Every week, I tell myself, “This is the week I will write a real blog post, filled with insightful commentary.” Every week, I rank family, fiction, and work higher than blogging. Here’s a round up of a few insightful articles by other writers from my reading this week.
“The researchers found that respondents who viewed female athletes as less deserving of attention, support, and media coverage were more likely to oppose transgender inclusion in sports.”
Don’t let the opaque headline confuse you. The gist of this article is in the pull quote. For all that vocal opponents of transgender athletes claimed their stance was about “protecting women,” the truth is the sentiment is intertwined with misogyny, especially forcing women to adhere to traditional gender roles.
“Identity politics” is economic policy
“Opposition to identity politics is often built not by the culturally and ethnically diverse working class who benefit but by lower-ability economic elites who feel that their advantage is under threat.”
Complaints about “identity politics” is another right-wing shibboleth, and even putative allies of the left claim we should abandon not only transgender people, but the entire LGBTQA+ spectrum and ethnic minorities, too. The latter think it’s a way to win elections; the former mask their bigotry in economic terms. But as this paper shows, ensuring equal rights in a way that creates equity of opportunity is actually good economic policy.
As with the previous article, it boils down to the appalling conservative view that some people should have fewer rights than others, based on their position in a rigid, patriarchal hierarchy.
Protecting Yourself From Potential Trump Surveillance
“Whether you’re an activist, a journalist or a member of another community likely to be targeted by the Trump Administration, we all need to think about how we keep ourselves safe.”
Sad, but true. The second Trump administration is an enormous threat to civil liberties. This article provides some great starting points, and links to other resources for covering your digital tracks in case you’re targeted. Take precautions now, even if you think you’re safe. If it turns out that you’re wrong, it’ll be too late.
Semantics & So On 