Nina's Story
As Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown over the course of 20 years of authoritarian rule, an effective way to stifle free speech and expression is to claim that failure to do so will hurt children.
This is how the Russian leader justified a 2012 law banning so-called “gay propaganda” in the presence of minors in similar terms in a 2019 interview with US filmmaker Oliver Stone:
Oliver Stone: Years ago when we were talking about homosexuality, you said that in Russia we don’t propagate it.
Vladimir Putin: Not exactly. We have a law banning propaganda among minors.
Oliver Stone: Yes, that’s the one I’m talking about. It seems like maybe that’s a sensible law.
Vladimir Putin: It is aimed at allowing people to reach maturity and then decide who they are and how they want to live. There are no restrictions at all after this.
Arizona State Senate Republicans mirrored this logic in a recent statement. “One of the reasons why we were elected as lawmakers by our constituents was to protect family values. If men want to dress as women, and if adults want to participate in watching these hyper-sexualized performances, they have the freedom to do so. It crosses the line when kids are subjected to these drag shows,” they said.
In effect, by focusing on a vaguely termed and amorphously defined “threat” to the youth, leaders are able to appeal to the lowest common ethical denominator, even in the absence of evidence or concrete explanations of the perceived threat.
THAT is what conservatives want in the United States: follow the lead of an authoritarian killer. And they are doing so by focusing on what they see as a threat: Drag performers. Because Drag performers are a threat to their ideology. Drag performers mock gender rules and provide a channel for questioning youths to decide who they are or who they want to be. And conservatives cannot allow that: remember that they are the groomers. They are the ones brainwashing young people into believing they are evil and will go to hell. And they are literally taking a page out of Vladimir Putin's book on authoritarianism to ban Drag in the United States. Land of the free my ass.
Drag isn't dangerous. Drag is not a crime. But Drag can BE dangerous for Drag performers. Listen to Nina's story and find out how a joyous even can quickly become a nightmare. And do you know what you can do? Support your local gay bar. Support your local Drag performers. Be active in the community. Donate to the Drag Defense Fund.
Remember, if first they came for the Drag Queens and you did nothing, the next one most probably will be YOU. Don't believe me? Go check the article on @jurist. Don't be surprised if you find your state being mentioned there...
XOXO
P.S. @ninawest as a boy is absolutely adorable. Watching this video I just wanted to give Andrew a hug...
The best way to get their Hate Agenda across is to use the "protect the children" lie ... trans? Check. Books? Check? Drag shows? Check.
ReplyDeleteBut keep in mind that the ONLY thing the GOP doesn't want to protect children from is guns.
Fucking guns.
xoxo
And yet they say they're pro-life?
DeleteYes, that's more of their insanity!
DeleteDonate to the cause. Yes. But the most important thing you can do is help get a Dem elected; everything from Dog Catcher and School Board to POTUS. And VOTE. Vote like your life depends on it. Because it does. XOXO
ReplyDeleteHaters are busy conducting a terrorism campaign, no doubt about it.
ReplyDeletevery interesting. We know that the conservatives (which in the USA are the R.) are against colors, sexual nuances and obviously against drag queens. So if they create an atmosphere of hatred against those who have nuances inside and outside themselves, homosexuals, transmen and drags. So, support your homosexual, transgender and drag friends.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans arel not focusing on Drag performers because they see them as a threat, rather they see them as an easy, obvious target that they can teach their base to hate.
ReplyDeleteI have met Nina many times....and a sweet heart to be sure. But no one in this country is safe.....the wingnut party will come for everyone eventually who does not meet their specifications. And they apparently have not learned from history. The last time those bitches trifled with queens....it started the gay liberation movement. And nights of riots till we won. Easy targets my ass!!! To drags case....thanks heavens Drag Race is popular and brought it to living rooms. Many I know that hadn't even thought of drag now love it. I just hope this mess can be contained and not spread like it might to other states.
ReplyDeleteI've long said SUPPORT your local queens first!!!!!!
"But no one in this country is safe..." You hit that right on target, Maddie. The victims of Monday's mass shooting in New Mexico (Four Corners region) is testament to that. XOXO
DeleteHuntleyBiGuy:
ReplyDeleteYou can feel the emotions building up as he continues to speak. You just want to reach out and hug him to give him strength.
I saw something on Twitter, so take it with a pound of salt, that in Kansas, the repugs want to drive out the Dems, make it unbearable for them to be there. That seems to be Florida twitler’s plan, maybe.
I live in a red county in blue Illinois. They just got a majority on the local school board. I shudder to think what they will do “for the children.”
XOXO 👨🏼❤️💋👨🏽
Thanks for sharing, Sixpence. I had no idea that they borrowed this from Putin but I am not at all surprised. I will continue to support my drag queen. He is my barber and a wonderful dude. It makes me so angry that they say they are pro-life but teaching and advocating hate is the furthest thing from it. They are just pro-birth.
ReplyDeleteFuck Oliver Stone. What a piece of sh%t. Seriously, that man should curl up and die of embarrassment. How nice that Nina shares this story. I never had an opinion about drag queen story hour, but now that the idiotic right has seized to use it as a harpoon, I'm all for it and think it serves a valuable cultural contribution - that's right - gay folk have culture and we like to contribute. Get over it. Poor Nina. This is yet another American tragedy. This country is so f*cked.
ReplyDeleteOh, Nina sharing her story was everything.
DeleteSeriously, the MAGA conservatives are going for anything and everything that goes against what they believe is 'normal'. The gays are not up in arms because they think they're safe. Nope.
XOXO