Good evening viewers this week on the nonprofits. We are going to start off in Texas, where the LGBTQ community and academia just cannot seem to coexist if it weren't for the very special right wing folks in control of the government. And I'm going to kick it over to Aaron Jensen for a greater explanation.
Aaron, take it away.
Yeah, Texas State Representative Brian Harrison and about a dozen of his fellow lawmakers have quote vowed to take drastic action end quote against any Texas public university that offers LGBTQ sexuality programs. They're also super grumpy that the University University of Texas systems new policy offers free tuition to any families making less than one hundred thousand dollars because
of some very large endowments they've received late recently. Unfortunately for Representative Harrison and his friends, the funny they want to cut off to the university doesn't actually come from Texas State coffers and they can't do anything about it. Looks like someone needs to learn a lot how their government works. Oh wait, it's more like he's just runing
to score points from his base right. And this story is from the Christian Post by Ian M. Giatti on November twenty seventh, twenty twenty four.
Thank you, thank you.
Yeah, you know, I have to chuckle anytime I hear these Christian Christian demagogues nowadays having a problem with sexuality. I mean, doesn't Christianity have enough sexual problems of its own? I mean the book I have heard described as a sex manual or a I don't know, do not have sex.
Manuals, do not sex man do not do not sex manual.
Right, So to hear them having a problem with anything that relates to sex, I have to point the finger back at them. But you know, Aaron brings up a good point, and Eli, I want to get your take on it. Is this only about education, of course, or could it relate to something else tax dollars?
Aaron says, maybe scoring points with his base. What do you think?
Yeah, so it's I firstly, I don't think it has much anything to do with the tax dollars. I think that it's intended to send a message to LGBTQ plus people in Texas universities from you know, from whether named Brian Harrison, we are not welcome here. We don't want you here. Your experience and your life isn't valid, and we don't care. I think that's the message he's trying to send, And whether he actually believes that or not doesn't matter, because just like Aaron said, he's trying to
earn points with his base. Politicians have learned that they don't have to believe the things that the Christians believe or the Whoever's believe. They just have to say the things that they believe and get them to agree with
them for a different reason. So if you know, certain politicians want, you know, stricter immigration because it's better for business, because it keeps more laborers in other countries where there's fewer safety regulations that they don't have to pay them as much, they can have their business over there and get their borders restricted. By playing into the narrative or into whatever, what do you call it, rhetoric that you
know that their voter base is agreeing with. They don't have to agree with what they're saying, they just have to say it. And they've learned that, and I think that's what's happening.
Yeah, yeah, And so I guess staying in power probably has something to do with this right wanting to stay of power, wanting to maintain the status quo of said power structure. And we know that Texas is a conservative and right leaning state, and so yeah, there are some kind of checkboxes that you have to hit in this day and age where things are very polarized and people are probably as uninformed as they've ever been.
They just hear the buzzwords and they keep going.
And you know, Kelly, I want to get your take on how this power structure in Texas can be challenged by a more expansive education, if that's possible.
Texas does have your reputation for leading an individual liberty, freedom and limited government according to them, So I don't know how you can expand And honestly, I think this is one of the problems that the left has had over the last few years. We're not standing up to misinformation and bullying enough, and I think that's one of the reasons of the left maybe had lost the last election. So I don't know if I can say that right not. I'm hoping I can.
But uh, I think we're good. I think we're good. Cool, Yeah, I thought so.
I'm pretty good at walking right up to the line. Yeah, I'm not sure. I because we've been talking about educating the public about these issues, and I think we we have at least put those issues out there. We've talked about them. But the misinformation just like snowplowed right over us and we couldn't see. I'm from the north, so snowplow. Yeah, and we didn't fight back enough, I don't think.
And that's I think.
So I don't know. I'm not really sure how we can well educate people more, right, misinformation? What what kind what examples of misinformation should we be fighting back against or should the left be fighting back against? You know, one of the goofy crazy things that I seen on social media was and and was actually repeated by some politician was that kids were going to school and have gender reassignment surgeries at school.
Donald Trump said that. Donald Trump said, not going to name any names. Okay, Okay, I will, I will. I mean, that's not a criticism. I mean, this is what the guy said. He said that, he clearly said that it's wrong. Uh yeah, but you're right.
I mean, I think there has to be some kind of public outcry against this stuff, right, and.
When you get and then when you get you know, well, the problem is we're dealing with the Carlin effect, right, George Carlin at average intelligence isn't really that smart, and half the people are dumber than that.
So when you when you.
Say things like what Trump was saying, people will kind of latch onto these ideas because they're already anti trands to begin with. So here's this person in authoritious authority figure who is just telling me what I want to believe. So of course I'm going to believe it because he's you know, he's the man.
So much to unpack there.
We could take this conversation in so many directions just based on that. But yeah, I want to stick to education. I want to jump over to Aaron Aaron stunning introduction. Thank you very much for taking us down this path. You like the idea of free education. Does Brian Harrison actually have a point though? I mean, should these studies be reserved for private institutions those of us that uh want to see Christianity and other dogmas kept in their churches,
kept in their homes? Should we not be surprised?
Right?
Should we?
Should we be saying, okay, well that applies maybe to gender studies or LGBTQ studies.
Why is it? Why is it not fair?
Uh?
With the shoe on the other foot, Uh, well at all.
Now, these studies definitely belong in public universities because it's a university. The point of going to a university is to get a degree, and that degree certifies that you have specific knowledge. And if your degree it relates to LGBTQ and sexuality, you're going to need to take lgbt sexuality classes to gain that knowledge. And that's just for people that are majoring or minoring in those kinds of things. There's an expected level of knowledge you're going to need
to know when you graduate. And by taking those classes out, what they're doing is saying, anybody that's going to have any kind of major in this area, go somewhere else, go to some other university, go to some other state, which I guess that's his prerogative to do. But what they're really doing is they are absolutely terrified of education because when people get educated, they become a little more skeptical, they take a little more rationally, and that slowly eats
away at religion. Religion. The number of people that identify as non religious is increasing every year in the United States. I think we're now twenty five percent of the United States population people identify as none, and that terrifies religious people, and so they are trying whatever they can do to activate their base, activate the people, do whatever they can to force their religion down because they can see that
their religion is dying. Not only that, I think rationally, they know that their religion doesn't have a leg to stand on. And when you're out there in the world and you're listening to the nuns, to us out there saying, well, this is why your religious ideas are kind of iffy. You know, these are the reasons why the Bible maybe not might not be trusted because half of it was made up. We don't know who wrote, you know, the Bible.
When they're confronted with these kind of facts, what are their choices, Well, their choices are to either accept it or double down. And so they're just they're doubling down. This is their ever to double down, and they're doubling down by trying to exclude LGBTQ studies from our universities.
You know, I saw an excellent clip today and something I really am not exposed to a whole lot, but There was a guy on a video I was watching that had a Bible from I think it was eighteen twenty three, and a lot of the verses were not there, like some things were not there, you know. And it's so interesting that bibles, how often Bibles can change. I don't think that people realize that that Bibles are crafted to fit a certain model.
And look at the Bible in Oklahoma. This isn't biblical. This isn't biblical. But the Bible that Oklahoma trying to roll on schools contains the US Constitution, except it doesn't. It contains some of the amendments are missing from the Constitution. And you think, well, why would you do that? This is just what people do.
They that's a good segue.
They exclude this stuff they don't want anymore.
Before we move on real quick, I wanted to point out that you think of these classes as like somebody majoring in LGBTQ issues, But there's other people who are taking these classes for information too, like counselors and psychologists.
And this is saying that you know, you cannot study these things to deal with a lot of the people, because let's face it, a lot of these people go through traumatic experience in their lives because of their identities, and we're taking we are literally taking away the education of the people who would be able to help them.
Yeah, tramatic experience.
If you were to ask these people, they would act as if these courses are being jammed down every throat of every person studying every major. And what you don't understand is that gender studies, LGBTQ studies are humanity studies. I mean, these could go along with a degree in biology or in anthropology, in sociology. There are a lot of good reasons for a lot of different minds, people
focused on different types of educations. To have a little hint of that, I went to college at a Catholic college, not because of the religion. I was already almost an atheist. I went there for other reasons. Good programs otherwise. But they make everybody study at least fifteen credits in or excuse me, at least nine credits.
In religious studies. And you know, why would that be important?
You know, obviously there's a little bit of a difference there because that wasn't a public college, but it's.
All the same. Like I got a little bit out of that. In fact, I would say contributed to me being an atheist.
In any case, I want to stick with the idea of religion and politics that Aaron so eloquently laid out, and I want to go to Eli, Eli, Why do you think there is such a tendency for the Right and for Christianity to coalesce so often in so much What are your thoughts on that.
I think it sort of has to do with kind of what I was describing earlier, Like basically, you have you have these two parties that at this point are just kind of dedicated to opposing each other essentially on almost all topics just for the purpose of opposing each other.
So one side picks one platform, the other side picks another platform, and then they start appealing to the groups that agree with them, they're electorates, and that just so happens that the Right found a lot of common and ground with, you know, some with with a lot of Christians, and that's who they started appealing to, and it's kind of just snowballed from there, I think, I mean, I think that that might primarily have a lot to do
with it. It just seems to with when you look at the idea of being traditional being you know, conservative being. You know, I don't know where the idea of you know, like how like having that there are some things that I think don't really quite mesh well with Christianity, but I think they found enough common ground that they're just like, this is who we're going to appeal to, and started doing a pretty good.
Job of it.
Yeah, you know, I feel like it's Christianity is so lazy, you know, because it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to be a Christian.
You just say the things that people tell you to say.
If you walk around pretending that you read the good book, you haven't read the book.
You know.
I get into arguments and people.
Say, well, I've read a good bit of it, and I'm like, yeah, that means you haven't read it.
Yeah, yeah, you haven't read it.
Right.
It's so it's so lazy, and it's so disc forgiveness, that's how yeah, right.
And I feel like there are a lot of aspects on the you know, with the with with conservative agendas really that also allow that.
You know, it's kind of.
Like the government saying we're going to stay out of your hair and you can do whatever you want, and there will be less rules and will take less of your money, and it's kind of more of a free for all that if the Democrats or the Liberals, depending on where you know, where you're at, you know.
We're in control anyway.
I don't know I see a dichotomy there, but I do see the hatred of religion coming out a lot when it comes to Republicans. And and we we have talked about this before the weaponization of the Republican Party.
You know, a lot of that hatred comes from the Bible, comes through Christianity, and it's kind of filtered through the Republican Party.
And Aaron, I just wanted to kind of get your take on that, Like, do you see more hateful rhetoric nowadays because of the alignment between you know, Conservative America and traditional religious outlets.
I think this this started back from what I understand, Yes, it seems like the rhetoric is more intense, it's more bigoted, it's more divisive than it ever has ever been. But I could just be that I'm paying more attention to it. I don't know. From what I understand, this kind of all started with New Gingrich in the nineties. This this slow descent into fanaticism, the divisiveness, taking advantage of the
Christian the Christians as part of their base. I think what the Republican Party did a really good job of, and now this is what they're suffering from, is they turned their voters into single issue voters where the only issue that matters is abortion. Right soon and as soon as you turn somebody or as soon as you become a single issue voter, it no longer matters who you vote for. You're only voting for a party, and suddenly you become party over country. And that's exactly what that
and that's what Donald Trump exposed. You know when he said in the first election, I could shoot someone on First Avenue and I would lose it.
He votes fifth Avenue, Aaron, fifth Avenu.
Sorry, fifth aven I would lose it. He votes. He was true because his base are are Singlish voters. It doesn't matter what Donald Trump does, They're voting for him.
Yeah.
Right, And you know what that speaks to kind of the conversation that that Kelly and I had a little bit earlier. So you know, the power structure, right, Christians are upholding this thing because, like we've alluded to in this conversation, they are losing ground, they're losing their influence. Aaron, you you showed or talked about the rise of nuns, and how's that for? Uh?
Transgender? I never thought I would consider myself a nun, but here I am. You know, so anyway, Uh, you know the.
Rise of people claiming to be non religious or atheists. You know, I think that speaks to what happened if people actually get an education and at Kelly, I want to get your take on that. You know, what happens to the citizens of Texas or to the Texas government if people get an education on sexuality and gender studies?
What happens to the government. Oh my gosh, they might might actually be helping somebody in the community. I think what would happen in the long run if we would actually get this pass through being able to have these classes and actually teach people this kind of thing. I think we would have better health care. I don't know how much it would affect the educational system. I know that. I mean, people are going to take the classes for
the career that they want, that they want. They're not going to just take this class for the fuck of it. For the most maybe somebody will I used to take classes like that sometimes, But I mean, this is not something that everybody's going to be forced to take. If you're going to be an accountant, you don't have to take this class. Right, You've got a business degree, you don't have to take this class. So I don't know that it's going to affect the educational system that much.
But what it could do is it may affect social standards, like people will start to accept the LGBTQ community instead of ostracize it, which is happening really really really badly now. As Aaron mentioned earlier, it's gotten worse, and that's because they want abortion now. They need a single issue again, and that issue is the LGBTQ community, and they're coming out full strength against them. And it's scary, wow, because
this is I mean, like you can't. I mean, we saw what happened some violent things that happen with abortion clinics, But you're talking about adults, right, so adult Like it's easy to attack an adult instead of a building. See one couple of gay guys walking home one night boom, right, And this is the kind of thing that I worry about when we ostracize the community and they're making that the one single issue, just like they did with abortion. It's kind of scary.
It is scary, and this is why after the election so many people felt a sense of hopelessness for such a while. I think, I think generally the aura is improving and people you know, are kind of accepting their new reality and you know, not so down in the dumps. But it is scary. Nonetheless, you know, I want this country to make progress. And on that note, I think what I want to do is a little lightning round here. Gentlemen, I'm going to go down the strips, starting with Eli and Aaron and Kelly.
Let's give it about thirty seconds. Each most important thing you took away from this article, go ahead.
I think it's that, well, from the discussion more than the article, that when people start to get into areas where they're experiencing diversity and experiencing people that aren't like them, that hold that like conservativism has on people kind of sense to like fizzle out. And that's what taking away the you know, these types of studies is going to take away from that or is going to strengthen that whole that conservativism has on those minds because they're not being exposed to other ideas.
Okay, excellent, Aaron.
My big takeaway from this book is, and to quote Sean Connery from Indiana Jones, the last crusade that goostepping morons like these people should try reading books instead of burning them. Maybe they should go take an LGBTQ sexualities class instead of trying to ban them. Or maybe they just say I'm not interested in taking an LGBT class, but other people can do what they want to do.
Maybe they should be stand for individual liberties like they supposedly are, instead of cramming their morality down everybody's throat. What are they so angry and scared of? Anyway? We should not be scared of knowledge, Kelly.
Two things stood out to me. One the hypocrisy of Christian nationalism. Quote from Harrison. I'm sick of my constituents tax dollars being weaponized against them, their values, and their children. But it's okay for him to weaponize it against people he doesn't agree with. That was a number. Two was another quote for him. Leftives have been put in charge of our public universities and the inmates are now running the asylum. This guy actually thinks public schools are in asylums,
So why why is left wrong? Why is right right? And right right? And it was a kind of a Freudian slip an idea which is embodied in this bill also taking away d I DEI funding, so it's not just l DBTQ studies but the DEI funding as well. See the new things that stood out to me.
Yep, the other boogeyman like you talked about and you know, you mentioned weaponization this and that's what I was trying to get to earlier when I mentioned the weaponization, because this person using this hateful rhetoric just goes to show you how religion can be weaponized through the use of government.
And you know, folks, we here at the nonprofits, we talk about this stuff because it's important to spread awareness about what the LGBTQ community and other other folks that are going to be on the receiving end of the rat of the religious right are going to experience. And you know, LGBTQ rights are human rights. It's good to have an education against them. So what excuse me an education about them? And so what if you learn something, you'll actually be way better off than if you hadn't