The Oklahoma State Capitol. (KOKH/Keaton Fox)
Oklahoma has joined the party by declaring a state of emergency to block Obama’s directive.
Lawmakers have done so by introducing two pieces of legislation, which will be considered by May 27. First, Senate Bill 1619 would allow students to only use bathrooms based upon their gender at birth. This would render Obama’s directive powerless and also includes the following language:
“It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.”
The law would allow parents to sue school districts who don’t comply, based upon a request for a religious accommodation. Then legislators introduce Senate Concurrent Resolution 43, which actually calls for articles of impeachment against President Obama over the bathroom directive. One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. John Bennett, explains the rationale:
“This directive to schools is not only unlawful, but the breadth of overreach in this instance by the Obama Administration is shocking. We are working on legislation that would protect our citizens by not requiring our kids and women to share a facility with anyone who ‘identifies’ as a gender that they were not born. We are going to do everything we can to protect our women and children.”
Via Uproxx, Ktul, and Raw Story.
This comes after Oklahoma’s stunning disregard for, well, everything, by passing a bill making performing an abortion a felony. I think this graphic should be up everywhere Oklahoma is being discussed:
Via Politicususa.
Well, at least they’re honest about their bigotry?
Perhaps, but keep in mind it’s wingnut burble, which usually needs translation and frequently needs careful parsing. For instance, note “protect our citizens” seems to leave out transgender individuals, whom they are certainly not protecting, and might possibly not consider citizens, or even human. Also, the usual nonsense about the reason being to “not requir[e] our kids and women…”, which is about as accurate as saying the mildly deranged penguin doesn’t eat cheese. And with an added hint of slavery thrown in, plus possible misogyny (all the wimmin are apparently assumed to agree). Also, “facility” is quite vague, and could be easily interpreted to mean anywhere in Oklahoma that the state’s laws apply.
Their laser focus on the economy is impressive.
Emergency? Do they have evidence that -- omg -- a trans person may want to pee between now and May 27?!?
Seems to me if gender at birth is going to be a legal definition, there needs to be extensive testing to assure an accurate determination. Karyotyping, extensive checking for chimerism, hormone function…………
Oklahoma, the state where raping unconscious women is deemed “not to be a crime” but where politicians are trying to make any abortion, or even a miscarriage, in a felony crime.
And people still ask me “Why?” when I say I will never set foot in the US. Isn’t this enough reason?
Seems to me if gender at birth is going to be a legal definition, there needs to be extensive testing to assure an accurate determination. Karyotyping, extensive checking for chimerism, hormone function…………
…. and the inevitable shock and horror when some congressman finds out that he’s, uh… not entirely. And while we’re at it why not post who’s got neanderthal DNA.
I actually do wish there was such testing. Because it’d make it insanely obvious to everyone that there are no “pure blood” anything. I used to know a dipstick who was very anti-hispanic which, in his case, was rather odd because I’m pretty sure the reason he hated dark skinned people was a creeping suspicion that the blond scandinavian-looking guy he thought was his father, wasn’t.
One of the saddest things about the whole gender/race hatred thing is how few of the haters contemplate that their hatred probably covers them, or their families or allies. You’d kind of think it would sink in, after all the prominent homophobes have kids that come out -- and then they have to deal with their own hypocrisy and what is really misplaced self-hatred.
Gov vetoed the abortion bill. So there’s that.