Marginalizing victims 

One SLO County supervisor was eerily silent during a recent Pride Month discussion on the dais.

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Political consultant, Ronald Reagan conservative, and soon-to-be running for his third term, 1st District Supervisor John Peschong didn't say a word except "no" on June 20 when he voted against a resolution proclaiming June to be LGBTQ-plus Pride Month. Maybe his partner-in-Republican-crimes 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold said enough for both of them—continuing to say more as she attempted to extricate her big foot out of her even bigger mouth.

The pair took the resolution as an opportunity to continue their protest against anything that "separates" out marginalized groups from the herd that continues to marginalize them.

Since Peschong didn't say a goddamn thing, I'll just assume he agrees with Debbie Downer: "We are all Americans and we stand under the American flag as Americans," she said. "Identity politics has been around forever, I think, forever, and it does tend to separate folks into different groups. It often, um, kind of promotes victimhood, and, um, I don't think that's the way to go."

I couldn't roll my eyes any harder! Hah! Is she serious? If you're obviously being discriminated against, but you say something about it, you're playing the victim?

Jesus, Debbie, you're so privileged that you can't even look at what's going on across the country and see what's happening to the very group you're saying that about. Or you're choosing not to see it as targeting a specific group of people—the LGBTQ-plus community, specifically those who identify as trans. The legislation being bandied about in state legislatures, not to mention the conversations happening in some North SLO County school districts, should be evidence enough that no one is just playing the victim.

Just like that "Embrace White Pride" sign targets everyone who isn't white! Duh.

Trans people are literally being singled out. They aren't doing it to themselves.

Next time Debbie pouts about not getting her way on the board, someone should tell her not to be such a victim. Gross.

She continued by congratulating neighbors and community members, who made us a "more inclusive society" just by being "good."

Yep, there weren't any protests against discrimination, bigotry, or marginalization. Women didn't fight for their right to vote. No one was assassinated for speaking up against the powers that be. It didn't take countless marches, speeches, and riots to get rid of Jim Crow laws. No wars were fought to end slavery. No laws were passed to ensure that "everyone," even people of color (but not necessarily women or LGBTQ-plus folks), were included under the umbrella of constitutionally granted protections and rights. The Stonewall uprising against police treatment of gay people never happened.

It was just good neighbors.

No, Debbie. Good neighbors didn't bring our society to a more inclusive place.

Bad neighbors are bringing us to a less inclusive space. Bad neighbors target queer people who are walking down the street—just ask Lola White-Sanborn, who spoke at the meeting and eloquently let you know that she didn't believe your bullshit.

"Fostering an inclusive environment requires openly acknowledging what bigotry exists, not pretending everything is fine now," she said, adding that it was difficult for her to believe that anyone opposing the proposed resolution would have any goal other than "exclusion."

Debbie, John, we all see you.

Bad neighbors speak about how to limit transgender rights in SLO Tea Party meetings and then claim that isn't what they were doing.

Local Moms for Liberty chapter co-founder Jennifer Grinager, who now serves on the Templeton Unified School District board, took a spin before the local Tea Party poopers, trying to rally the troops around gender and bathroom issues.

"We all probably wish that we could just go back to a time period where boys are in the boys' and girls are in the girls' and the end of that discussion," she said in a video posted of her appearance. "But we are not going to be successful if we take that stance, primarily because we have a law that was passed in 2014."

The law protects the rights of students—stating that they can't be discriminated against based on gender, race, religion, and/or disability. Those are "protected classes under our state laws," she said. "Now gender identity—even perceived gender identity—is added as a protected class."

Gosh, I wonder why that law was passed, Grinager. Debbie, you got any ideas? Was it because of "good neighbors" or "victimhood" or was it because of people who marginalize others based on gender, religion, race, and/or disability?

"So we have got to be creative," Grinager added at the Tea Party meeting, you know, about discriminating against transgender students legally. It's gotta be above board, amirite?

Then, after this little video got leaked, Grinager was indignant about the LGBTQ-plus community's reaction. The Gala Pride and Diversity Center, which is running on all cylinders trying to keep up with every relevant issue that arises in local government (and there are a lot), put out a call to action for people to show up to the Templeton school board study session where Grinager proposed her "legal" coup.

Grinager's study session soliloquy ended by saying she was willing to speak to anyone about how much she cared for the LGBTQ-plus community and transgender folks. But she didn't speak to New Times about it. Surprise, surprise. Δ

The Shredder has a weekly soliloquy. Send thoughts to [email protected].