The communists are influential in the Republican Party.

April 26, 2023
By Shaylee Ragar and Acacia Squires

Republicans, who dominate the Montana House of Representatives, (click here) have voted Wednesday to formally punish Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr.

Zephyr, who is transgender, has been blocked from speaking since last week. That's when she told supporters of a bill to ban gender-affirming care that when they bowed their heads in prayer, she hoped they would see "blood on [their] hands." She says she was alluding to studies that show that transgender health care can reduce suicidality in youth....

LGBT People Are Being Targeted by Anti-LGBT Propaganda and Foreign Agents Laws (click here)

Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia liberalized some of its anti-LGBT laws. Most notably, homosexual relationships were decriminalized in 1993. Transgender Russians have also been allowed to change their legal gender on identity documents since 1997, although there are many obstacles to the process and invasive surgical requirements remain in place. Despite these liberalization trends during the immediate post-Soviet period, in recent years, Russian authorities have routinely denied permits for Pride parades, intimidated and arrested LGBT activists and condoned anti-LGBT statements by government officials. ILGA-Europe, the European section of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, rates Russia as the least protective country in Europe for LGBT citizens, ranking it 49th out of the 49 European countries rated in its annual survey.

In June 2013, the Russian duma in Moscow passed a new law banning the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships”to minors. The new federal law is closely related to several regional laws that were already on the books, all of which seek to penalize “propaganda” of homosexuality, generally with the intent of “protecting” minors. The city of Sochi, which is the site of the upcoming Winter Olympics, has one of those regional laws in place. And while the regional laws are not uniform, like the new federal law, they all tend to advance vague definitions of propaganda that lend themselves to the targeting and ongoing persecution of the country’s LGBT community. The language of this new law focuses on “non-traditional” sexual relationships, to contrast with “traditional values” or “traditional family” language that Russia is promoting at the UN to oppose positive statements supporting the human rights of LGBT people....

The level of human rights violation and anti-Americanism is palpable in the Republican Party. All these issues are intended to divide the country. It is nonsense. In the USA there are individual rights and gender identity is one of them. The LGBTQ community is a great community in this country. That community helped contain AIDS in the USA and promotes well being. 

This entire attack on freedom and liberty is nonsense. The Montana House is practicing nothing but bigotry and Ms. Zephyr should sue them for harassment in federal court. What she and any other member of the LGBTQ community has to say is vital for healthy, happy children in families that may be confused or misguided. Ms. Zephyr is saving lives of our young people and she should have a prominent position as a person of compassion focused on "RIGHTS and PRIVACY" we all should have.

August 4, 2022

By Natalie Allison and Lamar Johnson

...Touching on his signature issues, (click here) the far-right leader railed against immigration, globalism and gender fluidity as he declared that the “West is at war with itself,” describing an ideological “battle for Western civilization” he said would be fought in Washington and Brussels.

“The globalists can all go to hell,” Orbán said to enthusiastic applause. “I have come to Texas.”...

The Democrats at all levels of government need a cohesive policy and bills regarding parental rights.

There is a growing issue in the country sparked primarily by Republicans to win elections. They are basically saying that schools must fully disclose all information to parents.

No one denies it is important parents are well informed regarding the progress their children are making in school. The social aspect of a child's experience in school is often not a topic of discussion with parents and teachers UNLESS the child is experiencing behavior problems that are disruptive. Most social issues in school are handled well by teachers who want to teach and not have a disruptive environment. 

The parental rights issue being focused on by Republicans is that schools are keeping secret children that are LGBTQ in nature. 

Below are a few references that bring focus to this political scandal being touted by Republicans as important. 

It is important children are safe. What form of interaction that takes with parents is a case by case basis. Social workers can easily be involved with any child experiencing gender identity issues IF the child is in crisis. An IEP (Individual Education Plan) can be instituted if the child requires counseling and/or help with family involvement. The important issue is that there is no shame in any of it and families can easily find happiness with their child(ren) if they come together with wholesome expectations.

Abuse can be a problem in households across the USA and yes it can involve child(ren) with gender identity issues, but, the school can play an important role in reporting abuse. All states and I believe it is a federal mandate, that teachers must report abuse to authorities to allow for intervention that can save lives and/or improve the well being of a child and/or a family.

The idea parents need a bill of rights in education is bizarre. Elections bring in people on a Board of Education and a Superintendent of Schools to set policy. Another layer of policies will only confuse the issues at hand. There can be no malevolent policies within schools that would influence gender identity as that itself would be a form of abuse.

PRIVACY to the child and the family is paramount to a good outcomes. Teachers are not autonomously deciding child gender identity issues. That is also abuse and I do believe it can be prosecuted. So, the entire issue is rather political and not practical. In realizing this is a growing political crescendo for Republicans to distract from lack of funding, health care, food stamps and other supports for schools and families; the Democrats needs a well established policy.

It is simply wrong to make children the focus of politics in a way that profoundly effects their lives growing up leading to adulthood. When children are found in legal trouble and spend time within the counts and in child detention facilities those records are sealed. In that lies the answer to the fact these issues are delicate and require privacy and professionals. 

How to Report Child Abuse and Neglect (click here)

LGBT Youth Population in the USA (click here)

 Establishing a parents' bill of rights in education (click here)

April 19, 2023
By Paul Tracy

In a packed Representatives Hall, (click here) opponents and supporters of the Parental Bill of Rights in Education testified on whether Senate Bill 272 would harm or help children and their parents.

Members of the state’s LGBTQ community came out in force to oppose the bill and held competing rallies with supporters of the bill before the hearing on different areas of the State House grounds.

Members of the Kent Street coalition, wearing vests saying “Peace Keepers” planned to limit conflicts as the LGBTQ community was warned that members of the Proud Boys were expected to be present at the rally in support of the bill.

The hearing began with legislators speaking before the many citizens could get a chance to testify.

State Sen. Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, the bill’s sponsor, said there is a need to let parents know why their child is being bullied in school or what is going on and the legislation would allow parents to be informed if they ask.

This would particularly impact those who identify by another gender from which they are enrolled and could lead to conflicts, and suicide, opponents warned....

This is only ONE study regarding gender identity. There are journals filled with studies regarding child gender identity issues and the impact on their lives and their families. Abuse is found within this paradigm and it cannot be ignored in a country where freedom is a mandate and all people should be free to be individuals.

Child Abuse Negl. 2002 Nov; 26(11): 1165–1178.

By Heather L. Corliss, Susan D. Cochran, and Vickie M. Mays

...While there is some uncertainty (click here) about the ways in which individual characteristics of a child may contribute to risk for maltreatment (Ammerman, 1991), there are some characteristics that do appear to be correlated with the occurrence of childhood abuse and neglect (Friedrich & Boriskin, 1976). Children with a physical or mental disability (Goldson, 1998; Sullivan & Knutson, 2000; Westcott & Jones, 1999) and those exhibiting opposite sex-linked behaviors (McConaghy & Silove, 1992) experience higher rates of abuse and neglect and overall poorer relationships with their parents. There is also growing suspicion that some who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, either in adolescence or eventually adulthood, may experience higher rates of maltreatment during childhood and adolescence (Tjaden, Thoennes, & Allison, 1999). This may be due to the stigma associated with minority sexual orientation, differences in problem behaviors such as drug or alcohol use (Fergusson, Horwood, & Beautrais, 1999; Garofalo, Wolf, Kessel, Palfrey, & DuRant, 1998; Russell, Driscoll, & Truong, 2002; Saewyc, Bearinger, Heinz, Blum, & Resnick, 1998), and/or gender nonconformity (Harry, 1989)....