With the 2024 election looming, the Gender Research Advocacy Council and Education (GRACE) this week announced that a conservative U.S. Army veteran named Eric Childs, who was raising a transgender son until his death in an accident shortly after the Republican governor, Announcements were made regarding featured public services. , Henry McMaster (RS.C.) signed a series of anti-trans bills.
GRACE hopes Childs’ message will counter the flood of anti-trans attack ads from conservative candidates, including former President Donald Trump. Republicans have spent tens of millions of dollars on efforts to make transgender rights a divisive and prominent issue ahead of Election Day.
“For me, serving my country was about defending freedom, fighting for democracy, and defending our entire country after it was attacked,” Childs said at PSPA. “Freedom means freedom. It means the ability to live one’s life one’s own way. Life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. And that’s what I wanted someday to do for my children. .”
In a press release, GRACE featured words from Jessica Spearman Childs, Eric’s widow and mother of a transgender son. He saw this not as a political issue but as a human issue, recognizing that every child has the right to the opportunity to grow and feel whole. His military service was not his only accomplishment. It is one of compassion, empathy, and fighting for the right of every individual to live as their true self. ”
GRACE founder and president Alaina Kupec, a retired military officer and former U.S. naval intelligence officer, told the Washington Blade: These false narratives went unchallenged and we took the initiative to set the record straight. ”
She continued, “True conservative values mean that the government should not mandate care or impose terrible policies simply designed to attack and bully communities. The vast majority of both parties view these attacks as empty and self-serving. And after all this election cycle, we are confident that attacks on the transgender and LGB community will lose support with voters. I will once again remind all political parties of what they are losing.”
GRACE Executive Director Jennifer Williams, who serves on the Trenton, N.J., City Council, told the Blade as a private citizen:
“The huge amounts of money being spent on ads targeting the 0.06% of the U.S. population who have never committed a federal crime shows how desperate some politicians are to win at all costs. It shows that.
“My personal belief is that these ads started at the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons to scare young men about transgender people, especially transgender women. These ads raise concerns about personal safety and discrimination against transgender Americans. Such gross and excessive anti-LGBTQ ads will have long-term effects.
“After watching or listening to these ads for a few months, some people may be influenced by the fear of what they don’t understand, act on that fear, or stop respecting our humanity. After this election, it is clear that we must rebuild support for transgender Americans across political and social dimensions to protect ourselves. Our very freedom and liberty depend on it.”
As explained in a press release, GRACE aims to engage with “centre and center-right audiences who are often not prioritized but whose support is needed to change the current national narrative.” .
Data shows anti-trans ads are likely to backfire politically
questionnaire published on thursday Data For Progress’ findings show that voters are disgusted with anti-trans commercials, and the findings are consistent with the organization’s research over the past year, showing that voters prioritize LGBTQ They consistently report that they are more focused on issues such as the economy than on problems.
Voters don’t think either party should spend too much time on transgender issues, but they also believe Democrats are more trustworthy and Republicans more extreme on transgender issues, according to Data for Progress. .
Additionally, the survey found that voters believe transgender people should be treated with respect and do not agree with the use of anti-transgender messages in attack ads.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
