Along those lines: MSN
TL; DR: The Texas GOP is proposing an amendment to the state constitution that would require any candidate for statewide office to win the popular vote in a majority of the state’s counties to be elected. Essentially, it’s the electoral college on the state level: each county gets one vote, you win that vote by winning the popular vote in the county, and the candidate with the most county votes wins. This would effectively lock Democrats out of statewide office forever.
Christ on a bike.
I don’t like it when my students miss classes, but I recognize they exist in corporeal bodies that require care.
This isn’t even “I’m a dimwitted misogynist and periods aren’t real”
This is straight evil. And, yeah, it’s an effort to criminalize being female to exclude them from certain spaces. Even Victorian England is probably like “whoah there, maybe back down a little Hoss”
Holy WTF.
There’s an ongoing, national decline in college and university enrollment. Since 2010, at least.
Has that not happened in Texas? Genuinely asking, because I can’t think of anyone working in higher education right now who has so many students in their programs, they can afford to alienate any potential applicants.
This is exactly the eventual goal. “Education makes women not want to be tradwives! Get them back in the kitchen where they belong!”
Yes, because they know that many Texans do not like their bullshit, and they want to impose their backward way of thinking on to everyone there.
Again, you are missing the point. This isn’t about enrollment or whether or not people can skip class or any of that. IT IS ABOUT CONTROLLING WOMEN. Period. Full stop. This is authoritarians seeking to impose their will on others. 
Like I said…
Why do people want to live in Texas?
I’d rather not, but this is where my parents and siblings live. I did live out of state for many years but ultimately the distance was more harmful to my mental health. Also my job is here, and sure i could get a job elsewhere but i have a good job and work environment. The major downside is the politics of the state, but i just focus on the other things that are important to me. For those that can leave the state, good for you. Not everyone has that choice.
The entire state GOP platform is a Necronomicon of deranged shit.
I mean, take away the politics, and it’s not such a bad place, especially if you like hot weather. It’s got great food, cool history, a diverse cultural landscape, etc, etc… put the politics aside, and it’s no better or worse than any other state…
That! And let’s not forget that not too long ago Anne Richardson was governor!
And one of our best and most progressive modern presidents was from Texas (LBJ).
And Molly Ivins!
(hat held over heart)
(angelic choir sings “Molly Ivins!”)
I only hope that they aren’t teaching required classes and students can avoid them now that they’ve outed themselves as misogynist homophobes, because if they’re willing to go to court to make these arguments, imagine what fucking creeps they are in general (when they think they can get away with it). I expect that non-(cis het white male) students routinely get treated unfairly by these professors, in ways big and small, overt and subtle.
Yep, with some bonus homophobia and transphobia. (Honestly a bit surprised they didn’t work some racism in there too, but they probably save that for the classroom.) It really couldn’t be more overt.
Yeah, my immediate reaction was that it’s generally nuts, the information and power they’re demanding to have over (some) students, in service of their misogynistic agenda. There’s not even the vaguest figleaf of this being remotely the sort of information they should reasonably have access to in the first place. It’s so blatant, I’m taken aback slightly, having become so accustomed to dog whistles…
Could say (most of) the same for my home state of WV. Had there been job opportunities, I probably would have stayed there. As is, I am very glad I got out before it went totally to hell. And TX is closer to rejoining regular society than WV is, by a long way!
Overall the people are nice, i don’t mind the heat though living somewhere 10 degrees cooler in the summer would be much preferred but then that gets me colder winters which i really hate. Some day i might be in the position that i could move elsewhere, but not 100% settled on where that might be. Deep in my heart i would like to live in Colorado again but the housing market is just as bad as Austin.
Oh, and one of their petulant demands was that they refused to use (singular) “they” because it “violate[s] the rules of grammar.” So they’re just ignorant fucking idiots in general. (I’d expect better from college professors.) Given that singular they predates singular you, (not to mention words like “won’t”), it would be hilarious if students constantly corrected them and confessed confusion whenever they used such words.
“You can give your presentation now.”
“Who can, sir?”
“You can.”
“I’m confused. It’s only me. There’s no one else.”
“I’m talking about you.”
[looks around in confusion for invisible people] “Who, sir?”
“You! YOU!”
“You’re on first.”
The ‘two absences a quarter’ mainly counted in the smaller, higher level classes, where the instructor had a chance of remembering your name. In the big cattle call entry classes, you were lucky to get a full professor rather than a TA, who had more issues than trying to take roll call.
BTW, if I’ve got something contagious, M or F, do you truly want me horking up a lung and sharing the love in your lecture?
Once again, this isn’t about whether students can skip classes or not. It’s about a DIRECT ATTACK on women’s rights.
in truth, i doubt they care about the medical records aspect.
what they want is the ability to make accusations, so they can be protected by the state and university while they harass women. if the medical records are inaccessible it’s even better for them, because then it’s the older male professor’s claim against the younger female student
it’s like an accusation of witchcraft. and they can parlay that pressure into controlling how women dress, speak, and respond to things like sexual harassment. because few students would want to risk their degree.
That’s true, and obviously the most important part, but I do also think it’s worthwhile sometimes to point out all the stuff these misogynistic fascists are willing to throw out or circumvent in order to achieve their goals.
Like, in this case, they’re willing to ignore public health directives and possibly hurt enrollment as long as they get to keep women and ‘others’ under their thumb.
It shouldn’t be used to distract from the main point, but should make people think, “what else will they be willing to sacrifice in their quest?”
Because I think for those people still not seeing what’s really going on, this might be an entryway to having their eyes opened.
