There is so much misunderstanding about trans people in this world. I’m still learning, and probably always will be trying to understand more. But it is not about gender conformity, or about trying to fit a child into the parents’ gender boxes.
As the parent of a trans child, I never would have made the leap from gender non-conformity to her being trans. She came to me, with some trepidation—not because she didn’t trust me, but because she was still learning to trust who she was. It was a lot for her to process.
I’ll admit to being unsure at first. I hugged her, told her I love her, and started using what she told me is the name she wants to use. Meanwhile, I read all I could, reached out to others who have been through the self-discovery process she is going through.
I listened, as well as I could. We tend to think we know better as parents, and in many ways we do. But we can’t know what is going on in our child’s head or body, beyond approximating from our own experience. So I try to move with some humility through my own learning here.
I don’t know the motives or experiences of the poster in the initial screen grab, of course, and don’t seek to judge him. Factually, though, he is wrong. I don’t know the full transition path my child will follow, but I do know it is not about “fixing”; it is about affirming.
I love both of my kids for who they are. My trans daughter is beautiful and kind and smart. As she continues to discover herself, I will keep loving and supporting her—not for the body into which she was born, but for the human she is. No “fixing” required.
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Right now, before our eyes, we are seeing unfold before us the best reasons to reject the “America First” foreign policy ideas of the prior administration. While this moment of crisis is terrifying right now, it could have been much more so. (Thread)
First, a note: some on both sides of the aisle might argue, and not without merit, that this isn’t the time for that discussion. Trump is both out of power and a doddering idiot, and our focus should be on what those in power need to do.
But since so many on the right remain in the thrall of both Trump and Trumpism, to the point of praising Putin in this moment, the alternative to the leadership we have in place is neither as hypothetical nor as remote as one might wish. The big ideas matter as much as ever now.
For hackery, selective memory, and GOP buffoonery, @SenJoniErnst earns tonight’s #FridayLimericks. #LimerickRhyme
Joni Ernst will keep claiming out loud
She’s an Iowan honest and proud.
But her party comes first;
Truth be told, she’s the worst—
kicks up GOP lies in a cloud.
She attacked health care workers en mass
With a Q-anon lie dark and crass.
But when she jumped the line,
She considered it fine;
Joni’s games stayed devoid of all class.
During impeachment, with justice denied,
She claimed “unity,” letting Trump slide.
“Let’s move forward as one,”
She said, aiming the gun
To wage war on the Democrats’ side. amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/01/28…
The prior administration denigrated our European allies, weakened our national intelligence, and favored Putin in all matters—and did so with full support from almost every republican in Congress. That clown show’s consequences are revealing themselves for us all.
That these rank hypocrites are now blaming Biden for the predictable result of Trump’s Russian appeasement is nothing but blatant political opportunism, lashing out against an administration taking seriously the threat that the prior president helped enable.
Biden is working with the allies Trump alienated, to try to manage diplomatically the catastrophe Trump enabled. We need to focus on the moment at hand, and we have a leader who is doing so. Those attacking him are trying to return us to the conditions that led us here.
Inflation impacts people. It’s reality, and we have to face it. But rather than stepping up to help combat it, Republicans are cheering it on. So let’s look at some of the causes, and what can or can’t be done to help. (Thread)
1. One cause of inflation is a market recovery. People have more money to spend, due to relief efforts and booming jobs. While someone like @RandPaul thinks giving Americans funds to stay afloat during a pandemic was a bad thing, people with more money to spend is positive.
The good news: this one will level off. Coming out of a pandemic, it’s like opening a dam. The water pours out hard and fast—but the market catches up, and the flow will find a normal rate soon, absent forces working to keep it artificially high.
When we watch someone like @RepKatiePorter work, we marvel at how clearly she breaks everything down. She is brilliant—but shouldn’t we expect this from everyone we elect? If, when confronted with a problem, someone starts throwing out buzzwords, ask yourself why. (Thread)
Finding solutions to seemingly intractable societal problems is hard—but it gets infinitely more so when you don’t take time to understand the problems. An elected official should start there: what is the problem? What causes it? What solution would help?
When you hear most Republicans speak these days, they are doing one of four things: they are (1) making up problems that aren’t really problems; (2) working to divide people; (3) working for the interests of their donor class; or (4) shouting utter nonsense into the wind.
#FridayLimericks today go to @RealPNavarro for truly not knowing how anything works. #LimerickRhyme
Pete Navarro hopes all will succumb
To his own little slice of the dumb.
When Pete opens his mouth,
Common sense goes straight south;
Just ignore as a good rule of thumb.
Navarro is good for one feat:
So few men are as bonkers as Pete!
When the crazy’s unfurled,
His mind’s out of this world.
Buckle up—and hold on to your seat. rollingstone.com/politics/polit…
Besides being nuts, he’s a jerk;
Many say he’s abusive at work.
Pete will thump on his chest—
But when put to the rest,
Fragile egos like his go berserk. vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/p…