Philadelphia should be an LGBTQ sanctuary city.
That was the interesting idea proposed by longtime LGBTQ activist Kathleen Padilla. (It sorta already is, more in a moment.) She also suggested the same for Pennsylvania, but that won’t happen — yet — in a state that (as James Carville described it) is “Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with Alabama in the middle.”
As an activist, Padilla is free to exaggerate, but she stopped just short of claiming that President Donald J. Trump will incarcerate gays in concentration camps. (I actually have heard that fear from some hysterics.) Padilla does talk about a loss of rights. But it’s not cut and dry.
In terms of trans people, Trump did ban them from military service, which does not strip them of a right, but of an opportunity.
He hasn’t banned gays from military service (at least as of now).
And the State Department, she says, has suspended issuing gender marker changes. The government probably is going to demand that people use their sex at birth on all federal documents. That can be uncomfortable for many trans people.
For some reason, Padilla mentions Trump’s desire to ban birthright citizenship. I can’t see how that connects with gender issues.
Oddly, in an essay published by the Inquirer, she does not mention Trump’s executive order banning trans women from competing in athletics against biological women in schools receiving federal funding. That is a huge gap in her argument. Inexplicable, really, because that is the one that gets the most attention. Is it because she knows Americans are wildly opposed to trans women competing against biological women?
Padilla mentions marriage equality, too, but I have never heard Trump make an issue of that. He has wobbled a little on the issue over the years, but the latest word is that he’s OK with it, and was not a campaign issue, as reported by USA Today.
Gays are fearful. I understand that.
And that’s why Philadelphia should adopt legislation to protect the rights of trans people in education, employment, housing, public accommodation, and all the rest, to parallel the protections it passed in 2017 for gay people. Broadly speaking, gays already are protected. New law would be an expansion of existing rights, not a creation of new ones.
Trans people are Americans, and are entitled to all the benefits and rights of Americans. Most Americans agree.
City Council should write and pass such legislation, specifically for trans.
At the same time, Council should end sanctuary city status for illegals, who are not Americans, and are not entitled to the benefits and rights of citizens. Most Americans agree with that, too.
Not to mention that the feds are looking to punish sanctuary cities. It’s time to end the obstructionist virtue signaling.
I see a bit of a disconnect here. Sure, it could make trans people uncomfortable if they have to use their “biological/birth” gender on various forms. However, they are already – and proudly — known as “trans,” which by its very name says that they are now different from their biological/birth gender. It’s kind of six of one, etc.
This gets complicated. I oppose allowing people to chance their sex on, let’s say birth certificate or drivers license.
UNLESS they have had trans surgery, so, say, a former male now has a vagina and no penis. In cases like that, I’d go along.
I have never in my life, for as long as I can remember, understand bigoted people, whether it’s race, gender or more recently, sexuality. We, as Americans, should all be able to enjoy the freedoms this country endows ALL of its citizens with. However, I am in disagreement with trans folks on competing in athletic endeavors. That’s not, as I view it, not a question of bigotry but of fairness in the spirit of athletic competition.
And yet many of them say it IS bigoted to bar them from sports. I agree with you, and not them.
Stu, I would place one very important qualifier on any attempt to codify trans rights. It should apply only to legal adults, age 18 and over. I say this both as a gay man and a retired teacher of biology and chemistry. The current state of the phenomenon of “trans kids” brings back memories of the epidemic of anorexia and bulimia from about 15 years ago. We were observing and experiencing an explosion of the phenomenon among youth, including children. It became such a problem that the school district provided us with professional development sessions on how to deal with it among our students. It is noteworthy to mention that this phenomenon came in on the heels of the introduction of smart phones and expanded use of social media by unsupervised children and youth. Likewise with the current phenomenon of trans kids and the 57 varieties of pick your gender rampaging among the young today. A soulless medical industrial complex is only too eager to stand on very faulty sociological “research” and convince these children and their feckless parents that the phenomenon is legitimate. The first rule of any society is to protect its children even when it’s not popular In certain areas or circles or politically correct.
Wow. A lot to unpack. If I read you right, you are suggesting that some amount of “trans mania” is the product of our culture, rather than biology. I agree, and have written about it.
As to the age limit, normally and naturally, children are under the authority of parents.
Government is encroaching there. Yes, there are bad parents, but that is not the norm and I support parents’ rights to raise their children. Generally, speaking.
Yes, it’s my observation that so much of the current trans mania is a product of the culture, particularly among the young and conveyed and amplified by social media. Agree that not all parents are bad. In fact very many are good and doing the best they can. I don’t envy them raising kids in the current times. But there are a number of folks out there whose parenting skills are lacking. And when that’s coupled with a troubled child it could lead to unhappy results.
https://stubykofsky.com/we-need-straight-answers-for-gen-z-gay-explosion/
Try this
No need for Philadelphia to set new rules to protect trans people. We already have laws that protect everyone. It seems the trans people are just the next group to stir things up. It will soon be people who believe they are a cat. Look up galeanthropy it is a mental condition. I believe many people are suffering from mental conditions today .
We already have laws that protect everyone? Let’s take a little look back, in order.
–Blacks aren’t slaves
–Women can vote
–Native Americans are citizens
–Voting rights for Blacks
–Same-sex couples can marry
That’s the gist of it, leaving out a lot. Throughout, people claimed “We already have laws that protect everyone” even though it wasn’t true. Various groups needed special laws – or constitutional amendments. (How many steps did it take to free Blacks and extend the right to vote without a literacy test or poll tax? What about equal pay for equal work?)
Same situation here.
And let’s not forget neither Pennsylvania nor the feds specifically prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
LSC We aren’t taking a look back, we are looking at how laws are now. We now have laws that pertain to all. No need for city council to pass anymore ridiculous legislation. I believe they passed legislation regarding reparations saying they would pay reparations if they had the money. Most of what goes on in council is ridiculous.
The fact is City Council last year appointed a task force to study what should be done about reparations. It has not reported back. And — oh! — the committee is racist. https://stubykofsky.com/when-philly-government-discrimination-is-just-peachy/
There once was a tranny named Annie,
Who began life as a guy they called Manny,
They cut off his dick
Which some may think sick,
But her weight-lifting skills are uncanny.