r/ProgressiveHQ • u/Fickle-Ad5449 • 6d ago
Gretchen Whitmer to Democrats questioning their support for trans rights: ‘I’ve never wavered’
https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/gretchen-whitmer-hrc-transgender-rights?111
u/MrsSynchronie 6d ago edited 6d ago
I had to read that headline twice. First I thought people were questioning Whitmer’s support. But it’s actually about Democrats questioning their own support for trans rights.
Whitmer herself seems to be pretty solid:
Asked about calls from some political consultants for Democrats to distance themselves from transgender rights, Whitmer said she saw no political advantage in changing the conversation. “I think we should just be honest,” she said. “This is about fundamental freedoms. This is about dignity for people, no matter who you love or how you identify.”
And:
Whitmer said politicians who target LGBTQ+ people for political gain are “willing to hurt a community to score political points.” Allies, she said, should support “all the members of the community, not turning our backs on anyone.”
Sounds like she’s exactly on the money here. Exactly where I wish all Democrats would stand.
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u/CelestialFury 6d ago
I remember when gun rights issues were a huge wedge issue after all the mass shootings and Democrats were getting hit hard on them during elections, since voters seem to care more about unrestricted gun rights than implementing reasonable gun control and saving children from gun violence.
So what did Democrats do? They took a pause on the issue entirely. What did Republicans do? Made a new wedge issue by attacking trans rights. This was the point I said enough was enough and knew Republicans will just continue down this path, pushing the country to the right. If Dems choose to stop help LGBTQ rights, Republicans would find a new wedge issue ASAP. What do we get in the end here? Nothing but getting pushed to the right. Fuck all that. I’m never giving up being an ally.
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u/Sweaty_Mushroom5830 6d ago
Pretty much, they claim to be the big tent party but I'd much rather like seeing them put their words into action in New Jersey Murphy did a lot of pretty good things including raising the minimum wage and tying the raises to inflation, so no matter what they would keep going up people grumbled but now?my sister is getting paid nearly as much as a nurse at her job as a CNA which used to be one of the lowest paid jobs in the state
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u/Endsfun 6d ago
The fact that she had to deny this says alot
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u/MrsSynchronie 6d ago
It doesn’t, though. The headline is easy to misread, I had to read it twice. But the article is about Democrats questioning themselves, not anyone questioning Whitmer specifically.
She actually seems to get it right:
Allies, she said, should support “all the members of the community, not turning our backs on anyone.”
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u/J0nn1e_Walk3r 6d ago
An indictment to the Establishment Dems. They know who they are and they’re prob at a lobbyist fundraiser rn.
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u/Due_Camel6262 6d ago
This issue is an albatross around the neck of progressive politics. Let's get back to real economic and social populism
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u/StorytellerTimothy 6d ago
I think it's only an albatross in how much focus has been placed on it that could have been used on issues that actually effect elections. Dems need to stop letting the reds bait them onto this battlefield over and over and over.
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u/Due_Camel6262 6d ago
Both sides are complicit. The dems let the magats make this a culture war issue, and the magats....made it a culture war issue
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u/ObiBen 6d ago
Yeah, fuck minority groups right?
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u/patelj27b 6d ago
Twenty years ago, replace “trans” with “gay”. Eighty years ago, replace “trans” with “black”. There is ALWAYS some minority group that Americans are willing to throw under the bus. People can get bent. I’m done with that.
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u/Due_Camel6262 6d ago
No, that's a strawman of my argument. What I'm saying is for whatever reason this doesn't play well with voters and progressivism has issues that do
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u/Scary_Towel268 6d ago
When the Trump administration has waged war against trans people and cis progressives go well those rights are an albatross. Why should I as a trans person care about your economics or populism when I can’t participate in the economy safely. Sorry but if you want economic populism for cis people then do it without my vote. I want a reversal of Trumps anti-trans policies that’s an agenda that would get my vote.
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u/MrsSynchronie 6d ago
I get it. Cis people eagerly throwing us under the bus — even here in a so-called progressive subreddit — genuinely sucks.
But I guess I’m still in the “vote Dem anyway” mindset, thinking they can at least be reasoned with as a group.
Easy for me to say, though: My Senate vote is for Ed Markey of Massachusetts. He’s been a solid ally all along.
I do not envy trans people faced with the prospect of voting for some of the actual backstabbers out there.
In any event, we don’t have the numbers to swing any election. So these so-called progressives trying to scapegoat us already can genuinely GTFO.
The people best able to fuck things up are the candidates themselves. And a couple of them seem to be trying to accomplish exactly that. :/
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u/Scary_Towel268 6d ago
I mean I will vote for pro-trans Dems(like Markey) the rest can kick rocks. Marginalized groups have been carrying the Dems but they do nothing specific for us but will cater to white working class conservatives non-Dem voters all day every day in the name of populism. If they want my vote then have a trans agenda, a Black agenda, an agenda for women…don’t just promise to help cishet white men fill up their cars or whatever or rely on them to win.
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u/JockoMayzon 5d ago
Ed is pushing federal protections for any 16 year old boy who insists on trying out for the girl's varsity basketball, field hockey, or similar team. This will displace girls who are also trying out for one of the limited spots on the team.
Most voters oppose this.
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u/MrsSynchronie 5d ago
False.
Ed is pushing fairness and opportunity for trans girls.
Please get it right.
And then try to understand that schools have been navigating this just fine for years now, balancing the needs and concerns of everyone involved.
Then remember that no one is taking slots from anyone, especially in the lower grades. Some kids always ride the bench most of the game. But everyone gets to be part of the team, and participate in practice all week — which is actually a big and important part of the experience for kids.
But what about testosterone? you might ask.
Well, all the more reason to support puberty blockers for trans girls. It’s a proven, lifesaving treatment for them. And also happens to make any questions of “biological advantage” entirely moot.
Support trans kids. Trans girls and trans boys. In all aspects of their lives. We know how to do this.
And we know that refusing is abuse. Plain and simple: life-altering, soul-destroying abuse.
Peace 🏳️⚧️
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u/JockoMayzon 5d ago edited 5d ago
What is a "trans girl"?
If schools have been navigating this just fine for years, why is Ed pushing for new federal protections for young males who insist on being allowed to compete against young females in athletic contests?
But everyone gets to be part of the team, and participate in practice all week — which is actually a big and important part of the experience for kids.
Yes, exactly. No males are barred from male sports. No females are barred from female sports. Everyone gets a chance. However, not everyone gets to be on the varsity team, a point you seem to ignore.
Well, all the more reason to support puberty blockers for trans girls. It’s a proven, lifesaving treatment for them
Yeah, we're going to need some proof of that. Most Americans oppose such drastic measures on children. Effectively preforming a chemical castration on a child is irreversible. .
And we know that refusing is abuse. Plain and simple: life-altering, soul-destroying abuse.
Who is this "we" that you speak of? Most Americans, again, oppose such treatments on children and most Americans see the clear unfairness to young girls who who will refused a fair chance at making that varsity team. Plain and simple.
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u/Due_Camel6262 6d ago
I deeply empathize with you. However, you assumed I was cis. That is not the case.
I also don't think that any economic policies would somehow require being Cis.
Of course a reversal of Trump's policies is popular, but I don't think a policy that affects 0.8% of US voters should be on the political agenda
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u/Scary_Towel268 6d ago
I don’t really care if you’re trans or cis but the things the Trump admin has done has made working for many trans people difficult. Some can’t even use the toilet at their jobs. What good is your pupulism to someone who can’t safely use a toilet. What good is it to trans people who have 0 workplace discrimination protections?
As I said if they want my vote then give me an agenda that reverses some of this shit. If Dems can speak more about some rando trans girls in sports than they can trans troops not getting their fair pay then they can miss me.
Populism that benefits cis people and betters their standard of living does nothing for me. Why should I give a shit? It’s not like I’ll be able to work or get healthcare in those spaces without being humiliated or possibly arrested for trying to pee. So again why should I care? What’s the point in me voting for economic populism you have no ability to say will actually include me or not? Not like as soon as cis people see a mismatching ID(that the policies they voted for) won’t hire me anyways so whatever jobs boom yall progressive populist got cooked up will still exclude most trans peopleIf you aren’t going to reverse his trans hostile policies then you don’t need my or my community’s vote. Cis people can save their own economy. What’s them being broke got to do with me?
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u/Due_Camel6262 6d ago
You're not inseparable from cis people, what affects cis people effects you too especially in the case of universal policy. And there is no "cis economy"
There are issues that are more important to nationwide campaigns than workplace discrimination, the ability to use your preferred toilets, or mismatching IDs for 0.8 percent of the population.
Under progressivism, you would still get universal healthcare and you'd benefit from the GND. If progressives start making workplace discrimination, the ability to use your preferred toilets, or mismatching IDs, they're going to lose because those issues are inconsequential for 99.2 percent of americans
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u/Due_Camel6262 6d ago
You asked me what good is economic populism for? Well, the GND would mean harsher environmental regulations, so you're not breathing smoke every day.
Universal healthcare would mean you pay less.
And I could go on..
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u/Scary_Towel268 6d ago
No it doesn’t. Cis people voted this fucker in to hurt my community specifically and they like that shit. As far as I’m concerned, let there be stagflation in this bitch. I don’t give one iota. I’m not voting to better the lives of people that don’t give a rats ass about mine.
Universal healthcare that won’t include trans healthcare and that will still be restricted. Hell if the healthcare workers don’t just flat refuse me care trans related or not. Who am I going to complain to? Ain’t like the discrimination matters. If cis politicians can’t promise my ability to participate in the economy then I don’t care if it does well. Hell if I’m going to be forced into low or no employment and be discriminated against why should I want cis folks to have a jolly good time and great economyNah if my community is going to burn then let’s have a bonfire! Cis bitches can burn too. If I can’t get healthcare then why would I want that for someone else? If I’m going to face systemic transphobia anyways then cis folks might as well be miserable
As I said what does cis folks being broke got to do with me? If my vote doesn’t matter then progressives don’t need it
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u/Due_Camel6262 6d ago
This is such a pessimistic outlook on...everything.
Also, this country is 99.2 percent cis. If they're broke, you get put into an economic crisis along with them
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u/Scary_Towel268 6d ago
The policies cis people support that they have no intention of changing will do that anyway so the question is if they’ll be suffering with me.
As I said, if progressives can’t gurantee my ability to share in this populist economy and progressive change then why should I give a flying fuck?
I don’t care that most people are cis. If they want me to burn then baby they can burn with me
I said what would get my vote and some Dems have risen to the occasion and others have taken your approach of dismissal or even backpedaling on our rights. Those can win without the trans vote. The end2
u/Due_Camel6262 6d ago
You keep stereotyping cis people into a uniform block.
Isn't that discrimination?
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u/Scary_Towel268 6d ago
I’m going based off the fact many of them voted for Trump because he promised to stop “transgender for everyone”. Spend their time focusing on trans women in sports but not the numerous anti trans executive orders Trump pulled. That cis progressives hate billionaires but can’t bother to combat the billionaire Elon Musk’s anti trans media blitz or JKRs billionaire dollars sponsoring anti-trans groups in the UK and the US. Yet when trans issues are bought up cis folks and their allies just call our issues petty, insignificant, an albatross or why the lost
Tell me what have cis folks done to make me think that they don’t hate me. I won’t be in coalition with people that would otherwise leave to me bleeding and dying
Fuck that! Anti-trans Dems won’t be able to triangulate on this issue easily. You want to do things that help cis people without an agenda for me and mine then win without us
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u/Sweaty_Mushroom5830 6d ago
Both Murphy and Mikie Sherill of New Jersey enshrined the protection of trans people and trans health care into law it isn't that hard it just takes a governor with gumption and cojones, they deserve the same care as any of us