Claim: The Republican Party is trying to roll back the civil Liberties of women and LGBTQ Americans.

Question

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said Sunday on MSNBC's "Inside with Jen Psaki" that the Republican Party is attempting to "roll back" the civil liberties of women and LGBTQ Americans. | Clips

Answer 1

This is a difficult one to answer. While this claim can be interpreted in many different ways, I'd say it can't be true or false because it can vary depending on the people. According to The Atlantic, "Republicans and social conservatives feel enormous urgency to write their cultural priorities into law before liberal-leaning Millennials and Generation Z become the electorate’s dominant force later this decade." I can see where this may be the case, but this doesn't categorize the entire republican party nor do all of the civil liberties specifically pertain to only women and LGBTQA+ Americans. 

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/11/gop-congress-2022-midterm-elections-rights/671996/

Answer 2

This question is tricky. While some people may feel this way seeing as Roe v Wade was overturned. The overturn was primarily supported by republican politicians and the Republican Party.  In addition to this, Ron Desantis signed the "Don't Say Gay" bill which prohibits discussion of LGBTQ people in schools before 3rd grade. A lot of people believe that this bill is homophobic and can lead to schools outing children to parents. For these reasons it might make sense, but, it may not be the motives of all Republicans

Answer 3

This claim can be interpreted either way based on personal opinion. However, I think that the people who say this is true believe so because of the amount of laws that have been passed in recent years by Republican officials that some people say are anti-women and anti-LGBTQ. 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mentions that Republican officials have been targeting reproductive rights. Vanity Fair writes, "since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, GOP officials all across the country have passed or put into effect extreme abortion laws, while conservatives in Congress have set their sights on a national abortion ban." Financial Times says, "Republicans risk voter backlash as they advance attacks on abortion," and includes examples of abortion laws that have been passed by Republican officials in the last years.  

As for actions targeting LGBTQ Americans, the Washington Post writes that Republicans' openly critical behavior during Pride month is "part of a broader upheaval in which GOP-led state legislatures have moved to pass a record surge of restrictions on gay and transgender rights." CNN writes, "As they gear up for midterm elections, Republicans nationwide are intently focused on passing new restrictions on the LGBTQ community and, in particular, transgender kids." Some examples are mentioned: "[Republicans] have passed measures banning school instruction about queer people, outlawing gender-affirming care for those under age 18 and barring transgender children from participating in youth sports." 

When looking at the abortion and LGBTQ restrictions pushed by Republican officials in the last couple years, I can see how people might agree with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that women and LGBTQ rights are being targeted. 

Comments

I appreciate how all of the fact checks for this claim are filed as 'opinion' because you can't make a blanket statement about a group of people and call it a true/false fact.  However, that doesn't take away from the fact that the political attacks against minority groups, women and LGBTQ+, have come from one source, the Republican Party.  Whether the decisions of the Republican Party in congress represent the party as a whole or not, the attacks are still coming from that side and the people who vote for the lawmakers.

Answer 4

This is not a straightforward claim to answer.

 

 

The article by Ronald Brownstein published on CNN highlights how Republican-controlled states in the United States are rapidly passing culturally conservative legislation aimed at restricting various civil liberties. These states are enacting laws to limit abortion access, restrict voting rights, ban books, curtail transgender rights, and control discussions on race, gender, and sexual orientation in public schools and colleges. At the same time, they are loosening gun restrictions and empowering private citizens to enforce some of these initiatives. The article discusses the shifting priorities within the GOP, with a focus on cultural anxieties and resentments. It suggests that these initiatives, spreading rapidly among red states, represent a stark reversal of the rights revolution that expanded civil rights and liberties nationwide starting in the 1960s. With the filibuster and the conservative majority on the Supreme Court providing support, Democrats and civil rights groups face challenges in countering this conservative agenda. The article underscores the broad and transformative impact of these actions on the American civil liberties landscape.

 

 

 

However, I can say that the interpretation of whether Republican states are limiting LGBT and women's rights is a complex and contentious issue that may vary depending on individual perspectives and political leanings. It is essential to rely on comprehensive research, analysis from diverse sources, and up-to-date information from reputable news outlets and expert opinions to form a well-informed and unbiased assessment of the matter. Claims related to political actions and policy decisions can often be subject to interpretation and bias, and it is crucial to critically evaluate information from multiple reliable sources to gain a complete understanding of the situation.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/politics/republicans-civil-liberties-abortion-voting-race/index.html