A graduate student left a voicemail threatening a Louisiana state senator after he voted to override Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto of a bill protecting minors from experimental “transgender” medical interventions. Pictured: A protester holds a sign reading “protect black trans women at all f—ing cost” at the Queer Liberation March in Manhattan, June 25. (Photo: Erik McGregor, LightRocket/Getty Images)
A Louisiana state senator says he is undeterred despite receiving a death threat after he voted to override a governor’s veto on a bill protecting children from experimental “transgender” medical interventions.
“No type of threat would ever stop me from trying to save children and keep them from being mutilated or from facing any other harm,” Sen. Michael “Big Mike” Fesi, a Republican representing southern Louisiana, told The Daily Signal in a phone interview Tuesday.
Fesi voted to override Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’ June veto of House Bill 648, the “Stop Harming Our Kids Act.” The state House voted 76-23 on July 18 to override the veto, and the Senate voted 28-11 to override the veto the following day. After the vote, Fesi received a voicemail message expressing joy at the prospect of putting him “in the ground.”
“I can’t wait to read your name in the f—ing obituary,” a man, whom police later identified as Louisiana State University graduate student Marcus Venable, said in the message. “I will make a g–d–n martini made from the tears of butthurt conservatives when we put your f—ing a– in the ground.”
In the audio, which political commentator Greg Price posted to Twitter, Venable claimed that Fesi did not produce “any g–d–n evidence to support the claims you made about people being harmed by transgender care,” and he cited what he described as “tons of empirical evidence” about an “increased suicide risk” in the absence of such interventions.
UNHINGED: This is a voicemail that was sent to Louisiana State Senator @Sen_BigMikeFesi after he voted to override Gov. John Bel Edwards' veto on the bill to ban child sex changes in which @LSU Professor Marcus Venable calls him a "fat fucking piece of shit" and says "I can't… pic.twitter.com/IEKisCF6mg
Fesi told The Daily Signal that he called the police to report the threat. “When they talk about ‘put you in the ground,’ you absolutely call the police,” he said.
The senator has not received any apology from Venable. He said the police told him they directed the graduate student to refrain from contacting him.
Sen. Michael “Big Mike” Fesi, the Louisiana state senator who received a death threat for voting to protect children from so-called transgender procedures.
Louisiana State University condemned Venable’s actions and will bar him from teaching, local TV station KCBY reported.
“As a university, we foster open and respectful dialogue,” LSU spokeswoman Abbi Rocha Laymoun said. “Like everyone, graduate students with teaching assignments have the right to express their opinions, but this profanity-filled, threatening call crossed the line.”
“This does not exhibit the character we expect of someone given the privilege of teaching as part of their graduate assistantship,” she added. “The student will be allowed to continue their studies but will not be extended the opportunity to teach in the future.”
LSU did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by publication time.
House Bill 648, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, forbids health care professionals from engaging in specific acts “that attempt to alter a minor’s appearance in an attempt to validate a minor’s perception of the minor’s sex, if the minor’s perception is inconsistent with the minor’s sex.”
It bans various experimental medical interventions that transgender advocates euphemistically refer to as “gender-affirming care,” such as the off-label use of drugs like Lupron to forestall puberty, cross-sex hormones, sterilizing surgery, surgeries to construct facsimiles of organs belonging to the opposite sex, the removal of “any healthy or non-diseased body part or tissue,” and other procedures to alter secondary sex characteristics.
When the Louisiana Legislature overrode Edwards’ veto, the governor predicted that the courts would “throw out this unconstitutional bill,” which he said “needlessly harms a very small population of vulnerable children, their families, and their health care professionals.”
Fesi disputed Venable’s claim that the senator did not present any evidence to support his position.
“If you have to continue these drugs, you become a lifetime patient,” he said, warning that “the suicide rate after doing this thing really goes up.”
“You need to at least wait until you’re of age to make that decision,” Fesi said. “Children, they can’t drink alcohol until 21, they can’t drive until they’re 16.”
The state senator also urged people to focus on being “a good person.”
“As far as the threats and stuff go, you need to agree to disagree,” he said. “No one needs to cause hardship on anyone else just because of a disagreement. We need to learn to love one another no matter what.”
He pledged to continue to support legislation aimed at protecting children.
Fesi noted Senate Bill 64, “Ezekiel’s Law,” which unanimously passed the state Legislature and which Edwards signed on June 1. The law requires closer communication between law enforcement and child protection agencies after the death of 2-year-old Ezekiel J’sai Harry, whose body was found in a trash can.
“Two-year-old Ezekiel was [allegedly] beat to death by his mother’s boyfriend,” Fesi recalled. “He was supposed to be moved to his dad’s possession prior to his death.” Closer communication between law enforcement and child agencies will prevent such tragedies in the future, the senator said.
Chick-fil-A, the leading fast-food chain that has shuttered its stores each Sunday to allow employees “to rest and worship if they choose” since 1946 and became a household name because of it, is now coming under fire over the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion agenda and Erick McReynolds, the black company executive driving it.
“Our founder, Truett Cathy, believed that ‘a great company is a caring company,’ and since the beginning, care has been at the center of everything we do. We understand that the path toward Better at Together looks different for every business,” states Chick-fil-A on a page on its corporate website dedicated to the DEI campaign.
LGBT gear at Kohl’s: ‘Little kids’ T-shirt with transgender flag, ‘proud’ rainbow baby bib
Retail store partners with group supporting drag queens at libraries
“Why is Kohl’s selling pride clothing for babies?”
That’s the question being asked by some conservative activists on social media as the chain has become the latest retail outlet to face scrutiny over its LGBT merchandise for young children.
The Kohl’s website has a dedicated pride page with rainbow iconography with the heading “Love is our favorite color: Celebrate Pride Month” and a statement reading, “We are committed to amplifying and affirming the voices of the [LGBT] community, celebrating the joy that comes from living authentically and unapologetically not just this month, but all year long.”
A screenshot of the Kohl’s website showing a “little kids” pride T-shirt. | Screenshot/Kohls.com
The website features a number of pride-themed clothing for kids and toddlers, including a “little kids” T-shirt featuring the transgender pride flag and a pride “baby bib” emblazoned with a rainbow and the words “PROUD OF MY FAMILY.”
Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swim star who has turned into an activist to keep women’s sports fair and equal, and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., were among those Wednesday who took issue with the model advertising a woman’s Adidas swimsuit as part of the company’s pride collection.
Adidas collaborated with South African designer Rich Mnisi to release the “Let Love Be Your Legacy” collection and campaign. The company attempts to “encourage allyship and freedom of expression without bias, in all spaces of sport and culture” with its campaign with Mnisi.
University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines reacts after finishing tied for fifth with transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas in the 200 freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta on March 18, 2022. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“In creating this collection, I had a strong impulse to speak to my inner-child and express to the world how LGBTQ+ allyship can create a legacy of love,” Mnisi said in an Adidas news release. “Unifying these themes together through my own visual language and Adidas’ iconic performance and lifestyle pieces is a powerful combination, making the collection a symbol for self-acceptance and LGBTQ+ advocacy. My hope is this range inspires LGBTQ+ allies to speak up more for the queer people they love and not let them fight for acceptance alone.”
One of the models who is seen on the Adidas website in the woman’s bathing suit drew the attention of social media Wednesday.
Rep. Nancy Mace attends a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on March 9, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
I dont understand why companies are voluntarily doing this to themselves. They could have at least said the suit is "unisex", but they didn't because its about erasing women. Ever wondered why we hardly see this go the other way?
Don't worry, when the cabal collapses and they lose all their money, ESG will cease to exist. Once that's gone, these woke companies will revert back to normal and market to their actual base. Wokeness is only backed by money, it's not organic. https://t.co/2r2awb27yP
Adidas said in its news release it partnered with Athlete Ally, “which focuses on ending homophobia and transphobia in sport.”
“Together with adidas our goal is to drive inclusivity in sport– supporting student athletes from the LGBTQI+ and their allies to push for fair access and safe participation in sport. Through our partnership, we’ve created more affirming athletic spaces to celebrate the community across sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions,” Athlete Ally founder Hudson Taylor said.
The Adidas logo is seen at the company’s store in Beijing on Feb. 18, 2012. (Nelson Ching/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
An individual walks through the aisles of a library. | Unsplash/Banter Snaps
State Farm has withdrawn its support for a program that distributes LGBT-themed books to schools and libraries after a whistleblower leaked an email showing the company encouraged staff to donate books about gender identity to children as young as 5. The insurance company’s Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Public Affairs, Victor Terry, announced the end of the collaboration with the organization behind the program, GenderCool Project, in a Monday email to staff obtained by the Twitter account Libs of TikTok. The GenderCool Project describes itself as a “youth-led movement” designed to highlight “transgender and non-binary youth who are thriving.”
“State Farm’s support of a philanthropic program, GenderCool Project, has been the subject of news and customer inquiries. This program that included books about gender identity was intended to promote inclusivity,” the email reads. “We will no longer support that program.”
Terry also wrote that State Farm does not support mandating school curriculum on gender identity, stating that “[c]onversations about gender and identity should happen at home with parents.” The chief diversity officer said that the company supports organizations that provide “resources for parents to have these conversations.”
State Farm confirmed in a Wednesday statement to The Christian Post that it’s no longer affiliated with the organization, insisting again that the program was created to promote “inclusivity.”
“We will continue to explore how we can support our associates, as well as organizations that align with our commitment to diversity and inclusion, including the LGBTQ+ community,” the company told CP. “We recognize and value the diversity of all people and support a culture of respect and inclusion in the communities in which we live and work, as well as our workplace.”
State Farm’s announcement about the discontinuation of its partnership with The GenderCool Project followed the release of a Jan. 18 email leaked to the nonprofit organization Consumers’ Research by concerned employees at the insurance company. Consumers’ Research, an organization that educates people about policy issues and corporate activities, has launched the “Like a Creepy Neighbor” public awareness campaign in response to State Farm’s partnership with the GenderCool Project.
The title of the campaign is a play on the company’s catchphrase, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” The leaked email was sent by Jose Soto, a corporate responsibility analyst for State Farm in Florida. It reveals that State Farm was “partnering with The GenderCool Project to help diversify classroom, community center and library bookshelves with a collection of books to help bring clarity and understanding to the national conversation about being transgender, inclusive and non-binary.”
🚨 Emails leaked to @ConsumersFirst from concerned @StateFarm employees show the company engaged in the woke indoctrination of kids age 5+.
State Farm partnered with The GenderCool Project — which aims to have conversations with children about being Transgender and Non-Binary. pic.twitter.com/MYcZSW8Yp1
The collection of books created by The GenderCool Project that State Farm sought to distribute includes works titled, A Kids Book About Being Transgender, A Kids Book About Being Inclusive and A Kids Book About Being Non-Binary.The books are designed to help children 5 years old and older have “challenging, important, and empowering conversations about the toughest and most pressing topics we face today.”
“The project’s goal is to increase representation of LGBTQ+ books and support our communities in having challenging, important and empowering conversations with children age 5+,” Soto’s email reads. “This is a fantastic way to give back and an easy project that will help support the LGBTQ+ community and to make the world around us better.”
The company reportedly intended to recruit six insurance agents to “[receive] these books in March, then [donate] them to their community by the end of April.” While the email only referenced recruiting agents in Florida, it indicated that the program is not just a regional initiative.
“Nationwide, approximately 550 State Farm agents and employees will have the opportunity to donate this three book bundle to their local teacher, community center, or library of their choice,” Soto wrote.
Hild told The Washington Examiner and other news organizations in a Zoom call that the program likely would not be allowed in Florida schools come July 1, when the Parental Rights in Education Bill takes effect.
Critics of the bill, signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in March, have derided it as a “Don’t Say Gay” bill that could stigmatize LGBT students. The legislation prohibits public schools and third parties from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with students in kindergarten through third grade.
“We would hope State Farm would … cooperate with the governor’s office or law enforcement in [Florida] and retrieve any of these books that may have been donated to public schools that by law now do not belong there,” Hild said, adding that such discussions with children are inappropriate according to “any reasonable understanding.”
The issue of gender identity in schools has appeared in several learning institutions throughout the country in recent months. Earlier this month, Fairfax County Public School Board, which oversees the largest school district in Virginia, reviewed a student handbook that includes suspension as a potential punishment for students who “maliciously” misgender their trans-identifying peers.
The proposed revisions to the district’s Students’ Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) handbook indicates that students can face a five-day suspension for “malicious deadnaming,” which is defined as “[w]hen someone, intentionally or not, refers to a person who is transgender or gender-expansive by a name other than their own chosen name.”
In April, two sets of parents of the Ludlow Public School District in Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against school officials at Baird Middle School in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts Springfield Division. The complaint maintains that the school officials reportedly encouraged their children to secretly adopt new gender identities without informing their parents. The lawsuit accused the school of having a “protocol and practice of concealing from parents information related to their children’s gender identity.”
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American Family Association
American Family Association (AFA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1977 by Donald E. Wildmon, who was the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Southaven, Mississippi, at the time. Since 1977, AFA has been on the frontlines of Ame
American Family Association
American Family Association (AFA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1977 by Donald E. Wildmon, who was the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Southaven, Mississippi, at the time. Since 1977, AFA has been on the frontlines of Ame
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American Family Association
American Family Association (AFA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1977 by Donald E. Wildmon, who was the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Southaven, Mississippi, at the time. Since 1977, AFA has been on the frontlines of Ame
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American Family Association
American Family Association (AFA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1977 by Donald E. Wildmon, who was the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Southaven, Mississippi, at the time. Since 1977, AFA has been on the frontlines of Ame
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