Donna M (she/her) 🌈🐍🎹🇺🇦🇵🇸🇨🇦🇲🇽

How to change minds. How about ads picturing trans kids with their friends, playing, having fun…and then being turned away? Let’s make people see kids being able to play together as something other than an “issue”. Which won’t happen if we’ve conceded it’s an “issue” up front.

And you choose which sports to play. Given that Conpetitive cheer has one of the highest injury rates and is primarily a girl’s sport…

Everyone who plays sports who isn’t an Olympic Gold Medalist will be competing with persons who have muscles and strength beyond what they have. That’s a sports thing, not a gender thing.

So tired of the idea that demanding candidates whi will stand for equal rights is the same as supporting MAGA. Pete isb’t rhe nominee, yet. And what we’re saying is that he shouldn’t be because he doesn’t stand for equal rights.

I’ve been teaching for over 30 years. It honestly was never an issue until a particular children’s book author started running her damned mouth. Now I’m stuck in a state where I can’t have a girl sing a song sung by a male character even if I don’t have anyone else who can do it.

We weren’t the ones that changed that. It was astroturfed by groups that wanted the issue of the day. Giving in on it as part of the Democratic platform is not a minor thing. Ultimately, it’s caving in on the idea of equal rights for all.

In high school, we’d arrange a safe place for the kid to change for PE to avoid them being uncomfortable, but they’d take girl’s gym. If they wanted to try out for cheerleading, they could try out for cheerleading. No big deal.

I’ve been a teacher for over 30 years. Even 10 years ago in TN, if a parent came to us and said “my kid is trans, their doctor feels affirmation is the best option, so please call them X name and recognize that they’re a girl”, we could say OK. No big deal.

To hear it come into states with sanctuary laws, and from prominent democrats says one thing-trans people aren’t safe under democrats either. Because it never stops with sports.

Trans kids in sports is a “nose of the camel” issue. In states like mine, it started as “concern” and has quickly turned into health care bans and efforts to criminalize being trans at all. (while Biden was still in the WH, so there was federal pushback. It’s accelerated now).

Supporting trans people
Has hurt their governors politically. Wanting a trans advocate to run for president does NOT equal supporting Trump. And you are literally trying to shut down Harris voters who were concerned about her advocacy of programs which hard trans women, but voted for her anyway.

I’m saying give us someone who has been an advocate for ALL the threatened populations, not just some of them. Not say “oh, we can throw trans kids (or trans women in prison) under the bus because it’s less important. Look at states like Maine, Minnesota..heck, even Kentucky and tell me that

It’s also “Hell’s waiting room” season in Vegas. The real question will be next winter.

I tell my music students who want to do HP that “the author isn’t nice to some of our friends, and it makes them feel bad to hear the music”. Meanwhile, there is an entire beginning band scheme based around HP that JUST came out this fall…

The answer if you don’t need help is “No, thank you”. Not calling the police or social services or complaining to the manager or calling the papers.

It doesn’t mean that were in favor of the fiery pits of hell-but we would prefer to vote for fhe fire fighter, not the one that says “a little flame is OK, actually”.

Is something that trans people and those who love them are uncomfortable doing, that’s a problem. We’re not a large voting bloc, but we are a bloc that voted over 90% for Harris-only to be betrayed within the first few WEEKS by elected democrats. Once burned, twice shy.

If you don’t see that endorsing a candidate who is making statements conceding trans equality NOW and saying he’s great (and the same was true about Kamala-some of her prior acts were very worrisome, although having Walz as a running mate was definitely reassuring)

Accepting that our choices are Pete or Gavin without considering anyone else is throwing up our hands and conceding trans rights. And I voted for Kamala, too. Today I am moving my trans kid into a student residence in Canada because it’s not safe to be a trans science teacher in the USA now.

It is far too early to throw up our hands and accept the least bad candidate. There are people who were on the short list for VP who have been consistently trans supportive, as well as being great in other areas.

I also can easily see states choosing to push trans and gender non-conforming kids (and then disabled kids, non-white kids, and any other less desired group) to virtual schools just by making school so untenable for them. There already are a lot of parents choosing such options.

And sports turns into locker rooms for required PE to bathrooms at school to bathrooms in public buildings to drag bans and don’t say gay laws to medical care bans to bans on supporting trans kids at all. Giving in on this is giving in on the whole slate.

Welcome to New Brunswick! Looking forward to spending the next week here…and kind of jealous that my kid gets to spend the next few years here.

Be aware of moose signs, showing the moose as larger than the car

Be aware of moose signs

Welcome to New Brunswick :)

Also look at TN-especially Nashville and Memphis.

Growing up is never all at once

I realized one reason why at a highway service station in Connecticut-there is NOTHING political, no red white and blue, no flags and eagles, no guns ans ols
Glory…and definitely no Trump. In TN, you can never escape it.

I’m going to be downright hysterical once we cross the border…

We’re moving our kid up to Canada and it’s amazing how much lighter I feel now that we’re out of the South. Like an almost giddy lightness. I can only imagine how my trans kiddo feels…

We’ll be in New Brunswick tomorrow! Looking forward to it SO much!