THEROSTOWREPORT >> BY ANN ROSTOW <<
WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
TO THE POLLS! One third of the country is expected to vote in the March 3 Super Tuesday primaries, which will involve 14 states along with Democrats Abroad and American Samoa. That, of course, comes after this month’s contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. And Super Tuesday will be followed by another dozen primaries before the month of March is over. It seems as if we’ll either have a candidate by the end of March or we’ll really be in trouble. But you know what? Even if we can’t chose a nominee and our Democratic Party is consumed with infighting, it will be springtime.Yay! Speaking of Democrats running for president, did you see that Mayor Pete’s campaign relocated a fundraiser from a gay bar to a hotel at the last moment because the bar would not take down its dancer pole? The Dark Lady in Providence, Rhode Island, was supposed to host an event with Pete Buttigieg’s husband Chasten, but the advance team nixed the location after learning the pole, which was fixed in its spot, could not be moved. Really guys? I guess Sanders and company deliberately held an event at the Dark Lady a few days later in order to make a point. And that point is… lighten up for God’s sake! You’re gay. You’re raising money at a gay bar. And you’re concerned about the idea of pole dancers who might have danced in the same space in the past or might be dancing there in the future? Are you worried about putting a dent in your support from the Christian right? And by the way, why are these guys campaigning in Rhode Island? That’s not on the list.
THE CENTER ISN’T HOLDING So, what else has been hap-
“THE WORLD IS FALLING APART, DEAR READERS! UNFORTUNATELY I USED UP MY LIFETIME ALLOCATION OF VERBATIM REFERENCES TO YEATS’ THE SECOND COMING DURING TRUMP’S FIRST YEAR. SERIOUSLY. THIS WORKS ON THE HONOR SYSTEM. YOU SIMPLY CANNOT PARROT LINES FROM A SINGLE POEM MORE THAN A HUNDRED TIMES. IT’S A RULE.” pening? Trump and company proclaimed “religious freedom day” on January 16 and proceeded to institute policies that allow nine federal agencies to award federal grants to church groups and religious organizations. This as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could allow religious schools to apply for taxpayer funded vouchers.
1 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
The world is falling apart, dear Readers! Unfortunately I used up my lifetime allocation of verbatim references to Yeats’ The Second Coming during Trump’s first year. Seriously. This works on the honor system. You simply cannot parrot lines from a single poem more than a hundred times. It’s a rule. I can still paraphrase, however.
Meanwhile, South Dakota and a fistful of other states are trying to outlaw puberty blockers, a significant part of the toolbox employed to treat transgender youth who need to pause their sexual development while they continue to consider their gender identity. Puberty blockers are commonly used to treat all sorts of kids who are experiencing premature puberty, and as I understand it, they are not permanent. When you stop the medication, puberty will resume. Meanwhile, the problem for transgender teens is that transitioning is a zillion times harder after puberty, particularly for transwomen who are then stuck with Adam’s apples and all the powerful male traits that you guys know and love. Plus, it’s a horrible experience for transgender kids to deal with the emergence of misgendered sexual features. And what about all those children who change their minds? Well, these blockers aren’t prescribed willy nilly to questioning youth. It’s serious business conducted by specialist doctors. And as for surgery, that decision is postponed until adulthood. For those young people who do reevaluate their transgender feelings, the puberty blockers can be stopped. Let’s just agree that whoever makes these decisions, South Dakota lawmakers should not be consulted.
LOVERS STATE PASSES ERA Did you see that the Virginia legislature ratified the Equal Rights Amendment the other day, becoming the 38th state to do so? It’s true that the original deadline for ratification expired back in 1982, and further, a handful of states that ratified the ERA back in the day have since reversed themselves. But I have also read several articles that say
