#950

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about how after the city of Charlotte passed an ordinance protecting transfolk from discrimination for using the correct bathroom, the state of North Carolina subsequently voted to–on the grounds of protecting religious freedom–initiate a statewide ban on anyone using a restroom other than the one designated for their gender assigned at birth.

This is hugely problematic for any number of reasons. However, it’s worth noting two. First, there is a hate mongering fear campaign that prays upon the lack of information by those who are uneducated in matters relating to gender–people believe that if you let transfolks use the correct bathroom, you’ll get a bunch of men trying to spy on women while they pee. It’s absurd. A transperson isn’t going to go into a restroom unless they really have to and then it really is to do nothing more than urinate quickly and get the fuck out. The misinformation about sexual predators exists despite the fact that more U.S. Senators have been arrested for misconduct in public restrooms than have transfolks; also, the US Senate has more instances of former Speakers of the House who have confessed to sexual assault involving children. (I’ll give you three guesses as to which party the above hail from and the first two guesses don’t count–hint: it’s the same idiotic fucktards sponsoring these laws.)

The other problem is that Republicans supposed believe that state’s rights trump all else. It’s how they justify that the civil war wasn’t racist–because they allege it was fought for state’s right–completely overlooking the fact that at issue was a state’s right to fucking own other people. A huge plank in the anti-marriage equality movement’s rhetoric is that state’s shouldn’t be forced to enact things that are against their sincerely held religious beliefs. (Where does this sound familiar. If you guessed that it’s virtually identical to objections to interracial marriage, you’d be 100% correct.)

So now the Republicans have basically exercised their state’s right argument despite the fact that they’ve created something which they allegedly reject–a sort of libertarian autonomy when it comes to governing. By passing this legislation, N.C. Republicans have pissed all over their own ideals as a result of hate, fear and intolerance. And, in case you’re brain dead and don’t have sensible senses, this should be the turning point where you realize this has nothing to do with ideology and has everything to do with maintaining the status quo of rich, white male hegemony.

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France passed laws criminalizing payment for sex. This move to the so-called Nordic model–which has been roundly criticized by folks who are currently sex workers (and who, subsequently, should be the ones most aware of what sort of reforms are needed and which aren’t).

The NYTimes actually ran a reasonably even handed long read on the subject of what to do with sex work. It’s notable especially for it’s willingness to distinguish between feminists in the ivory tower, former sex workers and current sex works. It also, surprisingly, stops just sort of saying The Nordic Model is actually really bad for sex workers. It’s definitely worth the read.

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This crossed my dash today and I had to include it as I’m dating someone who suffers from chronic debilitating pain: Prince did not die from pain pills – he died from chronic pain.

Shit out there is fucked up and bullshit. Please, PLEASE take care of yourselves and each other.