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With the Biden/Harris win, I see a lot of trans people parroting the same misinformation campaign about Kamala Harris, claiming she argued to house trans women in men's prisons as CA attorney general.
This isn't true. The truth is, like the truth always is, more complicated...
This isn't true. The truth is, like the truth always is, more complicated...
First, the headline: No, Kamala Harris did not argue to imprison trans women in men's prisons. They were already in men's prisons.
It's been law in CA to house trans inmates based on their sex designated at birth, a law that only changed TWO MONTHS AGO. https://apnews.com/article/prisons-gender-identity-california-gavin-newsom-archive-14cd954b06360d21349b77233318369e
It's been law in CA to house trans inmates based on their sex designated at birth, a law that only changed TWO MONTHS AGO. https://apnews.com/article/prisons-gender-identity-california-gavin-newsom-archive-14cd954b06360d21349b77233318369e
What Harris did was be attorney general while the state was arguing in court against two trans inmates having the GRS paid for by the state Department of Corrections inn 2015. Harris was not personally involved with the case but has accepted responsibility for it and apologized.
CA ultimately LOST that case and agreed to pay for the inmates' surgeries in what became a landmark case for transgender prison rights.
Harris chose not to appeal the case to a higher court. Not an angel, but also not the wanton cruelty ascribed to her. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/us/california-is-first-to-pay-for-prisoners-sex-reassignment-surgery.html
Harris chose not to appeal the case to a higher court. Not an angel, but also not the wanton cruelty ascribed to her. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/us/california-is-first-to-pay-for-prisoners-sex-reassignment-surgery.html
This incident is fair from "okay," but it's important to report on it honestly and in context and actually be mad about what happened rather than turn a complex figure into a soulless boogeywoman...
Harris has a strong record on LGBTQ and even trans rights outside this incident, stronger than most other Senators. She's authored or sponsored every pro-trans law since being seated, including 2 (unsuccessful) national bans on the trans panic defense.
https://www.billtrack50.com/LegislatorDetail/21783
https://www.billtrack50.com/LegislatorDetail/21783
She was the DA prosecuting the murderers of trans teen Gwen Araujo in 2006. Their use of the trans panic defense so disgusted her she began a statewide campaign to abolish it, which became CA state law in 2014. https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/09/05/california-on-track-to-become-first-state-to-ban-gay-panic-defense/
As AG in 2016, she also signed CA on to an amicus brief against trans bathroom bans in federal court.
"This bigoted and discriminatory law targeting transgender individuals is a dangerous step backwards in the long march toward equality for all Americans" https://www.oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-urges-federal-courts-protect-transgender
"This bigoted and discriminatory law targeting transgender individuals is a dangerous step backwards in the long march toward equality for all Americans" https://www.oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-urges-federal-courts-protect-transgender
And no, I'm not arguing that minorities need to just accept abuse for some greater good. It's okay to be pissed about injustice and call out bad behavior, but it's also important to look at people—especially powerful potential allies—as a whole rather than at single incidents.
Whether we love her or not, Harris is one of the better allies the trans community has in federal government right now. She's proven she's willing to acknowledge and grow beyond her past fuckups.
I don't think she's an angel, but I think she's someone we can work with.
I don't think she's an angel, but I think she's someone we can work with.
Anyway, now that I've probably cost myself a couple hundred followers and earned a brand as a neo-liberal or a centrist or something, I'm going to mute this thread and go get lunch.
