Free Republic

The ACLU of Montana has filed a lawsuit challenging a law that defines the word “sex” throughout state code as either male or female, based on a person’s biology at birth. The plaintiffs argue the law denies legal recognition and protections to people who are gender non-conforming. The plaintiffs — a transgender man, a two spirit Native American, a nonbinary person, an intersex individual and a nurse practitioner — also moved for a summary judgement in Monday’s filing in state court in Missoula, asking for the law to be declared unconstitutional. Republican lawmakers who supported the bill “seem to think...

This week, in testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Weaponization of Federal Government, journalist Michael Shellenberger revealed that "US And UK military contractors worked to both censor and use sophisticated psychological operations and disinformation tactics developed abroad against the American people. The Supreme Court ruled that the government may not induce, encourage, or promote private persons to accomplish what the government is constitutionally forbidden to accomplish. Yet, there was a regular organized stream of communication between the FBI, DHS, and the largest tech companies to flag content in enormous numbers involving spreadsheets of accounts that ran into the...

Transphobia, in basic terms, refers to any expression of fear or hatred directed toward folks who are transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming. Like other forms of discrimination and prejudice, transphobia often stems from a lack of understanding and insight around: what it means to be transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming the many careless actions and words that can cause harm While transphobia tends to decrease as awareness around gender increases, it remains a major problem in some communities. It doesn’t just cause distress by invalidating someone’s identity, though that’s harmful enough. It also often leads to hate speech, hate crimes,...

National Hispanic Heritage Month officially kicks off Sept. 15, marking the 35th year of the celebration of Hispanic cultures and their contributions to the U.S. As Hispanic people continue being one of the U.S.’ most visible communities, many questions about terminology arise. The current most common ways Hispanic populations refer to themselves are “Hispanic,” “Latino/Latina” and “Chicano,” but the newer gender-neutral term “Latinx” attempts to be more inclusive to non-binary members of the population

Gender dysphoria (G.D.) claims that someone whose sex was determined at birth to be male is entitled later to "identify as" female and take appropriate measures. Analogously, someone whose sex was determined at birth to be female is entitled later to "identify as" male and take appropriate measures. What about this? Entering stage right is conservative philosopher WVO Quine (1908–2000), who taught at Harvard University for decades and published widely during a long and distinguished career. While many of Quine's contributions are technical, there is a fairly simple one that applies to the problem at hand. Suppose, Quine noted, that...

A former All-American swimmer brought her crusade to keep transgender women out of women’s sports to Nebraska Sunday, speaking to more than 1,000 people at an event marked by Christian faith and patriotic fervor. Riley Gaines, who swam for the University of Kentucky, tied the issue of transgender women in women's sports to an array of other issues in America. She also said transgender women try to join sororities and seek to be housed in women's prisons, with the goal of having access to women. She decried "the changing of the language that we use, the silencing, the denying of...

[H/T Mewzilla]The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) comes into force today, obliging “very large online platforms” to swiftly take down what unelected European Commission bureaucrats decide to define as ‘disinformation’.As Laurie Wastell points out in the European Conservative, the DSA obliges online platforms to swiftly take down so-called disinformation. From today, the EC has at its disposal an aggressive enforcement regime, such that if Big Tech companies fail to abide by the EU’s ‘Strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation’, which requires swift censorship of mis- and disinformation, then they can be fined up to 6% of their annual global...

I watch a lot of TV. Have said so several times over the years. I enjoy it so don't throw rocks at me. Watch most all the cop shows and some off the wall stuff. And one of the off the wall shows is Quantum Leap. I have not watched one news program (local or national) since early in the election day when Trump was not allowed to win. Got off FR too for a couple long years but finally came back a few months ago. I'm saying this because I have never heard the term non-binary. Ran across it...

Denver, Colo., Jan 26, 2023 / 15:45 pm A Colorado appellate court has ruled against a baker who appeared in court once again for declining to make a cake that contradicts his religious beliefs. While Jack Phillips’ successful U.S. Supreme Court case concerned his refusal to make a same-sex wedding cake, he now faces a civil lawsuit for declining to make a cake celebrating a purported gender transition of a transgender-identifying attorney. In a Thursday decision, a Colorado Court of Appeals three-judge panel sided with Autumn Scardina, a man who identifies as a transgender woman. Scardina said Phillips and his...

A Wisconsin Democratic lawmaker was criticized over social media for using the term "birthing bodies" instead of women while tweeting about the potential reversal of Roe V. Wade. State Rep. Francesca Hong made the substitution in a Monday evening tweet following the news of the leak of an alleged draft of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's majority opinion to revoke the landmark 1973 case. Since the leak, many Democrats have reaffirmed their pro-choice stance. Birthing bodies have the right to freedom. Deciding if or when to become a parent is one of the most personal, life-changing decisions," Hong tweeted....

Leftists who've been losing their minds over the possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade are getting soundly mocked on social media for suddenly standing up for women after openly minimizing and marginalizing them through transgender advocacy. What are the details? The rise of transgenderism — and the lockstep support it has received from leftists — runs into some problems when placed side by side with abortion rights. First we've seen a number of stories about transgender men — biological women who identify as men — getting pregnant. And since leftists by and large love that...

Democrats have pushed gender-neutral phrases for women’s health issues, including pregnancy and childbirth. A leaked draft opinion revealed Monday that the Supreme Court could potentially overturn Roe v. Wade, sparking backlash from liberals. Numerous Democrats, including President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, appeared to characterize pregnancy and abortion as issues that only directly impact women. Democrats made an admission about what type of people can actually get abortions in the wake of a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion showing justices could potentially overturn Roe v. Wade. After many liberals pushed for gender-neutral terms surrounding pregnancy and abortion such as “birthing...