They then found it all too easy to amp up even more bold hate in terms of Don’t Say Gay laws and book bans.
All this is configured around making trans folks seem dangerous and conniving when in fact, of course, they are simply people who want and deserve the right to exist as themselves.īefore long, conservatives watched moderates and even some Democrats shrug their shoulders at anti-trans hysteria. Conservatives have been strategic in framing anti-queer issues around girls' sports, gender-affirming health care, birth certificates, and bathroom access. Here at Daily Kos, we’ve continued to cover the ongoing demonization of LGBTQ+ people-specifically trans people. It would be nice if we could dismiss hate as existing only on the fringe, but when we consider the rhetoric coming from our elected officials and those running for office, it’s clearly not only extremists who are using LGBTQ+ people (and our rights) as pawns for political points. I hate to give hate attention, but in the same way, it feels like a disservice to not educate people on what folks are spewing to their fan base.
It is, frankly, disheartening, sobering, and frightening. As a gay woman myself, reporting on stories like these is never easy.