My sharing of the following excerpt from Abcarian’s May 30 piece comprises the fourth installment of The Wild Reed’s 2023 Queer Appreciation series. (To start at the beginning of this sries, click here.)
Why are we stuck in the middle of a moral panic about sexuality and gender identity? Why now?
According to the Associated Press, nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures this year. At least 17 states have passed laws that restrict or ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
It’s happening because ginning up fear about the “corruption” of children is a tried and true technique for rallying the far right.
Because same-sex marriage is legal and transgender people have made extraordinary strides.
Because the Christian right needed a new bogeyman after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, neutralizing an issue that has animated the Republican base and turned out votes for decades.
Because Americans have grown relaxed about the LGBTQ+ community. A 2020 survey conducted by GLAAD, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and Procter & Gamble found that 75% of people who do not identify as gay or trans or queer – that is, a supermajority – were comfortable with seeing non-straight folks in marketing campaigns.
And, last but hardly least, it’s happening because the number of Americans who do identify as LGBTQ+ has exploded. A February Gallup poll based on the aggregated data of 10,000 people found that nearly 20% of Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2004, identified as LGBTQ+. By comparison, only 2.7% of Baby Boomers identified that way.
This change is astonishing and proof that the stigma so long attached to gay, non-binary and transgender people may finally be starting to fade away. Cue the backlash.
– Robin Abcarian
Excerpted from “There’s a Reason for the
Anti-LGBTQ+ Backlash. And It Isn’t All Bad News”
Los Angeles Times
May 30, 2023
Excerpted from “There’s a Reason for the
Anti-LGBTQ+ Backlash. And It Isn’t All Bad News”
Los Angeles Times
May 30, 2023
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Angela Kade Goepferd on the “Manufactured Controversy” Targeting Gender-Affirming Care
• The Bigger Box of Crayons We All Deserve
• Transgender in America Today
• In This “Global Fascist Moment,” a Message to the Target Corporation: Giving In to Fascism Doesn’t Prevent Violence. It Emboldens It
• Trans 101
• Lisa Leff on Five Things to Know About Transgender People
• Judith Butler on the Reactionary Movement and Fascist Trend Opposed to Diverse Ideas About Gender
• Gabbi Pierce on the “Evolution of Gender”
• “This Is Indeed Part of My Queer Agenda”
• Catholics Recognize and Celebrate the Truth of Transgender People: “Their Quest for Authenticity Is a Quest for Holiness”
• Francis DeBernardo: Quote of the Day – September 21, 2016
• Terry Weldon: Quote of the Day – August 20, 2015
• Samantha Allen: Quote of the Day – August 14, 2015
Related Off-site Links:
The Big Myth About the Supposed “Anti-Trans” Backlash – Sarah Posner (MSNBC.com, June 23, 2023).
Court Ruling Gets Right What Corporate News Often Gets Wrong About Gender-Affirming Care – Alex Koren (Common Dreams, June 24, 2023).
How Pro-Trans Rights Lawmakers Can Fight the Right Wing’s Weaponization of Courts – Jessie Ulibarri and Leigh Finke (Common Dreams, June 26, 2023).
The Gender Spectrum – Carrie Kilman (LearningForJustice.org, Summer 2013).
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