JokersUpdates.com: Current Affairs - 2nd thread: I can see from some responses that people are still confused about what's going on. A lot of us liberals are very literal! So we assume Trump is "confused" about this. He's not.

"Trans" is an all-purpose category on the right now to describe anyone who doesn't conform to rigid MAGA gender roles.

When I cover trans rights, either in writing or video, it gets low traffic. A lot of cis people on the left fall into the "yeah, yeah, you deserve rights, but I'm sick of hearing about it. Can we just shut up about it, please?" camp.

But it's MAGA that won't let this go away. And it affects YOU.

The attacks on Talarico show: for MAGA, "trans" is a catch-all category to describe anyone they deem gender non-conforming.

You may be cis. But to MAGA, they probably would call you "trans." Merely being progressive is considered gender non-conforming to them.

We can't ignore this.

Most of us on the left, especially the nerdier sorts on Bluesky, probably experienced being called by anti-gay slurs, even if we aren't gay.

That's all that's happening here. Gay isn't as stigmatized, so "trans" is their new word to police everyone, regardless of gender identity.

The other advantage MAGA gains by calling everyone they hate "trans" is that it puts their targets in a bind.

Saying, "I'm not trans" can sound like a concession to the idea that it's bad to be trans.

But if you say there's nothing wrong with being trans, you accept the misidentification.

They're doing the same trick by calling Talarico "vegan." He took the bait — he may not have had a choice — and insisted he's not vegan.

But if he does the same thing with "trans," he will look like a real ----.

Not sure what to do, but it would help to get past taking this stuff literally.

https://bsky.app/profile/amandamarcotte.bsky.social/post/3mn373eoff224