No Nazis! No KKK! No Fascist USA!
As we take in this week’s news of escalating attacks on LGBTQIA+ people and democracy, we want you to keep some important facts in mind:
In 96 cases of democratic backsliding (1900-2019), 68% collapsed into authoritarian rule.1
BUT
In those cases where there was labor movement participation, anti-authoritarian movements had a success rate of 83 percent!2
AND
We know that only 3.5% of the population engaging in non-violent civil resistance (protest!) is enough to successfully challenge an authoritarian government takeover.3
More good news:
Union density in the U.S. is around 10%.4
Around 10% of the U.S. population is LGBTQIA+.5
We, as a labor movement and as LGBTQIA+ people, but especially as queer unionists have tremendous power and responsibility in this moment. Our experience as activists gives us the tools to organize and WIN!
As you read the news, remember that MAGA must rely on the tools of fascism to maintain any kind of power because the reality of their economic policies actually hurts the working class, which is 98% of people in the U.S.!6
We, the people, have the power! And we are going to keep building and wielding it to create a country and economy where everyone can thrive .
Find some of the hundreds of labor actions happening across the country in the next month HERE.
Pride At Work is planning two national Zoom trainings this fall to equip our members 1) to protect our siblings from ICE’s reign of terror and 2) to engage in strategic non-cooperation with fascism and the pillars prop it up. Dates and registration coming soon.
Pride At Work condemns the escalating authoritarian attacks on trans kids and their families, federal workers, health care workers, hospitals, immigrants, our Constitutional rights, and democracy itself. Together we have the responsibility and the power to halt these grave injustices.
News:
Trump Admin to End Coverage of Gender-Affirming Care for Federal Workers: The Trump administration has announced that it will stop covering gender-affirming care for federal employees and their families beginning in 2026. Insurance carriers must also now “establish an exceptions process" for coverage of gender-affirming care for those who are currently receiving it, which the letter specifies “should be applied on a case-by-case basis.” The letter does not provide any guidance for how those processes should be developed, nor does it specify whether this policy change will result in any interruptions of coverage or care. Lastly, the letter instructs insurance companies not to “list or otherwise recognize” providers of gender-affirming care in provider directories.
BREAKING: Outrage after Florida quietly paints over Orlando Pulse shooting memorial: In the predawn hours Thursday, the Florida Department of Transportation sent crews to Orlando’s Pulse nightclub memorial and quietly erased one of its most visible tributes: the rainbow crosswalk that had stretched across West Esther Street since 2017. By sunrise, the vibrant symbol of resilience had been replaced with the stark black-and-white lines of a standard crossing. For LGBTQ+ leaders, allies, and survivors of the Pulse massacre, the timing and secrecy felt like an act of desecration.
DOJ Demands "Every Writing or Record" of Trans Youth Care From Hospitals: The Justice Department has asked nearly two dozen hospitals around the country to provide extensive personal information about young patients who have received gender-affirming care. The DOJ issued a subpoena to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in June, a copy of which was made public this week in court filings, according to The Washington Post. The subpoena requests that the hospital provide a wide range of documents, including “documents sufficient to identify each patient (by name, date of birth, social security number, address, and parent/guardian information) who was prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy.” It also asks for the billing records and insurance claims for underage patients receiving gender-affirming care; training materials for billing and coding practices regarding gender-affirming care; the personnel files of employees who prescribe medication or who engage in billing activities; and “every writing or record of whatever description” made by doctors regarding gender-affirm care.
ICYMI: Trump has attempted to take over D.C. and has federalized the police force, bringing in hundreds of national guard troops from across the country, federal officers from the DEA, FBI, DHS and more, as well as masked, unknown individuals without badges to attack and kidnap people off of the streets. Now, Trump says he will join the police and military on D.C. streets Thursday, as his administration continues its effort to exert control over the capital city. “I’m going to be going out tonight with the police and with the military, of course,” Trump said in an interview with talk show host Todd Starnes.
Citations:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371371333_Breaking_Down_Pillars_of_Support_For_Democratic_Backsliding (Also noteworthy: approximately 83% of movements with national trade union participation succeed, versus only 29% of movements without.)
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr/publications/35-rule-how-small-minority-can-change-world
https://news.gallup.com/poll/656708/lgbtq-identification-rises.aspx
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/16/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/
