The Latest Targets Of GOP Culture War. Steve and Karen welcome Brianna Westbrook, VP of the Arizona Democratic Party, to discuss political strategies and the GOP’s attack on transgender Americans which is designed to excite the party’s white “Christian” nationalist base. With gay marriage now accepted by most Americans and with a majority opposed to restrictions on abortion, Republicans needed a new set of “panic” issues to drive turnout for the 2024 election cycle. So, a GOP think tank cynically turned to Critical Race Theory and supposed transgender grooming.
As a transgender woman, Westbrook knows the impact of transphobia all too well. She notes, “We have a day of remembrance in November of every year when we recognize the individuals who have been murdered by hate crimes.” And she says there are many other issues facing the trans community, including discrimination in the workplace and discrimination in housing. “We are the most marginalized group in all…I would argue…the world.”
Westbrook is grateful for the election of Governor Katie Hobbs, saying, “It’s good to have a governor here in Arizona that is fiercely opposed to enacting the laws our state legislature puts through that are going to harm the community here in Arizona.”
Turning to her role within the Democratic Party, Westbrook is excited about the direction of the party. “I think we’re in a great position to take the legislature,” she says. “Republicans have nothing to run on besides selling fear. That’s what they do.”