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submitted 2 days ago by Teknevra to c/queer_defense_front

Over the past month, California Governor Gavin Newsom has been making headlines for all the right reasons: he's led an effort to respond to Texas Republicans' push to further gerrymander their state, used his profile to pressure Border Patrol and ICE, and found a very effective-and hilarious-way to get under Trump's skin through his Press Office's parodies of the president's writing style. All of these actions have catapulted him to national stardom, where he's taken on the role of leading the fight against the Trump administration.

However, to the trans community, his rise only brings fear. Because before these developments, he was trying to win over potential voters in a very different way: by abandoning the LGBTQ+ community.

In the United States, California has long had a reputation. And not just for its stereotyped sunny weather, surfer culture, and affluent, snobby culture, but for its liberal politics as well. California Democrats are synonymous-especially in more Republican-leaning areas-with the liberal style of politics conservatives detest. It's so difficult to overcome that despite California's large population and plethora of Democratic figures with a national profile, of the three presidents from California, none of them have been Democrats.

Evidently, Newsom is facing an uphill battle. So he's set off to appear more palatable to conservatives, starting with LGBTQ+ issues. Beginning in 2024, he started attempting to suppress pro-LGBTQ+ bills while they were still in the legislature in order to keep him from having to either veto them-losing progressives-or sign them-angering conservatives. Then, he went public with his new opinions during a conversation with Charlie Kirk on his podcast earlier this year, calling trans athletes' participation in girls' and women's sports 'deeply unfair.' And more recently, he signalled he changed his stance on gender-affirming care for minors as well.

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[-] megopie 21 points 2 days ago

Newsome is an awful candidate, he’s positioning himself to loose in the same way Harris did. Trying to lean to the right, ether to pick up disaffected republican voters, or to simply seem less scary to them so they’ll be less likely to vote out of fear.

It’s the strategy that Clinton used during his second election to massive success, but, the republicans have been armoring themselves against that strategy for over 3 decades now, largely by building a base of support that only sees news and information they want them to see. At this point, a Democratic candidate could run on the same exact platform as a republican, and that core base of voters would still vote for a republican.

The democrats need to embrace the 50 states strategy that helped Obama win. Focus on partnering with grass roots organization to bring in blocks of voters who don’t traditionally show up by speaking to issues they care about. Don’t dictate the “correct policy” and then try and convince voters it’s what they want, ask them what policy they want and run on that.

[-] the_q@lemmy.zip 45 points 2 days ago

Just remember Newsom is a wealthy American politician. He isn't you're friend. He isn't you're cool different kind of politician politician. He's a corporate backed mouthpiece for interests that aren't yours. You can view him as a necessary evil, but don't forget the evil part.

[-] WishBoneThugaNHarmony@lemmy.world 28 points 2 days ago

Don't let perfection be the enemy of progress.

[-] neuracnu 47 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Don't let my human rights get in the way of your progress.

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[-] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 24 points 2 days ago

How many dead trans people are acceptable in the name of progress?

This isn’t a hypothetical. Newsom is engaging in behavior that measurably worsens mental health among trans people. Or for anyone that doesn’t need a fucking scientific study for basic moral insight, political leaders legitimizing attacks on trans people very reasonably makes trans people live in fear.

So how much progress makes it worth terrorizing trans people? What’s the minimum you’d take in exchange? Do you think you’re actually getting that out of Newsom right now? Where’s the line that will make you go ‘okay, we’ve made enough progress, now it’s trans peoples’ turn’?

Does that point even exist for you?

Or was your comment just a thought terminating cliche?

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[-] PyroNeurosis 17 points 2 days ago

Conversely: don't let just any progress subvert your pursuit of perfection.

Just because Newsom is better than Trump does not mean you should accept his primacy before the candidates are listed. At least wait to see who else is running before attempting to curtail criticism.

[-] megopie 6 points 2 days ago

Newsome is probably one of the worst candidates they could run.

The right hates him because he’s the governor of California.

The moderates are ambivalent about him.

And the left hates him because he keeps trying to pander to the right.

[-] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 26 points 2 days ago

and also his attacks on homeless rights too. grrr i hate him.

[-] mathemachristian 16 points 2 days ago

All you people who were willing to compromise on palestinian lives, now willing to compromise on queer and homeless lives, here is a nice poem by Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

If you still believe their lies that somehow you will be spared, just trust them, there is nothing anyone can say that will make sense to you.

[-] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 2 days ago

From the Politico article being referenced:

Senior officials in Gavin Newsom’s administration discouraged Democrats from introducing transgender rights legislation weeks before the governor publicly split with his party on trans athletes, three people with direct knowledge of the talks told POLITICO.

...

Newsom has delivered wins to LGBTQ+ rights advocates in the past, signing a bill that outlawed requirements that school staff alert parents when their child shows signs of being transgender at school. He strongly defended that bill in the podcast interview.

As mayor of San Francisco, Newsom famously defied state and federal law by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

But he has also enraged LGBTQ Caucus members, particularly when he vetoed legislation that would have required judges to consider children’s gender identity in custody disputes.

In the interest of laying out the specifics, what I'm getting this is about is:

  • He vetoed a custody dispute law

  • He allegedly tried and failed to indirectly suppress a collection of pending legislation for improving LGBTQ rights

  • He said he doesn't support trans women in women's sports

[-] Sprocketfree@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 days ago

Is this the thread from the gop to tank newsome this early? Like yea we can talk about how he sucks but this all reads like gop bots in here.

[-] jatone@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 days ago

Na gavin just shouldnt even be discussed as a possible president candidate. He wont do any better than harris

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this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2025
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