There's a WOMAN in the White House (nearly)

My sister and I live in the US and didn't want Trump or Biden to win, and she's anti-abortion. Then when Trump lost, we both became so happy. We've been texting back and forth all day about the joy and peace we feel now that Trump lost, like a huge weight has been lifted off the country. It feels like a great evil has been conquered.

Forum next week on amending the EA by women’s group feminists in struggle - t.co/oDAYpVjYe0

They’re on Twitter too.

As an American, here’s how I see it.

Neither Biden or Harris is “woke”.

They won by a tiny margin, mostly because they are not woke.

Nevertheless the progressive authoritarians are going to be lobbying like hell their issues. It’s our job to lobby like hell the other direction.

If you’re American, join the WHRC, or other affiliated groups. Get organized. Don’t lose hope - in fact we should be the MOST hopeful now than ever. There is a chance with divided government to create legislation that is sane and reflects the opinion of the majority of Americans, that trans women and men are worthy of Protections in law against employment and housing discrimination (which unlike in the Uk they do not currently have), but that this should not be done in such a way as to violate The rights of women to fair sport and a reasonable expectation of privacy.

There are two major routes of attack. One, help to work to pass the ERA if you are in a state that has not (or donate to those states). The ERA is a proper way to defend women’s rights as it uses sex (not gender) and leaves up to courts to decided exactly how to interpret.

Second, women’s groups are organizing to amend the Equality Act to protect gay and trans peoples rights via sex stereotyping and sexual orientation rather than the undefined “gender” as currently written. These clarifications should make the bill palatable to some moderate republicans (Susan Collins et al) or make them look bad for opposing it. It will obviously also protect anyone who is gender nonconforming which actually protects more people than as written currently.

Women in the US need to organise and resist, but there's no way that another four years of Trump would have been a good thing for women's rights.

also this. With trump nothing could happen to improve the situation or clarify it in law. The progressive left has Trump derangement syndrome. All he need to do is say is the sky is blue and the media would scream and shout what a bigot he is, can’t he see it’s purple basically and what even is color, how racist. Trump for 4 more years HARMS our ability to solve this or almost any issue.

I suppose I wanted to say that although this woman and a woman of color has gone up into the second highest position in my country, the contributions of many others affect our lives too and should be celebrated.

I live in Houston and it is the fourth largest city in the USA. Kathryn Whitmire was the first female mayor from 1982-1991. Lee Brown, the first African-American man was mayor from 1998-2004. Anisse Parker was the first openly gay mayor from 2004-2010. We currently have an African-American mayor, Sylvester Turner, since 2016.
"Ma" Ferguson was the first female governor of Texas, back in 1925-27 & 1933-1935. Our last was Ann Richards in 1991-1995.

I am Hispanic and EXTREMELY proud of the first Hispanic mayor of a major US city of El Paso, Texas (my hometown) of Raymond Telles. He was also the first Hispanic US Ambassador in 1961-67.

Considering that most people think of Texas as some kind of backwater, we are more progressive than people think. Plus, the mayors, the council members, the county judges, the senators, etc... affect more people day-to-day than the highest position in the country. They are all deserving of our admiration. It is what I teach my children anyways...

I think many have forgotten that Condolessa Rice was the FIRST black female Secretary of State from 2005-2009. She was fourth in line on the Presidential Line of Succession. That meant she was in an extremely powerful position and shouldn't have her accomplishment diminished.

www.out.com/news-opinion/2019/1/22/kamala-harris-takes-responsibility-opposing-trans-surgeries

Given, as a previous poster has already said, that the Senate is Republican, it'll be interested to see what the new administration manage to do.
I'm beyond delighted to see Trump gone, but have no hopes for Biden/Harris being women-friendly

Oh come off it. Someone who grew up being trans can't POSSIBLY understand sexism, and prejudice, and bigotry fuelled by the patriarchy (sarcasm). Just like women face this rubbish every day, with POC getting even more schick. Maybe Kamala recognises that?

It's like "wohoo! I'm first female VP! Now... what laws can I pass that would make that statment meaningless?!"

A woman who thinks anyone can be a woman. We could save the moving costs and just have Trump identify as a black woman. Once he says the magic words she'll be cool with it.

I wasn't clear: I meant that US females are a much smaller cohort than all of the people worldwide and in the US who would have been negatively affected a second Trump term. Not that this makes throwing them under the bus acceptable.

I'm aware of the peace deals and am not a fan of Democrat warmongering. I judge Trump's loose cannon disregard for anything other than his own benefit to be more dangerous on the whole. I have spent a lot of time in countries with similar leadership styles but less influence. That's just my perspective.

The cultural respect for men you mean?

Plus ça change. The US has always been backward on women's rights. That's why it's taken 230 years to elect a female VP.

Maybe you’ll realise how out of step you are with the cultural bare minimum of respect for trans people. just a thought :)

Biden is Catholic, but said not to believe his belief should be inflicted on others. until it comes to the belief that men can become women?

I’m happy there is a female VPOTUS, but I’m not happy about it being KH. Not happy about how she climbed the ladder to get there or many of her views. There are many better qualified more deserving women that should be there, like Condoleezza Rice for example

This.

Except I think the sex of the person is irrelevant. It is their views that matter.

The celebration of the achievement of office simply because that person is a certain category or identity is utterly spurious. Look at the exhilaration when Obama won office as a POC, yet he was a disappointment - complete waste of time.

Both Biden and Harris are beyond contempt IMO.
Biden - friend of murderers and terrorists - Harris liberal leftie and destroyer of women's rights.

It is also a puzzle to me that Americans who have even a molecule of Irish DNA feel they have the right to meddle in Irish affairs.

it just seems a bit rich to start talking about resistance now.

I get your point - but you can’t restart from the past, the earliest you can start something is now and the fight needs starting.

What we think makes no difference, therefore I prefer to cling to the hope the glass is half full.
Throwing others under the bus is part, presumably, of getting to the position of power to do rather better things?

The U.S.A system is complex, to put it mildly. but it seems there is a possibility yet to come, where Biden /Harris might get more control and be able to change the overbearing influence of religious misogyny.

That's why I'm heartened by the quote of her asking "What law gives government power over MEN'S bodies?"
Biden is Catholic, but said not to believe his belief should be inflicted on others.

To me, it would seem obvious that anyone with a religious belief that termination is murder, must be allowed (i.e. expected) to declare conflict of interest. Lawyers and judges are perfectly accustomed to setting aside their bias. However, to believe that one will burn forever in the eternal fires of hell, if one arrives at the 'wrong' verdict, is an intolerable position for a judge to be placed in.

S/he might be able to sentence their own dear old granny or DC to jail, and remain impartial. But they wouldn't be expected to try. Yet eternal hell fire is even more of a bias-inducer than having a cross granny or DC

Oh no hallelujah for the trans nonsense though. Women are women, no one else

Hallelujah for Kamala!

I guess I was basically asking whether there was any lobbying of the Democrats by women's groups before the election, when they still wanted women's votes? Or were they all too cowed by the Christian Right tag? I can understand if they were - it was very intimidating, even on these boards - it just seems a bit rich to start talking about resistance now.