On Tuesday the Supreme Court handed down decisions in 2 cases related to transgender athletes and the results were as terrible as we expected. I feel a special sorrow in living in one of the 2 states whose cases were used as the basis of this decision.
See, there just aren’t that many trans people, let alone trans kids, here.
In reality, in 2022, there were 700 kids between ages 13 and 17 who identified as transgender. That is 0.68% of all West Virginians 13-17 years old. Statewide, there are only 5,700 adults (ages 18+) who identify as trans, or 0.4% of the state’s adult population. This is an infinitesimal amount of our populace, yet these three gubernatorial candidates have based their campaigns on punching down at this minority. Specifically, going after literal children.
West Virginia passed a law banning trans kids from sports teams that aligned with their gender. This was such an important issue and so critical to the well-being of WVians that the governor at the time, Jim Justice, had a ready answer to defend his decision to sign the bill.
Just kidding—he’s a stupid oaf and he gave a stupid oafish answer:
Holeeeeeeeey shit, Jim is not a smart man, Jenny.
Becky Pepper-Jackson (pictured above), who was 15 at the time her lawsuit was brought, has identified as a girl since the third grade and has been on puberty blockers so she has no physical advantage over cisgender girls at her school. Here’s her explanation for why she wants to continue to play sports with her teammates:
“I play for my school for the same reason other kids on my track team do–to make friends, have fun, and challenge myself through practice and teamwork,” said Becky Pepper-Jackson, 15, of West Virginia. “And all I’ve ever wanted was the same opportunities as my peers. Instead, I’ve had my rights and my life debated by politicians who’ve never even met me but want to stop me from playing sports with my friends. I know this case isn’t just about me, or even just about sports. It’s just one part of a plan to push transgender people like me out of public life entirely. I’m proud to stand up alongside my mom for what I believe and who I am and I want other transgender kids to know they aren’t alone.”
All of this is so stupid and all y’all already know that.
Naturally every bottom feeder in the WV GOP rushed to take credit for it:
Stupid Jim:
Our fatuous Temu Trump governor:
Our sad sack state AG:
Honestly, I am so angry and disgusted about this that I could spit. The state is in dire straits in so many areas, compromising our kids by closing their schools, cutting their healthcare, and taking food away from them. The WV GOP is a bunch of hicks who found a bunch of haters who agreed with them. There’s nothing “elite” about a bunch of Dollar Store Gilead weirdos ganging up to bully trans kids. Frankly, it’s embarrassing to watch adults act like this—taking victory laps after making kids cry.
It’s all more infuriating when you learn that this was one of the headline stories on Tuesday morning here in WV:
Three women have been charged in connection with the June 20 discovery of a dead four-month-old baby in Mingo County.
The infant’s mother, Jonda M. Whitt, 35, was charged with child neglect causing death and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, according to the Mingo County Sheriff’s Office. Officers found what they believed to be fentanyl at the scene, and Whitt told troopers that she used fentanyl prior to the child’s death, a criminal complaint said.
Tonya Hayton, 50, was also charged in the case for violating Child Protective Services instruction after receiving the baby as a foster parent.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Mingo County Magistrate Court and reported by WOWK, Hayton allegedly allowed the child’s mother to live in her house for two years despite CPS telling her to not allow Whitt to have contact with the child. Hayton reportedly saw Whitt take drugs with the baby in the room.
The complaint also said Hayton confessed to taking substances while the infant was in her care.
Obviously Jersey Pat was all over this, right, given how much he cares for kids. Yeah right:
The governor previously called for an internal investigation into the death of an 11-year-old girl, Miana Moran, in Taylor County after she died weighing 43 pounds. WCHS-TV reported CPS visited the home several times including just a few days before the girl’s death but took no action.
Morrisey told West Virginia Watch he has not yet called for a separate investigation into the infant’s death in Mingo County.
“It’s very difficult and so heartbreaking to see what happens in some of these individual circumstances, and it’s awful, and we should try to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.
Yes, let’s make sure it never happens again by never investigating it in the first place. But he cares about kids, y’all.
This fucking state.
I’ll leave you with this: