When far-right commentator Michael Knowles announced at the Conservative Political Action Conference last weekend that “transgenderism must be completely eradicated from public life,” Rolling Stone headlined “CPAC spokesperson calls for eradication of transgender people.” GENOCID MANIA. But hours later, after Knowles threatened several news agencies with libel lawsuitsRolling Stone’s editors changed that headline to “CPAC Spokesman Calls for Eradication of Transgenderism” and put “GENOCIDAL” in chilling quotes — fitting since the editors fear lawsuits.
Knowles claims that transgenderism and transgender people are two different things, and he was careful about using the “ism.” He said: “There can be no middle ground when it comes to transgenderism. It’s all or nothing.”
Let’s not think about it too much. If he had said, “Judaism must be eradicated,” or if he had preached an “all or nothing” solution to homosexuality, no one would misunderstand the murderous intent of such a message. The story earned a front-page headline in every major newspaper in the United States and abroad. (Which will hopefully one day be the case when it comes to the threat of genocide against transgender people by a major political party.)
For the record, trans people have existed in every culture throughout history, which is fully documented. By making trans existence an ism, conservatives try to misrepresent the struggle for equality as a culture war.
The campaign against black history is yet another attempt to turn a group’s existence into an ism. Critical Race Theory is taught as a high school elective in some law schools, not for children in public schools. Indeed, when Ron DeSantis of Florida and other Republican governors ban “CRT,” they are banning the teaching of basic historical facts — such as the details of slavery, the events leading up to the Civil War, what happened during Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement. (You know, the kind of thing on posters during Black History Month.)
The state of Florida has also banned discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in third grade and outside of “inappropriate” classes, making queer and transgender kids feel safe enough to come out. When DeSantis says Florida is the place where “awake people will die,” he is following people. Again, the propaganda strategy is to convert some people to a problematic idea – “wokeism” – and then stamp out isism.
This is also the legal strategy. As the gas-lit GOP base attacks drag queens, transgender people and LGBTQ nightclubs, its leaders are introducing anti-trans laws into state legislatures at a staggering pace — more than 410 in the first three months of 2023, according to the Human Rights Campaign — aimed at transgender people, especially trans children.
Recall that, according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia, more than 400 anti-Jewish edicts and decrees were issued during the first six years of Hitler’s dictatorship. Many were state laws, “but state, regional and local officials, acting on their own initiative, also issued a wave of exclusion orders in their own communities.” Was the legislation “anti-Jewish” or “anti-Jewish”? Does it matter what happened next?
Here’s some good news: Rolling Stone’s headline now reads, “CPAC spokesperson calls for eradication of ‘transgenderism’ — sort of claim it doesn’t appeal to transgender people.” The updated story stars Erin Reed, a trans author and rights researcher to say, the horror quotes are where they belong, around “ism”.
Here’s one of us should Quote: fascism. We should have used it for years to describe what is happening, but few people in the national media choose to do it, opting instead for blunt substitute words like “anti-democratic,” “extremism,” or “ultra-MAGA.” I wonder how the majority of Americans can clearly see where things stand when news sources use flowery euphemisms instead of the real word: fascism.
Perhaps the national media is hesitant to use this idea, to avoid being labeled as extreme or losing their audience. Or maybe they’re saving it for the right time or they’ll end up being the boy who cried wolf. If yes, then now is the right time. When a political party calls for the destruction of a group of people, that is fascism.
Diana Goetsch is the author of the memoir This Body I Wore, which was selected for Best Nonfiction by The Washington Post in 2022.
Source: LA Times