Observations Along The Road... at Dreamwidth

As usual, ‘de Tr*mp is not thinking things through when he talks about making Canada a 51^st state, going so far as to initiate horrible trade wars that only strengthen Canadian pride, but serve to tank the American economy and stock market. As there are a number of points to make here, I’m doing this as a blog post:

• First, Canada is far too large to be admitted as a single state. But let’s suppose it was. It would add two senators, who are likely Democratic and a large number of representatives. As the size of the House is fixed, this means that many Republican states would lose representatives. The House would likely go Democratic, and be that way for a long long time.
• More likely, Canada would insist on each province becoming its own state. So, that’s 20 senators, and again a large number of representatives. Not all would be Democratic, but most would. This means both the House and Senate would go Democratic, again for a long time.
• Canada would never come in with the status of a territory, as that would be a serious demotion in influence. So statehood would have to be approved in advance, and that won’t happen instantly: each province would need to establish an appropriate and acceptable constitution that fit American jurisprudence, and US institutions would need to be adapted to cover the additional territory. We’re talking at least 5 years.
• Further, new states are admitted only with the approval of the existing states — more specifically, their representatives in Congress. Would a Republican congress vote to dilute their power and to (in fact) give up their majority? I think not. That’s why Puerto Rico, Guam, and DC have never become states: Because the Republicans didn’t want additional Democratic states. So now for them to admit 6 or more in one action. Not going to happen.
• Trump talks about buying Canada. From whom and with what? Canada is a sovereign nation: there is no one to buy it from. Further, even if their was, where would the money come from. We’re probably talking trillions of dollars. Talk about increasing the budget deficit!
• Trump also talks about annexing it. There’s precious little in that option that would make Canada want to do it. They have better health care, a better operating government, and a strong economy.
• So, annexing would need to be done by force. This would make the USA a pariah among nations, just like Russia for invading Ukraine. The Congress wouldn’t support such a war, nor would it be popular with US people. It also wouldn’t be fast or easy, and it would tank Republican chances for holding Congress.

Tr*mp is a transactional guy. What’s in it for him? Why is he doing this? It would be much better to figure that out, and negotiate a treaty that is win-win for both sides. Knowing how Tr*mp thinks, this is likely all just a negotiating tactic to bully Canada into rolling over and putting their ass in the air for Tr*mp to f— them. Canada, however, is far too smart for that. More likely, the Beaver will recognize the BS, and will remain strong and steadfast. Meanwhile, the US will have tarnished, perhaps forever, the relationship with one of our strongest neighbors.

Now, Mexico, might be a different story. But we all know how Tr*mp feels about Mexicans.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Not Thinking It Through by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

This morning, while in the shower, I was musing about a post I had read on FB about 15 minutes earlier. Of course, I can’t find it again, but the post was about DOD schools in Europe removing posters and textbooks about the accomplishments of blacks, women, and minorities. This was being done in response to the DEI Executive Order. We’ve seen similar things happening over the last two weeks. Posters of women cryptographers being covered at the National Cryptological Museum. Pages on the Tuskegee Airman being removed from DOD site. Numerous examples of the accomplishments of minorities being scrubbed from the collective consciousness.

So my mind went to the question of  why this is being done. And the answer that I came up with is the erasure of history: the eventual end goal is to celebrate only the accomplishments of European White Men, probably Christian. This allows the narrative to be promoted that minorities have not contributed anything, and are therefore worthless. We all know what we can do with worthless things. Yup, they are planning to go there.

The train of thought then went to a different station. It was then thinking about all the names we have out there celebrating these folks. Names on buildings. Names on highways. Names on streets. There was a brief muse on how Trump and the new DOD Secretary want to return Confederate names to DOD bases. Why? Do you have to ask at this point?

But it then returned to all these minority names on schools and buildings. These are much harder to remove, and each name will prompt some to ask the question: “Who was ______?”. The answer to that, my friends, is good danger and good trouble, for we can show the value of minorities.

So we must now intensify our naming efforts. Name those schools. Name those highways. Get the names carved in stone. Make them hard to erase. Work your hardest to prevent the erasure of history.

Oh, and why *this* userpic. If you know TGOV, if it about two women cross-dressing to get around society’s conventional restriction on men.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Erasers and Names by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

And to think it has been only a week. Le sigh.

Trmp has been a busy little boy, trying to root any any whiff of DEI in the Federal Government, and through being a bully, almost everywhere else too. But I don’t think Trmp, or his allies, have put a lot of thought into it. Their belief, it seems, is that DEI means that unqualified people are getting the job simply because they check some boxes, and qualified people (which in Trmp’s eyes mean white males) are not.

That is nonsense.

All DEI does, primarily, is get applications into the door. It helps make all people aware of job opportunities, so they will apply. After that, they still need to meet the requirements of the jobs. Assuming all the job requirements are met, the employer is free to pick whomever they want. Sometimes, that’s the white guy. Sometimes, it’s not. Further, diversity is often more than just protected characteristics: It can mean picking people with different background, or different experiences, or different schools. All that leads to a better workforce. But the key thing is: all these people are equally skilled.

So what is Trmp really after? It becomes clear in his gutting of the Lyndon Johnson era EO: He wants to gut equal opportunity. He wants the freedom to discriminate. This is shown in his gutting of the investigative arms that would prosecute discrimination claims. His executive orders claim they are equal opportunity, but if someone discriminates, they can get away with it.

He’s also taking the time to gut offices related to accessibility and accommodation. That’s going against the ADA, and there will be likely lawsuits against that. Of course, the legal team in the DOJ that would prosecute such cases … dismissed.

In doing all of this, he’s being true to what he has always been: someone who is against minorities (which is well known in his real estate dealings), and someone who is against those differently abled (remember his mocking of Biden’s stutter or the disabled reporter). We also know his attitude towards women.

This leopard never met a face he didn’t like to eat.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Misunderstanding DEI by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

So Donald Trump is being installed into office today, just like a defective lightbulb that you hope might work and not burn the house down, but that you know—more than likely—will flicker for a bit, and then create loads of toxic smoke. I guess you could insert your lightbulb joke here, but with Republicans uniting behind defective light bulbs, and Democrats unable to find a suitable replacement bulb to replace the one that was steady but dim, I’m not sure it is necessary.

The last time this happened, there were protests in the street. There were marches on Washington DC. It was the era of the pink pussy hat. People were up in arms, and there was fear across the land. On the Conservative side, there was jubilation about what they were going to do. On the Progressive side, the grief process was beginning. Shock. Denial. Anger. That’s what characterized 2017-2020. We couldn’t believe it. We were angry about it, and then we took to the streets.

Then we bargained. If only we could elect this old white guy, he would put the nation right. And, for a time, things seemed better, and it looked like we were on the right path. But the enablers took hold. The people that couldn’t or would accept change, or the people that only wanted change if it was on their terms. And an election was lost.

This time, the reaction seems much more subdued. Perhaps it is exhaustion, after all the energy spent in the election season, and all the energy spent during his first term, and all the energy spent dealing with him and his minions while he was out of office. This election was also different: at least where I was, there were a lot less of the good old boy truck parades and there weren’t trucks on the freeway flying his flag. He had learned better how to work the system, while on the surface vowing to dismantle the system. But then again, it could be depression. After all, that’s the next stage of grief.

In trying to make sense of what is happening today, I think back to my days in Alanon, the group for those who love alcoholics, addicts, and such. One of the teachings of that group is that you can’t change the addict. All of the things you think you do out of love to protect the addict instead just enables them to continue. They need to hit their bottom, and the best you can do is protect the people around you. Looking at Washington this time around, it appears that’s what some Democrats are doing. The attitude is: “You elected him, now you live to see what the consequences are. We warned you.” The theory, I guess, is either that Trump will somehow miraculous make things better, or (and this is the more likely outcome) things will get much worse. Inflation will be high, foreign relations will be in tatters, government will be ineffective. The Conservatives will see the folly of their ways…. wait, that will never happen for the die-hard Trumper. The Republican Moderates will see the folly of their ways, and we will rise again in 2026. We just need that next generation to lead us (oh, and alas, it will need to be a white guy, because we’ve tried twice with a woman and the nation rejected that).

If that is the approach, then the ride to the bottom will be a bumpy one, and people will get hurt. Further, unlike in 2017, we don’t have Congress as protection against the excesses. We also learned from 2017 that, while protest and fighting in the streets may feel good, it is not what brings lasting change. It can be a catalyst, but the energy fades.

We do have a few remaining tools in our arsenal, and they are what we must use. The first is the courts. The fading light bulb helped us here: Biden has been nominating and confirming judges at a record rate, and even more at the end of his administration. Just as Trump used the courts to his advantage, we must fight him in the courts. Presidential immunity and a Republican Congress prevents us from going after the man, but we can go after his policies. When they are unconstitutional and abusive, we can delay their implementation or get them overturned. The courts have traditionally been what protected the people: we need to hold them to that.

The other tool in our arsenal is the ballot box. You’re saying: “But that’s two years away.”. Not quite. The election is two years away, but now is the time to prepare. There are two prongs here.

First, now is the time to find the “new blood”—the people that will speak to the Gen X, Millennials, and whatever “the kids” are calling themselves these days. We need to get a younger and new voice into office, and that means getting them into local offices, state offices, Congress. We need to lay the groundwork and build the grassroots networks. We need to figure out something the Republicans are going at: working together and going in a unified direction. Yes, their direction was wrong, but their unity was strong.

Second, we need some Alanon tough-love for the Conservatives out there, and (for those in Red district), we need to make our voices heard about where we stand. “Letting Trump be Trump” is going to prove that his promises were as much an illusion as his cryptocurrency. Inflation will be high, and there may be impacts for the safety net that so many in Red states depend upon. We need to get these Conservatives to write and speak up to their representatives in Congress to let them know that their jobs are on the line if they don’t reign in Trump to prevent the excesses. Congressional Republicans may love Trump, but they love their paychecks more. Progressives who live in Red districts must likewise make their voices known to their Congresscritters: without disclosing party, let them know that their jobs are on the line if they put Trump over the Constitution. Those of us lucky enough to be in Blue districts or Blue states must encourage our Progressive leaders to use the system to their advantage. Just as Trump showed us that one can use the court system to delay and prevent, Congressional rules can be used to delay and prevent, especially in a Congress that is so close. Combine Progressives working to delay things, with Conservatives whose constituents are threatening their jobs, and … well, it will only take a handful to gum up the system.

We’ll protest and fight, but we’ll do it differently this time.

As I was working through this, a song from Noel Paul Stookey was running through my head. In light of the recent death of his compatriot, Peter Yarrow, it is appropriate to resurface. Noel wrote this song at the start of Trump’s last turn, and the message remains true today:

I won’t “work together” to dismantle health care
or “work together” to lower the minimum wage
I won’t “work together” to allow the weakening
of gun control by the NRA
i can’t “work together” to persecute the muslim
or “work together” to build a wall
I won’t “work together” to limit the freedom of the press
without that freedom, freedom’s sure to fall
I won’t “work together” to de-fund education
or “work together” to suppress the vote
I won’t “work together” to eliminate the funding
for reproductive rights and you can quote (me)

I will not “work together” to ruin the environment
or desecrate sacred ground
why would we “work together” denying global warming
with all the scientific proof that we have found?
I won’t “work together” to cripple the unions
or “work together” to unplug PBS
I can’t “work together” to normalize the racist
or tolerate the hatred they profess
I won’t “work together” to turn away the refugee
or “work together” to approve the waterboard
I won’t “work together” to create more nuclear nations
as if more of them could put an end to war…

I will stand, my God I will stand
I will stand and do my part
I will stand and work together
for my conscience, for my country, for my heart

[“I Will Stand (Work Together)“, Noel Paul Stookey, 2017]

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Trumpanon: One Day at a Time by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

I’ve been down all day with the results from last night, with only the Austin Lounge Lizards to cheer me up.:

You say the last election didn’t turn out like you planned.
You’re feeling blue and clueless, you just don’t understand.
You’re sad, sulky, sullen, moping and morose.
You’re woefully weak and weary, semi-comatose.
You stare at your computer screen devoid of any joy and hope.
You’re so depressed, you can’t get dressed, you’re noosing up a rope.
Just remind yourself, when you can’t stand it any more:

That we’ve been through some crappy times before
We’ve been though some crappy times before.
Slavery, unbridled knavery and the civil war.
Don’t stop caring, stop despairing, get up off the floor.
Because we’ve been through some crappy times before.

So, I thought I would share some thoughts on a lost election:

• Voters rejected both candidates, but they rejected Harris more. From what I’ve read, 20 million fewer folks voted: 3 million fewer for Trump, and 17 million fewer for Harris. In short, that’s why Trump won.
• I truly believe that number would have been worse had Biden stayed in. Biden, in many ways, was to blame for this loss: Had he kept his promise to keep things to a single transition term, and then let the normal primary process happen, the candidates would have been stronger and better known. It might not have been Harris (although I think she was strong). But with Biden dropping when he did, Harris was really the only option due to campaign financing and wanting a unified convention.
• One thing that did Harris in was far too many Democrats put their desire for their perfect candidate, on the issue close to their heart, above beating Trump. Whether that issue was war in general, the war in Gaza, the economy, the distance from Joe Biden’s policies — because Harris’ position wasn’t perfect on it, they just sat on their hands on Election Day.  The quest for the perfect solution is often the enemy of making progress. Progress, not perfection.
• Another problem what Harris’ VP choice. Although Walz was good, what was more important was that he was safe and she felt comfortable with him. Could another choice have been stronger? Josh Shapiro? Mark Kelly? We’ll never know, but folks upset that their choice wasn’t picked probably led them to sit on their hands.
• A third problem was… sigh… that I’m not sure this country was ready for Harris. We like to think of all the progress this country has made in terms of equality, and that’s likely true in the big urban areas. But in the rural areas and the more traditional areas, the country is still stuck with 1950s mores. That’s why Trump’s transgender ad was so effective. That’s also why a lot of men — esp. Latino men — voted for the man over the woman. We may not get a woman leader until we can get the ERA passed, demonstrating that the country is ready.
• A big question is: Did Trump win? Yes, he got the most electoral votes. But I mean this in the sense of: Did he convince voters that his positions were better? There I think the answer is “no”. The larger number of people that voted for Biden but didn’t vote for Harris meant that Harris lost. Trump mostly held on to his support from 2020, but that also eroded.
• It is also disappointing that the Proposition to remove involuntary servitude from the California constitution failed. People still believe that punitive punishment is the answer.

So, what do we do going forward:

• Pray that the judiciary — at all levels — puts the Constitution first and not party, and renders wise and just decisions. They are the only firewall left, and Biden appointed a lot of judges.
• Pray that the military stays true to their oath: To protect and defend the Constitution, not any particular individual or party.
• Pray that the Democrats eke out a majority in the House
• Work together and resist in the next four years, to the extent you can safely.
• Rebuild the Democratic party. We need a new younger base to achieve a generational change. We need new candidates who can be that candidate of change.
• Take care of yourself, and remember that we’ve been through crappy times before, and we’ve made it through.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Thoughts on a Lost Election by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

It’s that time again. We’re closing in on the general election. Sample ballots are starting to go out. As people are already starting to make up their minds, I figured I should try to get this out as early as I could. Every election, I do a detailed ballot analysis of my sample ballot. This is where I examine each candidate and share my conclusions, and invite you to convince me to vote for the other jerk.  Because this is a long ballot, I’m splitting this analysis into a few chunks (note: links may not be available until all segments are posted):

1. State and National Offices (excluding judges)
2. County and City (Los Angeles) Local Offices (excluding judges)
3. Local and State Measures (nee Propositions)
4. Judicial Offices (County and State)
5. Summary

Note: This analysis is NOT presented in the same order as the Sample Ballot (the ballot order makes no sense). I’ve attempted instead to present things in more logical order.

This part covers the Local Offices (excluding US Congress and State Assembly)

• County of Los Angeles: District Attorney
• LA Unified School District: Board of Education 3^rd District
• Los Angeles Community College District: Seat 1 | Seat 3 | Seat 5 | Seat 7

It’s that time again. We’re closing in on the general election. Sample ballots are starting to go out. As people are already starting to make up their minds, I figured I should try to get this out as early as I could. Every election, I do a detailed ballot analysis of my sample ballot. This is where I examine each candidate and share my conclusions, and invite you to convince me to vote for the other jerk.  Because this is a long ballot, I’m splitting this analysis into a few chunks (note: links may not be available until all segments are posted):

1. State and National Offices (excluding judges)
2. County and City (Los Angeles) Local Offices (excluding judges)
3. Local and State Measures (nee Propositions)
4. Judicial Offices (County and State)
5. Summary

Note: This analysis is NOT presented in the same order as the Sample Ballot (the ballot order makes no sense). I’ve attempted instead to present things in more logical order.

This part covers the State and Local Measures

• State Propositions (Legislative Measures): Proposition 2 | Proposition 3 | Proposition 4 | Proposition 5 | Proposition 6
• State Propositions (Initiatives): Proposition 32 | Proposition 33 | Proposition 34 | Proposition 35 | Proposition 36
• Los Angeles County Measures: Measure A | Measure G
• Los Angeles City Measures:  Charter Amendments: DD | LL | HH | II | ER | FF

Here in California (and in Los Angeles in particular), we have an election coming up. You know what that means: Every election, I do a detailed ballot analysis of my sample ballot. This is where I examine each candidate and share my conclusions, and invite you to convince me to vote for the other jerk.  Because this is a long ballot, I’m splitting this analysis into a few chunks (note: links may not be available until all segments are posted):

1. State and National Offices (excluding judges)
2. County and City (Los Angeles) Local Offices (excluding judges)
3. Local and State Measures (nee Propositions)
4. Judicial Offices (County and State)
5. Summary

This part provides a summary of my ballot analysis results. Please read the full explanation of why I chose who I chose in the links above. Note: This summary is presented in the order of the Sample Ballot.

Here in California (and in Los Angeles in particular), we have an election coming up. You know what that means: Every election, I do a detailed ballot analysis of my sample ballot. This is where I examine each candidate and share my conclusions, and invite you to convince me to vote for the other jerk.  Because this is a long ballot, I’m splitting this analysis into a few chunks (note: links may not be available until all segments are posted):

1. State and National Offices (excluding judges)
2. County and City (Los Angeles) Local Offices (excluding judges)
3. Local and State Measures (nee Propositions)
4. Judicial Offices (County and State)
5. Summary

Note: This analysis is NOT presented in the same order as the Sample Ballot (the ballot order makes no sense). I’ve attempted instead to present things in more logical order.

This part covers the State and Local Measures

• State Measures: Measure 1
• Los Angeles City Measures: Measure HLA

As it is the start of Pride Month, I feel it is appropriate to post these thoughts that have been going around in my head. This all got started last week when I answered a question on Quora about whether trans rights would be the downfall of America, and the ensuing questions and answers that arose therefrom. It made me realize the level of misinformation that is out there, and the stunning ignorance that results from people not listening and thinking. So I’d like to do my part to clarify things, at least from my understanding as a cismale person.

First, there are three distinct things out there that are seemingly being conflated by those on the “anti-Woke” (henceforth !W) crowd:

• Transgender. This is the condition when the physical body that one has is not congruent with the gender identity in the mind. It is something that is really hard for most of us to think about — after all, we never think about our gender as something different than what our sex organs are. But there are those who have that condition. When they do, they have a range of options, from hiding their identity (bad idea), to expressing their identity in various ways. They can simply dress and adopt the lifestyle of the gender they seem themselves as. They can go on the appropriate hormones. They can avail themselves of various surgical options. All of these things require psychological counseling and multiple years; surgery in particular requires years of living as the other gender before it is even considered. Many trans folks don’t have surgery. It is important to note that individuals under 18 DO NOT have irreversible surgery, unless some significant medical reason requires it. Before age 18, puberty blockers are used to delay puberty (there are rare side effects), and in later adulthood, hormone therapy may be used (the “at birth” gender reasserts itself if those hormones are stopped). In other words: Nothing irreversible is done before age 18. It is also important to note that suicide is very common for people suffering from this dysmorphia, and the impacts of the medicines are much better than suicide. It is also important to note that trans is independent of sexuality and sexual desire. Lastly, note that the percentage of folks that are trans is very very small, when compared to the overall population.
• Drag Queens. Drag is just another form of cosplay, and drag queens are just actors inhabiting a persona. Drag has been around for a long time. In Shakespeare’s time, all “women” actors were played by men. We had folks like Milton Berle in the 1950s and 1960s, there was Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in the 1950s, there were TV kid show hosts; there was Flip Wilson and Bob Hope; and of course, there was Mrs. Doubtfire. This is just acting. It is not recruiting kids, and it is not sexual. KIds just like playing around, putting on costumes, and pretending to be other people and using their imaginations. Nothing about sex at all. They like watching people in costume. The important thing here is that drag is for entertainment.
• Cross-dresser. A term for people who dress in clothing traditionally or stereotypically worn by the other sex, but who generally have no intent to live full-time as the other gender. Some of these folks do get sexual pleasure from doing this, but not all. Again, these folks don’t recruit, but do it for their own pleasure.

Different things. None of them recruiting kids.

It is also useful to understand life is rarely binary, and there aren’t simple dimensions in this area. Sex isn’t XX or XY; genetically there is a wide range between the gender (see this article). Gender is a societal construct that changes over time, and it is also a spectrum from male to female to ambiguous areas in-between. There are also dimensions that are spectrums with respect to romantic attraction and sexual attraction (not always the same). And, of course, there are folks who just want to have no part of any of this, and just to live their own life on their terms. We should not be judging on this. As the Skittles ad says: Enjoy the rainbow.

So, the next question is: Should there be laws limiting this stuff? The answer here is a resounding “No”. Such laws are un-American, where the Constitution explicitly permits freedom of expression. Gender is a form of expression. Simple as that.

You say your religion is against it? Then don’t do it yourself. But don’t use your religion as a cudgel to force other people to agree with your religious views. That is also un-American, where there is freedom of religion.

What about bathrooms you say? A few points here:

• If you were in a ladies room, and saw someone dressed as a guy walk in, you would be upset. Similarly, if you were in a men’s room and saw a woman walk in. So the rule should be simple: Go into the restroom that matches your gender expression.
• The notion of genital inspection to enforce restroom usage is just plain stupid. If the government does it, it goes against the 4th amendment: unreasonable search. If a person does it, it is essentially sexual assault.
• But what about exposed genitals in the restroom. I don’t know where you go, but I don’t see them except at the trough pissers at a baseball game. Go into a private stall, mind your business, do your business, and wash your hands.
• What about shared and open showers? That’s a bit of a harder question, for you want to respect others as well. Usually, you can find a private shower to use. You might need to wait until you get home. Talk to the management. But remember: It is as much a concern for the person being seen as the person doing the seeing.

What about sport teams, you say:

• Personally, I think we should get rid of gendered colligate and professional teams, and go to weight and strength based classes, independent of gender. That’s a fair and equitable solution.
• Otherwise, at the College and Professional Level, there should be a requirement to have been on the appropriate hormone for a significant period (which weakens or strengthens muscle mass), with private changing areas. This does actually tend to be quite rare.
• For kids? We shouldn’t have the gender distinction. Just provide the appropriate changing areas, and let the kids have fun playing together.

It boils down to this: Treat people as you would like to be treated: with respect. Call them what they want to be called. Treat them as the gender they present as. Don’t judge, lest ye be judged.

Oh, and let the drag queen read to your kids. They’ll probably enjoy the story, and maybe will learn a very important lesson from the drag queen: reading is a lot of fun.

What? You were thinking they would learn something else?

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 📰🌈 Fighting the Misinformation by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.