How a non-binary Pokemon and a Republican governor reminded me it’s time to flee Virginia
We were driving around our house about a week ago when I overheard my son say to my wife, rather calmly, that the Pokemon he discovered in his collection wasn’t binary.
“Wait, what did he say?” I asked my wife while laughing at a woke 9 year old who seemed to respect gender identity.
My wife informed me that he’s realized that this new Pokemon he caught playing Pokemon Go on his iPad isn’t binary because there’s no gender listed.
“Ah, okay, that makes sense,” I replied.
Then we just got on with our day.
A realization of where I live
I later had an odd moment of realizing that Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his anti-LGBTQ supporters deeply wish that children and their families were never burdened with these conversations. Attacks on LGBTQ people are not a fault of the Republican Party. It’s a feature. It’s one of several government policies that the new generation of Republicans is adopting open across the country imposing.It just reinforces the idea that where you live matters more than it used to. Politicians, especially Trump Republicans, legislate their way of life onto the rest of us. And her path goes beyond conservative core positions, such as B. heavy immigration or tax cuts and looking for places where government shrinks and regulation is minimized. The pursuit of LGBTQ issues cuts directly into the identities of many Americans.
It will get worse when Republicans take Congress in November and the White House in 2024.
Let’s talk about mental health: Our children’s mental health is just as important as their grades. This is how you prioritize both.
Why? I don’t know, probably to win votes. I honestly don’t care. What I do know is that I will not let my son attend a GOP-run education system with a governor that appears to be just getting started. Friends remind me that Virginia is a single-term governor state. While that comforts me, a lot of damage can be done in one term. And I’ve never been one to take risks with things I care about. I realize that probably means moving to Democrat haven, probably on the west coast. Good. I miss Mexican food.
The story goes on
But I have to be honest and admit that moving would mean leaving a state we’ve otherwise come to love and a school district that was so supportive of our autistic son that I’ve recommended other families move there before Youngkin takes the reins and in line with the new GOP Playbook.
Pandemic over?: If the pandemic is truly “over,” Biden should go through with and end the national “state of emergency.”
Now this county will likely have to enforce these new transgender policies. We don’t want any part of politics that uses children to do justice to their parents’ voice. These are government decisions, in some cases laws, that are actively dehumanizing people, hurtling down that slippery slope that Republicans are fond of pointing out when discussing gun control: If the Democrats get more control, they say, where will it end?
let me ask you that If Republicans continue to legislate and rule against LGBTQ children, where does it end?
Let’s catch up on GOP stupidities
So what am I talking about specifically? Here’s a snapshot:►13 states have enacted anti-LGBTQ laws. Eleven of these states have Republican governors. The two states with Democratic governors, Louisiana and Kentucky, both have GOP-led legislatures that override a governor’s veto.
“Say gay anyway” rally in Miami Beach on March 13, 2022, after Florida passed new restrictions on discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in schools, which opponents derided as “don’t say gay” law.
►26 states have abortion bans, pregnancy restrictions, or blocked bans. Of these, 21 states are fully controlled by Republicans. The other five have GOP-controlled legislatures.
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►In denying the results of the 2020 election, a Washington Post analysis found that battleground states are awash with candidates who continue to deny the results of the presidential election. Some on this list are candidates for governor. It goes without saying that they are all Republicans. In many cases we are talking about secretary of state races that choose the state’s top electoral officer.
Back to Governor Youngkin
Youngkin’s recent decision to propose new policies for transgender students is the latest in a long, tragic line of Republicans targeting transgender people across the country. Not to mention his explicit desire to ban abortion in a state where it’s now legal.Supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin gather for an election night party in Chantilly, Virginia on November 2, 2021.
I’m not saying that Youngkin and his GOP brothers should stop and let these kids live their lives. I am not saying that they should leave abortion rights alone and comply with the wishes of most voters. I’m not saying they should make public school funding a priority or stop banning books. I’m not even saying that they should recognize that most teachers know how best to raise children for a global economy. I’ve never been a fan of screaming into space, and there are people who support that practice.
Republicans will always be Republicans.
Where are we safe from the GOP madness?
I’ll just say goodbye asap. Good release, some of you will say. I agree.So where will we move to? I’ve asked Republican friends to tell me which states they really despise. Which states do you think are doing too much to help public schools and going way overboard in creating an acceptable environment, likely overspending on public services and programs?
Where, I asked, are they actively protecting abortion rights, allowing all kinds of books, aren’t likely to get election deniers into office, aren’t targeting LGTBQ children and refuse to offer support to Donald Trump and his group of political acolytes?
I’m still waiting for an answer. But I’ll bet dollars to donuts these places aren’t red on a political map. We have some time to sort this out. Until then, we’ll be catching non-binary Pokemon and hoping the GOP doesn’t realize their kids probably are, too.
More from Louie Villalobos:
Thank the father figure in your life. You don’t know what he’s dealing with.
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Louie Villalobos is the Audience Development Editor for USA TODAY Opinion. Follow him on Twitter: @louievillalobos
You can read various opinions from our board of contributors and other contributors on the Opinions home page on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily opinion newsletter. To reply to a column, send a comment to letters@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Republicans persecuting LGBTQ children means I have to leave Virginia
