this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
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During a visit to lobby legislators on transgender issues, Senator Carden Summers (R) knelt down and told a child he would protect her. When he learned she was trans, he backed away.


On Feb. 6, a group of families met to lobby senators on issues affecting the local transgender community in Georgia. One mother, Lena Kotler, decided to take her two children with her to give the topic a human face. While waiting to meet with Democratic Sen. Kim Jackson, who they had heard was a big supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, another senator passed by — Republican Sen. Carden Summers, the primary sponsor of the state’s bathroom ban bill. Little did he know that one of the children he would be interacting with, Aleix, 8 years old, was a transgender child.

According to Kotler and other families who were present, the senator stopped to say hello. That’s when Kotler spoke to Senator Summers about how she was there with her kids to “talk to legislators about keeping her kids safe.” Although she did not mention that one of her children was trans, they were present with LGBTQ+ signage - something the Senator apparently missed when he knelt down in front of Aleix and said, according to Kotler, “Well you know, we’re working on that and I’m going to protect kids like you.”

Kotler then replied, “Yeah - Alex is trans, and she wants to be safe at school, she wants to go to the bathroom and be safe.”

That is when, according to multiple witnesses, Sen. Summers stood up and fumbled his words, repeating, "I mean, yeah, I'm going to make sure she's safe by going to the right bathroom," continuing to use the correct pronouns for Aleix. When asked if he would make her go to a boy's bathroom, he then allegedly backed away, saying, "You're attacking me," turned around, and walked off quickly.

read more: https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/georgia-senator-vows-to-protect-girl?publication_id=994764&post_id=141716994

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[–] otp@sh.itjust.works 194 points 9 months ago (3 children)

When asked if he would make her go to a boy's bathroom, he then allegedly backed away, saying, "You're attacking me," turned around, and walked off quickly.

LMAO

Is he a moron, or is that a strategy? Lol

[–] CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world 80 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

He's a coward, just like everyone else in his party. Afraid of a fucking child. His ancestors would be ashamed of him, and his descendants will disown him.

[–] aStonedSanta@lemm.ee 50 points 9 months ago

This is what facism looks like imo. Through and through.

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[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 170 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Brave Ser Summers ran away, Bravely ran away, away. When a child with questions to him was led, He bravely turned his tail and fled.

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 39 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Please no one go to his Facebook page and find his number then leave him a voicemail singing that song

https://m.facebook.com/CardenHSummers4Senate

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[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 124 points 9 months ago

When asked if he would make her go to a boy’s bathroom, he then allegedly backed away, saying, “You’re attacking me,” turned around, and walked off quickly.

I mean, maybe we should just yell that at conservatives?

Maybe it takes something so blunt for them to get it as hearing "you're attacking me".

And if it doesn't, I'm pretty sure that's all you need to say to use stand your ground laws in red states.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 116 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

"yOu'Re AaTtAcKiNg mEeee!!!!"

What a dipshit.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 21 points 9 months ago

It's very easy to attack people like that, usually been within about 50 miles of them is enough. Everything you do is offensive to them including breathing. People that sensitive need to be in therapy.

[–] HowManyNimons@lemmy.world 114 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

"You're attacking meeeee"

It's never not projection with these doofs.

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[–] Anamnesis@lemmy.world 100 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Remember those pics of Goebbels, one before learning the photographer was Jewish, and one after?

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 96 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Thats exactly what popped into my brain while reading this.

attached for reference.

[–] acetanilide@lemmy.world 60 points 9 months ago

Here's a before pic

What a fucking snowflake.

Literally a word causes him to throw away his cause. Going to bet this dude would absolutely abandon his own children. Party of family values my ass.

[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 82 points 9 months ago

You're attacking me, my ass. See how easily they project? It's not even a thought they have, they just exhale bullshit

[–] moosetwin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 65 points 9 months ago (7 children)

Imagine having to be that kid, someone saying they'll protect you and then accusing you of attacking them for part of yourself that you have no control over

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[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 56 points 9 months ago (28 children)

Christianity really messes people up.

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[–] Zirconium@lemmy.world 55 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Sounds like two neurons in his brain actually met for once and he felt empathy for someone he knew he was too young to understand why she's getting fucked over by her government.

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 44 points 9 months ago

I disagree. He saw the danger of him standing there when someone could take a pic. That is why he bravely screamed out at the 8 year old girl to stop attacking him.

[–] CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world 21 points 9 months ago

He felt empathy for the first time, and it was an unfamiliar sensation that he recoiled from in his cowardice.

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[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 44 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Thats the thing about these people. I have a trans coworker and they wont dare use the wrong pronoun for her while it can reach HR's ears. Go ahead, say what you want to say don't hide it now. They hide behind legislation and screens.

[–] PeckerBrown@lemmy.world 43 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Aleix is trans, but Summers is a pussy...does that mean that he's transitioning, as well?

[–] Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca 45 points 9 months ago (2 children)

He is no pussy, they take a pounding while providing pleasure to all involved.

Summers is a scrotum, thin skinned, can't take even a light strike without assuming an attack, and he shriveled away when he realized the temperature was a bit cold to him.

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[–] profdc9@lemmy.world 38 points 9 months ago

If Summers was really serious about "protecting" trans children, he should have said he was going to place the child into state custody. If there was an actual threat against the child, that's what he should do, but there is not and Summers knows it.

[–] Vytle@lemmy.world 38 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Jesus christ that headline is the most satirical sounding headline ive ever seen period. It spunds more satirical than actual TheOnion h eadlines

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[–] Cold_Brew_Enema@lemmy.world 31 points 9 months ago (15 children)

How can an 8 year old know if they are trans? That seems awfully young.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 76 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

It's a gender thing, not a sex thing. You don't have to hit puberty to know.

What about you -- did you know you were cis* by the time you were 8? Are you sure?

If you could be that sure, why would a trans person be any different?

(* making a statistically-likely assumption)

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[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 59 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Did you not know your gender in 3rd grade? Some trans kids do too, especially now that there’s more awareness.

8 years old is also an extremely low stakes age to be trans, because it’s literally just clothes, name/pronouns, and haircut differences at that age.

[–] Facebones@reddthat.com 40 points 9 months ago (1 children)

My ex's kid came out as trans to usat 11 or so, and like..... Yeah. This is exactly the time to play with your sense of self when it doesn't fuckin matter. We've been doing for generations, but all of a sudden feeling and wanting to present more masculine just gives everybody a fucking aneurysm.

Never mind the people who have nothing better to do than go to war with children grew up with David Bowie and Eurythmics and shit. 🙄

[–] CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (5 children)

It's so funny to me this new posturing of denial that kids can know their gender at a young age, when derogatory terms for this exact thing like "tomboy" and "sissy" have been around for generations. We have always known that some kids don't act like their gender assigned at birth.

The only thing that's changed is that we now know that this is actually normal and healthy, not some pathological problem that can be "solved" through abuse and shaming.

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[–] radicalautonomy@lemmy.world 45 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

My youngest knew they weren't a girl at age seven. They are 15 now and been very happy for the last four years using they/them pronouns and a chosen name.

It was always possible that one day they'd have changed their mind...hell, their cousin is non-binary as well and used he/they pronouns and a male name for six years before reverting back to the name and gender she was assigned at birth (she's 16 now).

The important thing is to listen to your kids (and anyone who is trans, really) and trust that they know themselves infinitely better than you ever could. Let people tell you who they are, and believe them. They may refine their understanding of who they are at a later time, and you should believe them then, too. When someone decides to change their major, you don't tell them "C'mon now...you're a psychology major...you've always been a psychology major." It's not entirely dissimilar.

[–] Leviathan@lemmy.world 44 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I knew I was a boy and that I liked girls when I was 8 years old. I just project that same sense of identity I felt onto others and it becomes very easy to understand why others just know who and what they are and who and what they like. The world really needs a touch more empathy.

[–] Lumelore@lemmy.blahaj.zone 39 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'm a trans woman and I started to express my self femininely when I was just a toddler. I grew up in a rural area where I was always told that I am a boy and that I will grow up into a man who will have a wife and many children. I genuinely had never heard of queer people until I was tween, when my peers started using gay as an insult. If I had been taught about queer people when I was a kid, I definitely would have realized that I am trans then, and I wish I had been because being raised as a boy when you are a girl is extremely traumatic.

People can be born with all sorts of strange and terrible conditions, but somehow there are people who think babies can't be born with a brain that is a different sex than their body. Either that or they think the body should take precedence over the brain which is insane considering only one of those is sapient.

[–] Plopp@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (6 children)

Just out of curiosity, how does a toddler express either femininely or masculinely?

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[–] RagingRobot@lemmy.world 35 points 9 months ago

Idk I think if someone kept telling me one thing and my experience was different I think I could tell something is up.

[–] MossyFeathers@pawb.social 28 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Some people just know at a young age. It's a spectrum, so some people don't experience dysphoria until puberty, some know when they're very young, some don't experience dysphoria and instead solely experience gender euphoria (in this context, euphoria from presenting as a gender other than their assigned gender at birth (AGAB)). It's complicated and not well understood.

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[–] kttnpunk@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

8 is old enough to know a lot of things about yourself. Personally I knew I hated the idea of "being a man" at that age, i just wish i had realized sooner that growing into something else was a option. My mental health would certainly be about 1000x better if I had been able to transition then instead of as a overwhelmed, forsaken and misunderstood 19 year old...

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (6 children)

Most people know their gender about 2.5 years old. It is pretty impressive when you are parent and see that lightbulb click. One day they have no opinions at all about clothing or toys and the next day they do.

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 30 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

“I mean, yeah, I’m going to make sure she’s safe by going to the right bathroom,” continuing to use the correct pronouns for Aleix.

Gotta love that he doesn't even realize he's saying Aleix is a girl and girls should be using the girls' bathroom.

Edit: I really want to know if the people downvoting me are anti-trans bigots or don't understand that an anti-trans bigot accidentally took her side even after realizing she's trans?

[–] doggle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 9 months ago

Worth noting he's a senator in the state legislature, not one of Georgia's federal senators who are both broadly pro LGBT+

[–] 108@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago
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