Trans people are not an inherent threat to free speech

More than two weeks ago D’Anne Witkowski of Pridesource, in her Creep of the Week column discussed the nasty guy saying, “Transgender for everyone.” Does that mean everyone gets a new transgender friend? With an estimated 2.8 million trans people in a population of 342 million, each trans person has to deal with 120 new friends. Not so good for introverts. Or maybe it is a call for body acceptance and positivity? People dress and use pronouns however they want with everyone else respecting their choices. Cool! But probably not – well, definitely not – what the nasty guy means.

The idea that gender isn’t a rigid dichotomy scares the hell out of conservatives. Conservative men believe that women are lesser-than. Thus, for a man to “become a woman,” he is trading in something valuable for something worthless. Conservative men believe similarly about homosexuality. To trade in being straight for being gay is to degrade yourself. In order to make sure a guy doesn’t lose his “man card,” gender roles and gender presentation must be limited to two. If any lines are not clearly visible, a cis het man might accidentally cross one of them. And that must be avoided at all costs. And the costs are very high! Especially when the people who are in control of the whole freaking country believe that masculinity is the highest form of currency next to money and that masculinity requires a high level of cruelty to achieve.

Which is how we got the Department of War. And, no, this is not a distraction. At the end of December Jake Angelo, in an article for Gay Times Magazine and Uncloseted Media posted on Pridesource, discussed Americans leaving Christianity because of LGBTQ+ animus. The article centers on Garth Huelskamp, who is gay and grew up Mormon.

After years of rumination, he couldn't bring himself to live as an openly gay man and be part of the Mormon Church. So he decided to leave. The process — which took about five years — was far more challenging than being open about his sexuality. It included hours of therapy, countless conversations with friends and family, years of turmoil and cut-off relationships from friends and relatives. "I still held a lot of beliefs and values that the Mormon community still had," he says. "I had to internally question all of that; I had to question a lot of the narratives that I've been taught since I was literally a baby. I, quite literally, had to recreate myself from the ground up."

In 2024, 47% of adults left their faith due to treatment of LGBTQ people. That’s up from 29% in 2016. For those under 30 60% left religion for that reason. Yet, conservative denominations remain adamant in their anti-LGBTQ positions. Yes, there are liberal denominations. I am a member at one of them. Psychologist Darrel Ray said the culture makes a change and the church adjusts or goes extinct. Other reasons for leaving are: A denomination’s emphasis on politics and the blurring of church and state. The clergy sexual abuse scandals – leadership that says one thing and does another. Leaving isn’t easy. “The more fundamentalist the beliefs, the harder it is to leave,” according to Ray. Leaving can involve trauma and grief. They realize the community that loved them now hates them just as much. Huelskamp again:

Imagine if you were going in a very intense long-term relationship with someone [and] had a really nasty divorce, and then you find yourself in a world where all of your family and friends, quite literally worship your ex. And so [I feel] a lot of anger in that regard.

He has cut off contact with friends and family who remain Mormon because their participation is an affront to his identity. He is in contact only with those who have also left. He now has a husband and a son. Alix Breeden of Daily Kos reported on the nasty guy’s decision to close the Kennedy Center for two years to renovate it. Critics are saying the real reason for the closure is dropping ticket sales and performers canceling their programs. Breeden reported that the closure is likely illegal, in violation of the law establishing the center. And there’s this quote from the nasty guy:

I’m not ripping it down. I’ll be using the steel. So we’re using the structure. We’re using some of the marble, and some of the marble comes down. But when it’s open, it’ll be brand new and really beautiful.

Which means he’s not planning a simple renovation. He’s planning to tear out the insides and tear down the exterior and rebuild it in his own gaudy tastes. Clio2 of the Kos community posted an LGBTQ news update. Some of the things written about: A tweet from brandontour show that in the Epstein files the nasty guy was mentioned more than 38,000 times, Reid Hoffman – 2,658, Bill Gates – 2,592, Peter Thiel 2,281, Elon Musk 1,116, and a few more, down to Trans people – 0, Drag queens – 0. Michael Mann tweeted links to an article in The Guardian from last fall that says the father of Elon Musk has been accused of sexually abusing his children and stepchildren. Yes, only accused. Even so, this could explain why the son is such a nasty person. In the Olympics, Elis Lundholm, male, of Sweden is the first trans skier in the Winter Olympics. He’s not on hormone therapy. He’ll be competing in the women’s division. Amber Glenn, competing in lady’s figure skating is out and proud. She criticizes the nasty guy and won’t “shut up about politics.” An article in The Pink News reports a landmark study suggests trans women may not have any fitness advantage in sports. There’s no need to keep them off the team. Graham Lineham is a very anti-trans and is trying to open debate on Ireland’s Gender Recognition Act of 2015. His role in the government is not mentioned. An anonymous response:

Graham Linehan is testifying in the Judiciary Committee on "free speech." Naturally, he argues that in order to have "free speech," society must get rid of trans people. "I want everyone to understand that gender ideology and free speech cannot coexist." He means trans people when he says "gender ideology." He's casting trans people existing as an inherent threat to free speech. What he really means is, he wants to bully and harass a minority group without pushback or social ostracization, which he views as impinging on his right to monologue.

QueerAF tweeted a quote and link from their website:

The notion that queerness is "un-African" is one of Britain's most successful lies, and most enduring exports.