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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsConservatives absolutely INSIST on living in a world of lies
From one of the best and most insightful bloggers around (The Slacktivist), comes a brief deconstruction of Rod Dreher's recent, laughably impossible story of gangs of transsexuals menacing the populace:
The story is not true. The story is flagrantly and extravagantly not true. It involves a swarm of men in their early 30s who were obviously transgendered harassing women and children in line at a suburban Texas movie theater where Drehers friend a conservative tough Texas chick and apparent expert on visual gender identification was taking her son to see Captain America: Civil War. More transgenders arrive, then still more, cutting in line and bullying everyone around them with crude language and sex talk to aggressively show everyone in Texas that roving transgender gangs are now in charge of law and culture and daily life in Texas.
And its all utter bullshit. None of this happened. The Bad Jackie of the tough Texas suburbs if any such person really exists is making stuff up. And shes so focused on making her story shocking that she forgot to make any of it plausible. None of this would be believable even if shed made this a story about taking her son to a midnight showing of Rocky Horror in Provincetown.
So is the devout and pious Mr. Dreher lying? Or is he just credulously passing along an obvious lie without feeling any compunction to examine this false witness against his neighbors first?
Doesnt matter. Thats not interesting. Religious conservative bears false witness against sexual minorities isnt news. Thats a dog-bites-man story.
What is interesting is that Rod Dreher wants this story to be true. He presents this fantasy as a nightmare, as a horror show that he condemns, but none of that purported revulsion quite manages to cover up his desperate longing to have stories like this be real. If one shows him otherwise proves that the monster under the bed does not exist, he would not find that reassuring, but upsetting. It would make him sad, and angry, and disappointed.
...
The current trans-panic, like the earlier Satanic panic it imitates, isnt mainly a matter of misinformation that misleads the credulous. Its a fantasy that its proponents want and desire to be true despite, on some fundamental level, already knowing that its not. They need it to be true because it provides the basis for their identity as the special people, the extraordinarily virtuous, the heroes and champions of righteousness. Take away the fantasy story and what does that make them? They cant bear to think about that. And so they wont.
d_r
(6,907 posts)this lady overheard some people in the ticket line talking about sex and it scared her so badly she "texted" this:
I found it very ironic that we went to see the movie Civil War last night. What I watched go on outside that theater while we were in line and inside that theater made me realize a civil war is coming. It is undeniable at this point. I kept thinking, someday. You know how you think that? Someday itll get bad. Someday well have to take a hard stand. Someday people will be persecuted for their beliefs.
Rod, its not someday anymore. It is in our face. And I can easily see where this erupts into extreme violence. I can easily see where a civil war is coming.
I dont know which would be worse, Hillary and her liberalism, or Trump with his hatred and his wolf in sheeps clothing politics. But its about to get really, really bad.
DetlefK
(16,423 posts)From 2007 to 2014, the number of people in the US who are either atheists or agnostics or simply disinterested in religion jumped from 16% to 23%.
The biggest share in this non-religious sub-group are people who are just indifferent about religion, neither positive nor negative, and they jumped from 12% to 16%.
In the future, people won't get persecuted for their beliefs. It's just that nobody will f**king care about their beliefs.
DetlefK
(16,423 posts)It's all about Bible-style stories. Feel-good stories where content is less important than message. They have their own Bible-style stories how the righteous man gets mocked by the heathens, only to God suddenly perform a miracle and show the heathens their folly.
Rampaging gangs of transsexuals... This is a metaphor. This is how the extremist believers perceive the situation.
And by translating the thought into a story, you give it power. The power to become reality. These extremist believers might not realize what they are doing, but this act reminds of ancient middle-eastern principles/forms of magic: Mental images as catalysts for magic rituals. Only it has been absorbed into the traditions of Judaism and later Christianity.
I believe, on a subconscious level and guided by this magical tradition, these extremist believers are trying to make the story become true by telling it.
Mopar151
(9,965 posts)EXACTLY! The fear is real, to them, so that it just needs a narative to explain the fear. If you call them on the whole thing being BS, they become very defensive - the fear is their truth, all those "facts" you mention must be lies.
JHB
(37,133 posts)..."steeped in fantasy and horseshit."
madokie
(51,076 posts)they've always been that way
fbc
(1,668 posts)I guess when they chose the "Don't mess with Texas" motto they never knew things could get so rough
Proud Liberal Dem
(24,355 posts)that people whom live in such a tough gun nutty "stand your ground" state would be so afraid of Transgender persons.
Ford_Prefect
(7,830 posts)If you are so certain that the "threat" is all around you it seems the obvious thing to carry weapons, legal and otherwise, and to assume you need to use them on a moment's notice with no training, no restraint, no clearly defined target, nor any supporting legal cause to use force in the situation. "Look out Jackie, there goes another one of them #%*&^# on their way to do mayhem and mischief!"
Don and Jackie, what happened to the right of those citizens around you to a safe and secure public place? I guess that's those activist judges creatively interpreting the constitution again. Can't have just anyone walking around free and unfettered by religious guilt or free flying .45 cal. rounds now can we?
mac56
(17,561 posts)forgotmylogin
(7,496 posts)It could be anyone!!! Sounds like a schlocky 60-70s Russ Meyer flick.
Obviously transgendered men. In my personal experience (one of my best friends is FtM), transitioned men who were born women are more successful at passing under the radar - many come across as young college or high school guys due to a lower mid-range voice and (often) slighter stature. And I can't imagine them gathering in "packs" to harass people of any gender because many have a history of being bullied or abuse themselves.
I'd be more worried about the cis dudes hanging out in packs.
ProfessorPlum
(11,252 posts)the idea that this group of people, who have suffered from abuse and derision and downright danger at the hands of others, would suddenly become the abusers, just demonstrates the abusers guilt and nothing more.
I have a very good friend who is MtF, and her path has been incredibly difficult, including (of course) suicidal ideation and depression. I find it so awful that this most vulnerable of groups has been cynically picked out of the crowd to be abused by the divide-and-conquer fascists.
just4lulzidk
(60 posts)jtuck004
(15,882 posts)awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)That would be an awesome band name