Battleground - Republicans Reshape Tennessee
Battleground is a reader-supported publication. Consider supporting the newsletter through Buy Me A Coffee. Republicans Reshape TennesseeAnti-trans legislation and partisan gerrymandering give a peek into the Republican party's vision for the future.Before reviewing Tennessee’s midterm election results, I need to take a moment to call out bigotry baked into bills recently passed by Tennessee Republicans…Anti-LGBTQ LegislationTwo bills were recently passed in Tennessee: one outlawing drag performances in public, the other banning minors from receiving gender affirming care. These bills are a part of a national movement against the LGBTQ community and are accompanied by explicit calls to eradicate ‘transgenderism’ from public life. Here’s a list of organizations that are accepting donations to fight back against anti-LGBTQ bills like the ones just passed in Tennessee. While donating dollars is incredibly helpful, one often forgotten responsibility of allyship involves listening to trans people talk about these issues for themselves. If you’re worried about children transitioning, listen to two trans people talk about their experiences living as trans children. If you’re not sure why people are so upset about JK Rowling, listen to the way her advocacy directly hurts trans fans of the Harry Potter franchise. While trans men are often erased from our dialogues about toxic masculinity, they hold valuable insights on male privilege and patriarchy. Since the community is so small, most Americans hear about trans issues through the lenses and mouths of other cisgendered folks. So whenever possible, seek out trans voices and give them a signal boost when they speak up. Partisan Gerrymandering Pays Off for RepublicansDemocrats were drawn out of Nashville in the most recent round of redistricting as Tennessee Republicans passed a map that split the state’s largest city across three different congressional districts. This led to the retirement of Democrat Rep. Jim Cooper who lost most of his voting base as the state’s fifth district went from holding all of Nashville to only holding a small portion of the city along with several rural counties to its south. In Cooper’s place now sits Rep. Andy Ogles; a Republican who opposes abortion, same-sex marriage and has recently been accused of lying on his resume like fellow Republican freshman George Santos. As a result, Republicans now hold 8 of the state’s 9 US House seats (87%) despite only winning 64% of the state;s total US House vote. Not only has redistricting eroded the power of Tennessee Democrats, it’s also made it harder for Nashville voters to accurately cast their ballots. Following Election Day 2022, election administrator Jeff Roberts reported that more than 200 voters voted in the wrong congressional district races due to ballot errors stemming from split precincts. While no races were close enough for these errors to sway outcomes, Democrats are admonishing Republicans for introducing more vulnerabilities to the state’s election system while professing a commitment to election security. “Sloppy gerrymandering of Davidson County is the fundamental problem. Most of our neighborhoods and precincts are in multiple congressional districts, which is just a nightmare for election administration.” - State Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville More From Battleground on Tennessee |
Key phrases
Older messages
Ohio's Slow Coal Trainwreck
Monday, February 27, 2023
Recent electoral successes in Appalachian Ohio hide the Republican Party's failure to improve conditions in the state's poorest counties.
Florida is a red state. Get used to it.
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Ron DeSantis's political transformation of Florida cannot be understated or ignored.
Wisconsin: How Conservative Talk Radio Weaponizes Whiteness
Monday, February 13, 2023
Racism may have compelled split-ticket voters to show up for both Sen. Ron Johnson (R) and Gov. Tony Evers (D).
Mississippi Democrats Have Suspicious Minds
Monday, February 6, 2023
Elvis Presley's cousin? That's who you're getting behind...?
"MAGA-Lite" Finds A Home In Utah
Monday, January 30, 2023
While Utahns have finally hopped on the Trump train, they're still skeptical of the extremists on board.
You Might Also Like
UK's Investigatory Powers Bill to become law despite tech world opposition [Mon Apr 29 2024]
Monday, April 29, 2024
Hi The Register Subscriber | Log in The Register {* Daily Headlines *} 29 April 2024 secret agent eavesdrops using headphones plugged into an audio centre mounted with tape reels (illustration)
'Stop apologizing and do something, Portugal'
Monday, April 29, 2024
what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas Hey, this is Sham, your very own news curator. I have a quick survey prepared, so you can tell me in my face what you like and don't like
QAnon Was Born Out of the Sex Ad Moral Panic That Took Down Backpage.com
Sunday, April 28, 2024
For years, the political establishment opportunistically railed against sex trafficking. Then came Pizzagate. Most Read QAnon Was Born Out of the Sex Ad Moral Panic That Took Down Backpage.com Trevor
Monday Briefing: Plans for Gaza’s future
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Plus, European countries crack down on China's influence. View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story Ad Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition April 29, 2024 Author Headshot By
Guest Newsletter: Five Books
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Five Books features in-depth author interviews recommending five books on a theme Guest Newsletter: Five Books By Sylvia Bishop • 28 Apr 2024 View in browser View in browser Five Books features in-
GeekWire's Most-Read Stories of the Week
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Catch up on the top tech stories from this past week. Here are the headlines that people have been reading on GeekWire. ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: Science Firsthand: Learn how Bristol
🍿 The Hardy Boys on Acid
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Plus: 'The Lord of the Rings' Extended Cut is returning to theaters.
10 Things That Delighted Us: From Cardboard Bed Frames to Compact Makeup Stacks
Sunday, April 28, 2024
The most useful, thoughtful, and just plain fun things we uncovered this week. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may
LEVER WEEKLY: Pentagon Grifts And Zombie Pipelines
Sunday, April 28, 2024
From insurance meltdowns and zombie pipelines to Pentagon grifts, here's all the news from The Lever this week. LEVER WEEKLY: Pentagon Grifts And Zombie Pipelines By The Lever • 28 Apr 2024 View in
Birds
Sunday, April 28, 2024
So hot right now ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏