bills affect;

• ability to change sex marker on legal documents
• preferred name usage
• personal pronoun usage
• access to gender-affirming care
• student athletes
• student bathroom usage
• drag performers
• and more!

This puts parents of trans children, educators, health care providers and more at risk for simply advocating for trans children. This puts trans adults and drag performers at risk. This puts trans children at risk.

Punishment for breaking anti-trans legislation is at risk of being as worse as imprisonment for life or the death penalty.

Example 1: Bill amendments HB - 4257, would define any person (including parents, doctors, coaches, teachers, etc.) involved in the gender transition of a minor as a child abuser, punishable by imprisonment for life. This bill amendment proposal has been continuously reintroduced with no sign of stopping until passed.

Example 2: "Drag ban" bills such as SB - 1438 and SB - 1698 broadly label drag as sexual conduct to "protect minors" from them. States then proceed to pass bills such as SB - 1342 that can allow sexual crimes against children to be punishable by death. Do you see the connection and how uncanny the timeline of the introduction or passing of these bills is? More than 4% of those executed are innocent but this percentage is likely higher in reality due to racial bias, economic inequality, etc. This number will only increase with prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community being legalized.

There are only 3 other accounts of trans genocide that have occurred globally:

1. During Nazi Germany (1920-1945), the Institute for Sexual Research was looted and destroyed. The Institute worked toward improving gender-affirming surgery and advocated for trans rights. Trans and gender non-conforming individuals faced forced detransitions and sentences to concentration camps. In 2022, Germany ruled that claiming trans people were not targeted by Nazis as denial of Nazi crimes, which is punishable by a prison sentence.
2. In Indonesia during the 1960s, a Bugis gender identity known as the bissu, faced violent persecution, torture and execution, with sacred ceremonies being banned. Bissu persecution in the Pancasila Republic of Indonesia continues to this day. In 2022, it was declared that these people are close to extinction.
3. Brazil has experienced the most annual transgender-targeted homicides since 2009. That's 14 years in a row. Many trans homicides go unreported, misreported or uninvestigated. The methods of murder are becoming increasingly more violent and organized. Transphobia continues to run rampant in Brazil due to the lack of legal protections and encouragement from politicians.

The one stage of genocide that the United States has not yet reached, like these other 3 countries, is execution. Do not let it get to that stage.

Anti-trans legislation is not about protecting women, children, etc. Its sole purpose is to silence and control, leading to the erasure of trans identities. The longer this continues the easier it is for transphobes to spread their harmful ideology and get away with it. I am privileged to have the opportunity to live in Canada, but in recent years even I have experienced and witnessed increasing numbers of transphobic incidents. Although not violent, the ideology is there. Hate spreads like a plague.

Be vigilant when following the news and make some noise about this with your own state officials. Even if you aren't American, label it like the genocide it is. Don't be silent about this. I've listed two resources below that I think will be helpful next steps once you finish reading this post. Feel free to also share your own resources in reblogs! Thank you!

*****
About me: I am a trans and queer individual with a B.Sc. in Agriculture and International Development. Currently, I am working towards applying for graduate school. Research interests include food security, indigenous peoples, the LGBT community and historical aspects of human rights development.