George Takei writes about the dangers of Republican efforts to scapegoat the LGBTQ+ community, having been scapegoated along with the Japanese American community during WWII internment.
So many patriotic Americans arrested for the place of their or their parents birth. With Trump’s war against immigrants (except his wife) he will make the detention camps of Nazis Germany and Nazi America great again. Great big pits of despair and sadness.
IN-DEPTH- Trump’s Transgender Policies Raise Fears of Wider LGBTQ+ Rollbacks
From Gender-Affirming Care to Marriage Equality, Trump’s Agenda Sparks Concern for the Future of LGBTQ+ Protections
Donald Trump's latest policy proposals targeting transgender rights have sparked alarm across the LGBTQ+ community, with activists warning these measures could pave the way for broader rollbacks. From healthcare restrictions to legal protections, this in-depth analysis explores the potential impact of these policies, their roots in political opportunism, and what they signal for the future of LGBTQ+ advocacy. As history shows, an attack on one group’s rights often threatens the freedoms of all.
Brace yourself: the stakes are high, and the fallout could define the fight for equality in the years to come.
I don't remember the author, but a poignant poem was written regarding the Nazi's of the '30s. And it says how "they came for ( the scapegoated group ), but I was not of that group, so I did nothing. Then they came for ( the next unfortunate group ), but I was not of that group, so I did nothing. Then, when they came for me, there was no one left to do anything." This is where we are today. If we let the Trump's and the DeSantis' get away with their scapegoating, eventually, they will come for YOU AND ME!!
Thank you for sharing your story and being that voice. It is mind boggling the hated and intolerance people have towards someone else. I am still learning how to be an ally by action and not just my words, so I appreciate your words.
TheracistRUMP is NOT an aberration; he is the CULMINATION of the republiKKKon party which began in the 60s with their WHITE PANIC about Voting Rights n Civil Rights. It's what they've been planning for 55 years!
“Trump is the baby; the republican party is the womb!” - Michael Eric Dyson recently stated. I’ll add: Rush Limbaugh was the mid-wife!
Commentator Donny Deutsche shared the following back in November 2020, right before the Election, when Trump was stumping in Georgia. He talks about the people gathered there to hear Trump:
“What is the passion in these people?
Are they there cuz they are so against the Affordable Care Act?
Are they there cuz they’re so supportive of trump’s Israeli – UAE pact?
R they there cuz they luv that tax plan which helped none of them in that audience?
OR ARE THEY THERE CUZ OF 2040?!?!?!?
This is it in a nutshell:
Cuz in 2040 white will be the minority in this country!
And that’s what this is all about!
There’s nothing else going on there, but ‘we wanna keep our country white.’
That is the passion!
THAT’S WHAT HAS TO BE DEALT WITH OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
That’s not Trump; trump is the reflector of that.
It is about the Other; it is about the Mexican, the Muslim, the African-American.
That is so terrifying to a swath of this country -
when you look at their faces there -
that is why they are there!
And that is what Biden has to wrestle with -
not trump,
but the FEAR of TENS OF MILLIONS of people in this country
that it is no longer going to be white -
And ‘what does that mean for me?’
So, it is about Race, it is about racism, it is about fear.
No other issue.
That’s that crowd there.
And that’s what you have to understand the power that trump has,
and the power that he holds.
And that’s what the republicans are afraid to step away from.”
So, let's get real about confronting racism and place our discussion in the RELEVANT current era! Pres. LBJ was the LAST democrat president to get the white majority vote. WHY IS THAT? cuz he signed the Civil Rights Act n the Voting Rights Act! In fact, this is when Strom Thurmond could not hide his racism any longer and switched from Dixie (aka racist) democrat to republiKKKon!
Fast Forward to Roe V Wade and the republiKKKons saw a perfect cover for their SEGREGATION NOW SEGREGATION FOREVER. and so the Moral Majority, Christian Right and Family Values were born/hijacked, as well as pro-“life” KKKatholics being willingly duped! – O LORD!
THEN THE SOUTHERN STRATEGY OF Reagan:
"legendarily brutal campaign consultant [Reagan operative] Lee Atwater explains how Republicans can win the vote of racists without sounding racist themselves:
You start out in 1954 by saying, “N-WORD..., n..., n...” By 1968 you can’t say “n-WORD”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “N-WORD, n...”
"Atwater believes himself to be establishing the racial innocence of latter-day Republican campaigning: “My generation,” he insists, “will be the first generation of Southerners that won’t be prejudiced.” (diabolical!) He proceeds to develop the argument that by dropping talk about civil rights gains like the Voting Rights Act and sticking to the now-mainstream tropes of fiscal conservatism and national defense, consultants like him were proving “people in the South are just like any people in the history of the world.”
Then the TEA PARTY formed (n.b. not out of thin air) when there was a black man in the white house – and LET’S NOT FORGET birtherism, too.
and then the orange fuhrer was coronated at the March for anything but Life rally – as the RACIST-IN-CHIEF! And the white KKKristian churches said Amen!
And NOW – the racism continues with TheracistRUMP in Mar-a-SWAMP and RepubliKKKon KKKongreesswoman Greene STILL aided by KKKevin MkkkArthy and other republiKKKons.
THEREFORE, we can NOT make nice with them or UNITE with them. We must confront them – yes, in civil conversation but a conversation that names and calls out their own personal racism by their NOT acknowledging systemic racism! As well as arresting and indicting and imprisoning those who continue in such racist ways.
It’s also WAY PAST TIME for a Truth n Reconciliation Commission that goes from 1492-1619-1776-Civil War-Reconstruction-Jim Crow-Segregation-Tea Party-TheracistRUMP-republiKKKon platform – which lacks ANY policy except racism.
Thank you George. The history of the internment camps was, in my upbringing, history not taught..much like the Tulsa massacre. I am grateful as an adult, to have learned, as now I can hopefully be of service in pushing back against the hate. This country is going down a dangerous road, and I do have hope that the good outweighs the bad. But we must mobilize, speak out, and most importantly..VOTE.
The irony of the whole "grooming" issue is that groomers are real. It's just that they are not the LGBTQ+ community -- the groomers are the people in power in places like, Florida. They are grooming bigots.
George Takei, you spoke your truth. My biology has given me privileges that have been denied to you because of yours. This is the ugly and false truth of the dividers. I agree with Kathy and I too am an ally. Vote these people out of office! Provide no comfort to their speech, because the even uglier truth is that when they finish exploiting one group, they will eventually find yours. No one is safe when hate rules.
I read your graphic novel about this and encourage everyone here to read the first hand account of the camps: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei - I also love the work and resources to learn more at https://densho.org/ based in Seattle and the work they are doing to document the camps.
The parallel is powerful and deeply troubling. Dehumanization is also a key tenet. And the sequence you describe: editorials....fear...laws is definitely the same. It’s terrifying.
Call me an optimist, or maybe it is just the circles I travel in, but right wing homophobia only seems to work on the uneducated the GOP appeals to as their base, and primarily those closer to death than birth.
So many patriotic Americans arrested for the place of their or their parents birth. With Trump’s war against immigrants (except his wife) he will make the detention camps of Nazis Germany and Nazi America great again. Great big pits of despair and sadness.
Thank you for your post George.
IN-DEPTH- Trump’s Transgender Policies Raise Fears of Wider LGBTQ+ Rollbacks
From Gender-Affirming Care to Marriage Equality, Trump’s Agenda Sparks Concern for the Future of LGBTQ+ Protections
Donald Trump's latest policy proposals targeting transgender rights have sparked alarm across the LGBTQ+ community, with activists warning these measures could pave the way for broader rollbacks. From healthcare restrictions to legal protections, this in-depth analysis explores the potential impact of these policies, their roots in political opportunism, and what they signal for the future of LGBTQ+ advocacy. As history shows, an attack on one group’s rights often threatens the freedoms of all.
Brace yourself: the stakes are high, and the fallout could define the fight for equality in the years to come.
More here https://themockerytimes.substack.com/p/in-depth-trumps-transgender-policies
Thank you, George. You have helped me convince friends and family that this is a real issue.
I don't remember the author, but a poignant poem was written regarding the Nazi's of the '30s. And it says how "they came for ( the scapegoated group ), but I was not of that group, so I did nothing. Then they came for ( the next unfortunate group ), but I was not of that group, so I did nothing. Then, when they came for me, there was no one left to do anything." This is where we are today. If we let the Trump's and the DeSantis' get away with their scapegoating, eventually, they will come for YOU AND ME!!
One of the darkest episodes of American history. I'm sorry. That's all I'm capable of saying.
Thank you for sharing your story and being that voice. It is mind boggling the hated and intolerance people have towards someone else. I am still learning how to be an ally by action and not just my words, so I appreciate your words.
TheracistRUMP is NOT an aberration; he is the CULMINATION of the republiKKKon party which began in the 60s with their WHITE PANIC about Voting Rights n Civil Rights. It's what they've been planning for 55 years!
“Trump is the baby; the republican party is the womb!” - Michael Eric Dyson recently stated. I’ll add: Rush Limbaugh was the mid-wife!
Commentator Donny Deutsche shared the following back in November 2020, right before the Election, when Trump was stumping in Georgia. He talks about the people gathered there to hear Trump:
“What is the passion in these people?
Are they there cuz they are so against the Affordable Care Act?
Are they there cuz they’re so supportive of trump’s Israeli – UAE pact?
R they there cuz they luv that tax plan which helped none of them in that audience?
OR ARE THEY THERE CUZ OF 2040?!?!?!?
This is it in a nutshell:
Cuz in 2040 white will be the minority in this country!
And that’s what this is all about!
There’s nothing else going on there, but ‘we wanna keep our country white.’
That is the passion!
THAT’S WHAT HAS TO BE DEALT WITH OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
That’s not Trump; trump is the reflector of that.
It is about the Other; it is about the Mexican, the Muslim, the African-American.
That is so terrifying to a swath of this country -
when you look at their faces there -
that is why they are there!
And that is what Biden has to wrestle with -
not trump,
but the FEAR of TENS OF MILLIONS of people in this country
that it is no longer going to be white -
And ‘what does that mean for me?’
So, it is about Race, it is about racism, it is about fear.
No other issue.
That’s that crowd there.
And that’s what you have to understand the power that trump has,
and the power that he holds.
And that’s what the republicans are afraid to step away from.”
So, let's get real about confronting racism and place our discussion in the RELEVANT current era! Pres. LBJ was the LAST democrat president to get the white majority vote. WHY IS THAT? cuz he signed the Civil Rights Act n the Voting Rights Act! In fact, this is when Strom Thurmond could not hide his racism any longer and switched from Dixie (aka racist) democrat to republiKKKon!
Fast Forward to Roe V Wade and the republiKKKons saw a perfect cover for their SEGREGATION NOW SEGREGATION FOREVER. and so the Moral Majority, Christian Right and Family Values were born/hijacked, as well as pro-“life” KKKatholics being willingly duped! – O LORD!
THEN THE SOUTHERN STRATEGY OF Reagan:
"legendarily brutal campaign consultant [Reagan operative] Lee Atwater explains how Republicans can win the vote of racists without sounding racist themselves:
You start out in 1954 by saying, “N-WORD..., n..., n...” By 1968 you can’t say “n-WORD”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “N-WORD, n...”
"Atwater believes himself to be establishing the racial innocence of latter-day Republican campaigning: “My generation,” he insists, “will be the first generation of Southerners that won’t be prejudiced.” (diabolical!) He proceeds to develop the argument that by dropping talk about civil rights gains like the Voting Rights Act and sticking to the now-mainstream tropes of fiscal conservatism and national defense, consultants like him were proving “people in the South are just like any people in the history of the world.”
https://www.thenation.com/.../exclusive-lee-atwaters.../
Then the TEA PARTY formed (n.b. not out of thin air) when there was a black man in the white house – and LET’S NOT FORGET birtherism, too.
and then the orange fuhrer was coronated at the March for anything but Life rally – as the RACIST-IN-CHIEF! And the white KKKristian churches said Amen!
And NOW – the racism continues with TheracistRUMP in Mar-a-SWAMP and RepubliKKKon KKKongreesswoman Greene STILL aided by KKKevin MkkkArthy and other republiKKKons.
THEREFORE, we can NOT make nice with them or UNITE with them. We must confront them – yes, in civil conversation but a conversation that names and calls out their own personal racism by their NOT acknowledging systemic racism! As well as arresting and indicting and imprisoning those who continue in such racist ways.
It’s also WAY PAST TIME for a Truth n Reconciliation Commission that goes from 1492-1619-1776-Civil War-Reconstruction-Jim Crow-Segregation-Tea Party-TheracistRUMP-republiKKKon platform – which lacks ANY policy except racism.
Thank you George. The history of the internment camps was, in my upbringing, history not taught..much like the Tulsa massacre. I am grateful as an adult, to have learned, as now I can hopefully be of service in pushing back against the hate. This country is going down a dangerous road, and I do have hope that the good outweighs the bad. But we must mobilize, speak out, and most importantly..VOTE.
The irony of the whole "grooming" issue is that groomers are real. It's just that they are not the LGBTQ+ community -- the groomers are the people in power in places like, Florida. They are grooming bigots.
Thank you, George. Thank you, Jay.
George Takei, you spoke your truth. My biology has given me privileges that have been denied to you because of yours. This is the ugly and false truth of the dividers. I agree with Kathy and I too am an ally. Vote these people out of office! Provide no comfort to their speech, because the even uglier truth is that when they finish exploiting one group, they will eventually find yours. No one is safe when hate rules.
I read your graphic novel about this and encourage everyone here to read the first hand account of the camps: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei - I also love the work and resources to learn more at https://densho.org/ based in Seattle and the work they are doing to document the camps.
This article should be shared far and wide. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
happy upcoming 15th wedding anniversary
The parallel is powerful and deeply troubling. Dehumanization is also a key tenet. And the sequence you describe: editorials....fear...laws is definitely the same. It’s terrifying.
Call me an optimist, or maybe it is just the circles I travel in, but right wing homophobia only seems to work on the uneducated the GOP appeals to as their base, and primarily those closer to death than birth.