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Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jdtp1z8 wrote

Reply to comment by SendGock in US-Canada agree to turn back asylum seekers at border by nat9191

Maybe. Did you see that recent study about LGBTQ support across all states though? On average, 80% of the US approves of gay rights and protections. Even in the South, no state dipped below 65%.

There are still people who love us and people who will fight for us. The genocidal maniacs haven’t won yet.

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senorali t1_jdujbc6 wrote

Relying on the goodwill of red state voters is a dangerous fucking game for LGBTQ people to play. Public approval polls are not an accurate indication of policy.

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Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jdvezjx wrote

I grew up in a red state and live part of my time in a deep red area. Respectfully, they do matter. Before this manufactured culture war bullshit, Trans people, my community, made huge inroads towards public acceptance and equal rights through deep listening and outreach. I like to think that the echoes of that effort remain. The more the culture warriors pull this dangerous, pointless and cruel nonsense, the more independents they lose and the worse their chances of a full takeover get. If you’re a Republican and can’t get above 35% approval of your bullshit in Mississippi or Alabama? You fucked up.

I’m not saying there’s not danger. Obviously I feel it more than most. But it’s also important that we recognize the other side of the culture war: Us dehumanizing everyone who lives in an area we aren’t part of because a map says so. In reality, there are good people everywhere just like there are bigots everywhere, and there are far, far fewer bigots than they would have us believe. That’s important to remember.

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senorali t1_jdw3xfn wrote

I live in a red state as well. The reason I'm reluctant to tell people it's going to be okay is because of the police. If they come to Texas and go to a town like Vidor, which was historically a Klan town, they are not safe calling the police for help if they don't visibly 'fit in'. Even when the attitudes of the general public change, and their voting habits change, the small town red state cops will still be small town red state cops.

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Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jdwcpqz wrote

Oh, 1000% but that also goes for a lot of groups, you know? I wouldn’t call the cops for basically any reason unless I was fully comfortable with people dying, myself very much included. Unfortunately, that’s in issue in blue states as well.

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SendGock t1_jdxyq2p wrote

If public approval polls meant anything, this culture war bullshit would not have been able to latch on and grow.

I mean you yourself are here acknowledging since it started your efforts have all but died and only echoes remain.

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Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jdxzu7y wrote

No, I didn’t say they’ve died. They have definitely changed, but the same seeds we planted at still out there blooming.

Let’s be realistic about this: Bullshit wedge issues like this make very loud, very horrible people money. They give politicians easy distractions. There are a lot of people who have a good reason to gin this shit up. But just because bigots are loud doesn’t mean that’s who we are or how it’s always going to be. This fight has always been ugly, but it’s not hopeless.

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SendGock t1_jdxndee wrote

The support in a poll means nothing if it doesn't show in legislature or culture. Which it doesn't. I think they have won, and while it's still worth fighting, the reality is far grimmer.

Also looking like, thanks to the RESTRICT act, any future conservative president will be able to ban any and all queer positive stuff from all social media.

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Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jdxoh7x wrote

It does show in culture. At least from what I’ve seen and experienced. It absolutely sucks that conservatives have decided to use us as the new scapegoat, but we now have representation and acceptance I never dreamed of when I was a kid. I openly wept the day I finally admitted who I was to myself because I was convinced no one would ever know what being non-binary is and no one would ever love a non-binary person, and now we have non-binary politicians, non-binary romance on popular shows, allies willing to fight alongside us, etc. The Govenor of Kentucky vetoed an anti-trans bill. Kentucky. 10 years ago, I would have called you insane for even suggesting that possibility.

This shit lost them 2022, and based on the polls, it’s about to lose them 2024 the same way. Way too many people now know out LGBTQ folks or have LGBTQ family members. These assholes have been exploiting a broken system for decades. They were exactly this deadly and hateful to every other minority who’s been in their sights. Americans are tired of it. You Americans especially. Even their own supporters — the real people, not the bots and grifters — are starting to recognize that this shit is a distraction.

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SendGock t1_jdxsexa wrote

I wanna believe, but I am in the opposite camp where I understand Trans people are actively under the threat or actually being genocided currently in America.

I mean in TN trans people have been banned from going in public.

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Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jdy122u wrote

Yeah, no doubt it’s grim, but they were always going to try this shit. They’re also attacking cis women or anyone else with a uterus, minorities, etc. Folks see the writing on the wall.

The other saving grace is that we have a better alternative to offer. We have the labor movement, and that legit has the chance to unify people. We have a common cause to rally around.

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SendGock t1_jdxy8m2 wrote

And to follow up. That shooter really fucked trans people hard. They now have a piece of evidence in their claim that trans people are a threat to children and broader society as a whole. They will use this as justification to ban trans people total access to schools, to take away their guns, and to commit retributive justice against LGBTQ+ people. But It doesn't need to be true for lawmakers to take away trans rights, and for fascists to step up their street violence. No matter what, people are going to try and make this about trans people being inherently violent. This is going to either cause people to want us to be disarmed, or it's going to cause violence.

This could be their Reichstag Fire moment, to no longer just encourage isolation but to advocate for full genocide.

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Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jdy0o0c wrote

Yeah, it’s certainly a scary time, but the way I see it, those people were always going to find an excuse to hate us and try to kill us. It’s probably morbid, but I made peace with that a long time ago. Realistically though, this could also be like every other American mass shooting: a statistic and forgotten within a week.

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