Ah, the Duggars. That notable Arkansas family who is famous because they have 19 children and have invited cameras into their lovely, wholesome home. They manage to remain in the spotlight because their children are getting married and having children of their own. Oh, and more recently, matriarch Michelle Duggar has lent her voice to the opposition of an anti-discrimination ordinance.
The new ordinance would protect those who have been discriminated against for sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic background, marital status or veteran status. Amazingly, in Arkansas, you can still be fired because you are gay or transgender — in other words, for simply being you. And guess what? The Duggar family thinks that is just fine.
Duggar's robocall that went out to area voters is a ridiculous attempt to veil the family's bigotry. "I don’t believe the citizens of Fayetteville would want males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls," it says. "I doubt that Fayetteville parents would stand for a law that would endanger their daughters or allow them to be traumatized by a man joining them in their private space."
I got crazy eyes just reading this. Duggar demonstrates an obvious lack of understanding of the transgender community and completely misses the point of the ordinance in the first place. The fact that she thinks that sexual predators are going to pretend to be transgender "just because" is ludicrous.
It's shocking to me that a state still allows for discrimination and has yet to put measures in place to put an end to it. But I am not shocked at all that the Duggar family is playing a part in trying to get it shot down with their crap logic and bigot ways. They're sweet and all that, but their hyper-conservative views have never sat well with me, and to actively campaign against a measure that would help protect their fellow citizens from discrimination is ugly — and unfortunately not a surprise.
No, Michelle Duggar, I really don't think transgender women are out there simply to prey on my kids. Just because a person is gay or transgender, or doesn't otherwise fit a gender-normative role in society, it doesn't mean they are unsafe to be around children. The notion is stupid. The Duggars need to keep their collective mouths shut and not seek end an ordinance that would help people live their lives.
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