cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/13118934
Josh Turek of Iowa, Democrat, comes out with one of the worst anti-trans ads yet.
Not only is it an anti-sports ad, it proposes a ban on federal funding for gender affirming care. That would hit all medicaid and medicare patients, and any ACA federally-subsidized plans as well.
What do you think he meant when he said “I oppose tax-payers paying for anyone’s sex changes too”? Is that not a promise to gut health care for trans people that depend on medicaid or medicare to get the care they need?
You really need to understand the context is Turek’s actual support on LGBT issues:
https://politifact.com/factchecks/2026/jun/05/ashley-hinson/josh-turek-sex-changes-for-kids-iowa-senate/
He was accused of wanting to pay for surgery on kids without their parents consent.
We can’t get society to pay for anything, why the fuck would an Iowan Senator decide to start paying for gender affirming surgery?
He supports preferred pronouns in schools, he supports hormone blockers for minors, he supports adults having surgery.
Have you even fucking looked at what his Republican opponent wants to do on this topic?!
You’re ripping all context out of this, and trying to decrease Dem turnout, seemingly somehow aware that is a million times worse…
Because some people are lucky enough to have state healthcare who would lose their care. And because we all know this wont’ be applied to other Gender Affirming care like hair restoration or Viagra.
There’s so many ways to see this as an attack on people it’s confusing how people refuse to understand it
Where are you getting this? I’m not seeing anything about it on his platform. That would be good to hear, but as it stands all I have him saying “I oppose tax-payers paying anyone’s sex changes too” in his latest ad. Right after saying “women should not be in women’s sports if they’re trans” too, which is already plenty transphobic before threatening to take away the healthcare of literally any person that needs a sex change (and lets not pretend that this isn’t a widely used statement to mean all gender affirming care).
Because it is making gender affirming health care less or in-accessible to trans people that rely on medicare or medicaid. Getting a gender affirming surgery is quite different from getting ice cream and definitely not something someone does “just because they wanna”. It’s incredibly intense surgery, with a whole lot of after-care. And again, let’s not pretend that “sex change” is not widely used code, especially in politics, for all gender affirming care.
He is obviously courting republican transphobes with this ad. He is capitulating to the fascists on the cultur war they started in an transparently desperate attempt to win over some of them, as if anyone who cares this much for getting a transphobe elected would go for the transphobe-lite when they can have the real deal.
He said something that anyone with basic critical thinking easily can understand, because they know a male who transitions to female is no longer male…
Will republicans hear it differently and think he’s “anti-trans”?
Yeah …
That’s literally why all these red state candidates to keep fucking phrasing it that way.
What the fuck is wrong with tricking stupid bigots?
Again, take a look at what his opponents stance is on this.
And try to give me some sort of answer based in logic for why you’re trying to get the Republican alternative in Iowa elected.
If Turek loses, how do you think that’s better for the trans community?
Again, if you have anything that demonstrates that he is not planning to take health care away from trans people or have women banned from womens sports if they trans then please do share it! I would love it if he isn’t actually anti-trans, that would be really great news! Why wouldn’t I be happy about that?
But they don’t know that he knows that. His platform doesn’t even mention trans people (or queer or LGBT or any of those terms) at all. All there is right now is him repeating what the republicans are saying they want to do to trans people verbatim. Hopefully there is a clarifying statement in the next days, I would love nothing more than to eat crow on this. Because if people have to defend someone so hard after his own ad then it clearly is a shit ad and will get pulled and buried. Why confuse your electorate by saying the exact opposite of what you’re planning to do just to maybe pull like a 0.1% percent advantage…
Buddy…
Why do I have to prove it, when you don’t?
Again:
Look at the Republican candidate for this Senate seat, she openly wants all the things you think the Dem might want…
You do understand that if Turek loses, it’s worse for everyone nationwide, right?
Everyone in America will be worse off if the Republican wins.
And you are spreading propaganda to help that Republican, which helps trump.
Based on your assumptions.
Why the fuck would anyone not try to stop the Republican by voting Dem?
Edit:
Not even just everyone in America will be worse off…
Look at all the shit trump is causing internationally.
A Dem Senate would reign him in.
The list of countries that would benefit from Lurek losing is very short, and it will only not get worse for the wealthiest there.
I don’t care what country you live in, you should want to limit trump, unless you agree with him of course
What do you mean, my assertion that he is blowing the pro-discrimination dogwhistles like “no males in womens sports” and “no taxpayer money for GAS” is well proven by this ad that I shared. Your assertions that
a. He supports preferred pronouns in schools
b. he supports hormone blockers for minors
c. he supports adults having surgery
aren’t. What have I forgotten to give proof for? I’ll provide it. All I’m asking for is anything to hold on to that this guy isn’t the transphobe he is making himself out to be (supposedly to “trick stupid bigots”).
I’m spreading his own fucking ad! He literally delivered and then endorsed the message! I’m spreading what he wants everyone to know about him!
But…
You already said you believe that transitioning literally describes changing genders and a male who transitioned to female is no longer male…
Well, you said you believed that, to be honest I’ve had my doubts and they just keep growing.
No, you cross posted from .ml who got it from Elon Musks pedo playground…
I seriously doubt his campaign used the same headline you did, and I doubt you’re not aware most people on social media only read headlines.
You’re spreading Republican propaganda with that headline. It doesn’t really matter if you understand it or not. It’s what you’re doing.