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Shut Up Fool Awards

Shut Up Fools! 9.9.23 Mercury In Gatorade

3 years ago
by Libra

New home who dis? Not really a new home but a refresh to the TransGriot environment.  How are you enjoying the new digs?  Happy Birthday energy to our Virgo readers and although Beyonce is busy with her tour (somehow she may see this!), Happy Birthday queen. (Check out Nine-Four-Eighty-One by TS Madison, Kevin JZ Prodigy & Kevin Aviance if you haven’t yet) To the gaymers, how are you liking Starfield & Baldur’s Gate 3?  To everyone attending USCHA (United State’s Conference on HIV & AIDS) by NMAC, how was your experience? Such a beautiful theme this year, “A Love Letter to Black Women”. I have seen some clips as well as photos and I am filled with awe as folks gather to move forward when our government works to  push back by cutting funding for HIV & AIDS resources. It would have been nice to experience Maxine Waters telling those lawmakers to Shut Up Fool!  Marjorie Taylor Greene & Kari Lake Despite the many red flags former President Liteskin Saffron has shown during his presidency, BOTH of you wish to vye for the title of VP.  Forget being grabbed by the “Puss-In-Boots” just keep the Cheeto factory open even if you’re blamed for your boss’s failure, and crimes. This is nothing new right? When you work a regular degular “American Dream” job your employer blames you for any hiccups, bad numbers, ratings etc. The real question is do you remain in a bad relationship? The polls read yall need to pull out all the stops to remain relevant, I guess yall swipe right and see who he picks?.   Orange County School District I cannot wrap my mind around how schools are expected to be a safe environment and yet violence (or the catalyst of) is now required by teachers.   When it’s discovered a student wishes to use a name other than their legal name or any approved by society variation, it is to be reported to the guardian. If the student wishes to utilize pronouns that affirm them, or even if the student wants to play a sport that doesn’t align with what’s on their birth certificate, this too shall be reported to home. What happened to protecting kids? What’s being taught has been altered, what to read is now censored, activities kids enjoy are being policed based on birth certificates. Who will pick up the pieces when any type of negative repercussions result from this requirement?  Who then would be to blame if abuse or (TRIGGER WARNING) [unaliving] occurs?   The Rho Bashe situation hits home. I’ve experienced many of the growls being approached by a cisman (usually with an audience) and she discloses her tea. In the height of embarrassment (or he already knew she was Trans*) she was attacked in some way. In Rho Bashe’s case she refused to give her number to a cisman and he assaulted her with a brick to the face while other men stood there and did nothing. Many people had an opinion on how both victims could have alleviated the situation, but in turn they vilified both the Transwoman for looking how she looked and Rho Bashe for not submitting to a man’s request. So who are the fools in this case? Folks who have the resolve to place blame on the victims or find reason to justify unwarranted violence.       

Sports

Once again, trans athletes are scapegoated for sexism, this time in chess

3 years ago
by Siufung Law

Nothing has shocked the sports world more than the recent trans ban in chess, which is known as a mind sport that does not require physical exertion to excel in moving pieces around a board. Following swimming, track and field, and rugby, The International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced its new policy prohibiting trans chess players from participating in the women’s category. FIDE asserted that their trans athletes are still welcome to compete in the Open category. According to FIDE’s new policy, chess players competing in women-only chess tournaments are required to provide documentation of a gender change that adheres to their government’s regulations. However, even after meeting these requirements, trans women players are not allowed to participate in the women’s category until “further analysis” is conducted, which could take up to two years. This analysis aims to evaluate the “evolving issue” of transgender regulation. Furthermore, women’s titles earned by trans men competitors who later transitioned are set to be “abolished.” The temporary ban on trans chess players has garnered heavy criticism both within and outside chess communities. One key argument against it is that chess is a strategy game that relies on the intellectual prowess, rather than the physiological “advantages” associated with being a “biological man.” While controversy occasionally arises regarding whether men are inherently better players than women, such a notion is largely rejected by women and men chess players alike. The consensus is that there is no discernable difference in capacity between the sexes in the world of chess. Chess has a historical reputation as a male-dominated sport, with 2019 data showing that only 14.6% of US chess players are women. Men dominate in chess ranking and population not because they are smarter, but rather from cultural and economic factors. Structural gender inequality, such as men chess players receiving greater prize money, sponsorship, and media exposure, often leads women players to step away from competitive chess when they cannot earn a living from it. Cultural stereotypes suggesting that women are stupider or lacking spatial abilities compared to men have dissuaded many women from pursuing chess professionally. In an interview following the success of Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit (2022), Judit Polgar, the only woman chess player to have achieved a Top 10 world championship ranking, expressed her frustration with the “hurtful” and “disparaging” comments made by men about her chess skills. As one of the few women players competing against male opponents, Polgar recalled instances where sexist men would refuse to shake hands with her or engage in unsportsmanlike behavior such as “hitting his head on the board after he lost.” The enduring gender gap, driven by sexism, in chess, may explain why international federations like FIDE have established separate women’s tournaments. One hypothesis suggests that because there is a smaller pool of female players, resulting in fewer women than men at the top of the chess rating list, women-only competitions can encourage more women players to play, and hopefully, address the gender imbalance and combat the seemingly sexist culture within the sport. Apart from perpetuating the misogynistic and transphobic narrative that portrays trans women as men who are intelligently superior, FIDE’s policy is also troubling because it seems to be jumping on the anti-trans bandwagon to divert attention from the escalating #MeToo movement within the chess community. In February, Jennifer Shahade, the two-time US champion, took to X to share her experiences of being sexually assaulted twice by the well-known grandmaster, coach, and commentator Alejandro Ramirez, igniting chess’s #MeToo movement. The Wall Street Journal published a well-researched article about eight women who had endured similar incidents of sexual violence involving Ramirez. An open letter, signed by top French women players and women from around the world who had “experienced sexist or sexual violence perpetrated by chess players, coaches, arbiters, or managers,” was released just two weeks prior to the trans ban. This letter strongly condemned the “harassment and assaults” taking place within the professional chess world, urging female chess players to “denounce the violence” they have suffered. In other words, trans chess players are being made the scapegoats for the most recent sexual assault allegations in the world of chess. This explains the extremely vague reference to “further analysis” regarding trans women players’ eligibility to compete in women’s events. FIDE fails to specify the exact “research evidence” supporting any inherent “advantages” of trans women over cisgender women, nor does it clarify what exactly will be “analyzed.” The aggressive and mystifying restrictions targeting both trans women and trans men appear suspicious in a sport primarily rooted in mental abilities rather than physiological attributes. If the trans athlete ban can teach us anything, it’s that merely having an Open sports category, which ostensibly includes everyone, is ultimately harmful to both trans and women athletes, when the underlying problems—sexism and patriarchy—are not adequately addressed and dismantled. Siufung Law (they/them) comes from Hong Kong, is a TEDx speaker, a nonbinary professional bodybuilder, and Ph.D. student at Emory University. They are a trans activist actively promoting the transgender-only bodybuilding competition in Atlanta, GA, organized by the International Association of Trans Bodybuilders and Powerlifters (IATBP).

A hand with red nail polish over a chess piece, on a chess board.
Shut Up Fool Awards

Shut Up Fools 9.2.23 Edition Fall Frozen Ruckus

3 years ago
by Libra

“It’s the first of the month”…  We’ve made it yall! Welcome to september. Everyday I am feeling the spirit of fall approaching and I’m actually starting to see many fools writing off summer with their fall commencement rituals. Student workers have returned to their jobs and they are flexing those work muscles. If you ever order from McDonald’s and receive fresh hot fries and or a sandwich made perfectly with no condiments artistically smeared in the wrapper, those students are working to pay for some things no foul. The Pumpkin Spice mob is already in full effect and I’m side eyeing them for their superior complex of such an interesting beverage (I prefer a nice hot cider as my warm and cozy beverage choice).  Contrary to indulging in warm beverages in the colder months, I’m from the Midwest and we like our frozen items even more. Right now I can go for a nice strawberry shake or some southern butter pecan (pee-can or peh-kawn) ice cream. I’m curious to know yall’s favorite frozen treats? Speaking of frozen treats… Franklin Turtle-Mitch McConnell has once again PAUSED for a lengthy period of time while speaking.  His doctors have cleared him to continue working, but the scary part is this is his second occurrence in a month’s time. How long? My question is, how long will we allow representatives who are showing a complete disruption in their job capabilities to hold on to positions that are better suited for a more qualified person? To the doctors who uphold these views and not agreeing to sit Turtle-McConnell down, I say Shut Up Fools! Have yall seen the latest “Uncle Ruckus” behavior?  If you’re not familiar with the Boondocks, Uncle Ruckus parodies “Uncle Tom” & “Uncle Remus” with a nod to Amos Rucker. Rucker was born a slave, fought in the Civil War, and had no differential feelings about remaining loyal to the family who owned him. Well live and in color. Derrick Gibson, (who resembles Uncle Ruckus which is quite uncanny) is a former disqualified Republican candidate for New York State Governor, and has started his 2024 presidential campaign support on an orange note. Toting a white badge in Black writing: “Ninjas For Trump 2024” Gibson pushes the narrative that The Orange Streak’s indictment charges are bullstuff and believes this attention will elevate him to secure the presidency.  While being interviewed, you can clearly see a Caucasian arm pointing to Gibson and confidently saying, “That’s my ninja” as he’s telling the reporter his name.  …Please VOTE. We have Black men out here in strong support of the “Cheeto Guy” just like Cubic Zirconia and Polyester did and we simply cannot have another go. These conservafools continue to know nothing and are a threat to our existence. Meanwhile, we have people like Laura Loomer who tweets (or xeets or whatever that’s supposed to be) that the Black male vote will be the one to help the republican party win the election. Chile, Please Shut Up Fools.              Libra is a Community Commentator, Blogger, Gaymer, and Music Producer. Future published author telling her story while surviving the storms of society. Find Libra on Spill Website: www.libraaudacious.xyz