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Tweet by San Antonio Express-New, saying: “Sen. Rafael Edward Cruz, who uses the preferred name Ted, has introduced a bill to limit the use of preferred names and pronouns.”

      • ares35@kbin.social
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        11 months ago

        the express-news, along with the newspapers in austin, corpus christi, dallas, el paso, fort worth, houston, and longview, all endorsed beto in 2018.

          • Jimbabwe@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            Which is another reason everyone in charge is scared of remote work. The divide is what keeps this ridiculous political shitstorm going. I say this as a techie Texan with a permanent WFH job who used the pandemic as an excuse to move out of the city. The small town I live near now has slowly transformed from a typical R-voting small Texas town to a purpleish LGBT friendlyish badass mixed community. We still voted for that stupid pee-baby Abbott, but change is definitely in the air…

  • BaronVonBort@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Ah, the refreshing feeling of seeing a headline from my local paper on a website and not being ashamed of what it says.

  • HiddenLayer5@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    His pronouns are nazi/fascist

    Oh wait sorry. Nazi’s pronouns are nazi/fascist. Sorry for misgendering!

  • starman2112@sh.itjust.works
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    11 months ago

    Rafael also has preferred pronouns. If we aren’t allowed to use people’s preferred pronouns, do we start referring to Rafael as Rafael instead of he/him?

    I can’t wait for some dipshit to reply to this thinking I actually believe this bill prevents you from using pronouns

    • Masimatutu@mander.xyzOP
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      11 months ago

      “Rafael” is also a preferred name. So we better just start referring to the piece of shit descriptively.

    • hydrospanner@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Yeah the entire Senate should just start to only ever refer to him as Rafael.

      But intentionally mispronounce it “ruh-FAIL”.

      And when he inevitably gets bent out of shape over it, tell him to sit down and let the grown ups talk.

  • KoalaUnknown@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    For those wondering:

    “Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, legally named Rafael Edward Cruz, has introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate titled the Safeguarding Honest Speech Act. The legislation proposes prohibiting federal funds from enforcing policies requiring federal employees to use preferred pronouns or names other than an individual’s legal name”

    • money_loo@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      So he just wants to stop the federal government from enforcing pronouns or aliases in government settings…?

      When does the government actually FORCE or ENFORCE pronoun usage though, using government money?

      Am I taking crazy pills or is he just making shit up?

      *Just wanted to say I appreciate all the people replying, the implications of his bill may be more severe than I initially read into it.

      • DrPop@lemmy.one
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        11 months ago

        Currently the federal government has to respect an employees preferred name and pronouns by law. This would be a violation of individuals rights but when did they ever care about rights.

        • Rodeo@lemmy.ca
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          11 months ago

          What is the act or bill or whatever this was passed in? And is it a recent thing?

      • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        It would stop HR from protecting public employees from being harassed by coworkers or leadership who repeatedly, intentionally and maliciously misgender or deadname trans people. Or clientele for that matter. It would make enforcing policies to treat trans employees and customers with the most basic of respect in using their preferred names and pronouns. If your boss wants to call you by your dead name at every chance, they can. If the DMV clerk wants to call every trans person that comes to their counter by the wrong gender, they can. Anyone that enforces those policies, or scolds or refuses rewards or advancements to those individuals would be in violation of this law.

        • money_loo@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Is that what it’s saying in the bill though?

          I could be wrong but it literally looks like he just wants to make it illegal to FUND the act of calling people their preferred pronouns, as in, not allow internal PSA’s to be made telling people they CAN do it.

          It doesn’t appear to have any teeth or weight to prevent people from still respecting it if they want to.

          It’s attempting to block a problem that doesn’t exist.

      • wildginger@lemmy.myserv.one
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        11 months ago

        Legally, if I tell the government to call me by X name and use Y pronouns, they must respect it.

        Rapheal “loves-the-feeling-of-freshly-pissed-pants” Cruz, or as he is most commonly known, Piss Pants Cruz, doesnt like mandating respect for an individuals preferred form of address.

      • frickineh@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        The government does issue passports in people’s preferred gender. They got rid of the requirement to have any kind of medical documentation a few years ago. Maybe he’s trying to stop that, along with being a total fuckin douche in general.

      • LillyPip@lemmy.ca
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        11 months ago

        No, this is classic fascist double-speak. It’s meant to make you feel like you’re taking crazy pills, unless your brain has already been rewired by fascist propaganda.

  • vitamin@infosec.pub
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    11 months ago

    This is just performative nonsense. It has no chance of passing. But Rafael Cruz just has to let the most fucked up segment of the Republican base know that he on their side!

  • RepulsiveDog4415@feddit.de
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    11 months ago

    Wait, Ted isn’t even one of his names? Of all the names in the world he choose to go with Ted? No disrespect against anyone named Ted but there are cooler names out there…

  • iegod@lemm.ee
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    11 months ago

    How does anyone (who doesn’t already realize what’s up) not realize the absolute absurdity of what’s going on. Like wtf. Pronouns causing problems? Better fucking LEGISLATE it. Like what? The fuck.

    • Seasoned_Greetings@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      Conservative media has been boiling the frog on culture wars since Nixon, and by design.

      No one who listens to right wing drivel realizes the absurdity because their version of politics is like football to them: a game to win with the only real consequence being their ability to shove it in people’s faces, or shoved in back in theirs.

      Conservative media is designed to be that so it is trivially easy to hide actual unfavorable news from their viewers, like $14 billion disappearing over night into Isreal or their god king standing trial on actual, provable charges.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Well a lot of misinformed people think his existence is a good thing but in reality he’s harmful to (amongst other things) the vaginal health of women so yeah, calling him a douche is fitting.

    • shastaxc@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      Kind of true. This is what the bill says:

      “No Federal funds may be used for the purpose of implementing, administering, or enforcing any rule…requiring an employee or contractor of any Federal agency or Department to use—(1) another person’s preferred pronouns if they are incompatible with such person’s sex; or (2) a name other than a person’s legal name when referring to such person.”

      I interpret this to be an attempt to remove any training materials, HR efforts, or resolution conflict mediators from mentioning anything about gender pronouns. The creation of any training documents or resolving any interpersonal conflict where a person calls someone by a name other than their preferred name would be strictly off limits since that time would be paid for by the government. It doesn’t matter if there’s a concrete rule requiring others to respect preferred pronouns or not. If someone is upset about another person disrespecting preferred pronouns, this bill is broadly worded enough that nothing can be done about it. It creates a loophole for a bad actor to harrass someone with impunity.

      This “protects” a harrasser’s right to free speech in the same way it protects Nazis from gathering to protest and promote racism. Protecting free speech sounds good on paper until you delve deeper into the implications. Namely, removing limitations on hate speech in order to further suppress others. This bill is not hypocritical, as at first thought, but it is still just what you’d expect from the GOP.

  • jimbo@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Just remember, as stupid as stunts like this are, there are stupider people who eat it up.

    • Furbag@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago
      1. Enrich the ruling class as much as possible.
      2. Widen the class divide as much as possible.
      3. Eliminate the social safety net to curtail class mobility as much as possible.

      Anything else that happens is merely incidental.