17 Comments

Lisa you are a treasure. The amount of articles written in less than a week, zigzagging this topic gives me a headache. I so appreciate you compiling the worldwide coverage. As you wanted to reform the Dems, I head-slap myself regularly with my Republicans who seem intent on self destruction. Just when they seem to understand the benefits of inclusivity they face plant into some odious topic. (The current for me is Trumps needlessly dissecting Kamala’s race) I hate everyone at this point. I think term limits would really help us get these geriatric, political machines out of Congress.

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See? There ARE things Republicans and Democrats can agree on! Both candidates bad, both parties nuts.

Now what do we do about it?!

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Lisa, while you will not be surprised to see me note that I do not, by any stretch, think the two parties are equally bad, I do think your question about what we need to do politically is a good one. I would really like to see candidates who are gender-critical moderate D or unaffiliated enter local and state and congressional races. In this regard, I wish that, rather than encouraging folks to vote R, folks like Maud Maron (and Erin Friday, in CA) might consider this, if it is something they feel they can take on.

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IIRC, Maron has run for several offices, I think one was federal.

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Correct—this was just an example going forward. She also may not feel the conditions are right for another run at the moment—after all, it takes a lot out of you!

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If I could wave a magic wand, I'd get rid of the two party system and institute ranked choice voting. In the meantime, I've been getting interested in Braver Angels.

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As a deeply frustrated and angry Dem voter (who's STILL bitter about Bernie), even if I were a single issue (gender) voter, I would vote for Kamala. Trump's policies will just further galvanize the TRA efforts and keep the marginalized victim narrative alive, but I think Kamala's policies would keep the focus on the destructive outcomes that we're starting to see. Then, in this fantasy world I've created, the moderate Dems will be forced to speak up.

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I love your fantasy world. 🤞🤞🤞 we can make it the real world.

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I wish I thought this. I’m concerned that a Democratic win will only consolidate the TRA gains—what possible reason would triumphant Democrats have to walk back Title IX changes or child transing?

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The majority of Dems are moderates whose voices aren’t as loud as those on the far left. We still vote more for moderates.

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Kamala Harris changing her positions is a GOOD thing. That’s how the fever breaks. Trump’s positions will entrench the sides. Harris is pivoting to the middle- good!

She’s looking forward- not back- good. She needs us - so she might listen.

My opinions on trans issues have radically changed over the last ten years. They changed with more information. Harris moderating her positions- good. Let’s make her hear our voices!!!

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I completely agree with this. The big question is how to get our voices heard in sufficient number that she recognizes she—and all the Ds—need to change course. It is interesting, in that regard, to see the shifts in the Labour Party in the UK. By fits and starts, for sure, but there are signs the dam is breaking across the pond. One big problem we still face is that the trans advocacy network in the US to which the D party is accustomed to listening is huge and well-funded, having cannabalized existing gay rights and women’s rights organizations, such that true women’s and gay rights advocates now have to rebuild from the ground up. (Was very glad to see the New York Times do an expose on GLAAD, BTW, as linked in this week’s in brief.)

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I agree that institutional capture is a huge obstacle for Democrats on this issue. But notice NYT coverage has followed the comments section. We’re NYT readers! Harris needs to hear from us!

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Oh, agree on the commenting, and also, as Lisa often notes, writing to journalists who write good articles and also getting on the backs of our electeds.

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A take home for me is this: “What I wanted was to modify the Democrats, to move them from the edge of the political cliff where they now stand.” The only modification I would make (speaking only for myself) is to “What I want”. For me, there is no choice but to keep trying to get through to the Ds, vertical climb though it currently is. I hold tight to Maya Forstater’s words: “How did the gender madness break,” they will ask. “Two ways. Gradually and then suddenly.”

As Helen Joyce has noted, it is going to take decades to unpick what is in place. Meantime, I would really like to see candidates who are unaffiliated enter local and state races in New York. (I would love, eg, to see moderate D or unaffiliated candidates take on Mark Levine and Jerry Nadler.)

For the rest, more robust infrastructure of dissent is going to be needed to make the change we need. Everyone here is contributing to that in the ways we can, and we must just keep plugging along and not lose heart.

Lisa: you had asked elsewhere, re the boxing, whether MSM has covered this. Below are links to NYT and WaPo articles I have spotted (which is not to say they are very well done😎). The Guardian, via Sean Ingle, has done some excellent reporting, last I looked. Also below is a link to the podcast featuring Ross Tucker, who gives an excellent review of the overall context and a clear explanation of the DSD issue.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5675415/2024/08/01/olympic-womens-boxing-dispute-imane-khelif/

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/world/olympics/boxer-quits-gender-angela-carini-imane-khelif.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/08/01/imane-khelif-algerian-boxer-gender-paris-olympics/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-science-of-sport-podcast/id1461719225?i=1000664105655

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If QAnon shaman was our president, clever advisors could probably fool him into doing things and they'd run the policy behind his back without him noticing or being able to effectively react to it. Ohmygosh, you know what that's just like??? Our current president!

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You probably don't like Megyn Kelly or Charlie Kirk. The link below contains the video they found of Kamala Harris, as CA AG, with a man who ideates a female persona, telling the tale of her success at forcing the state of California to pay for sex trait modification surgeries for male convicts who also ideate a female persona. No mention of the murders, rapes, assaults &etc these felons have been convicted of by a jury of their peers. No mention of the continued sexual assaults which they commit against female inmates with objects, if they no longer have a penis. No mention of the rapes committed by the men who are "waiting for health care" inside the female estate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R18hQOz6b7A&t=474s

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