In other news, Congress has approved a one-week extension of government funding for some reason. I mean, we need to keep the government running, but one week? I just had a flashback to every December of the Obama presidency.
Meanwhile, the Senate also approved the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that Trump threatened to veto if it didn't include a repeal of liability protections for social media companies.
Finally, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) has come out as a transphobe by introducing a bill to ban transgender kids from youth sports.
The “Protect Women’s Sports Act” seeks to clarify that Title IX protections for female athletes are “based on biological sex,” Gabbard and Mullin said in a statement.
Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in educational programs that receive federal financial assistance. The new bill would bar schools from receiving such funds if they permit “a person whose biological sex at birth is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.”
All of these anti-trans youth sports proposals exclusively target transgender girls while ignoring the existence of transgender boys. And that should tell you something. That's not a coincidence. These are cynical, politically-motivated attempts to exploit sexist stereotypes and fears that women and girls are exclusively helpless and need defending while implying that men and boys are exclusively capable of handling themselves. Because if the wrong person enters the boys locker room, the boys will just beat them up, right? And girls won't or can't? What would countless male victims of sexual abuse say about that (if they're willing to say anything at all)?
Imagine how ridiculous that concept is to someone like me who has seen and experienced both sides of it. I'm stronger and more capable now than I was before. Girls are no more vulnerable than boys are and they don't need special treatment or defense. And hell, in my circle of friends, I'm the one sheltering the vulnerable and younger men now. Telling boys they should never be vulnerable, never show emotion and never cry, does life-long damage to them. They hide and repress everything and that never goes away for many.
The good news is Tulsi Gabbard will not be a member of Congress for much longer.
I honestly couldn't remember if I shared this song here before, but if I did you'll just have to deal with it because it's one of my favorites.
Early heads up: I'm planning to run the winter fundraiser next week.
Wear your masks and have a good weekend!