Daily Kos has continued to call out the ongoing Republican agenda to ostracize, isolate, and eradicate trans folks, including both youth and adults. As we approach the 2022 midterm elections, we’ve seen a gradual uptick in discriminatory, exclusionary bills that seek to separate trans folks from their cis peers. Some examples of this legislation include efforts to bar trans girls from participating in girls’ sports teams; limiting bathroom access; and of course, denying safe, age-appropriate, gender-affirming medical care.
In tandem with Don’t Say Gay efforts, conservatives are also trying their best to keep trans youth from having any support—and putting them at risk for possible abuse or homelessness if trusted adults are required to “report” their trans identity or questions to parents. In a word, it’s dangerous. It could even be deadly.
As reported by the Pensacola News Journal, a former law enforcement official now running for the school board in Santa Rosa County, Florida, recently called for physicians who provide gender-affirming care to youth to be hanged from trees. Alisabeth Janai Lancaster, who says she is a retired Federal Reserve officer, spoke at a forum organized by the Gulf Coast Patriots, a right-wing group. The seat she is running for is a nonpartisan position for the Santa Rosa County 3rd District school board.
RELATED STORY: Openly gay mayor in Oklahoma resigns shortly after taking office, citing harassments and threats
“These doctors that are going along with mutilating these children and prescribing hormone blockers to these kids,” Lancaster, who described herself as a mother and a grandmother, told the crowd. “In my opinion, they should be hanging from the nearest tree.”
You can see some of her address here.
Campaign Action
This event was held in downtown Navarre, Florida. It took place at St. Sylvester Catholic Church and included an audience of about 100 people.
After applause from the crowd, she added: “Follow the money and you can see what these agendas are getting at.” Lancaster tosses out a murky assertion that pharmaceutical companies are paying millions for each “gender reassignment,” which according to them, appears to be lifted from the What is a Woman anti-trans “documentary” by far-right, sexist fascist Matt Walsh.
"I am a conservative and hold Christian values and beliefs," Lancaster continued during her five-minute allotment of speaking time. “I would love to see the prayer reinstated instead of the moment of silence. Our country was founded on Judeo-Christian values and beliefs that I believe should be respected and encouraged."
I wish I could say I believe Lancaster is an outlier, but I don’t. What she is saying is disturbing and horrific. It’s also not born from isolated beliefs. Thanks to conservative money groups pushing anti-trans hysteria into all levels of government—including, yes, small school boards—these anti-trans ideas are pushing their way into public consumption at an alarming rate. And people—even moderates and progressives—are starting to take them seriously and try to find a middle ground instead of denying discrimination and fascism altogether. It’s scary. It’s alarming. It’s not okay.
We need to oppose transphobia at every turn, especially when it involves vulnerable trans youth who can’t defend themselves.
We need your help to write 10,000,000 letters to infrequent but Democratic-leaning prospective voters in key congressional districts and Senate swing states this election, urging them to exercise their right to vote. Sign up with Vote Forward and join the most popular and effective Get Out the Vote (GOTV) activity in Daily Kos history.
In tandem with Don’t Say Gay efforts, conservatives are also trying their best to keep trans youth from having any support—and putting them at risk for possible abuse or homelessness if trusted adults are required to “report” their trans identity or questions to parents. In a word, it’s dangerous. It could even be deadly.
As reported by the Pensacola News Journal, a former law enforcement official now running for the school board in Santa Rosa County, Florida, recently called for physicians who provide gender-affirming care to youth to be hanged from trees. Alisabeth Janai Lancaster, who says she is a retired Federal Reserve officer, spoke at a forum organized by the Gulf Coast Patriots, a right-wing group. The seat she is running for is a nonpartisan position for the Santa Rosa County 3rd District school board.
RELATED STORY: Openly gay mayor in Oklahoma resigns shortly after taking office, citing harassments and threats
“These doctors that are going along with mutilating these children and prescribing hormone blockers to these kids,” Lancaster, who described herself as a mother and a grandmother, told the crowd. “In my opinion, they should be hanging from the nearest tree.”
You can see some of her address here.
Campaign Action
This event was held in downtown Navarre, Florida. It took place at St. Sylvester Catholic Church and included an audience of about 100 people.
After applause from the crowd, she added: “Follow the money and you can see what these agendas are getting at.” Lancaster tosses out a murky assertion that pharmaceutical companies are paying millions for each “gender reassignment,” which according to them, appears to be lifted from the What is a Woman anti-trans “documentary” by far-right, sexist fascist Matt Walsh.
"I am a conservative and hold Christian values and beliefs," Lancaster continued during her five-minute allotment of speaking time. “I would love to see the prayer reinstated instead of the moment of silence. Our country was founded on Judeo-Christian values and beliefs that I believe should be respected and encouraged."
I wish I could say I believe Lancaster is an outlier, but I don’t. What she is saying is disturbing and horrific. It’s also not born from isolated beliefs. Thanks to conservative money groups pushing anti-trans hysteria into all levels of government—including, yes, small school boards—these anti-trans ideas are pushing their way into public consumption at an alarming rate. And people—even moderates and progressives—are starting to take them seriously and try to find a middle ground instead of denying discrimination and fascism altogether. It’s scary. It’s alarming. It’s not okay.
We need to oppose transphobia at every turn, especially when it involves vulnerable trans youth who can’t defend themselves.
We need your help to write 10,000,000 letters to infrequent but Democratic-leaning prospective voters in key congressional districts and Senate swing states this election, urging them to exercise their right to vote. Sign up with Vote Forward and join the most popular and effective Get Out the Vote (GOTV) activity in Daily Kos history.