Post

Katherine Alejandra Cross
@quinnae.com

I've seen a lot of people criticise the handful of Dems who've triangulated on trans rights who also grudgingly say that perhaps it's necessary to win. I think this illustrates neatly why I've never found that argument persuasive. Transphobia is a luxury issue, and these are *very* lean times.

gwen howerton@kissphoria.bsky.social

Fascinating tidbit in this interview with former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont), he says that Texas Republicans anti-transgender ads aren't "resonating." "What Republicans are talking about is just not what the swing voter is really interested in." www.texasmonthly.com/news-politic...

111 reposts451 likes

kupperware.bsky.social
@kupperware.bsky.social

It was also more effective last cycle specifically against Harris because she made a mess of it in the debate. It’s like if Republicans made ads about that one guy who yelled weird, it doesn’t translate to other candidates.

gloomscroller.bsky.social
@gloomscroller.bsky.social

So in exchange for throwing LGBT people under the bus your getting universal healthcare and an end to arms to Israel?! Oh your just throwing Trans people under the bus for nothing? Piss off, at least Trump is better at dismantling America. Making him the harm reduction candidate.

Katherine Alejandra Cross
@quinnae.com

It makes me want to scream when I see mainstream outlets launder the idea that trans rights are some unique weakspot for Dems, while also reiterating the foundational myth that the "Kamala is for They/Them" ad was uniquely effective. There is no verifiable evidence for either.

Katherine Alejandra Cross@quinnae.com

When I was researching this essay I was struck by the fact that a key piece of evidence used to support the idea that the "they/them" ad was decisive is, apparently, unverifiable to the public. That inconvenience didn't stop a stampede of people waving the 2.7% figure around like a bloody shirt.

Katherine Alejandra Cross
@quinnae.com

So what this means is that any Dem who responds to the fusillade of transphobic attacks by saying something like "uhh I don't support men in women's sports!" is not just being immoral but engaging in bad politics. It just reiterates their opponent's attack, accepts the framing, and spreads it.

Katherine Alejandra Cross
@quinnae.com

It's certainly true that when you're being barraged by these ads you should say *something*--silence and evasion starts to look bad all on its own--but you should deflect rather than validate the frame. On sports, e.g., say you support local control. Get the government out of the locker room.

J. Magnolia Gilligan
@jmgilligan.org

I agree with you that the evidence does not show that the "Kamala is for They/Them" ads were effective with anyone who wasn't already a Trump supporter, but I also agree with this point that you make here: A big problem was that Harris never responded or fought back against Trump's anti-trans ads.

Katherine Alejandra Cross
@quinnae.com

Or you could take the route that people like Abdul El-Sayed have done and say "why are we talking about this when diesel is 7 bucks a gallon?" That's, at least, a stronger pivot that's responsive to the issues voters keep saying they care about.