The Message I Sent to Gavin Newsom Upon Learning that He Vetoed a Bill to Protect Trans Kids
Originally published 9/23/2023 on Medium.
Fairweather Allies Have Worn Out Their Welcome
Governor Newsom: First off, you need a Civil Rights option on your menu of topics. Things have gotten dicey out here in America.
I am a CA native born and raised in the SoCal area. I have pretty much supported and looked up to you as a leader since Day 1. But I must let you know how awful your veto of AB957 is and how BADLY it reads.
Your brief excuse for the veto holds no water. Republicans are ALREADY passing laws that target queer and trans youth and their families. They and the christian nationalists are conducting a reign of terror upon our community. For an ally such as yourself to make such a blatantly anti-trans move is inexcusable. We look to you to have hope of a better future, and you just severely damaged that hope for me, and killed it for many others.
This reads as a callous attempt to go moderate with an eye toward your future presidential campaign. If you haven’t got the balls to take a principled stand for trans youth and their families now, then what good are you to the queer people you serve?
This is a win for Republicans, MAGA bigots, and christian nationalists who are doing their best to make this country a christian nationalist theocracy. It’s a massive LOSE for trans and queer kids, their families and the entire community.
How could you have done this? It sends all of the wrong messages: about what’s best for trans youth, about what’s acceptable for non-affirming parents to do to their trans kids, about the strength, resiliency and character of democratic officials as we face an unprecedented move by christian nationalists to dismantle our democracy, about the authenticity of your character and what you project as your persona as a political leader, and about whether or not trans kids deserve to be protected from the onslaught of bigotry and terror that is raining down on them from this country’s lunatic right.
The foundation of my trust and belief in you as a political leader has been severely damaged. I strongly suggest that you RECONSIDER your decision and contemplate the severe harm it will do to trans kids and their families. I also encourage you to get out there on any and all talk and news shows that will have you and EXPLAIN YOURSELF truthfully. If you give some half-baked reason like you did in your brief note vetoing the bill, it’s not gonna fly. So I hope you have a better reason, one that actually makes sense.
If the real reason is to increase your chances of being elected in an upcoming presidential race, well, shame on you, but also, we will leave you behind. The days of us accepting fairweather allies are gone. We have too much at stake now, and no patience for them. You either stand with us all the way or you let go of us.
If you really think your decision prevents harm from coming to the trans kids it was designed to protect, you’d better do a damn good job of explaining yourself and convincing us that you’re right. Because this is a deal breaker. And you just broke the deal.
This is the article that I read regarding the veto.
Here’s a link to Gavin Newsom’s website.
