Causes.com
| 7.11.23
Leaked Emails Show Coordinated Attack on Trans Rights
Do you want to see more action taken to protect trans rights in America? Contact your representatives now.
What’s the story?
- Mother Jones, an investigative journalism news organization, uncovered material showing a coordinated political attack on the trans movement in America which has grown substantially in the last few years.
- The news site obtained leaked emails between politicians, organizations, and a network of activists on the frontlines of the anti-trans fight dating back to 2019. The messages portray the degree to which the recent attack on trans rights has been conspired and organized on a national scale.
The leaked emails
- Mother Jones discovered emails from Rep. Fred Deutsch (R-S.D.) in Aug. 2019 to anti-trans activists, doctors, and lawyers with a bill he planned to introduce. The bill, known as the Vulnerable Child Protection Act, proposed making it a felony for doctors to give trans children under 16 gender-affirming medical care. Deutsch wrote:
“I have no doubts this will be an uphill battle when we get to session. As always, please do not share this with the media. The longer we can fly under radar the better.”
- Other emails showed Deutsch’s network pushing him to make the bill even more restrictive.
- The conversations demonstrated an especially close collaboration between Republican lawmakers, the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) — which has defended state-sanctioned sterilization of trans people in Europe, banning trans kids from school restrooms and sports teams aligning with their identity, and drafted the case that overturned Roe v. Wade — and the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) — a group of conservative doctors who support conversion therapy.
- At the time, there were few bills similar to Deutsch’s legislation. The act eventually failed in the Senate after doctors argued that they should not be sent to prison for following medical consensus.
- Emails showed that once the bill failed, the group started new strategy brainstorming sessions, highlighting and workshopping more ways to attack the trans community.
- Despite the failure, anti-trans activists saw a victory as similar bills started popping up in numerous states. Margaret Clark, general counsel for the Alabama branch of the Eagle Forum, said to Deutsch:
“You successfully inspired, encouraged, and counseled…efforts around the country. You established the ideal witness list that we are all still following in our individual states…And, most importantly you connected us all to each other. This is just the beginning.”
The impact
- Deutsch’s bill led to a surge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation — at least 18 states have considered bills with language closely resembling Deutsch’s in just this legislative season. Elisa Rae Shupe, a retired U.S. Army soldier who was a vocal anti-trans advocate, said:
“It was like Deutsch assembled a team of Navy SEALs—we were all trained killers in a specialty.”
- Shupe is a trans woman who detransitioned while working with Deutsch’s group, and has since retransitioned and disavowed her old activism. She told Mother Jones that the religious right-wing rhetoric is not about helping children; it’s “just a front for what they do behind the scenes.” She continued:
“It’s like they want to do as much damage to the trans community as they can.”
- Deutsch’s network and influence have spread nationwide, leading to almost 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills either being considered or already passed in the U.S. The attack on trans rights has become so intense that the Human Rights Campaign issued a national state of emergency for the community earlier this year.
Do you want to see more action taken to protect trans rights in America? Contact your representatives now.
-Jamie Epstein
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This is rediculous. This is not new news. It's just how it's interpreted by the left! There is another half to this country. And that half is not saying the LGBTQ people shouldn't have rights. You can do what you want. You can live how you want. But you don't have the right to tell other people how to live or have authority over there children. Teachers shouldn't have the right to teach it and doctors shouldn't have the right to do surgery on any child under, should be 18 not 16. And doctors shouldn't be told they have to do surgery by any law from the government or loose there jobs! It is not a consensus. I've heard plenty of doctors say they absolutely do not agree with this for a variety of reasons. A lot of doctors are upset over this and medical spokespersons are fighting against being confronted with doing surgery or loosing there jobs.
To confuse children with gender identity at such a young age, as what there doing in schools now, is inappropriate. At least half of this country says so and I would argue most of the other half also doesn't approve. Especially when this is a bipartisan bill! Surgery and medications given to underage children is wrong. It's wrong for the obvious reasons such as irreversible surgeries and the interruption of puberty. But it is also wrong because of the mental capacity of an undeveloped brain. Which is the reason why there is age appropriation put on certain things children can do. It's why certain ages like 18 or 21 rings a bell. And I'm sorry, but that's not hard to understand. And when people still insist this stuff should be taught and done to minors, or they insist on taking the rights away from parents because they know better for there children or they want to force doctors to go against what they know is wrong, then in my opinion, these people minds haven't fully developed! And I'm talking about gay or straight!
That's what this bill is really about. Not taking away your right, but not walking all over ours! This is Nothing New News!!!
This is hilarious, how is this a "leak"... the right has been pretty open about all of this for years now
All People have the right to health care.
Time to get marching boots ready for any election to vote these GOP offenders out.
Image if this amount of effort and resources was invested in constructive legislation like solutions for climate change or healthcare for all instead of Nazi style anti-trans legislation. Also note this is contrary to major medical associations gender affirming care best practices based on well controlled, peer reviewed studies.
Groups involved are the same sponsoring anti-LGBTQ, anti-abortion legislation and lawsuits.
1) Alliance Defendng Freedom (ADF)
- state-sanctioned sterilization of trans people in Europe
- drafted legislation banning trans children from using school restrooms or playing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity
- anti-abortion legislation & court cases
2) Heritage Foundstion
3) Family Policy Alliance
4) American Principles Project - group goal is to eliminate all transition care
5) Child & Parental Rights Campaign
6) American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) - fringe, conservative doctors group - opposed adoption by gay couples and supported conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth
"“These are groups who we know are not interested in the best-practice care for trans kids,” says Cathryn Oakley, state legislative director and senior counsel for the Human Rights Campaign. “These bills are coming from national organizations whose purpose is to harm LGBTQ people.”
"More than half of transgender and nonbinary kids have considered suicide, according to a 2021 survey by the Trevor Project, and 93 percent say they worry about state laws denying transgender people access to gender-affirming medical care."
"Gender-affirming care is supported by the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychiatric Association, the Endocrine Society, and other major medical organizations. And studies have found that it is associated with better mental health outcomes over both short and longer-term periods."
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/03/anti-trans-transgender-health-care-ban-legislation-bill-minors-children-lgbtq/
Mother Jones a respected news organization? Yeah right
Russia has attacked Ukraine leading to global instability. Climate change is causing crop failure, flooding, and deadly heat waves. Gun violence is at an all time high. But Republicans are obsessed with destroying the rights of trans citizens, gay bashing and banning books. Ridiculous! #savedemocracyvoteblue
Not surprised at all, but still appalled. Just as the "same-sex marriage website" case was manufactured just for the Supreme Court and represented no actual situation, these anti-trans bills are hate policy with no actual need.
The right is too busy trying to stir up fear and hate to gin up votes than to actually legislate on policies about the economy, social services, law enforcement and healthcare. They really think their hate will get more people to vote, and I'm nearly sure they're wrong.
Let us call out the anti-life, anti-humanity, anti-equality actions of the right every time we see them.
Anti-trans legislation is NOT freedom.
This should not come as a shock. The damn Republicans are nothing but fascist, bigoted, racist, sexist, prejudiced assholes. They are following the Hitler playbook to the T. Vote these jokers out of office if you believe in freedom and democracy.
Rep. Fred Deutsch (R-S.D.) is just another example of that white, nationalist, evangelical, racist, bigoted, trans/homophobic, "Sleepy", Republican't 💩 who now joins another similarly positioned 💩 in the news today, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-A.L.) who is messing with our Military and National Security!
The latest ...
"Tommy Tuberville now says ‘White nationalists are racists’ after refusing to denounce them"
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/11/politics/tommy-tuberville-white-nationalism-cnntv/index.html
To my Reps., FU!
500+ Anti-LGBTQ Bills---
How do Republicans find any time left to write bills to stuff money in Billionaires' pockets?
By the way, I'm a gay man and a retired Emergency Physician.
Reprehensible Republicans need to get a different hobby--I'm sick to death with their irrational hatred!
Denying healthcare to transgender youth and pregnant women is evil. Politicians have no business regulating what people do with their own bodies. Healthcare is between that person and their doctor.
The karma bus has been delayed due to high demand. No worries, Republicans. It's coming. Estimated time of arrival: November 2024.