Putting a giant "Most in U.S. back GOP's anti-trans policies" headline on the front page when describing a poll that found that to be false is journalistic malpractice.
What a disservice to WAPO readers. This poll is atrocious. The questions are poorly worded. Our language is changing so rapidly, you can’t ask these questions without having a baseline on what all the terms mean. Gender is fluid and gender roles are made up. If we just all agreed on that, no one would need to transition because we could all be who we are from birth to death.
Its weird talking to relatives and they don't even know about how scary all of the laws and do not treat it seriously when I tell them I can no longer go to many states. The center-left media is pretty complicit in that since they frame everything around issues that effect way fewer people (trans kids who want blockers and sports competitions) and do not make it clear how people are already selling houses and moving because of these laws.
💜 I’m with you Parker. I don’t give two shits if someone can accept in their heart of hearts that my child is trans. But they damn well better stop bullying my kid, seems like not a lot to ask! These ghouls and the mouthpieces that enable them.
May 8, 2023·edited May 8, 2023Liked by Parker Molloy
Deliberately misreporting the results of their own poll isn't merely shitty journalism, it's unethical. I haven't subscribed or read WaPo in a year because I came to the conclusion that they're a crappy newspaper, but this is worse than crap. Far worse - it carries a Fox Newsish stink that makes me gag.
I'm an elderly woman whose 43 year old daughter is a lesbian. I began thinking she was, way back when she was about 7 or 8 years old. In our family, she was always "out," and always accepted and loved, as she still is. For her 20th birthday, she threw a huge party in our backyard and invited about 100 of her closest friends, many of whom were from our local LGBTQ community. I had the opportunity to meet and party with young transgender people, and I enjoyed every moment of that party. I've been very lucky in my life to have had friends of all kinds.
The right wing is utilizing the prejudices of Americans to push a narrative that nonwhite, non-cisgender people are a danger to the country. Their real agenda is to install a fascist government, and making people fear and loathe "the other" swings the door wide open so that oppression and unchecked power can prevail.
I fear for my daughter, her spouse, and actually, all of us. Thank you, Parker, for being here and for this article.
I saw that headline and wondered if it were true, honestly not surprised it was not. Just terrible. And looking forward to the "Liz" Holmes article response, what a joke that was. You may have written about it before so I am sorry if I am repeating something here, but as CNN moves fully right, the NY Times seemingly just mirrors the pitchbot joke account, and with this with WaPo--what major publications or channels do you recommend? I find it difficult to find a source that doesn't consistently frustrate me. Any recs?
"... if you cannot accept that trans people exist and are just as deserving as anyone else of a life where we can live in relative peace, then you’re not a journalist, you’re an anti-trans activist."
This really says it all, and sadly more and more media outlets see us trans people as less than human, which then influences how other people see us. I'm far beyond frustrated, and I'm so very tired. I'm also frightened as hell. How have we as a society not yet learned that dehumanizing people is patently evil and only leads to horrific things? I weep at our lack of understanding and empathy.
Thank you for writing this. I'd like nothing better than to stop having to read about other people's opinion of my existence every day, but right now we're the chosen subject of the right's demonization of minority groups. I live in Texas, and have two kids in college here. I'd like to stay until they graduate, but it's looking like that may be impossible. This is equally ridiculous and scary.
Nice to get the average American's opinions on puberty blockers, when probably 99% didn't even know such things existed a few months ago. It's shallow, it's uninformed, it's bigoted, but is IS an opinion, so that's all that matters!
I didn't have time to ready this until after my first shift today. Read it, and was properly pissed off at how they totally effed up the framing of their own poll. Checked their front page? Doesn't appear, at all. Apparently they put it up, and then took it off the front page. The piece (of garbage) is still on their site, but you'd have to be looking for it to find it. Grr.
Trans persons &/or anyone in the media with integrity should not have to act as public editors for some of the biggest media orgs in the U.S.
As always, glad for your sharp eyes & great work, Parker. My attention was focused on kicking the asses of Greg Abbott and other Christofascist gun nuts like him today.
Cancelled my WaPo subscription and signed up for paid TPA based on this article. This newsletter is infinitely more deserving of my subscription dollars.
What’s worst is that the WaPo has been my go to paper ever since NYtimes went to hell journalistically. So where can people in search of honest journalism go?
Conservatives always start with the claim that they're trying to "protect children". It doesn't take much to reveal that instead, they're always trying to take something away from everyone.
I've avoided subscribing to the Times because of this stuff, choosing the Post instead. Now I'm going to have to re-think that decision as well.
I don't suppose this is much of a comfort, but I could point to some polls from about 20 years ago that were jet fuel for the Republican efforts to ban gay marriage. Subjecting the rights of a minority to the uninformed opinions of the majority usually doesn't turn out well for the minority, but it's also true that as the public gets more of a chance to learn the stories of those in the minority and to see them as fully human, opinion tends to turn against the bigots.
What a disservice to WAPO readers. This poll is atrocious. The questions are poorly worded. Our language is changing so rapidly, you can’t ask these questions without having a baseline on what all the terms mean. Gender is fluid and gender roles are made up. If we just all agreed on that, no one would need to transition because we could all be who we are from birth to death.
Its weird talking to relatives and they don't even know about how scary all of the laws and do not treat it seriously when I tell them I can no longer go to many states. The center-left media is pretty complicit in that since they frame everything around issues that effect way fewer people (trans kids who want blockers and sports competitions) and do not make it clear how people are already selling houses and moving because of these laws.
💜 I’m with you Parker. I don’t give two shits if someone can accept in their heart of hearts that my child is trans. But they damn well better stop bullying my kid, seems like not a lot to ask! These ghouls and the mouthpieces that enable them.
Deliberately misreporting the results of their own poll isn't merely shitty journalism, it's unethical. I haven't subscribed or read WaPo in a year because I came to the conclusion that they're a crappy newspaper, but this is worse than crap. Far worse - it carries a Fox Newsish stink that makes me gag.
I'm an elderly woman whose 43 year old daughter is a lesbian. I began thinking she was, way back when she was about 7 or 8 years old. In our family, she was always "out," and always accepted and loved, as she still is. For her 20th birthday, she threw a huge party in our backyard and invited about 100 of her closest friends, many of whom were from our local LGBTQ community. I had the opportunity to meet and party with young transgender people, and I enjoyed every moment of that party. I've been very lucky in my life to have had friends of all kinds.
The right wing is utilizing the prejudices of Americans to push a narrative that nonwhite, non-cisgender people are a danger to the country. Their real agenda is to install a fascist government, and making people fear and loathe "the other" swings the door wide open so that oppression and unchecked power can prevail.
I fear for my daughter, her spouse, and actually, all of us. Thank you, Parker, for being here and for this article.
I saw that headline and wondered if it were true, honestly not surprised it was not. Just terrible. And looking forward to the "Liz" Holmes article response, what a joke that was. You may have written about it before so I am sorry if I am repeating something here, but as CNN moves fully right, the NY Times seemingly just mirrors the pitchbot joke account, and with this with WaPo--what major publications or channels do you recommend? I find it difficult to find a source that doesn't consistently frustrate me. Any recs?
"... if you cannot accept that trans people exist and are just as deserving as anyone else of a life where we can live in relative peace, then you’re not a journalist, you’re an anti-trans activist."
This really says it all, and sadly more and more media outlets see us trans people as less than human, which then influences how other people see us. I'm far beyond frustrated, and I'm so very tired. I'm also frightened as hell. How have we as a society not yet learned that dehumanizing people is patently evil and only leads to horrific things? I weep at our lack of understanding and empathy.
WaPo, 1860: "Poll of slaveowners finds Americans OK with slavery."
Thank you for writing this. I'd like nothing better than to stop having to read about other people's opinion of my existence every day, but right now we're the chosen subject of the right's demonization of minority groups. I live in Texas, and have two kids in college here. I'd like to stay until they graduate, but it's looking like that may be impossible. This is equally ridiculous and scary.
Nice to get the average American's opinions on puberty blockers, when probably 99% didn't even know such things existed a few months ago. It's shallow, it's uninformed, it's bigoted, but is IS an opinion, so that's all that matters!
I saw this on Pew Reports as well. WTF! What’s 36 plus 23. Why I do believe that is 59! https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/06/28/americans-complex-views-on-gender-identity-and-transgender-issues/
I didn't have time to ready this until after my first shift today. Read it, and was properly pissed off at how they totally effed up the framing of their own poll. Checked their front page? Doesn't appear, at all. Apparently they put it up, and then took it off the front page. The piece (of garbage) is still on their site, but you'd have to be looking for it to find it. Grr.
Trans persons &/or anyone in the media with integrity should not have to act as public editors for some of the biggest media orgs in the U.S.
As always, glad for your sharp eyes & great work, Parker. My attention was focused on kicking the asses of Greg Abbott and other Christofascist gun nuts like him today.
This is sad. WAPO distorting their own poll is really disgusting.
Cancelled my WaPo subscription and signed up for paid TPA based on this article. This newsletter is infinitely more deserving of my subscription dollars.
What’s worst is that the WaPo has been my go to paper ever since NYtimes went to hell journalistically. So where can people in search of honest journalism go?
Conservatives always start with the claim that they're trying to "protect children". It doesn't take much to reveal that instead, they're always trying to take something away from everyone.
I've avoided subscribing to the Times because of this stuff, choosing the Post instead. Now I'm going to have to re-think that decision as well.
I don't suppose this is much of a comfort, but I could point to some polls from about 20 years ago that were jet fuel for the Republican efforts to ban gay marriage. Subjecting the rights of a minority to the uninformed opinions of the majority usually doesn't turn out well for the minority, but it's also true that as the public gets more of a chance to learn the stories of those in the minority and to see them as fully human, opinion tends to turn against the bigots.