I Didn't Say It

Rachelle Lefevre, Twilight star, taking on her local Target store for moving a Pride display to the back the store amid backlash from anti-LGBTQ+ asshats and then taking on the bigots who came for her:

“I came in here two days ago, and my seven-year-old, who’s nonbinary, saw [the display] and said: ‘Look, mom, it’s Pride, look! They’re going to celebrate me!’ And because some people complained and threw some stuff to the ground or I don’t know what happened, they have moved their Pride section to the back of the store. [And] don’t anyone come back at me with ‘It was a security issue’ because this is a billion-dollar company—if they really care, they can hire extra security. Instead they chose to send the message that LGBTQ+ people aren’t worth protecting or fighting for … We could do so much better, we’re not supposed to negotiate with terrorists. [And] to those of you who wrote hurtful, disgusting [things]—you know what you wrote, you know who you are—… I punched back in a post… and about 90 seconds later I deleted it because something dawned on me. I know how much pain you have to be in to hate that hard, so instead of hating back, I just choose to know how much pain you’re in. Whatever it is that you are numbing with hating other people, I want to say that when you can find the courage to face that pain, and you get rid of the anger, I hope there are people there who embrace you, I hope there are people there who can love you and hold space for you. And when you are ready to show up as your authentic self, the way God made you, full of love, I will be here to say ‘Hi, it’s nice to meet you.’”

Lefevre didn’t specify the location of the store she visited, but she currently lives in Nashville; Target locations in Southern states, including South Carolina, Arkansas, and Georgia, have all reportedly relocated their Pride displays to the back of the stores and removed Pride apparel from mannequins to reduce their visibility.

They’ve literally put us back in a closet.

Fuck that.

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Sarah Huckabee Sanders, GOP governor of Arkansas, says she’s on a mission to protect children from “the radical left woke mob” and is begging people to move to Arkansas from Blue states:

“I think the best thing that conservatives can do, that are living in blue states, is move to Arkansas. It’s really simple. That’s the best pathway forward, then you don’t have to worry about those things because we’re going to make sure that the kids are protected and that they’re in good learning environments.”

Huckleberry signed bills allowing children to work; she signed bills banning trans people from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity; she is for Don’t Say Gay; she is for the ending of teaching about racism and slavery.

Huckleberry is against anything put forward by a Democrat, unless it’s financial aid from the government when God sends tornadoes to Arkansas because their governor is a hate-filled bigot, then she’s first in line with her hand out.

PS Right now Arkansas ranks as the 47th Best State to live in out of 50 states. Does anyone really wanna take a step down?

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Wanda Sykes, out comedian, explaining it to the GOP:

“Until a drag queen walks into a school and beats eight kids to death with a copy of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird,’ I think you’re focusing on the wrong shit.”

Word.

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Ron Johnson, Wisconsin’s GOP asshat senator, on global warming being a good thing:

“So, in terms of excess deaths, a warming globe is actually beneficial. In my own state, your study shows that we’d have a reduction in mortality of somewhere between 54 and 56 people per, I guess it’s a hundred thousand. Why wouldn’t we take comfort in that?” 

He suggested global warming wouldn’t be bad for the US because it’s not as hot here as it is in Africa.

I only hope it gets hot under that tinfoil  hat and cooks his brain even more.

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President Joe Biden, issuing a proclamation for Pride Month:

“In June 1969, a courageous group of Americans rose up to protest the violence and marginalization they faced in what became known as the Stonewall Uprising. Police had raided the Stonewall Inn—a gay bar located in New York City—and for the next six days they clashed with LGBTQI+ protestors, who bravely stood their ground. Their courage sparked a civil rights movement for the liberation of the LGBTQI+ community and changed our Nation forever.

 During Pride Month, we honor a movement that has grown stronger, more vibrant, and more inclusive with every passing year. Pride is a celebration of generations of LGBTQI+ people, who have fought bravely to live openly and authentically. And it is a reminder that we still have generational work to do to ensure that everyone enjoys the full promise of equity, dignity, protection, and freedom.

Today, our Nation faces another inflection point. In 2023 alone, State and local legislatures have already introduced over 600 hateful laws targeting the LGBTQI+ community. Books about LGBTQI+ people are being banned from libraries. Transgender youth in over a dozen States have had their medically necessary health care banned. Homophobic and transphobic vitriol spewed online has spilled over into real life, as armed hate groups intimidate people at Pride marches and drag performances, and threaten doctors’ offices and children’s hospitals that offer care to the LGBTQI+ community. Our hearts are heavy with grief for the loved ones we have lost to anti-LGBTQI+ violence. 

Despite these attacks, the LGBTQI+ community remains resilient. LGBTQI+ Americans are defiantly and unapologetically proud. Youth leaders are organizing walkouts at high schools and colleges across the country to protest discriminatory laws. LGBTQI+ young people and their parents are demonstrating unimaginable courage by testifying in State capitals in defense of their basic rights.

They are not alone: My entire Administration stands proudly with the LGBTQI+ community in the enduring struggle for freedom, justice, and equality. And we are making strides. On my first day in office, I signed a historic Executive Order charging the entire Federal Government with protecting LGBTQI+ people from discrimination—from health care to housing, education, employment, banking, and the criminal justice system. Last December, surrounded by dozens of couples who have fought for marriage equality in the courts for decades, I had the great honor of signing into law the landmark Respect for Marriage Act. This bipartisan law protects the rights of same-sex and interracial couples—like caring for one’s sick partner and receiving spousal benefits. Deciding who to marry is one of life’s most profound decisions, so we etched a simple truth into law:  Love is love.

Meanwhile, I have taken unprecedented steps to support LGBTQI+ youth. During Pride Month last year, I signed an Executive Order charging Federal agencies with combating the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy.”  I also directed agencies to help end the crisis of homelessness among LGBTQI+ youth and adults and to address discrimination that LGBTQI+ kids face in foster care. The Department of Justice is combating laws that target transgender children, and the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services have proposed new rules to protect LGBTQI+ Americans from discrimination in health care, at school, and in sports. I also established the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse to develop concrete actions to prevent and respond to online harassment and abuse, which disproportionately target LGBTQI+ people. Additionally, my Administration made it easier for LGBTQI+ youth to access vital mental health support. Now, by calling the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and dialing the number 3, LGBTQI+ youth can speak to counselors who have been specifically trained to support them. 

This country is stronger and more just when America’s leaders reflect the full diversity of our Nation, so I have appointed a historic number of highly qualified openly LGBTQI+ judges and public servants at all levels of the Federal Government. Our Armed Forces are most capable when all patriots can serve their country, so I protected the right of transgender people to once again serve openly in the military. 

But there is more to do, like passing the bipartisan Equality Act, which would strengthen civil rights protections for LGBTQI+ people and families across America. We must also address the disproportionate levels of homelessness, poverty, and unemployment in the LGBTQI+ community and end the crisis of violence against transgender women and girls of color. We must support LGBTQI+ activists around the globe who are standing up for basic human rights and LGBTQI+ survivors of gender-based violence. And we must end the HIV/AIDS epidemic once and for all. Our collective freedoms are inextricably linked:  when one group’s dignity and equality are threatened, we all suffer. This month and every month, let us celebrate the pride that powers the movement for LGBTQI+ rights and commit to doing our part to help realize the promise of America, for all Americans.”

Thanks Joe.

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