# Republicans' war on transgender people: Omnibus thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 3, 2022, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609 "2022-06-03T02:20:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/441 "2023-03-06T02:02:15Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > They give quotes that play right into the Fox News audience. Instead of saying “We support gender affirming care for minors”, they should say something like “We support the AMA guidelines for gender affirming care for minors”. The latter statement is much harder to take out of context. Seriously? Have you been listening to these people the last decade or so? They have absolutely no interest in nuance or parsing out the actual meaning of a sentence. I can guarantee you they would see absolutely no difference between those phrases. They have no knowledge of, on interest in, what “the AMA guidelines” for gender affirming care for minors are in comparison to all types of gender affirming care. They’ll quite happily go about their day claiming you want to lop off a toddler’s penis. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/442 "2023-03-06T02:37:13Z")
I thought I was having _deja vu_, and I wasn’t mistaken. June 3rd: > [@filmore](#): > > I think it makes sense to limit genital surgery until they are older. Replies on June 3rd: > [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > You think teens are undergoing sexual reassignment surgery? > [@Atamasama](#): > > For anyone wondering, they’re not. Well, not under 18 at least. > > [PolitiFact | No, young children cannot take hormones or change their sex](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/mar/05/viral-image/no-young-children-cannot-take-hormones-or-change-t/) > > Republicans are telling ghost stories about parents lopping off the penis as they cut the umbilical cord. It’s a political form of blood libel. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > …a doctor in the US would lose their license if they performed gender reassignment surgery on a minor outside of some extreme extenuating circumstances. Today: > [@filmore](#): > > Something like genital reassignment surgery is going to be much harder to reverse and is something best left until after they are an adult So, @filmore, care to explain how you “forgot” about the exchange last year when your ignorance was fought, and why 9 months later you decided to start spreading the same lies as Republican transphobic propaganda once again? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/443 "2023-03-06T02:50:13Z")
Enlightened centrist playbook. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/444 "2023-03-06T02:55:38Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > And to be honest, the shit I’m taking for expressing my opinion is part of the problem. Does anyone really have a problem with my stance? Does it really warrant this kind of push back? It just pushes well-meaning people out of the conversation. ⁢ In the context you brought up genital surgery for minors, it seemed you thought this was a thing that actually happens and that trans activists support. I’d say that idea deserves this level of backlash. Why? Because it’s a common talking point that anti-trans activists came up with to try and vilify trans people. Every single time anyone mentions genital surgery, they are told that this is not done on minors. And yet they still keep trying to rile people up with that idea. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/445 "2023-03-06T03:00:02Z")
Actually, there’s one other time that genital surgery is commonly done on minors: When a baby is born with ambiguous genitalia, the usual practice is for someone (either the parents or a doctor) to take their best guess as to what the kid is closest to, and surgically alter the genitals to match that. And we could debate whether that’s the correct procedure for such cases, except that the existence of intersex people is a really uncomfortable idea for a certain kind of (mostly Republican) people. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/446 "2023-03-06T03:34:43Z")
One parent’s story of a trans child (my own). Gender dysphoria is a real thing. Self harm and suicide are real risks. I started out by telling my kid at 13 that I love them, accept them, support their new name and gender, but everything else has to wait for 18. Changed my mind at 16 and he started testosterone, and overnight watched him go from terrifying suicidal ideation to almost the opposite (“Dad, drive carefully now that I have a reason to live.”) He had top surgery at 17.5 years old. He’s a big man on campus this senior year of high school Takes 5 AP classes and gets A’s. He’s going off to University in the the Fall as the man he is. He didn’t have to wait until 18 to start to transition, and have to go through that when starting college. Oh, by the way, as a parent there is no worse pain than losing a child. My son’s twin tragically drowned in the bathtub 2 months ago. You don’t want to be one of those parents who lost a child because you bought into the asinine trans arguments instead of loving and supporting your child whole heartedly. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/447 "2023-03-06T03:44:43Z")
Your 18 year old child died two months ago?! I am so so sorry for your loss. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/448 "2023-03-06T03:51:14Z")
Yes, thank you for the condolences. Let me tell you (generic you), that believe me you’ll play the “what if” movie over and over in your mind after losing a child. I can’t imagine how horrific that movie would be if it’s the culture war on loop. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/449 "2023-03-06T09:01:14Z")
I lost my son 6 years ago. A personal story like that Should make people realize their fears of transitioning are unfounded. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/450 "2023-03-06T10:54:30Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Well, it was a nice thought. If only trans-rights activists used the letters AMA when defending trans-rights, all this culture war bullshit would go away. I can’t believe how much time we’ve wasted! The letters AMA will definitely stop conservatives from just lying about what’s going on to their constituents. Thank you, @filmore, for enlightening us. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/451 "2023-03-06T12:46:47Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Gender reassignment surgery for minors isn’t a thing, do we really need to specify that we’re not advocating support for something that doesn’t happen? Yes, yes, we really do have to do this. Over and over. And over and over some more. Keep beating that drum. Because for damn sure the anti-trans people will keep beating theirs. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/452 "2023-03-06T13:13:43Z")
Yeah, but do we have to do it over and over to posters here on the Dope who have already been told this? That’s pretty annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/453 "2023-03-06T13:36:08Z")
As long as we have Dopers spouting the opposite message yes, yes we do. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/454 "2023-03-06T13:45:47Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I’m not saying I’m opposed to gender reassignment surgery in minors because of some right-wing fear-mongering bullshit. I’m opposed to it because it’s a very significant procedure and I don’t feel that every teen making that decision is mature enough to make it. Then you are wholly on the side of the trans rights activists.The only gender reassignment surgery that’s routinely performed on minors is performed non-consensually on infants, to enforce the gender binary. And yes, it turns out it is often done in a way that’s later regretted by the person who was cut. The gender affirming medical procedures routinely given to teens who request them are hormone blockers, to give them more time to make a decision, sometimes hormone therapy, sometimes top surgery (also sometimes performed on older cis girls, to increase the size of their breasts – this is by far the most common “gender affirming surgery” done in the US) and medical procedures like sperm banking, for trans girls who might want the option of a biological child after they more fully transition as an adult. So, maybe top surgery. Which is performed far more often in cis girls than on trans girls. Maybe that should wait until age 18. Although it is not actually that big a deal. Formula works fine for feeding babies, and the cosmetic aspects can be undone later if the person has serious regrets. Anyway, welcome to the radical left. Next time you are talking to a conservative who is opposed to medical intervention for trans teens, please do everyone a favor and let them know what the issues really are. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/455 "2023-03-06T13:54:10Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Yes, yes, we really do have to do this. Over and over. And over and over some more. Keep beating that drum Yep. When alleged “open minded libertarian” Bill Fucking Maher keeps alluding to that canard on his HBO late-night show, you know the facts are not getting out there. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/456 "2023-03-06T17:41:06Z")
wtf?? they are even far to the right of mainstream Catholicism. the Catholic church I used to attend was very diverse by nationality. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/457 "2023-03-06T17:43:50Z")
China\_Guy I am so sorry for your loss. I also hope that other parents will have the same compassion that you do. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/458 "2023-03-06T18:13:00Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > And to be honest, the shit I’m taking for expressing my opinion is part of the problem. Does anyone really have a problem with my stance? “Does anyone disagree that all lives matter? So why am I getting so much shit for pointing that out in a conversation about George Floyd?” > [@](#): > > Does it really warrant this kind of push back? It just pushes well-meaning people out of the conversation. I have zero information about what your views on trans rights are, beyond the fact that you’re implicitly supporting anti-trans rhetoric by treating made up bullshit as a serious concern, then getting all butthurt when it’s pointed out that it’s made up bullshit. So let’s just say the jury’s still out on whether you’re participation here is “well meaning” or not. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/459 "2023-03-07T11:29:43Z")
Meanwhile… Florida Senate proposes removing children from parents who support transition by, for instance, letting their kids get hormone blocking drugs. [https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/254](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/254) > ## SB 254: Treatments for Sex Reassignment > > GENERAL BILL by [Yarborough](https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S4) ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) [Perry](https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S9) > > Treatments for Sex Reassignment; Granting courts of this state temporary emergency jurisdiction over children present in this state **if they are at risk of or are being subjected to the provision of sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures** ; requiring courts to consider specified conduct as unjustifiable for purposes of determining jurisdiction in certain proceedings; defining the term “serious physical harm” for purposes of warrants to take physical custody of a child in certain child custody enforcement proceedings; providing that the courts of this state have jurisdiction to vacate, stay, or modify child custody determinations made by a court of another state under certain circumstances, etc. > > Effective Date: Upon becoming a law > Last Action: 3/6/2023 Senate - Referred to Health Policy; Fiscal Policy Bolding added. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609/460 "2023-03-07T15:01:23Z")
Methinks the Republican demagogues are less likely believing this shit than they are believing that a lot of Republican voters will respond to it. Doesn’t make it less dangerous (in fact, it’s more likely to feed into a one-upmanship contest as different candidates compete for those votes). But it makes it more likely that if and whenb the public attitudes have swung decisively in favor of trans rights even among registered Republican voters, the assholes will drop it and look for the next social-issue wedge. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-war-on-transgender-people-omnibus-thread/965609.md?page=24)