WTF? A common letter that applies to both Texas Republicans AND the readership of Daily Kos? What could those two very disparate groups possibly have in common with one another that would justify writing a single letter to both groups? Has the world gone mad? Has the quantum flux finally churned out an impossible anomaly for all to view? Did I get hit on the head with a coconut? No, no and definitely not. Let me explain.
The one thing that many Texas Republicans and some members in the Daily Kos readership have in common is the desire of many in both groups for Texas to be removed from the United States of America. A desire that is sometimes stoked by front page writers. Hunter in particular seems to relish in writing hating Texas bait and then making no effort to shut it down when it inevitably manifests itself. And he does it over and over. But you know what? That’s okay. After over ten years on this site, I’m used to the hate and Texas Republicans certainly deserve scorn. No, what pisses me off and pisses me off no end is the fact that so many people want to punish ME, a Texas transwoman, for what idiots like Dan Patrick and Ken Paxton say. Even more absurdly, they want to punish ME, a Texas transwoman because idiots like Patrick and Paxton also want to punish ME for being a Texas transwoman.
Okay, I’m going to start with the Texas Republicans: I know that your outrage is selective in nature and none of you are truly stupid enough to believe your own rhetoric. You know you’re not going to “secede” just like you know that transwomen are not predators. You’re talking shit in order to drum up votes and stoke the outrage machine, just like you did with that absurd and now defunct amendment to the Texas Constitution declaring your opposition to same sex marriage. You’re stirring up outrage and glad handing religious bigots for a few bucks and votes but these things have real effects on real people. If you keep it up, somebody is going to die and that somebody will be an innocent victim of your blind hate and opportunistic cynicism.
Many of you aren’t even FROM Texas! Dan Patrick, you’re a DJ from Baltimore Maryland. Steve Stockman, you’re just a carpetbagger from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Ken Paxton, you’re an indicted crook who hails from Minot, North Dakota. Ted Cruz, you’re from friggin’ Canada and I don’t think you’re in any position to be advocating anything in this state or this country. John Ratcliffe, Bill Flores, Randy Neugebauer, Roger Williams, Michael C Burgess, NONE of you guys are from Texas. And the chair of your now infamous convention? What about Tom Mechler? Where are you from, anyway? Because I can’t find a single mention of where you come from. Got something to hide, Tommy boy?
Who the hell do you people think you are coming into MY state, breaking shit up and then demanding we leave the United States of America? WHO? I was here first, god damn it and I’m not going anywhere! If you want to start your own country, then conquer your own territory but leave my home the fuck alone. Most of you left your homes during the collapse of Rust Belt manufacturing and we welcomed you. It’s like we invited you into our home for Thanksgiving dinner and then you joined our drunken uncle and started breaking things up, making loud demands and hurling invective at your hosts. Your welcome is worn out, now get the fuck out of my house before I have to call the cops and have you all arrested!
And now to the Kossacks who can’t help themselves when it comes to some good old Texas bashing: Just what the fuck are you thinking? Why do you want to punish ME, a Texas transwoman for having the poor judgement to be born here? How in the name of everything fair and rational is it okay to punish the TARGET of these ridiculous anti trans laws by forcing the state out of the Union? Is it that you don’t think the (not) Texas Republicans have punished me enough and I need your scorn on top of it? Is it because Texas Republicans making it scary and sometimes impossible for minority groups to vote is somehow MY fault because reasons? Is it because I have only ever cast one ballot per election rather than three million at a time?
I’m sure it’s fun and gratifying to sit safely ensconced in a nice, blue state and sneer at those of us who crawl in the mud of Texas but your ideas of superiority are bullshit. Did you know that the nation's first openly transgender judge lives and practices in Texas? Did California elect a transman or transwoman as judge? How about New York? Hawai’i? Nope, nope and nope. Texas is also the birthplace of Barbara Jordan and Lyndon B. Johnson, (who literally bullied the congress into passing the 1964 Civil Rights Act) and many, many other good, liberal people. A President from California didn’t do that. Richard Nixon would be an example of a President from California. It should also be noted that while North Carolina has passed legislation aimed at transpersons, Texas as not yet done so. Some wanted to in the last session but it was quietly tabled.
So, some say, the good, progressive people in Texas should get up and leave! Move to a different state and then we’ll force those nasty Texas Republicans out. That is, of course, the very most stupid thing I’ve ever seen said or recommended on this website. Texas' economy grossed 1.648 trillion dollars in 2014. If you don’t think that loss would be a disaster for the rest of the country, then you are either abysmally ignorant or dangerously delusional. And which state is going to absorb the ten million or so Texas liberals and their families? Even if we divided that up evenly in all of the states. that comes out to over 200,000 new residents per state! Do you think that’s going to be beneficial to your economy? Housing? Social Services?
Still others say it’s my fucking fault that Republicans are in power here, yet I never see one criticism directed at the liberals in Maine for Paul LePage being governor, nor any blame for progressives who live in Wisconsin, home of Scott Walker. Even the liberals in Florida seem to mostly get a pass for Rick Scott. Nope. it’s just ME, a Texas transwoman, who must be punished for Greg Abbott. It’s just ME, a Texas transwoman, who is directly responsible for my own oppression. ME, a Texas transwoman who somehow asked, no BEGGED to be treated like an unhuman by my elected officials and even some of my own so-called allies. To those people, I don’t know what to say. Once more, I’ve only got one vote and I give money, I call, I coerce and I cajole but I can only do so much. Pus I have a nasty, expensive habit called “eating” and I have to spend SOME time working to support that habit.
So to Texas Republicans who want to secede and to Daily Kossacks who say we should be forced to: go to hell. I’m not going anywhere and I hope nobody likes it. I’m going to stay both in Texas and at Daily Kos and try to change obstinate, patently stupid ideas both about transpersons and about Texans. I didn’t start this. I hate confrontation but I am no shrinking violet and I’m going to speak up, especially when I have people from both the right and the left who seem determined to shame me and punish me, ME, a Texas transwoman.