Nebraska lawmaker with trans son tells GOP colleagues she’s done with them in righteous speech

A Nebraska state senator is causing waves in the state legislature after a scathing speech where she told her Republican colleagues that she is done being polite with them since they’re attacking her family. Namely, her 12-year-old son, who is transgender.

“My son is trans,” said state Sen. Megan Hunt (D), vowing to filibuster every bill the legislature takes up until a trans medical ban proposed by a Republican is withdrawn. “And this bill, colleagues, is such an affront to me personally and would violate my rights to parent my child in Nebraska.”

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Despite Democrats’ filibuster that has shut down the legislature, the GOP won’t give in and move on.

She was referring to L.B. 574, which would ban doctors from providing gender-affirming care to transgender people under the age of 19. The measure includes puberty blockers, meaning that trans youth would have to go through puberty associated with the wrong gender and live with its permanent effects if this bill passes.

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The bill is called the “Let Them Grow Act,” a reference to how Republicans believe that gender-affirming care is dangerous – but only when transgender youth accesses it. The bill bans certain procedures for transgender youth but explicitly allows them if they’re performed on intersex youth in order to appear more like the sex a doctor assigns to them at birth.

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The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all rejected claims that gender-affirming care harms transgender children or adults.

Nebraska state Sen. Michaela Cavanaugh (D) has been filibustering all bills in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature for weeks now, and Hunt has joined her. The legislature meets for 90 days a year, meaning that if they filibuster until June 9 then they have killed all legislation for the year.

“If this bill passes, all your bills are on the chopping block, and the bridge is burned,” Hunt said in her speech.

“People have said, ‘What if we go after your bills? What if we put a bunch of bills introduced by progressives up on the agenda? Are you going to filibuster those, too?’ Yes, because we’re not like you,” she said. “We have a principle and a value that actually matters that much to us that we’re willing to stand up for.”

“You really don’t get it. You’ve crossed a line and you’ve gone too far.”

Then she said she was done even pretending to be polite with people who want to take health care away from her son.

“Don’t say hi to me in the hall, don’t ask me how my weekend was, don’t walk by my desk and ask me anything. Don’t send me Christmas cards ― take me off the list,” Hunt said. “No one in the world holds a grudge like me, and no one in the world cares less about being petty than me. I don’t care. I don’t like you.”

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State Sen. Megan Hunt (D), speaking directly to Republicans, reaffirms vow to filibuster all legislation if #NEleg anti-trans bill passes:

"No one in the world holds a grudge like me. And no one in the world cares less about being petty than me. I don't care. I don't like you." pic.twitter.com/IBvOV3g5ey

— The Recount (@therecount) March 23, 2023

“This hateful bill is not about policy,” she added on Twitter. “It is a basic human rights issue. The vote today will show us exactly which senators value the dignity, autonomy, and personhood of Nebraskans. Do not cross this line. Do not violate our rights.”

This hateful bill is not about policy. It is a basic human rights issue. The vote today will show us exactly which senators value the dignity, autonomy, and personhood of Nebraskans. Do not cross this line. Do not violate our rights. #TransRightsAreHumanRights #NELeg pic.twitter.com/UUoG0Au6ab

— Senator Megan Hunt (@NebraskaMegan) March 23, 2023 AdBridg.cmd.push(function() { AdBridg.display("div-gpt-ad-outstreamplayer"); });