At a time when hateful Republicans around the country are demonizing trans people, and passing laws that put their fellow citizens’ lives at risk, a brave woman in Nebraska is saying enough is enough. That heroic woman is democratic State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who is determined to stop a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for trans youth.
According to LGBTQ Nation: When the bill advanced out of committee, she vowed to filibuster every bill proposed in the unicameral legislature this year until the anti-trans bill is off the table.
“If this Legislature collectively decides that legislating hate against children is our priority, then I am going to make it painful, painful for everyone,” she said. “If you want to inflict pain upon our children, I am going to inflict pain upon this body, and I have nothing but time, and I am going to use all of it.”
And so far, she has. Halfway through the legislative session, Cavanaugh’s actions have resulted in zero bills passing. The mother of three didn’t even stop when she had strep throat.
“I’m just going to practically make sure that my colleagues have to make a choice about what it is they want to do, what our job is,” Cavanaugh told Rachel Maddow in an interview on MSNBC. “Is our job to legislate hate, or is our job to govern and work on tax cuts and work on the economy? So I’m forcing their hand.”
“I don’t care how sick I get. I don’t care how tired I am. I am not going to look back on this moment in time and say I didn’t do everything that I possibly could to fight for and protect children, especially our most vulnerable children, which are trans youth.”
It would take 33 votes to end Cavanaugh’s filibuster, and there are 32 Republicans in the Nebraska legislature.
Send a message and show your support for State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh.
Featured photo: Machaela Cavanaugh (facebook.com-senatormachaela)
