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Georgia Senator Vows to Protect Girl, But Then Runs Away After Learning She Is Trans (www.erininthemorning.com)

submitted 9 months ago by tree@lemmy.zip to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world

185 comments fedilink hide all child comments

During a visit to lobby legislators on transgender issues, Senator Carden Summers (R) knelt down and told a child he would protect her. When he learned she was trans, he backed away.

On Feb. 6, a group of families met to lobby senators on issues affecting the local transgender community in Georgia. One mother, Lena Kotler, decided to take her two children with her to give the topic a human face. While waiting to meet with Democratic Sen. Kim Jackson, who they had heard was a big supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, another senator passed by — Republican Sen. Carden Summers, the primary sponsor of the state’s bathroom ban bill. Little did he know that one of the children he would be interacting with, Aleix, 8 years old, was a transgender child.

According to Kotler and other families who were present, the senator stopped to say hello. That’s when Kotler spoke to Senator Summers about how she was there with her kids to “talk to legislators about keeping her kids safe.” Although she did not mention that one of her children was trans, they were present with LGBTQ+ signage - something the Senator apparently missed when he knelt down in front of Aleix and said, according to Kotler, “Well you know, we’re working on that and I’m going to protect kids like you.”

Kotler then replied, “Yeah - Alex is trans, and she wants to be safe at school, she wants to go to the bathroom and be safe.”

That is when, according to multiple witnesses, Sen. Summers stood up and fumbled his words, repeating, "I mean, yeah, I'm going to make sure she's safe by going to the right bathroom," continuing to use the correct pronouns for Aleix. When asked if he would make her go to a boy's bathroom, he then allegedly backed away, saying, "You're attacking me," turned around, and walked off quickly.

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[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 58 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Did you not know your gender in 3rd grade? Some trans kids do too, especially now that there’s more awareness.

8 years old is also an extremely low stakes age to be trans, because it’s literally just clothes, name/pronouns, and haircut differences at that age.

[–] Facebones@reddthat.com 39 points 9 months ago (1 children)

My ex's kid came out as trans to usat 11 or so, and like..... Yeah. This is exactly the time to play with your sense of self when it doesn't fuckin matter. We've been doing for generations, but all of a sudden feeling and wanting to present more masculine just gives everybody a fucking aneurysm.

Never mind the people who have nothing better to do than go to war with children grew up with David Bowie and Eurythmics and shit. 🙄

[–] CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (2 children)

It's so funny to me this new posturing of denial that kids can know their gender at a young age, when derogatory terms for this exact thing like "tomboy" and "sissy" have been around for generations. We have always known that some kids don't act like their gender assigned at birth.

The only thing that's changed is that we now know that this is actually normal and healthy, not some pathological problem that can be "solved" through abuse and shaming.

[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I understand, but I also thinnk things swing differently bad. If you imply a "tomboy" must be a man, because they like traditionally manly stuff, and a "sissy" should be a girl because they aren't violent, well, that seems rough too.

Also, people evolve. Fluidity should be the emphasis at that age.

Heck, I'm not particularly on board that you should pick one and align your whole identity with your choice, whether that's being cisgender as aggressively squishing down unfitting choices, or going trans and feeling compelled to leave all the traits of your physiological gender behind.

[–] CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

I don't think it can be rigidly defined for everyone, nor should it be. Some people are fluid in that sense, some people aren't.

[–] Landsharkgun@midwest.social 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Wow, what a concept! People could have a gender identity that doesn't match traditional conceptions of 'man' or 'women'! We could call it something like....'non-binary'.

Your concern trolling completely ignores points the LGBTQ+ community have already thought of and explictly accepted. Nothing you have to say points to any meaningful problem whatsoever. You've been posting this drivel all over the thread. Go elsewhere.

[–] Syrc@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

You can also be cisgender and like things the other gender likes, you know. It’s not like every man who does ballet is trans or nonbinary.

[–] Facebones@reddthat.com 4 points 9 months ago

Unfortunately, America runs on abuse and shaming - not Dunkin, as previously theorized.

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

especially now that there’s more awareness.

I often think how wild it is that there was not a single (out) gay or trans kid in all my years in primary and secondary school (graduated in '94). I wonder now how many were and either didn't understand it enough to know it or were (justifiably) afraid to be who they were.

[–] GroundedGator@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You've got a few years on me but this is very close to my thoughts whenever I hear someone decry the increase in youth who identify as LGBT+. Could it simply be more teens are more comfortable identifying because there is more acceptance?

There is still a long way to go, but it is better than it was.

I still know people my age who are hiding who they are sexually, in unhealthy or unsatisfying relationships, and that's just those I know about.

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

whenever I hear someone decry the increase in youth who identify as LGBT+

First thing I think of is the sharp increase in left-handedness that happened once it was no longer stigmatized by society.