this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2023
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Tweet by San Antonio Express-New, saying: "Sen. Rafael Edward Cruz, who uses the preferred name Ted, has introduced a bill to limit the use of preferred names and pronouns."

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[–] SingularEye@lemmy.blahaj.zone 168 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] Haagel@lemmings.world 73 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Especially from a Texan newspaper

[–] ares35@kbin.social 36 points 11 months ago (1 children)

the express-news, along with the newspapers in austin, corpus christi, dallas, el paso, fort worth, houston, and longview, all endorsed beto in 2018.

[–] odium@programming.dev 28 points 11 months ago (1 children)

As always, it's an urban vs rural divide, not a State divide.

[–] Jimbabwe@lemmy.world 31 points 11 months ago

Which is another reason everyone in charge is scared of remote work. The divide is what keeps this ridiculous political shitstorm going. I say this as a techie Texan with a permanent WFH job who used the pandemic as an excuse to move out of the city. The small town I live near now has slowly transformed from a typical R-voting small Texas town to a purpleish LGBT friendlyish badass mixed community. We still voted for that stupid pee-baby Abbott, but change is definitely in the air..

[–] BaronVonBort@lemmy.world 83 points 11 months ago

Ah, the refreshing feeling of seeing a headline from my local paper on a website and not being ashamed of what it says.

[–] HiddenLayer5@lemmy.ml 72 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

His pronouns are nazi/fascist

Oh wait sorry. Nazi's pronouns are nazi/fascist. Sorry for misgendering!

[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 37 points 11 months ago

His pronouns are actually dumbfuck/coward

[–] starman2112@sh.itjust.works 61 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (3 children)

Rafael also has preferred pronouns. If we aren't allowed to use people's preferred pronouns, do we start referring to Rafael as Rafael instead of he/him?

I can't wait for some dipshit to reply to this thinking I actually believe this bill prevents you from using pronouns

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 50 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

If nobody can use preferred pronounce, just start calling all CIS males "she/her." They would prefer to be "he/him" so obviously we can't call them that.

[–] Masimatutu@mander.xyz 26 points 11 months ago

"Rafael" is also a preferred name. So we better just start referring to the piece of shit descriptively.

[–] hydrospanner@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

Yeah the entire Senate should just start to only ever refer to him as Rafael.

But intentionally mispronounce it "ruh-FAIL".

And when he inevitably gets bent out of shape over it, tell him to sit down and let the grown ups talk.

[–] RepulsiveDog4415@feddit.de 48 points 11 months ago (7 children)

Wait, Ted isn't even one of his names? Of all the names in the world he choose to go with Ted? No disrespect against anyone named Ted but there are cooler names out there...

[–] Masimatutu@mander.xyz 22 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

He wanted to hold a TED talk so badly but was too incompetent, so he decided on holding Ted talks instead

[–] tslnox@reddthat.com 14 points 11 months ago (2 children)
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[–] dellish@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago (4 children)

Is Ted not commonly used as short for Edward?

[–] KnowledgeableNip@leminal.space 11 points 11 months ago (2 children)

The contracted form of The Edward.

[–] Pogbom@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

T'ed

tips fedora

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[–] s_s@lemmy.one 8 points 11 months ago
[–] RepulsiveDog4415@feddit.de 6 points 11 months ago

I wouldn't know. Sorry english is not my first language. Could you explain where the 'T' comes from?

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[–] Malgas@beehaw.org 9 points 11 months ago (5 children)

Ted can be short for Edward.

[–] jcarax@beehaw.org 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

But not too short, or he'd end up being Ron DeSantis.

[–] TechAnon@lemm.ee 4 points 11 months ago

I think he's right behind DeSantis in many ways. Right on his heels...

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[–] mycatiskai@lemmy.one 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Probably because no one would take Eddie Cruz or Raph Cruz seriously.

[–] averagedrunk@lemmy.ml 9 points 11 months ago

In Texas? Eddie Cruz sounds like a guy who drives an El Camino and has a cousin named Cooter. He'd have been the presidential nominee in '16.

"Did you hear about Eddie and Cooter? They running for the big house! Get in the pickup, we're gonna go vote!"

[–] Holzkohlen@feddit.de 6 points 11 months ago

Yeah, like Bob. Bob the builder is a productive member of society unlike Ted here.

[–] Phegan@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Ted is a nickname for Edward. Don't ask me how, but it is.

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[–] SirStumps@lemmy.world 41 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Rafael is such a cool name. Wtf

[–] vistencluse@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)
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[–] rosymind@leminal.space 6 points 11 months ago

There are too many letters in "Rafael" for the average Texan to read. Ted is much easier for them

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[–] KoalaUnknown@lemmy.world 39 points 11 months ago (1 children)

For those wondering:

“Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, legally named Rafael Edward Cruz, has introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate titled the Safeguarding Honest Speech Act. The legislation proposes prohibiting federal funds from enforcing policies requiring federal employees to use preferred pronouns or names other than an individual’s legal name”

[–] money_loo@lemmy.world 48 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (3 children)

So he just wants to stop the federal government from enforcing pronouns or aliases in government settings…?

When does the government actually FORCE or ENFORCE pronoun usage though, using government money?

Am I taking crazy pills or is he just making shit up?

*Just wanted to say I appreciate all the people replying, the implications of his bill may be more severe than I initially read into it.

[–] DrPop@lemmy.one 31 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Currently the federal government has to respect an employees preferred name and pronouns by law. This would be a violation of individuals rights but when did they ever care about rights.

[–] Rodeo@lemmy.ca 6 points 11 months ago

What is the act or bill or whatever this was passed in? And is it a recent thing?

[–] wildginger@lemmy.myserv.one 5 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Legally, if I tell the government to call me by X name and use Y pronouns, they must respect it.

Rapheal "loves-the-feeling-of-freshly-pissed-pants" Cruz, or as he is most commonly known, Piss Pants Cruz, doesnt like mandating respect for an individuals preferred form of address.

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[–] iegod@lemm.ee 35 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

How does anyone (who doesn't already realize what's up) not realize the absolute absurdity of what's going on. Like wtf. Pronouns causing problems? Better fucking LEGISLATE it. Like what? The fuck.

[–] Seasoned_Greetings@lemm.ee 14 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Conservative media has been boiling the frog on culture wars since Nixon, and by design.

No one who listens to right wing drivel realizes the absurdity because their version of politics is like football to them: a game to win with the only real consequence being their ability to shove it in people's faces, or shoved in back in theirs.

Conservative media is designed to be that so it is trivially easy to hide actual unfavorable news from their viewers, like $14 billion disappearing over night into Isreal or their god king standing trial on actual, provable charges.

[–] EvilEyedPanda@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Letting people change their pronouns is really scary, almost as scary as having unfettered access to guns.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 26 points 11 months ago (1 children)

We can still call him a douche though right? . That's my preferred name for this sac of shit.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 12 points 11 months ago

Well a lot of misinformed people think his existence is a good thing but in reality he's harmful to (amongst other things) the vaginal health of women so yeah, calling him a douche is fitting.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 11 months ago

ted cruz basically gets paid by the taxpayers to do a podcast

[–] sleepy555@lemmy.world 22 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)
[–] shasta@lemm.ee 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (3 children)

Kind of true. This is what the bill says:

"No Federal funds may be used for the purpose of implementing, administering, or enforcing any rule…requiring an employee or contractor of any Federal agency or Department to use—(1) another person's preferred pronouns if they are incompatible with such person's sex; or (2) a name other than a person's legal name when referring to such person."

I interpret this to be an attempt to remove any training materials, HR efforts, or resolution conflict mediators from mentioning anything about gender pronouns. The creation of any training documents or resolving any interpersonal conflict where a person calls someone by a name other than their preferred name would be strictly off limits since that time would be paid for by the government. It doesn't matter if there's a concrete rule requiring others to respect preferred pronouns or not. If someone is upset about another person disrespecting preferred pronouns, this bill is broadly worded enough that nothing can be done about it. It creates a loophole for a bad actor to harrass someone with impunity.

This "protects" a harrasser's right to free speech in the same way it protects Nazis from gathering to protest and promote racism. Protecting free speech sounds good on paper until you delve deeper into the implications. Namely, removing limitations on hate speech in order to further suppress others. This bill is not hypocritical, as at first thought, but it is still just what you'd expect from the GOP.

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[–] jimbo@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago

Just remember, as stupid as stunts like this are, there are stupider people who eat it up.

[–] OtakuAltair@lemm.ee 13 points 11 months ago
[–] IHadTwoCows@lemm.ee 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)

What is the proper role of government according to conservatism?

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[–] carnimoss@lemmings.world 8 points 11 months ago

The only Raphael I care about is a turtle

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