GOP Fascist Playbook 101: Attack LGBTQ
“Transgenderism Must Be Eradicated: Michael Knowles at CPAC” – Daily Beast
‘Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.’ – George Santanya. Understand how the GOP Fascist Playbook copies from the past.
“When the Nazis took over, they started to close a lot of gay and trans-friendly establishments. Following the burning of the Reichstag in February, the Nazi’s issued a public morality directive. Trans people were persecuted under the Nazi regime for being different to their assigned sex at birth. This is reflected in much of today’s society, even in Western Europe and the US.
We see trans people being excluded from sport, bathrooms and even healthcare, for being “different”. Whilst not at the level of the Nazi regime, in much of Europe and the US, the increasing virulence of anti-LGBT movements in places like Hungary and Poland do have striking similarities…” – Samantha Jane Smith
Republicans follow the Fascist Playbook
Republican fascism on display
1. Book Bans: “DeSantis’s (R) drumbeat of policies targeting Black, transgender and LGBTQ people are “fascism,” said Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.). “We take that on by number one being bold in our messaging and calling it out for what it is… DeSantis was not attempting to improve education with his policies, but was “acting on scapegoating vulnerable communities due to his failures.” – The Hill
2. Remove trans kids. Florida Republicans propose ‘fascist’ bill to remove trans kids from parents’ custody. A slate of bills targeting transgender youth, including a proposal to allow courts to take custody over trans kids that’s been called “fascist” by its critics. GOP lawmakers submitted SB254, which allows the state to seize custody of children when they “at risk” or “being subjected” to gender-affirming medical care, including from families where the child at question may reside outside of Florida. – The Independent
3. Republicans push anti-LGBTQ Bills. Over 300 Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Have Already Been Filed in 2023. Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD noted in a statement that this number is “nearly the entirety of bills introduced during the whole 2022 legislative session.” In 2022, 315 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in states across the nation, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The LGBTQ+ Legislative Tracking spreadsheet shows where anti-LGBTQ+ bills are most concentrated, and ranks states by their anti-trans laws. Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida are classified as having the “worst active anti-trans laws.” – THEM
4. Persecution of minorities. “Republican Gov. Bill Haslam signed House Bill 1111 into law. The measure requires the state to interpret all undefined words such as “mother,” “father,” “husband” and “wife,” by their “natural and ordinary meaning.” Known as the “LGBT Erasure” bill, the legislation will “require that words be given their natural and ordinary meaning” in TN legal code—effectively writing same-sex couples and transgender people out of state laws and creating loop holes that give a license to discriminate.” – Freedom For All Americans
5. Incite violence. “The far-right Proud Boys have ramped up a campaign aimed specifically at attacking LGBTQ rights and reproductive justice. In the first six months of 2022, the Proud Boys counterprotested or harassed people on at least 28 separate occasions at LGBTQ and reproductive justice events around the country – together acting as a coordinated attack on gender equity and bodily autonomy. Their activity rose significantly in June as they targeted Pride activities. In that month alone, members of the Proud Boys gathered to protest or harass attendees at 14 different LGBTQ and reproductive justice-oriented events.” – SPLC
What history teaches about fascism
How Russia’s strongmen use homophobia to stay in power
“This politically rooted, state-sponsored homophobia has become a convenient propagandistic scapegoat for galvanizing citizens of a country still finding its feet in the aftermath of the USSR’s fall; a shared hostility toward Western “others” can unite Russians and Chechens…physical violence serves as a dark mirror for the implied, no-less-politicized rhetorical violence within Putin’s Russia. To talk about LGBTQ issues in Russia is to talk not just about culture but also about nationalism
Russia’s 2013’s federal “gay propaganda law” criminalizes the perceived promotion of homosexuality, ostensibly to secure the safety of minors. Policies like that only serve to intensify that public perception; using religious and nationalist rhetoric…” – VOX
Signs of fascism
The fascist playbook isn’t new, but you have to learn to spot the warning signs. The Nazi rise power started with persecuting minorities: Jews, LGBTQ, union workers, women… Martin Niemöller, a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany. His poem warns of the need to stand up for the vulnerable and fighting fascism while you still can.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Listen to Pastor Niemöller’s poem
Support Freedom For All Americans that works for comprehensive nondiscrimination protections that ensure everyone is treated fairly and equally.
Take Away: Resist GOP fascism and speak up, before it is too late as Pastor Niemöller advised.
Deepak
DemLabs
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Reposted from Democracy Labs with permission.
