December 5, 2024
Defending trans kids, no war in Mexico, the first statewide election of Trump 2, and more!
Contact all members of Congress:
By phone: (202) 224-3121
By email: Congress.gov
By US mail: Representatives / Senators
By fax: Representatives / Senators
By Resistbot: Resist.bot
Contact White House or other federal agencies:
A TOUGH DAY FOR TRANS KIDS
Observers largely concluded yesterday’s Supreme Court oral arguments in U.S. v. Skrmetti, the constitutional challenge to Tennessee’s law barring transgender youth from getting gender-affirming care, boded poorly for trans rights. A majority of the justices expressed clear skepticism that Tennessee has violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. While we do not expect a ruling until June, it seems likely these care bans will remain in place. This is a terrible burden on trans kids and their families, and we need to raise our voices and demand justice and safety for them. The Movement Advancement Project has built a guide to where each state stands on more than 50 different LGBTQ-related laws and policies. Let’s check out how our home states are doing, then contact our legislators and governors asking them what they plan to do in 2025 to better protect the trans community here and to make us an available sanctuary for those in states where the transphobes are blocking progress. We can also reach out to our members of Congress and remind them to say an uncompromising no to the federal bathroom ban bill HR10186.
SAY NO TO SENDING THE TROOPS INTO MEXICO
While it received very little attention during the presidential campaign, Donald Trump was elected having promised to use the U.S. military to attack the Mexican cartels – with or without Mexico’s permission. We have seen alarming signs since the election that he might keep this pledge to turn the War on Drugs into an actual war, which would mirror actions he considered in his first term and has quietly become popular among Republican elected officials. Rolling Stone reports his transition team is debating “how much to invade”, and his chosen national security adviser, Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), was one of the two original co-sponsors on an authorization for use of military force resolution that would give these strikes congressional sanction. Sending troops into Mexico has also been endorsed by his border czar Tom Homan, his designees for Secretary of State and Defense, and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, who is rumored to be under consideration to lead the Pentagon if Pete Hegseth cannot get the votes. This action could result in quagmire, bloodshed on both sides of the border and unpredictable reactions from the heavily-armed cartels themselves, the Mexican government and the Mexican people, and is unlikely to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. We need to ensure no one mistakes these election results as a mandate for this dangerous adventure without further debate. Let’s contact our members of Congress and let them know we expect them to oppose military strikes in Mexico. We can do so directly or sign this Resistbot petition by texting “SIGN PIAVWC” to 50409.
HOW WE PUSH THE TRUTH
This election made it painfully obvious that we need to fix our broken information environment if we are going to defeat the authoritarians. This task is easier said than done, and we are going to have to get creative as we seek to mitigate the damage of the current system while building new institutions in its place. One way we can do so is with the Indivisible initiative Truth Brigade, which teaches volunteers how to find common ground with people who are misinformed and effectively encourage those people to check the sources of disinformation before sharing. Trainings are held the second Wednesday of each month to learn how we can heal disinformation-driven divisions and fears through persuasive communication. We can sign up to join these trainings here.
TELL THE EPA TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM FOREVER CHEMICALS
A new regulation is being circulated that would address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, commonly called forever chemicals) formed during the fluorination of plastic containers and protect consumers and communities from this ongoing source of PFAS exposure. Comments on the regulation are being taken until December 30. We can learn more about this issue from Earthjustice.org, and then submit a comment using their template or directly on the regulations site.
PROTECT THE MAJORITY ON THE WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT
There is no rest for the weary – the first statewide election of the second Trump Administration is just 117 days away. Our hard-won majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which threw out badly gerrymandered maps and reduced barriers to casting our ballots in 2024, is at stake on April 1st with liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley retiring. Democrats have rallied around Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, who is set to face off against Republican and former state attorney general Brad Schimel. Crawford has represented Planned Parenthood and stood up in court for voting and workers’ rights, including arguing for the teacher’s union against the notorious Act 10 which curtailed collective bargaining rights for public employees. This Scott Walker-era union-busting law was struck down by a lower court judge this week and whoever wins this race is likely to get a chance to rule on it. Schimel, by contrast, has endorsed the state’s 175-year-old abortion ban as good law and pledged to defend Act 10 as attorney general. Let’s sign up to volunteer with the Wisconsin Democrats or with Judge Crawford herself, and consider a donation to her campaign.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
MI - REMOVE LEGAL BARRIERS FOR TRANS MICHIGANDERS
In November of 2023, a group of Democratic House members introduced a package of bills that would support Michigan's trans community by making it easier to legally change one's name, eliminating certain requirements like surgery to change gender markers on birth certificates and driver's licenses, and codifying non-binary gender marker options on birth certificates and driver's licenses. These bills have been at a standstill since February of this year, and we now have less than a month before this legislative session ends, along with Michigan's Democratic trifecta. Let's read more about the bills, contact our representative in the House and ask them to support HB 5300, 5301, 5302, and 5303. Let's also call or email House Speaker Joe Tate at joetate@house.mi.gov or call him at (517) 373-0857 and ask him to bring these bills to the floor for a vote as soon as possible.
Draft letter to your senators included in this link:
https://bit.ly/3ZCJzyy