Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, who’s running for California State Assembly, says Democrats need to stop backing down on transgender rights and confront Republican attacks head-on.

“We’re seeing a war against trans individuals being waged by our federal government, and we, as citizens, need to be willing to step up and say this is not OK,” Kluwe said. “The Democratic Party has taken a very defensive posture on trans issues when that’s the absolute wrong thing to do. You don’t make a bully go away by cowering in the corner and say, I’ll agree with you on these little things. That just encourages the bully.

“We need to be full-throated in the attack, saying these are people who pay taxes, who serve in our military, and who are entitled to the exact same rights that every single other American is entitled to, which includes health care and the opportunity to live a prosperous life. We can’t be afraid of the right-wing fear machine. We have to take it to them, show that we’re willing to fight.”

  • Gpennyhigh@lemmy.world
    4·
    2 days ago

    Yes, either you stand for liberty and justice for all or you don’t and Dems are supposed to defend that and pursuit of happiness for all. These are basic values and fiercely supporting them is what the country was supposedly about. Of course it hasn’t lived up to it fully, but Dems have passed laws to get closer to the ideals and maga goes the opposite way. They depend on in and out groups while Dems want all included, raise all boats and be excellent to each other! The difference is between controlling dualistic groups that suppress people, and platforms that follow what’s healthy and works in places with happy people to actualize. The answers are available so use them to pass the test and stop failing it every other time!

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    442·
    3 days ago

    A football handegg player turned politician whose brain seemingly HASN’T turned to mush from too many concussions?

    About time! ✊🏼

      • fartographer@lemmy.world
        9·
        2 days ago

        What if it’s an ELECTive procedure?

        Obviously the crickets’ chirping to compliment my genius is drowning out all of your laughter and applause.

        • altphoto@lemmy.today
          3·
          2 days ago

          Seriously though. Check yourself for fatty liver. If you have it, then start exercising and keep doing that until you go out into the silent night. But I mean you can take a break for sleeping, work, and sex. And eat less.

          • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
            1·
            1 day ago

            If dying young is the price I pay for living without the constant anxiety of everything that could possibly go wrong with my body, then I guess I’ll just have to pay it.

            I’m not going to cram a medical textbook’s worth of anxiety into my every waking moment. That will kill me sooner, there’s no “maybe” about it

        • altphoto@lemmy.today
          2·
          2 days ago

          Why did you guys have to drag my good faith comment thru the mud like that!!! Wait, is that chocolate hmmm chooocolate!

  • SouthernShao@lemmus.orgEnglish
    13·
    2 days ago

    The government should not be allowed to “own” property or enforce victimless laws. The problem is always the government.

  • moldy_rice@piefed.keyboardvagabond.comEnglish
    22·
    2 days ago

    Saying Democrats need to fight for trans people is like saying Republicans need to fight for trans people.

    It’s true, but why bother with conservative parties? Better to put your effort with a progressive party.

  • danc4498@lemmy.worldEnglish
    315·
    3 days ago

    On the flip side, the trans community needs to do better about recognizing who their friends are and who their real enemies are. Just because a politician disagrees with you on 2% of trans issues, doesn’t mean they should be compared to Hitler and bashed by the community. This is what is chasing many politicians away. Better to not talk about trans issues at all for these politicians.

    • DomeGuy@lemmy.world
      15·
      3 days ago

      There is plenty of nuance in the “trans community”, with positions on transphobic dems that run the gamunt from I’ll hold my nose and vote for them to since they obviously decided they don’t need my vote I’ll not vote for them.

      I can appreciate that if you don’t know anything about trans people or how the hateful right wing works you might think that there’s some concern about social-only trans women stealing scholarships from cis women due to some inherent hormonal advantage. But this simply does not happen..

      It’s a hateful dog-whistle sounded by a group who wants to first ban all trans girls from any sport regardless of age or hormone, and then shut down all girls sports when no parent is willing to subject their daughter to an invasive exam.

      And while I don’t mean to suggest that all such Dems are strong transphobes, if they’re not willing to fight when someone is under attack I don’t think they’re fit for the job anyway.

      • danc4498@lemmy.worldEnglish
        16·
        3 days ago

        But this simply does not happen..

        If this is the case, then why fight so hard against Dems that suggest feel differently, either legitimately, or to win a seat?

        Honestly, I agree that there’s tons of nuance to the conversation, and neither side makes it about nuance. Which makes it hard to know what either side even wants.

        if they’re not willing to fight when someone is under attack I don’t think they’re fit for the job anyway.

        My point is that I’ve heard democrats say things that seem reasonable, and saw the trans community rail against them. They might have fought for trans people in other ways, but now there’s no point.

        • DomeGuy@lemmy.world
          8·
          3 days ago

          If this is the case, then why fight so hard against Dems that suggest feel differently, either legitimately, or to win a seat?

          Because bigotry and hate always get dressed up in ways that feel reasonable. Pick any hateful position of the last hundred years, and we can find both the gentleel start and the naked abuse at its end.

          My point is that I’ve heard democrats say things that seem reasonable, and saw the trans community rail against them.

          Like what?

          The most recent Dem to make a transphobic splash is Josh Turek, nomineee for Senator from Iowa. I’ll grab a paragraph and highlight the offensive part, just in case you don’t see it.

          https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/iowa-josh-turek-transgender-ad

          As a kid in a wheelchair, I faced my share of bullying. That’s why I believe that no Iowan should face discrimination. As a Paralympian, I also know it’s important to have rules. It’s why I oppose males competing in female sports, something that is already illegal in Iowa. I’m against taxpayers paying for sex changes too. Anyone tells you any different is lying.”

          Turek made a splash just before this with a clip that talked about Christian love for trans folk. And then he went on to misgender every trans femm athlete, diminish every cis femm athlete, and promise to deny all trans-gender affirming care for any government employee, senior citizen, disabled person, or person living in poverty.

          I’ll presume that you don’t think this is “reasonable.”. But way too often people who express mildly transphobic views like “I don’t want social-only trans girls playing sports!” have equally odious prejudice that they’re just hiding.

          • danc4498@lemmy.worldEnglish
            12·
            2 days ago

            Because bigotry and hate always get dressed up in ways that feel reasonable. Pick any hateful position of the last hundred years, and we can find both the gentleel start and the naked abuse at its end.

            You might be right while also being wrong that some of these issues are about bigotry and hate.

            The most recent Dem to make a transphobic splash is Josh Turek, nomineee for Senator from Iowa.

            I would not have used his quote as something that was reasonable. Calling a trans woman a male is an easy way to show you’re a piece of shit.

            • DomeGuy@lemmy.world
              6·
              2 days ago

              Is there a practical difference between the Nazi who cheers as you’re put into a death train and the liberal who stands there with a frown?

              Or, to have a more reasonable discussion, can you point to who you think expressed a reasonable position trans voters are unreasonably upset at?

              • danc4498@lemmy.worldEnglish
                13·
                2 days ago

                I guess because some democrats think trans women shouldn’t play women sports, they’re basically the same as Hitler. lol.

                • DomeGuy@lemmy.world
                  3·
                  2 days ago

                  No, they’re the Germans who stood by and did nothing.

                  And while most transphobic bigots are less terrible than Hitler,.I’m not sure how bad the prejudice had to be before we’re allowed to care.

        • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          7·
          3 days ago

          I’ve heard democrats say things that seem reasonable, and saw the trans community rail against them

          Citation needed.

          They might have fought for trans people in other ways

          Citation needed

          but now there’s no point.

          No citation needed, because obviously claiming that there’s no point fighting for the rights of people who exercise their right to dissent and express grievances is fucking batshit crazy! 🤦🏻

    • TransNeko@lemmy.world
      6·
      3 days ago

      translation: you want us to disappear from the public while your buddies vote to have us put in concentration camps to be exterminated.

      thanks but no thanks.

      • danc4498@lemmy.worldEnglish
        14·
        3 days ago

        This is the most dramatic bullshit, and exactly what I’m talking about. Nothing at all about what I said supports your comment.

        • TransNeko@lemmy.world
          14·
          3 days ago

          oh… so you are fine with brown people and lgbtq+ people being raped and murdered while you jack off to porn… got it. sick freak that you are.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      5·
      3 days ago

      Just because a politician disagrees with you on 2% of trans issues, doesn’t mean they should be compared to Hitler and bashed by the community

      Holy strawman argument, Batman!

      The vast majority of the Democrat politicians don’t “disagree on 2%”.

      They fully realize that trans rights are human rights just like their voters do.

      However, they’re too scared of alienating their owner donors and the tiny sliver of Republicans who don’t automatically consider anyone with a D behind their name a demon to do a goddamn thing to stand up for those rights, in stead going along with disingenuous tropes invented by GOP spin doctors to start the “skeptical to fascist” pipeline.

      And those gutless wonders AREN’T “called Hitler” and mostly not even “bashed by the community” either. They’re just told that it would be great if they’d do their job of faithfully reflecting their constituency in stead of sacrificing them for donor dollars and tiny amounts of votes that pale in comparison to the ones they could get if they grew a fucking spine and went unapologetically progressive like the people want them to

      • danc4498@lemmy.worldEnglish
        13·
        3 days ago

        They fully realize that trans rights are human rights just like their voters do.

        Just gonna point out that believing trans women shouldn’t play women sports is not inconsistent with that statement. You might think it is, and we can agree to disagree, but not everybody gets all the rights they think they are entitled to.

        However, they’re too scared of alienating their owner donors and the tiny sliver of Republicans who don’t automatically consider anyone with a D behind their name a demon

        I think this is where you’re the most wrong. They aren’t “too scared”. And it isn’t all about trying to win favor from republicans. They have access to polling data that shows the opinions of both voters on the right and left.

        I am willing to bet these politicians can tell that being against certain trans issues does not change which democrats vote for them. But being in favor will motivate republicans to go vote against them as opposed to staying home.

        There’s also public polls that show even democrats have become less supportive of certain trans issues. So why express an opinion risks losing the election?

  • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de
    132·
    3 days ago

    Less emphasis needs to be put into helping the like 2% of people, and much more on the general 80%+ percent of people who would be better off with lungs like lower taxes, government security over reach, corrupt politicians, taxing billionaires, getting so much money out of politics, better pay and benefits, and social healthcare, etc.

    Trans rights effect a small amount of people and way too much prioritization is being thrown at it. It’s pretty much just a distraction so none of the bigger issues get taken care of.

    • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
      241·
      3 days ago

      Less emphasis needs to be put into helping the like 2% of people,

      Nobody’s asking for that, it’s about making sure that 100% of Americans are treated equally by the law

      • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de
        114·
        3 days ago

        Talking about it and getting laws passed and making that happen is “asking for that”. All those things take time, resources, and advertising. There’s a dozen other major issues that effect many more people, including the trans people themselves. You really think the Republicans in government actually care about what bathroom you use? It’s just a distraction from things that are really important to them.

        • ThisUsernameKillsFascists@piefed.socialEnglish
          15·
          3 days ago

          Republicans are the ones bringing Trans rights to the forefront by consistently attacking them. They are the ones spending on ads talking about the “trans agenda” and making wild claims like schools forcibly transitioning kids. The Trans-in-sports issue affects only a fraction of the already tiny Trans community, but the conservatives love focusing on it because, just like with the bathroom bills, they can frame it as though it’s about men trying to “take advantage” by pretending they are women - and because more people can see themselves trying to cheat at something or trick others to get what they want than can imagine feeling out of place in their own bodies, it works. So while I agree that it doesn’t need to be the Democrats focus (and it isn’t), they do need to counter the torrent of bullshit spewing from the right.

    • Zaktor@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      11·
      3 days ago

      Since you’re potentially German (or even if you’re not) there’s a pretty famous poem about disregarding attacks on minority populations. You may have heard of it.

    • Cherries@lemmy.world
      11·
      3 days ago

      The 2% is the focus of the attacks. They need to be defended because they are being attacked. It would be foolish to just let the fascists divide and conquer without any pushback. There is no benefit to abandoning a part of our coalition because that would simply invite further attacks on our flanks.

      As an example, Dems have been experimenting with anti-trans rhetoric because trans folks are being attacked by fascists. Influential consultants have floated the idea that Dems should run anti-abortion candidates to try and get ahead of the fascists attacks.

    • SippyCup@lemmy.world
      13·
      3 days ago

      The problem with this mentality is that if we allow ourselves to be acclimated to the oppression of a marginalized community, ANY marginalized community, the next one becomes easier.

      You’re blind if you think they’ll stop with trans people.

      The only response to this kind of attack is a full throated rejection and counterattack.

    • NEZ27@lemmy.zip
      10·
      3 days ago

      It takes zero political will to say that people should be treated fairly by the government regardless of who they are.

    • egregiousRac@piefed.socialEnglish
      12·
      3 days ago

      One group has made it their focus to attack that 2% whenever possible. If that isn’t opposed, they just get to hurt people for no reason.