The problem with snarling yappy dogs is that they also tend to bite.
Aurora and all of the nation faces a similar dilemma with trying to ignore the snarling toadies and trucklers of Donald Trump and other assorted haters of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans.
If you’re thinking that the entire nation is sliding back toward the dark days of homophobia and widespread open hatred, consider this:
As many as 72% of Americans now fully support gay marriage.
They sure do.
Similarly, about two-thirds of Americans support the right for transgender citizens to serve in U.S. armed services.
And amid all the big-headline hype over Budweiser and Target stores caving into snarling gay-bashers, and states like Florida and Montana cranking out unnerving laws that are uncomfortably close to the kind of horrors that oozed into Germany in the 1930s, there’s good news.
There sure is.
“To me, this is a sign that we’re winning,” Derek Mize, a gay attorney who lives in an Atlanta suburb with his husband and two children told the Associated Press this week. “I think that these people moaning about our visibility are the last breaths of a dying prejudice.”
Had the nation never actually elected Donald Trump president, and should he not be headed simultaneously toward prison and the 2024 GOP presidential nomination at the same time, I’d feel more confident, like Mize.
Lots of scholars agree that before the Holocaust, German Jews became widespread targets of hatred, and legislation, as magnets for misplaced or free-range angst.
The senseless attacks then are eerily similar to hate-speech and legislation now directed at American transgender people, gays, lesbians and those who perform drag.
Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has been tabbed by LGBTQNation.com as the third most prolific generator of LGTBQ hate speech in the nation, behind only GOP Georgia Congressperson Marjorie Taylor Greene and GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Greene infamously hate-tweets frequent gems like this: “Anyone who opposes anti-grooming laws like the one in Florida is pro-child predator. Stop sexualizing children.”
Boebert lowers the bar further on homophobic threats.
“Sending a message to all the drag queens out there: stay away from the children in Colorado’s Third District!” Boebert tweeted last year.
“When we take back the House, Florida’s education system is the model for the nation,” Boebert tweeted just weeks before she narrowly eked out a win in the state’s deep-red 3rd Congressional District. “We’re going to save our nation from the ‘woke’ curse on education.”
The transphobia and homophobia have snowballed since then.
About 500 bills attacking LGTBQ people or rights have been launched in state legislatures in 2023, according to the Associated Press.
“At least 18 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors,” the AP writes.
Colorado has become a safe haven for trans people seeking treatment and dignity, with Colorado state lawmakers legislating the rights of trans and gay residents and visitors.
That’s in contrast to appalling attacks on LGTBQ people by Florida conservative lawmakers and DeSantis, as well as the shameless attacks carried out by Montana conservative lawmakers against a Montana transgender state representative and drag performers across the state. All this hasn’t been overlooked by LGTBQ advocates as Pride Month begins in June.
“We are forced to think differently about how we handle security at our events and whether or not we can post our staff’s names and emails on our website,” said Janson Wu, executive director of GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, a nonprofit legal rights organization based in Boston.
Montana’s governor signed a ludicrous law attempting to ban drag performances that doesn’t even pretend to yield to constitutional rights or even common sense.
The law tries to prohibit drag shows by banning from schools or public libraries performers who behave in a “flamboyant” manner or wear “glamorous” costumes or a lot of make-up.
I guess this means no Montana school visits for Colorado’s arm-flinging, effervescent Congressperson Boebert, Florida’s These-White-GoGo-Boots-Were-Made-For-Talkin’ Gov. DeSantis and New York’s most famous angry orange-make-up faced Donald Trump.
Colorado Politics veteran reporter Ernest Luning nailed it when he pointed out in a flip tweet last week that Montana had inadvertently banned, “beauty pageants, team mascots, motivational speakers, square dancing, award shows, biblical passion plays, and pretty much every comedy, drama and musical theater show on the books.”
From places like Aurora, Denver and most of Colorado, it’s difficult not to see people like Boebert, DeSantis and too many political leaders in southern states as annoying yapping dogs that apparently were never properly socialized.
My fear, however, is they’ll bite someone before their owner-voters can do something about them.
Already, Target stores and Budweiser beer have shriveled from these grisly alpha dogs. Fortunately for people like me, Walmart has a large Pride shwag section right up front, and Colorado has endless beers that make avoiding a Bud Light the easiest boycott in the country.
Follow @EditorDavePerry on Mastodon, Twitter and Facebook or reach him at 303-750-7555 or dperry@SentinelColorado.com
It just goes to show how out of step the Republicans are with the country whether it is abortion, responsible gun ownership, or anyone who looks, acts or thinks differently than they do.
The genesis of anger and hatred is fear. Here are some rhetorical questions? What do they fear? Answer Change. What kind of change? Answer Demographics. They will
Be outnumbered by those as mentioned above,?Why? Because their way of life will be disrupted and changed as they know it now.
Why? The math just doesn’t lie no
matter what bullshit the lying disgraced
f_ _ker Carlson said about “replacement theory”. But folks are going to keep being stupid.
People who aren’t afflicted with solipsism and cluster-B personality disorders should certainly be “afraid” of those who think convincing kids they are “born in the wrong body” and should have their genitals removed to solve that is a “human right.” Thankfully, in saner enclaves the cancerous ideology of identity marxism is being engaged and suppressed until these people either find the situation so intolerable that they depart and take their cancer with them, or cause “direct action” that leads to equal and opposite reactions.
The best thing for this country will be the total separation of red and blue into distinct entities. No coexistence, no compromise, no tolerance of each others’ views. It’s time for your side to get your own repressive tolerance shoved down your throat.
I’ll help you pack. Where to? Greeley? Wyoming? Alabama? Texas? Arkansas? Florida? Other throwback places that ensure that the average IQ is 100? Try not to scrape your knuckles while dragging them.
100 IQ is about 90 points above yours, Gene. And I’m thoroughly enjoying watching the Denver metro devolve into a drug-addled, over-scaled homeless camp, along with dozens of other deep-blue cesspools. It’s nothing less than what your kind deserves. A farmer doesn’t begrudge a pig wallowing his pig pen, after all.
I would suspect you would enjoy many things most sane people would not. Speaking of “drug addled.” Your drug of choice is fitting. Pig wallowing in a Trump’s cesspool.
Speaking of cess pools and pig pens. It’s nothing less than your kind deserve. “Denver’s devolvement,” your words not mine, must be some drug addled figment of your imagination.
Stop punishing society for your daddy issues, Jim.
“Solipsism? Cluster-B personality disorders? Identity marxism?” Impressive! Such big words for such a narrow minded bigot. Who are you trying to impress? Better yet, why don’t you take your “cancerous ideology” and depart. You’d be much happier among the ignorance in Uganda foisted upon the country by evangelical jokes like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. Good riddanc
No thanks, Jim, suppressing your neurotic marxist evil is far more fun. Open wide, clinger, because you’re going to get your own repressive tolerance shoved down your throat until you choke on it.
Where did you learn all those “big words?” Solipsism, cluster b personality disorders, identity marxism? I’m in awe of your towering intellect or what’s left of it I should say. Clear your throat and take your meds before whining next time. Your cancerous ideology is showing.
They’re called “books,” Jim, which you’d understand if the ones you read didn’t require crayons to finish.
First of all the definition of “phobia” is a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. “Republicans” don’t fear the LGBTQ community. Most Republicans believe, “I will let you be you and please let me be me.” Thus inlays the problem, you want me to believe what you believe or I will be called “phobic, racists” and cancelled.
Want an example of the hypocrisy of these issues? At 18 years old you have the mental capability to join the military, carry a gun and die for our country but not old enough to own a shotgun for pheasant hunting. Or, you do not have the mental capacity to accept the responsibilities to buy alcohol or marijuana until you are 21 years old but an elementary age child is mature enough to make life altering decisions as to their sexual gender?
How is it you have to be 21 years old to enter a strip club but elementary school children can enter highly sexual transgender shows. These same show are even allowed in our schools!
Are you aware that the US has 78 list of month long observations, of which 14 are dedicated to Diversity? https://www.officeholidays.com/diversity-months#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20several%20months%20are%20set,Heritage%20Month%20Jewish%20American%20Heritage%20Month%20June%20. Really, a whole month?
Pardon me if I think we should spend more time recognizing January’s Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month than the 1.6% LGBTQ population. Call me what ever name you like but I doubt I have a phobia for it. Again, I will let you be you and ask that you let me be me. I just think the Democrats and the media pick causes that create adversity and division within our country that separates them from the Republicans and that is WRONG.
I am so happy that I have decided to never run for office again thus not having to worry about the public’s perception of “politically correctness.” And for the record, “politically correct” is an oxymoron. When you think about politics, the last thing that comes to mind is “correctness.”
Wow Bob. We Democrats are to blame? What separates us from Republicans is common sense and rationality. Democrats nor the media is not to blame for Jan 6, the big lie or a monstrosity like Donald Trump a traitor to our country and indicted criminal. Why on earth would we Democrats want to go along with conspiracy theories and lack of respect for our Constitution which seems to be the norm for Republicans. I agree with you on one thing. I’m glad you’re not running for office also.
LGTBQ folks are dealing with enough problems living in a society that doesn’t understand them — nor cares to. Why are we making it more difficult for them? Besides, those who attack the LGTBQ folks are unwittingly telegraphing their own insecurities. And the stronger their attacks the more pronounced are their insecurities.
If it hurts your side, it’s automatically good.