They’re Coming After Straight White Dudes, Too
Called my US Senators and Representative today like I do Monday-Friday every day to the best of my ability.
Today was different.
This is a bit of a read, but it’s important. Please take a few minutes.
I moved this to Medium so that there is a voiceover function, so I hope those of you who are busy or don’t like to read take the time to listen using Medium’s audio reader.
Okay. Here we go.
I’ve been calling mostly on behalf of other people: trans friends, queer family, and immigrants I’m close to. No I will not elaborate on that last one.
Today I called for myself.
They’re Coming Right For Us
I think most people know the Trump admin forced departments to scrub all mention of trans folks as well as terms like: diversity, trans, nonbinary… and women and COVID. They did this under the guise of “removing DEI” from everywhere.
Here’s the executive order if you aren’t familiar: Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing
Take your time with that. It’s Grade A propaganda and doublespeak.
Well, while they were busy censoring the entirety of the Federal Government and trying to force grantees to do the same (which is now frozen by judicial order [source]), they also, in their fervor, removed the + from the end of LGBT+ and changed it to LGB.
And in so doing, they erased me.
Yep. This 43 year old, cis white dude who looks like he crushes beers on his forehead, has a wall of MAGA hats, and an unironic “Don’t Tread On Me” flag next to a DOGE poster.
They erased me, too. Three weeks in.
But wait, what do I mean?
I’m pretty up front about the fact I’m asexual, at least since I “came out” in 2023 at Chicon 8. It’s in my author bio as well.
“But I thought you said you were straight!” Well, I am. When I am sexually attracted to anyone — and that’s rare as hell — it’s to women. So, to use the technical terms: I’m a cisgender (meaning, my gender matches what I was assigned at birth), asexual white man. If you want to get specific, I’m a Romantic Asexual, but I doubt you want to do that right now.
And I was represented by the A in LGBTQIA+ or just the + at the end.
Now, I don’t exist according to my government.
Oh, but that’s not all!
Robert F Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaxxer who had part of his brain eaten by a parasite and seems to have gotten a bunch of kids killed from measles awhile back, got confirmed as head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Yep. It happened yesterday [source].
Trump wrote an executive order giving RFK a list of targeted priorities.
That’s normal. But there’s, as usual, a bunch of shady stuff in it. The biggest of which is the general overview that they’re “doing this for children,” but the text of the order does not actually limit this analysis to children.
It’s a blanket statement. Here’s the full order up at whitehouse.gov: Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission
Here’s the one that will hit roughly 1-in-10 Americans:
“Sec. 5(iii) assess the prevalence of and THREAT POSED by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs/antidepressants], antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs;”
I added the emphasis and the more well known meaning for the first one since they’re trying to hide it, apparently.
But take a second and go back and read that.
The THREAT of mood stabiliziers and ANTIpsychotics.
I’m Bipolar 1. The bad kind. My manic episodes would leave you spinning as I claim divine providence in all my actions.
They’re coming after the meds that make me able to participate in society.
And they’re coming after yours. Yeah. SSRIs, you know, antidepressants, are the first on the list. They want us depressed, unwell, and, for some of us, CRAZY.
Easier to put away people for being nuts when you take away their meds, after all.
So… today I called for ME. I left messages for Schumer at both his numbers as well as a message at Gillibrand’s Albany office.
Surprisingly, I spoke with someone at Gillibrand’s Washington office. And they listened to me explain everything above as well as my call for the Democratic Party to unify as an opposition party until Republicans back down. Because they’re just steamrolling us right now with complete inaction.
They were empathetic and understanding. I was, honestly, surprised.
Then I called Representative Elise Stefanik, my rep. Someone answered in Washington — they usually do — and I started my schpiel. After I explained that I “looked like a guy you’d expect in a MAGA hat and driving a truck with truck nuts” they started typing. I started with my erasure on the LGBTQ+ pages, then dovetailed into the executive order and the incendiary language.
I asked her to take a moment and read the order, then realize that it effects a huge number of her constituents. We live in the middle of nowhere and get brutal winters where we can go weeks and months without seeing the sun. Seasonal Affective Disorder is huge out here and the treatment, if Vitamin D supplements fail, are, you guessed it: SSRIs.
They actually took my information to contact me. Color me surprised.
Quick Side Note:
I did call Governor Hochul and ask her to remove Mayor Adams after he went on public television and, on camera, discussed how he’d set up a Quid Pro Quo with the Trump admin; i.e. if he lets ICE into Rikers, they’d drop his federal fraud charges.
That triggered a MASS resignation event with some pretty amazing resignation letters from otherwise super conservative lawyers.
Turns out they actually have ethics. You can read Former Acting USA, SDNY Danielle Sassoon’s resignation letter, where she straight up destroys the idea of this being legal or appropriate, here.
ASUA Hagan Scotten’s resignation letter from today is here. It’s short and spicy.
Now What?
This far. No farther.
That’s what. We call, we march, we organize, and we make the Democratic Party do their goddamn job and unite against a fascist takeover.
That’s what.
Because this, right now, right here, is the easiest it’s going to get.
It was easier three weeks ago. It’ll be harder in another three weeks.
This far. No farther.
I’m going to call Monday through Friday until something changes.
I highly suggest you all do that same.
SENATE SWITCHBOARD:
(202) 224–3121
DIRECT NEW YORK SENATOR NUMBERS:
Senator Schumer (Washington Office): (202) 224–6542 (mailbox is full)
Senator Schumer (Albany Office): (518) 431–4070
Senator Gillibrand (Washington Office): (202) 224–4451
Senator Gillibrand (Albany Office): (518) 431–0120
NY-21 REPRESENTATIVE NUMBER:
Representative Stefanik (Washington Office): (202) 225–4611
