A Writer's Notebook, Day One-Thousand-Five-Hundred-And-Twenty-One

I have been doing a lot of research into the connections between transphobia (and other forms of hate that target those in the Queer community) and anti-Semitism, and it is really pretty brutal.  Many aspects of what I am discovering are things that I have been aware of in a general sense for a very long time, but the specifics of what I am finding are really pretty upsetting, or, to put it in simple terms, none of it is surprising yet everything is shocking.  I don't know how many people really recognize what it is I am talking about, but many of those on the right not only believe that transgenderism is, at best, fake and undeserving of recognition, but feel that their is actually a conspiracy of people attempting to turn children trans as a way of undermining the values of our society.  It is disturbing, but one can find many who believe in such conspiracies.  I can point to numerous articles and pieces of "journalism" that make the claim that numerous wealthy individuals are funding the promotion of transgender ideologies as part of their agenda.  In almost every single one of these cases, it is clear that they are blaming Jews.  At times it is dog-whistles, like blaming banks, or the media and Hollywood.  In many cases, George Soros is personally cited, as are various members of the Pritzker family.  This is a way of further disenfranchising and degrading transgender individuals by claiming that they are merely the pawns of this evil conspiracy, claiming that they are merely the victims of Jewish manipulation.  What's really scary is that I know I am only reading the most tame stuff, the things that are almost mainstream.  It is not all that fun to contemplate the rest.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poem: Neighborhood Inhabitants

Neighborhood Inhabitants There was a fox once, and another time, otters, and now a peacock that we think got lost during one of the storms. She stays down on the other end of the street, though, does not visit us. We have a racoon family that stays in our tree some nights, and there is a baby lizard, a brown basilisk, who we have seen several times. It is not supposed to be here, is invasive and troublesome to the local ecosystem, as are the duck.  I hear there are giant snails now who eat stucco or concrete or something of that sort. I have not seen one, though, I just heard they are here and big as my fist.
Read more

A Writer's Notebook, One-Thousand-Eight-Hundred-And-Seventy-Three

I am still finding it difficult to get back to a more productive work schedule at the moment.  In part, I am sure it is that I gave myself permission to slack off a bit, and it is difficult to walk that back, especially because I am still writing and being productive, even if not to the same degree. I know it would be good to get back to doing more writing, but I also know that I am still meeting my core obligations, even if at a more minimal level.  Really, I just need to make the choice and force myself to stick to it.  To that end, I am planning to at least get back to work on my longer projects again tomorrow, even if I don't increase the poetry output right away.
Read more

A Writer's Notebook, Day One-Thousand-One-Hundred-And-Thirty-Three

I received my acceptance to attend workshop at the Palm Beach Poetry Festival next year and am very excited to be working with Matthew Olzmann, a poet whose work I have admired for some time.  He has a rare capacity for being simultaneously absurd and serious in ways that are hysterical, but with devastating insights underneath.  I feel quite fortunate to have the PBPF, and can say, honestly, that each workshop I have attended there has been incredible.  As a person who has taken many workshops in my life, and who often finds them wanting, I am always astounded at the caliber of the classes at the festival, both in the instruction and in the community of poets I have encountered.  I only wish it could be more than just one week out of the year.
Read more