Why the hell would anyone want to live in Texas?

Full disclosure: I live in Florida and sometimes wonder the same thing, as the Florida governor tries to be as appallingly hateful as the one in Texas.

Current offense: Governor Abbott has declared the Texas Department of Child Protective Services will investigate all transgender children, at any stage of transition, and will report parents, physicians, other health care workers as child abusers. WTF? And remember, this is the state with a bounty on the head of basically anyone who has contact with a woman seeking an abortion past 6 weeks of gestation.

These are hateful positions and hateful people. Yes, I’m raging. We should all be raging. We should all read the following report and weep:

42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.

94% of LGBTQ youth reported that recent politics negatively impacted their mental health.

 https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2021/

Yet in Florida, our governor is pushing legislation that’s being called “Don’t Say Gay” to forbid any mention or conversation about sexual orientation at schools. No questions or answers. No safe shelter. Nothing. Where are children and teens supposed to go for help? Totally unrealistic to think it would be safe in every household, with every parent, or with churches that condemn them. And what does the teacher say when the kindergartner shares that he or she has two moms or two dads? Anyone else notice that children rarely have a problem with that concept, until they are TAUGHT to be intolerant, hateful, bullies?

This, in addition to promoting abortion restrictions only slightly less horrific than Texas. Why don’t they pay attention to the proven methods to reduce the need for abortion: sex education, access to contraception, accessible health care? Because it’s not about supporting life; it’s about CONTROL. Control of women because where are the consequences for the sperm donors of every pregnancy?

Radical conservative groups are trying to ban books that mention rape, LGBTQ issues, or have 4-letter words. Pulitzer Prize winning books. Books about school shootings, when kids are forced to hold active shooter drills? Do they think their kids don’t know about this stuff? That their kids don’t already think about sex? That their kids don’t need to understand this world? Who thinks a violent rape of a child is *sexually stimulating*? Only sick people, that’s who. Kids need to read, to think, to process. Reading is the foundation of academic success and a broad world view.

Sure, I get the concept of age appropriateness. As a parent, you may choose to redirect your child, but include them in the discussion about why. Just don’t try to put limits on other people’s children. My daughter started the Harry Potter books at the age of 7 or 8. I knew she might struggle with the concept of time travel or some of the British words, but hell, it’s a great series of novels about friendship, loyalty, and good vs. evil. One of her friends was forbidden to read them, so we respected that and didn’t watch Harry Potter movies during sleepovers. No big deal. They both grew up to be terrific adults.

Go back and read Fahrenheit 451, Handmaid’s Tale, and 1984. Scary stuff that sounds uncomfortably true.

And don’t even get me started on guns, school shootings, and other mass shootings. I’ve lost count in 2022 already.

Yes, I rage, I protest, I vote. And I have hope.

What gives me hope? My children and other young adults I know who don’t have the ridiculous hang-ups and puritanical views as many older generations. My 80+ year old friends who still *woman* voter registration booths, attend school board meetings, and bleed Blue. Amanda Gorman. The US Women’s soccer time protesting for and achieving equal pay standards. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Brene Brown, Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach, Jen Hatmaker, and others who speak out loud and proud, motivating other women – and hopefully, some men. The Girl Scout who sold me a box of S’mores cookies and confidently told me they’re especially good when heated in the microwave.

And the truth that made me laugh: the meme that read

I’ve read that being a woman means whispering WTF to yourself daily.

Ok, first of all….I didn’t know we were supposed to be whispering it.”