6-13-23
The dark path the Republican Party is going down keeps getting more and more twisted and dangerous. It’s truly horrifying what is going on because much of the Republican Party is openly pushing legislation that is actively taking away rights from millions of Americans and is based on
blatantly prejudiced, ignorant, intolerant, and even authoritarian positions. A significant number of Republicans are trying to impose their individual views that are often closely tied to their personal religious opinions upon the rest of the population, even when the majority of Americans disagree with them.
Consider abortion rights. Polls have shown that most Americans support a woman’s right to choose. A 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 61% of American adults believed abortion should be legal in all or most cases while 37% thought it should be illegal in all or most cases. In Florida, those numbers were 56% in favor and 39% against. Yet Republicans around the country are ignoring the American majority and are pushing legislation to severely restrict or ban the procedure. Let’s get back to Florida. A recent state law there bans abortion after 6 weeks. Thing is: most women don’t even know they’re pregnant at 6 weeks, so for them, this is a ban.
Around the United States, Republicans are also pushing legislation that is blatantly prejudiced targeting the LGBTQ community. Don’t say gay laws are being promoted by Republicans around the nation, and Florida has even extended its don’t say gay law up through 12th grade. Republicans don’t seem to care that these horrible laws increase the suffering of LGBTQ youth (a group that was already facing far too much intolerance and prejudice) and will certainly increase LGBTQ youth suicide rates. Republicans are also passing laws banning gender affirming care for minors despite the fact that every major American medical association supports such care. Studies have shown that gender affirming care for minors improves quality of life and decreases suicide rates. Plus, this type of care is not done lightly and is a process. The parents are involved along with the minor, and counseling is a major component. When medical treatment is deemed necessary, it typically involves puberty blockers and potentially hormone therapy. Surgery is very rare in individuals under 18. Now, consider the following statistics that were compiled (before the current wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation) by the Trevor Project in a 2021 survey of almost 35,000 LGBTQ youth (ages of 13 to 24). 42% of LGBTQ youth had seriously considered suicide in the past year, and for Transgender/Nonbinary youth, that number was 52%. 72% of LGBTQ young people reported symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in the previous two weeks, and only 1 in 3 indicated that they lived in an LGBTQ affirming home. During the previous 12 months, 48% said that they wanted professional counseling but had not received it, and LGBTQ youth who had been subjected to conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide when compared to those who had not been subjected to the barbaric practice. Think about these numbers. Really think about them. LGBTQ youth need support and understanding. But it’s blatantly obvious that the anti-LGBTQ laws being pushed by Republicans will seriously increase the suffering and alienation LGBTQ youth will have to face. This in turn will mean higher suicide rates of LGBTQ minors.
The ongoing wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment and policy being promoted by the Republican Party is based on ignorance, intolerance, and blatant prejudice. It is worsening the quality of life of LGBTQ people and will undoubtedly increase suicide rights. This is why we all need to stand against the bigotry being openly pushed by the Republican Party. It’s important for people to speak out when they can in order to make it clear that such horrendous prejudice will not be tolerated. Trying to spend our money in places and businesses that are pro-LGBTQ and avoiding those that are anti-LGBTQ is another tactic we can utilize. When considering going on vacation, instead of going to a place like Florida (which is passing anti-LGBTQ bills and abortion restrictions into law), consider going to a state like California instead.
And VOTE! Vote against Republicans that are pushing these and other bigoted, intolerant laws. Vote them out of office and put in elected officials who protect things like LGBTQ rights, women’s reproductive rights, educational institutions, and more.
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