367

In the face of ‘eradication’, one trans activist is preparing to fight – and she’s sick of silence and neglect from her supposed allies. Raquel Willis tells Io Dodds why Republican bathroom bans are everybody’s problem

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] djsoren19@yiffit.net 79 points 1 week ago

Considering Democrats are now complaining that their protection of trans people cost them the election, I wouldn't say they were all that cool to begin with. They use trans people as a political tool and then toss them aside the second it becomes inconvenient for them to support trans rights. Just look at how the Democrats have "defended" their newest trans colleague.

[-] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 43 points 1 week ago

Specific people in the Democratic Party have made those complaints. The party has not. Your comment is no different than stereotyping a group for the actions of individuals.

[-] frezik@midwest.social 34 points 1 week ago

Has the party as a whole done anything to say otherwise? Silence is a different kind of choice.

[-] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

You’re claiming the Democratic Party hasn’t supported the trans community?

[-] WalrusDragonOnABike@reddthat.com 31 points 1 week ago

When the leading candidate avoids the issue, gives less representation to trans people than the preceding candidates, and says "states rights" in response to growing repression of trans people when pushed to say something in an interview, I think its fair to say the Dem leadership has abandoned us. Individual dems are better, but the leadership clearly doesn't care.

[-] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

If you want to turn on the Democratic Party you’ll get a stronger GOP. Your move.

[-] Saleh@feddit.org 9 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

And here we go again, gaslighting people that they should lick the boots of the party elites as they kick them, because they kick them a bit less than the other party. This thinking has brought Trump not once, but twice now.

I would have thought after the second Trump win the "lesser evil hurr-durr" strategy would be reconsidered. US Liberals only use marginalized groups when they are deemed "useful" the moment they are not, they are abandoned. US Liberalism is white supremacy with colored-hair and a piercing and an arts degree instead of a business degree. But it is still white supremacy through and through.

And as the marginalized groups grew tired of this, they are now fiercely attacked, often in openly racist ways by the same people who claimed to want to prevent Trump for his racism and bigotry.

[-] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago

You’re shitting on the only alternative to Trump. While claiming that rallying around the only alternative to Trump is what got Trump elected. All while claiming both sides are the same. Nothing you’re saying is based in reality.

You’re hitting all the bad faith talking points lock and step.

I would have thought after the second Trump win the "lesser evil hurr-durr" strategy would be reconsidered.

Democrats didn’t campaign on “lesser evil” this is a narrative being pushed on lemmy a lot but in reality it doesn’t hold true. Democrats campaigned on fighting climate change, taxing the wealthy, marijuana legalization, student debt relief, healthcare revisions, addressing income inequality, workers rights. And that’s just off the top of my head.

You’re criticizing “US liberalism” in a way that implies you’re a leftists. Which is an ideology that hold little to no political positions in the US and voters went far right this election cycle. So you clearly don’t know what it takes to win elections.

And as the marginalized groups grew tired of this, they are now fiercely attacked, often in openly racist ways by the same people who claimed to want to prevent Trump for his racism and bigotry.

You speak on behalf of all marginalized groups now? That’s pretty convenient for your narrative.

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago

The GOP just swept the nation. All three branches of government. Both houses. Seems to me supporting the Democratic Party made the GOP stronger already. Maybe we need a new party.

[-] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

You think democrats didn’t get enough votes because they had too much support? That doesn’t make sense.

3rd party is guaranteed to fail with first past the post. But it sounds like you’re arguing in bad faith in favor of the GOP. So maybe that’s what you want.

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago

I'm saying that you're wasting your time supporting a party that's incompetent. Don't support a third party. Destroy the Democratic Party. Below it the fuck up. Let the Democratic party die a brutal death. Start our own party.

[-] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

That’s the same as saying give the GOP all the power.

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

How?

Also they already have all the power.

[-] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

They have a slim majority. Giving them more seats in Congress gives them the ability to pass more legislation that would otherwise not have enough votes.

You should learn about how voting in Congress works.

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Their majority is overwhelming for what they need it to be. You have far too much faith in the Democrats to block the Trump administration's movements then they deserve. Half the Democrats cave every time. Partly because half of them are actually okay with people Trump's going to be a nominating. They want the destruction of the regulatory framework of our nation. They want a return to the Gilded Age. They work for the same people. That's the reason why Kamala Harris was courting all those techbro billionaires who were all braying to get rid of Lena Khan. It's going to be much easier for Trump this time. He has an overwhelming majority of the the courts, he has the expanded Powers the presidency, he has a senate majority with only a feckless minority to balance it, he also has more than enough in the house. It's going to be much much worse.

I'm not sure why you think I'm saying the GOP will get more seats. I'm not saying we split the ticket next time around. I'm saying we destroy the Democratic party to the point they have less of a national impact than the green party has now. If we do that we'll overwhelm the Republicans. We will win in landslides. A party that's based on the working class. A party that's based on actual American needs. A party that can harness the fury of an American people being oppressed by an oligarchic class? That party will be unstoppable. That party will never be the Democratic Party, ever. The Democratic party has aligned itself to become the loyal minority, that's all they want to be. It's not enough.

load more comments (5 replies)
[-] p03locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 week ago

Do I really need to post the CGP Grey video again for the 12th time? I don't think I do. You all know the one.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] frezik@midwest.social 22 points 1 week ago

I'm saying they're willing to throw them under the bus as soon as it gets difficult. Being silent while a few members do so explicitly isn't being an ally.

[-] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Infighting works to the GOPs advantage. If the DNC starts attacking the few members they have in office they will switch to the GOP. Giving the people who want to eradicate the trans community more power.

[-] frezik@midwest.social 15 points 1 week ago

What difference does it make if they lose so hard anyway that they are politically impotent?

[-] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

The difference is: to win you need as many people voting against the GOP as possible.

[-] frezik@midwest.social 17 points 1 week ago

Since there won't be a major election for another two years, now seems like a perfect time to criticize the hell out of Democrats.

load more comments (15 replies)
[-] Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee 8 points 1 week ago

I see we’ve learned nothing from the election. “I’m less shit than my opponent” is not a winning play.

Instead why don’t we ask why over a third of the electorate doesn’t bother voting? For either side.

load more comments (21 replies)
[-] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

They really haven't. They tend to take a neutral stance at best, rather than positively affirming trans rights. This was one of the things that killed them in the election. Despite being a decade in to the recent Republican war on trans people, Democrats have never bothered to develop a set of coherent talking points that they can defend trans rights around. When was the last time you heard a centrist Democrat say, "trans women are women, trans men are men. Their healthcare is medically necessary and life-saving. Trans women belong in women's restrooms and trans men in men's. Republicans are currently guilty of attempting a genocide."

That's the kind of talking points they should be using, a full-throated defense of trans rights that can directly stand up against Republican hate mongering. Instead, if they respond at all, they respond in a pathetic mincing way that tries to "both sides" the issue. Instead of vocally coming down firmly on the side of trans rights, they'll say things like, "these are complex issues...." or "these issues are a distraction..." You would never see a Democrat say that antisemitism is "a distraction" or that defending abortion rights "are a complex issue."

With some notable exceptions, Democrats have completely failed to actually have strong support for trans rights. Republicans are anti-trans and pro-trans genocide. Democrats are neutral. And this really hurt them in the election. Republicans supported full trans elimination. And Democrats could only respond with non-committal mealy-mouthed mumbling about the complexity of the issue. Voters saw that they really didn't stand for anything. Kamala didn't really believe in anything when it comes to trans rights, and the voters punished her for it. Voters want people who actually believe in something, not an empty suit that is just following polls and focus groups.

load more comments (7 replies)
this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2024
367 points (100.0% liked)

United States | News & Politics

2021 readers
1037 users here now

Welcome to !usa@midwest.social, where you can share and converse about the different things happening all over/about the United States.

If you’re interested in participating, please subscribe.

Rules

Be respectful and civil. No racism/bigotry/hateful speech.

Post anything related to the United States.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS