Thanks to Republicans who are absolutely desperate to stoke hysteria and stow hate by any means necessary, trans youth, who are already marginalized, face an ongoing battle for basic rights. Republicans are pushing legislation to stop trans youth from participating in sports that align with their gender identity, using the bathroom while at school, and even trying to bar them from receiving safe, age-appropriate medical care. Likely feeling emboldened by this hate, people are popping up all over the country to try and get LGBTQ+ books and trans performers booted from children’s events and libraries. Frankly, it’s terrifying.
What else is terrifying? As reported by Pink News, a children’s book advertised as a top LGBTQ+ title on Amazon is written by right-wing Matt Walsh, a sexist conservative who is vehemently anti-trans. The book (which is set for publication release in March 2022) is called Johnny the Walrus and features an imaginative little boy who pictures himself as, among other things, a walrus. Then the picture book, aimed at kids between three and five years old, goes into a bizarre telling of a parent feeling pressured to have society, including doctors, treat the little boy as an actual walrus. Sigh.
In the book, Johnny’s mother feels forced by the internet to affirm her child’s belief that he is a walrus. This leads her to take Johnny to the doctor, where the little boy is informed that he must have his feet made into fins. He must also wear makeup and eat only worms. Protesters even make an appearance, holding signs that read, “human walruses are real walruses.”
Given Walsh’s history of (incorrectly) claiming that gender-affirming care is essentially mutilation, none of this hate is surprising. In a May 2021 episode of his podcast, for example, Walsh has compared physicians who treat youth for gender dysphoria to “Nazi scientists” and said that such care is a sexual violation. (Walsh talking about science in any capacity is especially mindnumbing, as he recently used his time to rant about… birds?)
“I think people are buying the book because we need a little bit of sanity in our culture and especially in children’s books,” Walsh said while appearing on Fox News, before suggesting that going into the children’s section of Barnes & Noble is like “being at an antifa rally” with “left-wing propaganda.”
While appearing on The Ingraham Angle, Walsh also told host Laura Ingraham that Amazon listed his book in the LGBTQ+ section without him knowing.
Walsh is apparently thrilled at what he sees as a “checkmate,” because again, conservatives see basic human rights as a game to win, not anything human. This is no surprise, given that he also made a show of renting a $1 room from a friend to protest masks and trans-inclusive policies at a Loudoun County school board meeting.
He’s having fun describing himself as the most “attacked and persecuted LGBT author in America.”
As well as the “most prominent” and “revered lgbt” children’s author in the nation.
Conservative rag The Daily Wire (where Walsh is a contributor) is, of course, working to bolster Walsh’s sales. Walsh tweeted that his book is no longer available for preorder at Target, and the Wire jumped at the chance to encourage buyers to get a copy from Amazon.
Ben Shapiro jumped in, too, of course.
Trans youth, especially trans youth of color, are deeply vulnerable to systemic abuse, discrimination, and harassment. Every day, conservatives are eager to churn hate as a distraction for their failures to lead amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Trans adults, too, face disproportionate rates of violence, homelessness, and economic insecurity. And then we have folks like Walsh, who are all too happy to stomp down on people who just want (and deserve) essential dignities and protections.
Given Walsh’s apparent delight in trying to get Twitter likes and YouTube views by mocking people who call out his transphobia, I’m just waiting to see how long it takes him to come up with a zinger aimed at me. Any guesses?
Sign the petition: Demand the Senate pass the Equality Act and protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination.
What else is terrifying? As reported by Pink News, a children’s book advertised as a top LGBTQ+ title on Amazon is written by right-wing Matt Walsh, a sexist conservative who is vehemently anti-trans. The book (which is set for publication release in March 2022) is called Johnny the Walrus and features an imaginative little boy who pictures himself as, among other things, a walrus. Then the picture book, aimed at kids between three and five years old, goes into a bizarre telling of a parent feeling pressured to have society, including doctors, treat the little boy as an actual walrus. Sigh.
In the book, Johnny’s mother feels forced by the internet to affirm her child’s belief that he is a walrus. This leads her to take Johnny to the doctor, where the little boy is informed that he must have his feet made into fins. He must also wear makeup and eat only worms. Protesters even make an appearance, holding signs that read, “human walruses are real walruses.”
Given Walsh’s history of (incorrectly) claiming that gender-affirming care is essentially mutilation, none of this hate is surprising. In a May 2021 episode of his podcast, for example, Walsh has compared physicians who treat youth for gender dysphoria to “Nazi scientists” and said that such care is a sexual violation. (Walsh talking about science in any capacity is especially mindnumbing, as he recently used his time to rant about… birds?)
“I think people are buying the book because we need a little bit of sanity in our culture and especially in children’s books,” Walsh said while appearing on Fox News, before suggesting that going into the children’s section of Barnes & Noble is like “being at an antifa rally” with “left-wing propaganda.”
While appearing on The Ingraham Angle, Walsh also told host Laura Ingraham that Amazon listed his book in the LGBTQ+ section without him knowing.
Walsh is apparently thrilled at what he sees as a “checkmate,” because again, conservatives see basic human rights as a game to win, not anything human. This is no surprise, given that he also made a show of renting a $1 room from a friend to protest masks and trans-inclusive policies at a Loudoun County school board meeting.
He’s having fun describing himself as the most “attacked and persecuted LGBT author in America.”
As well as the “most prominent” and “revered lgbt” children’s author in the nation.
Conservative rag The Daily Wire (where Walsh is a contributor) is, of course, working to bolster Walsh’s sales. Walsh tweeted that his book is no longer available for preorder at Target, and the Wire jumped at the chance to encourage buyers to get a copy from Amazon.
Ben Shapiro jumped in, too, of course.
Trans youth, especially trans youth of color, are deeply vulnerable to systemic abuse, discrimination, and harassment. Every day, conservatives are eager to churn hate as a distraction for their failures to lead amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Trans adults, too, face disproportionate rates of violence, homelessness, and economic insecurity. And then we have folks like Walsh, who are all too happy to stomp down on people who just want (and deserve) essential dignities and protections.
Given Walsh’s apparent delight in trying to get Twitter likes and YouTube views by mocking people who call out his transphobia, I’m just waiting to see how long it takes him to come up with a zinger aimed at me. Any guesses?
Sign the petition: Demand the Senate pass the Equality Act and protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination.