1. I'm a leading trans journalist, and this will be my final post here.

Erin In The Morning is now making its move to Bluesky, as twitter is no longer fit for journalistic content.

Meanwhile, the new platform is soaring.

Subscribe to support my journalism, and follow us there.

7. Trans bathroom bans were once a disaster for Republicans. Lately, though, such bans have been passed in places like Utah.

Enforcement has been a problem, however.

Republican State Auditor Dougall filmed a video slamming the legislature for making him the bathroom monitor.

4. Mace's bill goes much further than any state, though. It would impact DC area Smithsonian Museums, the National Gallery, federal buildings, VA hospitals and clinics, military bases, and even major DC airports Dulles and Reagan.

See the broad impact here:

1. Nancy Mace has announced a federal bathroom ban proposal.

If it becomes law, it will impact major DC airports like Reagan and Dulles, and could snarl travel in the leadup to world pride, which is expecting over 3,000,000 LGBTQ+ visitors.

Subscribe to support my journalism.

8. Republican leadership's targeting of trans individuals in the capitol shows no signs of abating.

Nancy Mace has introduced a federal bill banning all trans people from bathrooms on federally owned properties, like the VA hospitals, Dulles and Reagan airports, and museums.

6. Meanwhile, Senator John Fetterman voiced his support for McBride, stating “There’s no job I’m afraid to lose if it requires me to degrade anyone. If that’s a defining issue for a voter, there will be a different candidate."

6. Several democrats defended McBride and condemned Republican leadership on Wednesday evening. Congresswoman AOC highlighted the absurdity of enforcing the laws... "The idea that Nancy Mace wants little girls and women to drop trou in front of who, an investigator? It's gross."

5. It's worth noting that McBride represents just as many people as Mace... more actually. McBride received 282,000 votes compared to Mace's 169,000. Mace's district represents 734,000 people... McBride's, over 1 million.

3. In a Newsmax Interview, Mace stated, “It is offensive that a man in a skirt could ever think [she’s] my equal, that his challenges are the same as mine. They’re not. [She’s] forcing [her] genitals into women’s restrooms, into dressing rooms, into locker rooms. It’s sick."

1. Nancy Mace, in an interview, made it clear that her opposition to Sarah McBride in Bathrooms was never about safety.

She stated, "It's offensive that Sarah McBride thinks [she's] my equal."

The audacity of a trans person being her equal.

Subscribe to support my journalism.

5. Watch a video of Johnson talking about enforcing the ban here:
youtube.com/watch?v=f-Nmfk…

3. McBride’s statement is in response to Speaker Mike Johnson confirming that she would be considered “a man” in House rules, and that he would use his power to block the congresswoman from women’s restrooms and women’s gyms.

1. Transgender Congresswoman Sarah McBride has announced that she will comply with Speaker Johnson's policy declaring her a man and banning trans people from bathrooms.

She is receiving sharp critiques from transgender people.

Subscribe to support my journalism.

8. McBride has gotten the memo. Hours after the report came out, she responded, calling it a "blatant attempt from far right extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions."

Then she attended a Delaware meeting to stand with firemen.

6. The far right cannot resist being driven into a frenzy by trans people that dare to be seen as their equal.

Look at what happened with Zooey Zephyr, who they banished from the House floor, and then got their moms to sit on the bench.

That of course blew up spectacularly.

3. When asked about the resolution, MTG responded, "|she's| a man. |She's| a biological male.... |she| can go in the men's room," later adding that people "are sick of this shit."

Rep Mace then responded, "Sarah McBride does not get a say"

Watch: youtube.com/watch?v=u_2X-6…

1. The Republican Party's panic over Sarah McBride in a bathroom shows it was never about sports or kids.

They can't help but to indulge in their cruelty when a trans person becomes an equal.

Now, Dems have an opportunity to flip the script.

Subscribe to support my journalism.

9. Senate bill 84 would strip transgender people of legal recognition of their gender on all government documents.

It also would codify that women need "separate social, educational, athletic, or other spaces."

8. Another bill, Senate Bill 86, would require any GSA club get parental permission for students to join or attend, forcibly outing anyone who goes to one.

These kinds of policies were common in the 90s, but are illegal under the Equal Access Act.

7. Speaking of bounties, one bill, HB1075, would allow any individual in drag at pride parades be sued for $5,000.

Notably, their definition of drag includes transgender people.

3. One bill, Hb1123, seemingly would require that every student athlete in the state of Texas get a chromosome test.

This could have disastrous consequences.

1. On day 1 of prefiling, Republicans have filed 32 anti-trans bills in the state of Texas.

The bills target transgender people with bounties, could shut down Pride parades, ban gender marker changes, and force mass-scale chromosome testing.

Subscribe to support my journalism.

21. Many Democrats realize the folly of this. That's why Governor Andy Beshear in Kentucky, a R+30 state, called on Democrats to not throw LGBTQ+ people under the bus, that it wouldn't work, and to lead with your values.

20. And just yesterday, Helen Joyce openly confirmed that sports bans are their way to get an end to all transgender legal recognition.

19. The far right strategy knows this well. When I first mentioned the trans chess bans, Riley Gaines, the anti-trans swimmer who campaigned with many republicans, proudly proclaimed she worked to make it happen, showing it clearly wasn't about "advantages."

17. There are reasonable discussions to be had... what hormone therapy requirements should be for each sport, how to monitor them.

That's not what sports bans do. They are blunt instruments, targeting 9 year olds in soccer, and disc golf, fishing, billiards, and even chess.

11. Conceding to anti-trans sports bans has not shielded Democratics from further attacks.

In Ohio, before the election was even over, they already moved beyond Sports when attacking Sherrod Brown, saying that he would "allow men in girls bathrooms"
youtube.com/watch?v=N3-5sX…

8. For a time, this seemed to hold. Gender affirming care bans failed in states like Texas, and even Republican governors vetoed the bills.

7. The strategy worked. By the end of 2022, 18 Republican controlled states had passed sports bans. In many of these states, "moderates" supported the sports bans while rejecting trans care bans, telling advocates that sports bans were "it," and there would be no further attacks.

5. The first anti-trans ad, entitled "track," was targeting Andy Beshear in 2019. Beshear won, but the strategy remained... over the next two years, a dozen states passed anti-trans sports bans, setting the stage for what was to come.

See that ad here:
youtube.com/watch?v=gb870E…

1. It was never about sports.

Some have argued that Democrats should give up on trans people in sports.

As a leading transgender journalist covering the issue for years, I can say that this is a strategy doomed to fail.

Here's why.

Subscribe to support my journalism.

Senator Richard Blumenthal @SenBlumenthal has added his name to the list of people coming out in support of trans people and against throwing sacrificing them for political points.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that
Indiana's gender affirming care ban, including an aiding and abetting provision, is likely constitutional.

It cites Dobbs 21 times.

The ruling was a divided 2-1 ruling, with the two judges being a Bush and Trump appointee.

1. Ohio has become the first state in the aftermath of the election to pass an anti-trans law on the first day of a lame duck session.

It is a transgender bathroom ban that even applies to adults in private universities.

Subscribe to support my journalism.

Oh come on, no they are not, we aren’t falling for that again.

Update: After publication, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) sent in this statement:

Trump nominates Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General.

Of special note for my readers, Gaetz is a horrific pick for trans people. He has pushed Trump’s school trans surgery lie, and has said things that indicate to me he is likely to target trans kids in blue states.

Senator Patty Murray:
"Democrats absolutely do not need to sacrifice trans people’s rights—or anyone else’s rights for that matter—to win elections. Most Americans believe in freedom, including the freedom to make your own health care decisions and live your life as you see fit."

12. Senator Duckworth (D-Illinois): "Denying Americans basic freedoms because of who they love or who they are is a betrayal of our founding ideals, period."

11. Senator Padilla (D-California): "Now more than ever, I remain committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community and ensuring that trans people are treated with dignity and respect."

10. Senator Sanders (D-Vermont): "The democratic party must continue to stand up against all forms of bigotry...we led the fight for women's rights and to protect the woman's constitutional right for abortion. We led the fight for civil rights, for gay rights"

9. Senator Wyden (D-Oregon): "After the 2004 election a lot of pundits said it was time for Democrats to stop standing up for gay people. They were wrong, and history showed we could stand up for what’s right and still win elections."

8. Senator Welch (D-vermont): "The Senator will continue to stand up for the rights and personal freedoms of all Vermonters, including trans and LGBTQ Vermonters... What news pundits say won’t change our core values."

7. Senator Cardin (D-Maryland): “No one should be turned into a scapegoat for the election results.... We will need to redouble our efforts to protect the most vulnerable and keep hope alive that our nation and our people will survive this detour."

4. There is no evidence that trans athletes who meet league requirements regarding hormone levels have advantages beyond female norms in any particular sport. furthermore, these policies have targeted trans girls in sports like darts, fishing, billiards, and even chess.

1. Today, multiple Dem. senators have come out against pundits and Suozzi/Moulton scapegoating trans Americans.

"After the 2004 election a lot of pundits said it was time for Democrats to stop standing up for gay people. They were wrong."

Subscribe to support my journalism.

@jmart There is a major difference. Beshear accurately pointed out that gender affirming surgeries for kids were not a thing in KY.

Beshear ran defending trans people, including athletes.

Watch his press conference, receiving the same kind of ads Harris did:

youtube.com/watch?v=YK3X1t…

Just look at this quote here. This man is incredible with his support for trans and queer people.

Governor Andy Beshear, in a Trump +30 state, gives advice to Democrats: Do not throw LGBTQ+ people under the bus, it will not work.

His advice to dems: Lead on your values.

This man ran on a fully inclusive campaign in 2023 and won. He received the same kind of ads Harris did.