Woke is Weakness
Right-wing media has twisted the meaning of “woke”—a term originally rooted in awareness of social injustices and empathy for marginalized communities—into a political slur used to equate compassion with weakness. Conservative figures have increasingly framed basic human decency as a threat, mocking those who advocate for fairness and inclusion. This was on full display when Donald Trump and J.D. Vance openly ridiculed Reverend Maryanne Budde’s emotional speech calling for unity and empathy, treating her sincerity as something to be scorned. Meanwhile, Project 2025 outlines chilling plans to eliminate the public existence of transgender people, further illustrating how far the movement is willing to go to suppress identities that don’t align with its narrow worldview. At its core, MAGA politics have embraced a culture of bullying—loudly and proudly shaming, silencing, or insulting anyone who doesn’t think like them.
Trump and Vance openly dismissed Bishop Mariann Budde when she called for them to have compassion for marginalized communities.
At the 2025 National Prayer Service, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde called on President Trump to show mercy toward LGBTQ people and immigrants, prompting Trump to dismiss the sermon as "boring" and later attack Budde on social media as a "Trump hater" who politicized the church. Budde defended her remarks as a call for unity and compassion, emphasizing the dignity of all people and the need to support those living in fear. Trump, however, remained stoic during the service and continued to criticize her tone and message, further escalating tensions between his administration and faith leaders advocating for marginalized communities.
Texas passed House Bill 229, which would ban transgender adults.
What is House Bill 229?
The Texas House has passed House Bill 229, a controversial measure that would legally define sex strictly based on biological reproductive organs, excluding transgender and some intersex people from recognition in state records. Titled the “Women’s Bill of Rights,” the bill mandates that all Texas government documents and policies reflect this binary definition.
If enacted, over 120,000 trans Texans could be forced to be identified by their sex assigned at birth — even if they’ve already legally changed documents like birth certificates or driver’s licenses.
Erasing Trans Identities
Supporters, including bill author Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Austin), argue it protects women’s rights. Opponents, including many Democrats and civil rights advocates, say it’s an erasure of trans identities, scientifically inaccurate, and could lead to legal inconsistencies and increased risks for trans people, such as in prisons or healthcare. The bill aligns with Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order recognizing only two sexes, and Attorney General Ken Paxton’s opinion advising agencies not to accept court-ordered gender changes on documents.
Senate Bill 1257
The House also passed Senate Bill 1257, requiring insurers that cover gender-affirming care to also cover the full cost of detransition, even retroactively. Critics say this could discourage insurers from covering trans healthcare at all, further endangering access. Overall, advocates warn these measures aim to legally erase trans people and make life in Texas more dangerous and discriminatory for them.
MAGA's views on intersex people is more extreme than Algeria. These are their thoughts on Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif.
Prominent Republicans claimed Khelif was transgender
A false right-wing conspiracy erupted after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defeated Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds at the Paris Olympics. Prominent Republicans — including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Sen. J.D. Vance, and Donald Trump — falsely claimed Khelif is a transgender woman, despite no evidence. Khelif has always competed as a woman, including at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The backlash is rooted in a 2023 disqualification Khelif faced from the International Boxing Association due to a vague gender-eligibility test, but no details confirming a trans identity were ever released. Cisgender women can naturally have traits like high testosterone or XY chromosomes, complicating such assessments.
Dangerous Rhetoric
Critics warn this rhetoric not only spreads misinformation but also endangers Khelif, as her home country Algeria criminalizes LGBTQ identities. The International Olympic Committee clarified that Khelif is not transgender and that the controversy is based on misreporting. Notably, there are no trans women competing in the Olympics this year — though one trans man, Hergie Bacyadan of the Philippines, did compete (and lose) in the women’s division. Predictably, that story was ignored by right-wing figures.
The Trump administration is terminating the national LGBTQ+ suicide prevention hotline
Summary
The Trump administration will eliminate the specialized LGBTQ+ youth support service on the 988 National Suicide Prevention Hotline. This service, launched nationwide in July 2023 after a 2022 pilot, was created in response to the disproportionately high suicide rates among LGBTQ+ youth.
The administration says the change is intended to "no longer silo LGB+ youth services" (notably dropping the “T” for transgender) and instead focus on serving all help seekers. Officials also claim the hotline was promoting “gender ideology,” a term critics say is used to dismiss the legitimacy of transgender identities.
Impact and Facts about the LGBTQ+ Hotline
Over 1.3 million contacts (calls, texts, and chats) have been made to the LGBTQ+ line since it began.
Experts argue the specialized service was crucial because LGBTQ+ youth face unique mental health challenges due to stigma, discrimination, and violence.
Callers are seeking crisis help—not ideological discussions—and that eliminating this service could harm vulnerable youth.
Though LGBTQ+ youth can still call 988, they may no longer reach operators trained to understand their specific experiences.
Services like those from The Trevor Project remain available but could be impacted if funding decreases.
Funding for 988 remains at $520 million, but money specifically for LGBTQ+ services has been declared exhausted for this year, with future funding pending congressional decisions.
“Everyone is welcome here” classroom sign violates new Idaho law
Saying everyone is welcome is expressing a personal opinion
In Idaho, a new law now bans public K–12 teachers from displaying signs or posters deemed to express political or ideological views—including those with messages like “Everyone Is Welcome Here.” The change was sparked by a controversy involving sixth-grade teacher Sarah Inama, who refused to remove motivational posters from her classroom that emphasized inclusion, equality, and belonging. School administrators claimed the signs violated district policy by expressing a “personal opinion,” and after resisting the directive, Inama ultimately resigned in May.
No showing opinions or beliefs related to politics, society, or religion
The law, which took effect on July 1, 2025, follows guidance from Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, who instructed that classroom displays must not show opinions or beliefs related to politics, society, or religion. Labrador specifically cited Inama and claimed the “Everyone Is Welcome Here” signs originated from a social movement in Minnesota after Trump’s 2016 election—an effort he labeled as ideological. In reality, the signs were a response to racist vandalism at a high school, meant to comfort students.
Indiana Church calls for executing all LGBTQ+ people.
The Sure Foundation Baptist Church in Indianapolis has come under fire for a sermon delivered during its "Men's Preaching Night" on June 29, in which multiple members called for the execution of LGBTQ+ individuals and used violent, homophobic slurs. Despite widespread condemnation, including from the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis, the church has defended the sermon, claiming it aligns with Biblical teachings and insisting they are calling for government action, not vigilante violence. Preacher Justin Zhong and others doubled down on the message in social media posts, expressing no remorse and labeling LGBTQ+ people as “domestic terrorists.”
Trump confuses Transgenic v. Transgender mice.
Trump openly claimed there was government-funded research creating “transgender mice;” a political smear designed to discredit legitimate science. In reality, the criticized NIH funding supported research into biological sex differences in the brain, which is vital for understanding conditions like Alzheimer’s, PTSD, depression, and gender identity. Only $1.4 million of the $8 million went to transgender-related studies. This research is important because it helps explain how gender identity may develop neurologically and genetically, which is especially relevant for supporting trans and autistic youth, who statistically overlap. The claim about “trans mice” is a distraction from the true goal: discrediting science that supports transgender people. While conservatives claim to oppose government waste, they ignore how the Trump administration uses taxpayer money to spread anti-trans misinformation and roll back legal and medical protections.