They Really Do Mean Eradicate
Welcome to CPAC, the hub of today's American conservative movement.
This year's
And it was especially memorable for featured speaker, Michael Knowles:
During the second day of CPAC events, Michael J. Knowles, a political commentator and Daily Wire host, made a series of pointed comments towards the trans community that many are viewing as genocidal.Ramping up to his speech on Saturday, Knowles called for the banning of transgenderism entirely in a recent episode of "The Michael Knowles Show," adding that it wouldn't be genocide to do so as "It's not a legitimate category of being." Behind the podium on Saturday, he leveled up those initial remarks."There can be no middle way in dealing with transgenderism," Knowles said in his CPAC speech. "It is all or nothing. If transgenderism is true, If men really can become women, then it's true for everybody of all ages. If transgenderism is false — as it is — if men really can't become women — as they cannot — then it's false for everybody too. And if it's false, then we should not indulge it."Continuing his Socratic rant, Knowles drove his point further saying, "For the good of society, transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely," gaining a wash of applause from those in attendance.
Eradicated.
Words matter. And hearing Knowles intentionally use the term and the subsequent applause from the dozens of attendees in the audience tells us just how far down the fascism rabbit hole today's Grand Old Party has plunged. Knowles is already painting himself as the victim. But we knew he would do that. What we're also seeing is the GOP rallying to his defense. Once-rational Texas Senator Mike Lee is on Twitter saying that Knowles might have a case for libel (spoiler alert: he doesn't). Shockingly, not a single GOPer has publicly denounced Knowles' statement as of late last evening. Because, it's not like they disagree with Knowles. They too, want transgenderism eradicated from everyday life. They just don't want to be associated so closely with the German Nazis they aim to emulate.
Charlottesville was not a blip on the radar. The past six years have shown us a resurgence of White nationalism in this country. Trump emboldened them. This is not even the first time Michael Knowles has vilified the transgender community; this is simply the first time he's done so out of the safety and security of the conservative media bubble. His boss, Ben Shapiro, sure as hell won't discipline him. The University of Buffalo has already said they won't be cancelling Knowles' upcoming speech. Knowles and his ilk will be fine. But this can and should be a huge red flag for the rest of us. We are at war with modern-day Nazis.
We need to keep fighting. Because the very existence for those we care about is now perpetually on the ballot. Each anti-transgender law introduced in red states aims to get this community closer and closer to eradication. Removing their stories from public schools. Taking away their autonomy to make their own health care decisions. Refusing to allow them to participate in high school sports. Each and every anti-transgender law aims to make transgender women and men less human. By denying them the opportunity to become their true selves, Republicans are in many cases creating at atmosphere where both the physical and mental health of those seeking to transition becomes unstable. Today's Republicans might not be physically pushing transgender women and men onto train cars, but they are sure as hell are content in seeing them needlessly struggle and suffer as a result of their policies.
Ultimately, that's the goal. Removing them from public life. Making them unseen and unheard. Rejecting their right to live as their authentic selves. Republicans feel the same way about today's transgender community as the Nazis did about the Jews and other non-Aryan groups in the 1930s. Knowles will argue the semantics of what he said on Saturday. But we all know what he meant. You cannot "eradicate transgenderism" without eradicating transgender women and men. The word choice was intentional. He did not misspeak. He said what was in his heart. And what was in his heart was complete disdain for hundreds of thousands of our fellow sisters and brothers.
CPAC's influence is (thankfully) waning. But we have work to do. Republicans have once again shown us their hand. They have a historical blueprint as to what eradication looks like. History is cyclical and for the first time, fascism has reached American shores. We know they will continue to target our transgender sisters and brothers. They are the "other" that the GOP so desperately needs to rally up its base. They can't fret about the dangerous southern border in Tennessee but they sure as hell can fret about the transgender drag queen reading to our kids at the public library. The first great culture war of the 21st century is centered on transgender rights, an issue with which the Republicans are once again on the wrong historical side. But like any cornered animal, the GOP is dangerous and when folks like Michael Knowles overtly tell us who they are, we better damn well listen.
We simply cannot afford not to.