Trans-attracted or transgender, you have a place

backupThe conservative social agenda is a losing one.

Progress is inevitable. No matter how those who revere tradition try to hold it back, progress inevitably comes.

I saw “conservative” defined somewhere that made sense. While I thought it was a wishful description, I could see how conservatives would warm to the definition. It neatly explained many of the positions conservatives take, positions which often have oppressive results for non-conservatives. The definition also contained its fair share of superficial criticisms of the left (the left is opposed to driverless cars???). Criticisms that are as false as some leftist criticisms of the right.

No matter how you try to argue the point, conservatism is about preserving tradition. It’s about revering the way things are and favoring that over something new. I can understand preferring something that works over something untried, which is a conservative core tenet. But just because something is untried (such as freeing slaves, allowing women to vote, or recognizing transgender equality) doesn’t mean it need be resisted. And as we have seen, reverence for “what works” tends to mean restricting people’s rights (freedom of expression, freedom to pursue one’s happiness, labor rights, association rights and of course, equality) particularly those, who at the time, don’t look in ways or act in ways which make conservative people comfortable.

Those people used to be women. Then it was blacks. Then it was hippies. Then it was gay people. Now it is transgender people.

But in every case where conservatives have resisted the groups of people described above – including transgender people – conservatives have either lost or are losing the contest. For whether it’s suffrage, slavery, free love, inter-racial marriage, gay marriage, gays in the military or using whatever bathroom one wants, those who have opposed these massive social changes have lost or are losing.

IN YOUR FACE
In our IN YOUR FACE EPISODE recently we talked about how the progressive agenda is the winning one.

I must acknowledge what was mentioned in a recent IN YOUR FACE show: Conservatives appear to be winning….to some limited or even significant degrees in “red states.” The US education system is woefully inadequate for low-income and black communities. But those battles, while significant to those living in red states including those minorities struggling under those policies in those states, are not reflective of the general contest between conservative and progressive agendas. There is no mistaking that progress is winning the general contest. Even with a republican administration. And that means, transgender equality is a done deal. It also means even the red states must (and will, gradually, if imperceptibly) change.

You create your reality through the stories and emotions you entertain. Working alongside your stories is a meta-story that can’t be resisted: All That Is is constantly seeking to express itself in as many varied and diverse ways as possible. That includes “conservative” expression. There is no way to prevent this. Whether it is children coming into the world far less concerned about what’s between a person’s legs, children coming into the world on a transgender journey, or populations which find that journey an abomination, All That Is will find a way to keep progress moving forward. It will also ensure expression of all kinds is as diverse as possible. It is what puts “eternal” in “eternity.”

The good news to all that is trans-attracted or transgender, you have a place, a sovereign, equal right to existence, whether you acknowledge that or not. All That Is is backing you up. And with that behind you, there’s just no way conservatives will win.

 

This from conservatives?

McBride_with_Vice_President_Biden
Sarah McBride with VP Joe Biden. She undoubtably represents a big step for the LGBT community.

As I’m writing this, I’m having a cognitive dissonance. Especially during this election year.

With all the blahooey coming from the republican campaign, it’s easy to collectively dismiss the conservative agenda. That agenda though is actually  pretty good. Hang on to your knee-jerk reaction and hear me out.

Yes, Trump republicans must be denounced as do people who are bigoted, full of hate and suffering from personal stories which cause them to lash out at others. But we mustn’t throw out the baby with the bath water. Case in point, this interesting little conservative gem The Daily Signal.

The Daily Signal is owned and was created by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. The foundation’s mission is:

To formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.

We believe the principles and ideas of the American Founding are worth conserving and renewing. As policy entrepreneurs, we believe the most effective solutions are consistent with those ideas and principles. Our vision is to build an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society flourish.

As far as stories go, I can think of worse ones. And though America’s Founding is rife with horrendous events waged on people of color and other minorities, “freedom, opportunity, prosperity and a flourishing civil society” sounds like a story all people could sidle up to. Too bad today’s conservative POLITICAL agenda includes a whole lot more.

But I digress. The reason I’m writing this blog is because of this article The Daily Signal. The title “A Look Inside 4 Important Goals of the LGBT Movement” caught my attention, but when I read it I thought I was reading an article from a progressive online news organization. I thought I detected a slight slant in the direction of “pro-LGBT” in the writing. That’s when the cognitive dissonance came. Because right in the middle of the article The Daily Signal Senior News Producer Kelsey Harkness mentions her parent organization. I knew The Heritage Foundation was conservative, so I had to research to find out why the conservative organization’s news organ was reporting so balanced on a LGBT issue. I found my answer.

This morning I wrote to congratulate Kelsey on her great reporting. In 5 minutes she replied. Here’s what she wrote:

Thank you so much for reaching out and sending this kind note. Although The Daily Signal is owned by The Heritage Foundation I was hired as a reporter, not an advocate. I do my sincere best to report on these issues fairly and appreciate your feedback about this piece. (Unfortunately, LGBT groups often ignore my press requests but hopefully this article is a step in the right direction.) I like to think we would all be better off if we were more willing to hear and understand all sides of these sensitive issues, which is what I tried to do here.

Glad you came across it and I do appreciate your email very much.

Best,

Kelsey

Her last point bears repeating: “I like to think we would all be better off if we were more willing to hear and understand all sides of these sensitive issues, which is what I tried to do here.”