Congress drives a wedge deeper into heart of politics
The tempest in a toilet bowl has spilled into the halls of Congress.
It’s clear the thought of allowing people who dress and act like women to use the women’s bathroom or who feel and talk like men to use the men’s bathroom has become the wedge issue of the year. While we know of no incidents involving transgender people assaulting children in restrooms, and we’ve yet to hear a credible report of someone feigning sexual identity issues so they can sneak a peek inside the girls’ locker room, this has become the conservative cause célèbre. Now, any issue involving the acronym LGBT draws an immediate line between right and left.
In some states this political crusade is causing real pain for people who don’t need any more anguish. Conservatives are trying to force people who desperately want to fit in to stand out, or stand in a men’s room when they should be in the ladies’ room.
You’d think the new potty police would know better by now. Those who have cynically chosen this issue to drive a wedge into the American body politic are the same ones who have been driving such wedges for decades, following a scorched-earth political strategy. For 30 years they’ve demonized immigrants as job-stealers, smeared peaceful Muslim Americans as terrorists, conflated homosexuality with pederasty, and abortion with murder.
Such cynical calculations put Donald Trump atop the Republican Party, but at a cost of possibly sundering their party and driving away more thoughtful conservatives.
On Thursday, we saw how this strategy plays in the House of Representatives. Sadly, our representative was among those playing the game of division.
A bill that contained a provision requiring federal contractors to certify they don’t discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people was on the verge of passing (just barely). Then the counting stopped, and Republican whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, began walking the aisles. He persuaded seven Republicans – four Californians – to change their votes, in effect allowing employers to discriminate. Here in California the issue is moot, as the state already provides legal protections for gay and transgender people. But that didn’t matter to Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, David Valadao, R-Hanford, Mimi Walters, R-Laguna Niguel, and Darrell Issa, R-Vista.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, meanwhile, insisted this is an issue for states to decide. Some states that have decided, like North Carolina and Tennessee, have decided against fairness.
Ryan might not have heard it in his voice, but we could hear a distinct drawl echoing through the corridors of history. “States’ rights,” said Ryan. “States’ rights,” said Strom Thurmond arguing against the Civil Rights Act some 50 years ago. “States’ rights,” said Gov. Orval Faubus as he barred the Little Rock Nine from an all-white high school. “States’ rights,” said Gov. George Wallace standing in front of the University of Alabama to deny entry to black citizens.
They were all Democrats, and they were all wrong. Ryan is a Republican, and he’s just as wrong. So, too, are Denham, Valadao, et al.
We know hyperconservative voters will cheer. But those who abhor discrimination, who believe in fairness, who recognize cynical political calculation for what it is, will be angry no matter their party affiliation. It’s possible a majority of our area’s residents oppose LGBT rights, making this a good, short-term political move. But eventually, that will change and many will regret it.
In choosing to fight against LGBT fairness, Republicans have entered the outhouse to find their wedge issue. They shouldn’t be surprised when voters decide what they’ve done stinks.
This story was originally published May 22, 2016 at 4:52 AM with the headline "Congress drives a wedge deeper into heart of politics."