A Failing Strategy

by on

More:

Andrew Sullivan blogged:

Lia Thomas’ triumphs at the NCAA swimming finals are never going to be treated as completely fair by most people. Inclusion is important and trans athletes need to be treated with dignity. But the core biological differences between men and women simply cannot be wished away, and when we’re talking about high-level competition, the unfairness is simply unmissable. Yelling TRANS WOMEN ARE WOMEN! will not persuade anyone, and it isn’t designed to. It would be wonderful if this were true in every respect, but it isn’t. Ask yourself: if you knew nothing else but the interview above, what would you think was going on?

Maybe it’s worth trading off fairness for inclusion. I’m open to that idea. But activists need to understand that demanding people not believe what is in front of their ears and eyes is a mark not of a civil rights movement, but a form of authoritarianism.

9 Comments for “A Failing Strategy”

  1. posted by Tom Scharbach on

    Two men falling in love and getting married may not directly affect anybody else ….

    Civil same-sex marriage affects family, friends, co-workers, employers, government policies and society in general. It is precisely because gays and lesbians understood this, and came out in large numbers during the Christo-Republican assault on equality under the law for gays and lesbians, with respect to marriage equality, employment discrimination and discrimination in public accommdations, that gays and lesbians won the battle for hearts and minds of Americans and now enjoy widespread support among Americans

    The most recent Public Religion Research Institute polling (consistent with Gallup and other reputable tracking polls), for example, shows that support for marriage equality has gained over 10 points over the years since Obergefell, falling (43% in 2015 to 38% now) only among White Evangelical Protestants.

    Similarly, opposition to religion-based discrimination against gays and lesbians by businesses has grown to roughly 65%-70%, with White Evangelical Protestant oppposition remaining a significant outlier at 38% (unchanged since 2015).

    I would remind you all of two simple things:

    (1) Gays and lesbians won the hearts and minds of the American people against fierce opposition from Christio-Republicans, opposition bearing all the earmarks of the current Christio-Republican campaign to deny transgendered men and women — locker room discomfort, bathroom safety, Anita-Bryant-style alarm about “grooming” children, and so on.

    (2) White Evangelical Protestants continue to hold a lock on Republican politics, with about 80% of White Evangelical Protestants voting Republican and with White Evangelical Protestants comprising roungly 25% of the Republican base. Because of that fact, the GOP (despite “Party of Trump” MAGA politics) continues to fight against equality for gays and lesbians on whatever fronts become available from time to time. Outright opposition to marriage equality and open support of discrimination against gays and lesbians fall flat because of the change in American attitudes overall, so Christio-Republicans are fighting a proxy war, using transgendered men and women as cannon fodder, and fighting a mind-warping legal fight in which religious freedom and freedom of speech are conflated.

    Transgendered men and women are at the beginning of their right for equality under the law, but it is interesting to me that Christio-Republicans are using the same tactics (locker room discomfort, bathroom safety, Anita-Bryant-style alarm about “grooming” children, and so on) that were used against gays and lesbians. Watching (from the sidelines now that I am 75 and retired from active politics) the proxy war, I am struck by the extent to which Christio-Republicans are a one-trick pony in the current battle. Differences do exist (for example, anus destruction has been replaced by body mutilation as meme) but the broad outline of both tactics and strategy have remained constant.

    My suggestion is that transgendered men and women fight Christio-Republican proganda and fear tactics by adopting the tactics/strategy that was successful for gays and lesbians — come out to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and tell your story. That goes for parents of trans kids, as well.

    • posted by Jorge on

      Transgendered men and women are at the beginning of their right for equality under the law…

      Considering the argument being made about why legal recognition of same-sex marriage prevailed, that would suggest to me that there are things the gay rights movement did that were rightfully dismissed.

      The gay rights movement as I understand it has a two-pronged nature to it: shock activism and mainstream persuasion. The two prongs both compete and work together. A much smaller aspect to it is promoting social condemnation of people who are in its view unreasonable.

      The transgender movement has put condemnation of others much higher in priority, without having the same foundation ahead of it.

  2. posted by Tom Jefferson on

    Again, I don’t see the far right backing transsexual rights, even if the issue of sports teams was taken off the table.

    Also, if we require transsexuals to play on the team their born sex dictates, I think that the far right would still be against transgender equality.

    • posted by Tom Scharbach on

      The Republican base will not tolerate support, and, as we saw in the hearing yesterday, anti-trans messaging is going to be a core issue for Republicans this year, echoed by IGF. Anti-trans, anti-CRT opposition unites the Republican base, unlike Russia/Ukraine, that divides the base.

      So what do you expect Republicans to talk about? Ukraine/Russia? Support for Ukraine will lose the MAGAs, and support for Russia will lose the more rational elements of the party. Much safer to bang the drum about sports and CRT. Both are proxies.

      As the 2022 midterms get hotter, the messaging will expand and become more and more overt. I notice that Senator John Cornyn is after Obergefell and Senator Mike Braun is calling for SCOTUS to overturn Loving. Could it be any clearer?

      • posted by Jorge on

        I find it strange to suggest that an issue that unites a vast cross-section of a political base with a substantial minority of its opposing base is somehow more of a “proxy issue” than one that divides the base, on this year, and this year only.

  3. posted by Tom Scharbach on

    Oh, gee, right on schedule: Texas AG says Austin school district’s Pride Week is ‘breaking state laws’.

  4. posted by Edward TJ Brown on

    I added a link to the IGF on my webpage.

    • posted by Edward TJ Brown on

      My website is at; Eddiebrown.online

  5. posted by Tom Scharbach on

    I find it strange to suggest that an issue that unites a vast cross-section of a political base with a substantial minority of its opposing base is somehow more of a “proxy issue” than one that divides the base, on this year, and this year only.

    The issues are “proxy issues” because each is a skirmish in a larger conflict over culture, mores and power.

Comments are closed.