Earlier this year, we all fell in love with Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt, who along with state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh pretty much shut down the legislative session for months by filibustering every last bit of legislation, pledging they’d stop the Lege in its tracks until Republicans withdrew a bill banning gender-affirming care. Ultimately, the filibuster was broken when Republicans combined that bill with another banning abortion, because why not oppress as many people as you can with one bill?
This isn’t only a matter of politics or moral conviction for Sen. Hunt — both perfectly fine reasons to stand for trans youth! —but it’s also personal: Her own tween son is trans. She’s fighting for her own family along with other Nebraska families, and is not about to give in to the bigots, even if they have the majority in state government for now.
It therefore shouldn’t be any surprise that when Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday signed an anti-trans executive order designed to define trans people out of legal existence, Hunt got mad. Fightin’ mad. About which more in a moment, because let’s just look at what an assholish declaration Pillen’s EO is.
Drawing on the the TERF ideology that respecting trans women is an assault on “real” women, the order is called a “Women’s Bill of Rights”; it’s a copycat of another similar declaration from Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt a few weeks back. Amazing how bad ideas spread in wingnut America. The orders
define a female as a “person whose biological reproductive system is designed to produce ova” and a male as a “person whose biological reproductive system is designed to fertilize the ova of a female.”
LGBTQNation points out in an aside just how weird it is that “male” is defined solely in terms of ladyparts. As a Xitter follower of Hunt wondered, “Do men keep existing if we don’t look at them??” Let’s not take that too far, though, since that does seem to be the attitude of too many men already.
Needless to say, the declaration doesn’t mention trans people, because that’s the whole point. Coincidentally or not, Pillen also issued the order on the very day that Nebraska set a world record for highest attendance at a women’s sporting event, when 92,003 people filled an outdoor stadium to watch Nebraska play against Omaha.
What a nice opportunity for Pillen to shiv trans women and pretend that Republicans support women, except when they’re removing their rights. In a statement, Pillen claimed that
It is common sense that men do not belong in women’s-only spaces. As Governor, it is my duty to protect our kids and women’s athletics, which means providing single-sex spaces for women’s sports, bathrooms, and changing rooms.
Fucking bigot.
Sen. Hunt was quick to take to Xitter herself with a challenge: Say that shit to my face, Governor Bigot. Only she was more politer than Yr Wonkette.
Today Governor Pillen, famous women's rights supporter, signed this offensive and ridiculous proclamation establishing a "Women's Bill of Rights." He should try saying this stuff to my face then we would see who’s got what biological advantage [emphasis added — Dok]
Damn right, Madam Senator.
Hunt went on to point out that not only was the declaration bigoted and cruel, it could have real consequences for Nebraska services for women. Not that famous women’s right supporter Pillen would care, because it’s the trans-hating thought that counts.
To be serious, @TeamPillen should be aware of all the federal funding that could be taken away from Nebraska were this proclamation to be enforced. Federal funding sources for domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers have provisions protecting trans survivors.
I know Governor Pillen probably hates that fact that trans people would ever be protected or safe, but that’s how it works today and he’s putting Nebraskans in danger by continuing to make this group the entire focus of his ignorant and discriminatory agenda.
And then, because we live in the stupidest timeline, some TERF with a blue checkmark accused Hunt of “threatening” to take away federal funding from rape shelters if they “dare to be women only.” Because if you point out the likely consequences of a thing, you are making threats, OH MY SWEET CHRIST THESE FUCKING PEOPLE.
Then others piled on to accuse Hunt of being a “groomer,” a terrible parent, and bound to be “eternally judged” because she allows her trans son to be trans, and also the pronouns, and dear lord what is this stupid nation coming to?
And then we took a deep breath and reminded ourselves that the loudest and most hateful voices are mostly just loud and hateful, and that while they may get away with passing terrible laws that will definitely harm people, most Americans really don’t want to be run by a bunch of bigots, and last fall’s midterm elections suggest that the backlash to minority rule by White Christian Nationalists is already building.
This is our goddamn country, not theirs. And while we missed Molly Ivins’s birthday this year, we’ll close with this advice from her final column. She was speaking of the Iraq War surge, but it applies entirely as much to protecting trans and abortion rights too:
We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell. Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous. Make our troops know we're for them and trying to get them out of there. Hit the streets to protest … We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, "Stop it, now!"
And if that includes daring a governor to say to your face that your family isn’t real, well then, that too. Just don’t go making a threat and getting yourself arrested, because we need you.
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"define a female as a “person whose biological reproductive system is designed to produce ova” and a male as a “person whose biological reproductive system is designed to fertilize the ova of a female.”"
"Designed"
Just gonna say it to the Wonkette choir because I'm damn mad and need to say it:
Trans women are women from Day one. Trans men likewise. The perception of others - parents, docs, neighbors, teachers, TERFS, whatever - does not change that FACT.
Goddammit, these fucking bigots, I can't even right now 😡