I Didn't Say It ...

Pramila Jayapal, Democrat Representative from  Washington, on the SCOTUS ruling that greenlights racial profiling in America:

“In overturning a lower court ruling, the Supreme Court is today greenlighting the use of racial profiling by an already rogue administration. Speaking Spanish or looking Latino are no=w acceptable precursors for law enforcement to  stop someone in the country, according to the rightwing justices. This is a violation of our freedoms and a repeat performance of a Supreme Court that is continuing to consolidate power in itself and undermine lower court rulings made by judges appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents.”

This is America under The Felon and his Fascist Regime. Your skin color is a crime; your accent is a crime; the language you speak is a crime.

Sounds about white, eh?

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Matthew Dowd, MSNBC analyst, on the death of Charlie Kirk:

“[Kirk has] been one of the most divisive, especially divisive, younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. And I think that’s the environment we’re in. You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place. And that’s the unfortunate environment we are in.”

As I said, if you preach hate and live by hate you will die by hate. Dowd was subsequently fired by MSNBC for this comment and then released another statement via Twitter:

“My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Charlie Kirk. On an earlier appearance on MSNBC I was asked a question about the environment [of hate] we are in. I apologize for my tone and my words. Let me be clear, I in no way intended for my comments to blame Kirk for this horrendous attack. Let us all come together and condemn violence of any kind.”

Let’s be clear, as Kirk was shot he was preaching hate against the trans community, saying trans people are responsible for mass shootings in the country.

Kirk has also suggested gay people be put to death.

He preached hate, that’s clear, but you mix in hate speech and easy access to guns and this is what occurs. The only thing different in this time the GOP didn’t band together and sing a chorus of their biggest hit, “Thoughts and Prayers,” but instead preached more hate saying it’s people on the left who killed Charlie Kirk.

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Kerry Kennedy, RFK Jr's sister, on her brother’s ineptness to head Health and Human Services:

"The first smallpox vaccine was developed in 1796. Since then, countless vaccines have been developed and saved millions of lives. Vaccines work. This is not up for debate. Medical decisions belong in the hands of trained and licensed professionals, not incompetent and misguided leadership. The decimation of critical institutions, like the NIH and the CDC, will lead to the loss of innocent lives. This means that children, mothers, fathers, and those you love are at risk now, like never before. I stand with the many courageous individuals in the medical and scientific communities who have had to set aside their vital work to speak truth to power to keep the public safe. Enough is enough. Secretary Kennedy must resign. Now."

Usually families like the Kennedys keep quiet about the black sheep among them, but when that black sheep is clearly incompetent and ill-equipped for such a powerful position, and holding the lives of Americans in his hands, a Kennedy speaks up.

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Boy George, speaking to The London Times about transphobia and why identity politics can sometimes be harmful:

“Trans people are the new people to hate, but I always say: how many trans people have you met today? There’s the world on the internet, which is hideous and full of anger. Then there’s the real world, which is entirely different. So, in reality, people have nothing to be nervous about. If I’m really lucky, my own sexuality takes up about three hours a month. We’ve all got cats to feed, families to visit, jobs to do. I said in an interview when I was 17, ‘Being gay is like eating a bag of crisps. It’s so not important.’ I still think that now. What do you care about someone’s sexuality unless you’re going to have sex with them? … I don’t think [identity politics have] helped anyone. We’re not a thing. It’s like, ‘This is what Black people are, this is what Jewish people are, this is what trans people are.’ No! Everybody is diverse because nobody is like anybody else, so you’re starting from the wrong perspective.”

It boils down to this: what does it matter to you if a person is trans? What harm is done to you by a trans person living openly and authentically?

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Laura Ingraham, Fox News liar, on the notion that women—and she mentioned Kamala Harris—don’t prioritize marriage:

“Young conservative men seem to still have their priorities straight because a new poll from NBC News shows that men ages 18 to 29 who voted for Trump ranked having children number one priority, the definition of success. Being married came in number four. So what about Gen Z men who voted for Kamala? Well, they ranked having children at number nine, getting married at number 10. It’s even worse with female Gen Z Kamala voters. Being married at 11, way down in the list for them. Having kids, well, that’s ranked way down at number 12. What is going on with women and not wanting to prioritize family? Isn’t social media great? Didn’t it teach people all the right lessons?”

I have been trying to keep the idiotic quotes out of this post, but the sheer ignorance of Laura Ingraham denigrating women who don’t prioritize marriage when she has never been married, is the height of hypocrisy.

Ingraham does, however, have three adopted children: a son, Michael, and two daughters, Maria and Grace.

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LGBTQ+ Ally Takes on Faux-LGBTQ+ Allies

So it’s Pride month and all these companies are updating their logos to be queer-friendly, to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. But are they, really, allies?

Democrat Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal is taking on these companies who trot out their queer-friendly ads and logos every year but the other eleven months donate to decidedly anti-LGBTRQ+ causes and politicians. Jayapal used Twitter, and screenshots of companies who’ve changed their social media graphics to “show Pride”, to bring the receipts on how much money they’ve paid to block pro-LGBTQ legislation:

In addition to Jayapal throwing shade at AT&T, the company is also being held accountable by the #KeepYourPride campaign that also targets ALLEGED allies who are funding anti-LGBTQ+ politicians who actively harm the community. The group is also focusing on Anheuser-Busch, NBCUniversal, General Motors, and Coca-Cola.

We don’t need your faux-Pride once a year, we need allies all year-long who stand with us, not behind us putting a knife in our backs.

LGBTQ Nation

I Didn't Say It ...

Pete Buttigieg, Democratic presidential hopeful, on standing out in a crowded Democratic field: 

“The way you survive the Flavor of the Month period, or with 20 of us it’s probably a Flavor of the Week period… But the way that you do it is through substance. You gotta make sure that you’re putting forward something that others aren’t, or at least that you’ve got a fresh and different vocabulary that can reach people who maybe have tuned us out.”

He’s right, because right now he’s new, he’s different, he’s got a lot of people talking. But will that translate to the primaries which are many months away?

Personally, I think Pete has the staying power.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Congressperson, on Jared Kushner’s use of WhatsApp to communicate with Saudi officials and lax security at the White House:

“Reports are suggesting that we are conducting foreign relations by people with security clearances via WhatsApp! Every day that we go on without getting to the bottom of this matter is a day that we are putting hundreds if not potentially thousands of Americans at risk. I mean, really, what is next, putting nuclear codes in Instagram DMs? This is ridiculous.”

It’s been reported that _____ overruled security clearance denials by career employees for 25 individuals in his administration, but, hey, it’s only national security.

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George Clooney, actor and activist, to the critics who say his call for a boycott of the Dorchester Collection, hotels owned by the government of Brunei, after Brunei announced it would implement a “death by stoning” punishment for gay sex, would hurt hotel staff:

“I share those concerns, but to equate their situation with the fact that this week the 5th richest country in the world would take a young woman who is found to be gay, bury her up to her neck and have 25 men throw stones at her head until she is dead seems unfathomable. This exact argument was used during the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. And yes, a lot of hard working, presumably innocent bus drivers were hurt… but no one would argue that the boycott was for the far greater good. These are very expensive hotels, but the bulk of their business isn’t individuals but companies. I’ve been to these hotels when I was doing press events set up by the studios. I don’t know any companies that want to put money in the pocket of a murderer once they know.”

He’s right; while it may hurt the employees, I think trying to stop the death by stoning of gay people is worth that.

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Hogan Gidley, White House spokes-tool, on cutting aid to Puerto Rico …though he cannot be bothered to say “Puerto Rico”:

 “With all they’ve done in that country, they’ve had a systematic mismanagement of the goods and services we’ve sent to them. You’ve seen food just rotting in the ports. Their governor has done a horrible job. He’s trying to make political hay in a political year, and he’s trying to find someone to take the blame off of him for not having a grid and not having a good system in that country at all.”

Oh, and he repeats Trump’s “$91 billion” lie cuz he’s a pandering asshat.

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Sarah Palin, complaining that she was not invited to John McCain’s funeral:

“I was kind of surprised to be publicly disinvited to the funeral.”

She is thirsty for attention because you cannot be disinvited if you were never invited in the first place. And, since you were a stain on McCain’s legacy, why let you sit in a pew?

Back to the trailer, Meth-head Barbie.

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Matt Gaetz, Florida Republican, argued against transgender rights at a hearing on the Equality Act:

“Consider this possibility — if President Trump were to say, I am now the first female president? Who would celebrate that? Would those who support the legislation think that’s a good thing, or would they be dismayed? Bad actors have already weaponized some ostensible equality laws for their own benefit.”

Seriously, Republicans? You elected this kind of stupid? Are you ashamed of yourselves at all?

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Pramila Jayapal, Democratic Congresswoman, at that same Equality Act hearing:

“My beautiful, now-22-year-old child told me last year that they were gender non-conforming. And over the last year, I have come to understand from a deeply personal mother’s perspective. I came to understand what their newfound freedom—it is the only way I can describe what has happened to my beautiful child — what their newfound freedom to wear a dress, to rid themselves of some conformist stereotype of who they are, to be able to express who they are at their real core. Since this deeply impactful moment last year, my child’s embracing of their non-conforming gender identity and all it allows in their brilliance, their self-expression, the only thought I wake up with every day is, ‘My child is free. My child is free to be who they are.’ And in that freedom comes a responsibility for us as legislators to protect that freedom to be who they area.”

And there you have the fundamental difference between most Republicans and most Democrats; Republicans trade in fear and hate and lies, and Democrats work with acceptance and understanding.

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