Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Dem Rep. Rips Ex-Trump EPA Official For Claiming Sustainable Investing Promotes Trans Kids

Twitter screenshot of Becca Balint; Twitter screenshot of Mandy Gunasekara
@Acyn/Twitter

Out Democratic Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont laid into Mandy Gunasekara for bringing trans issues into a hearing about sustainable investment strategies.

During a House Oversight Committee hearing on sustainable investing, Vermont Democratic Representative Becca Balint strongly criticized Mandy Gunasekara, a former Trump administration official, for bringing up transgender issues.

The discussion revolved around the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment strategy and Gunasekara's baseless assertion that it promotes gender transitions for children. Republican critics of ESG have long argued against its principles, which incorporate a company's approach to climate change and social issues.


Balint, who is gay, expressed her frustration and questioned the credibility of Gunasekara's claims, leading to a heated exchange.

You can watch their exchange in the video below.

After Balint questioned whether Gunasekara genuinely believes "that garbage" in response to the latter's assertion that ESG promoted gender transitions for children at the House Oversight Committee meeting, Gunasekara insisted "it's a matter of fact."

Balint then asked her the following:

“So you believe investing strategies are actually ... weaponized to support and promote gender transition for children? It is that essentially what you’re saying, or do you just use it as another opportunity to beat up on children?”

Gunasekara responded:

“I’m not the one beating up on children. It’s the people who are promoting gender transitions in children that are potentially harming them.”

It was then that Balint shut her down, noting that she had just heard from parents of trans children who live in states that have banned gender-affirming care for minors:

“They literally said, ‘When you leave this room, could you please—the next time you’re in a room with someone bringing up, yet again, our children and our families as some kind of bogeyman, that you actually stand up for us?’ I didn’t know I would have such an opportunity!”
“It feels like every single hearing that I am in, whether it is in Oversight, or whether it is in Budget, or whether it is in a subcommittee, somehow the witnesses find a way to bring in trans children into whatever conversation we’re trying to have here."

Many have condemned Gunasekara's remarks and praised Balint for speaking out.








Gunasekawa's appearance before the House Oversight Committee came as GOP officials in legislatures around the country persist in their efforts to impede gender-affirming care within their respective states.

Many Republicans' use of transphobia as a political tool shows they are willing to resort to lies and hate speech to win elections and throw meat to their base.

Meanwhile, claims that ESG investment strategies amount to "woke politics" have continued to be heard from Republicans who similarly attacked Transportation Pete Buttigieg earlier this year after he released a plan that in part reserved grant money for “projects that address equity and environmental justice, particularly for communities that have experienced decades of underinvestment and are most impacted by climate change, pollution, and environmental hazards.”

More from News/lgbtq

Screenshot of Stephen Colbert
CBS

Stephen Colbert Makes Somber Plea To Americans In Wake Of Charlie Kirk's Death

Late-night host Stephen Colbert had a somber message for Americans as he addressed the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk, stressing that "political violence only leads to more political violence."

Kirk died after an unidentified gunman shot him in the neck as he—ironically enough—mocked victims of gun violence at an event in Utah Valley State University. Kirk's murder has galvanized the far-right, with President Donald Trump and his surrogates claiming without evidence that rhetoric from Democrats is responsible for Kirk's death.

Keep ReadingShow less
a woman sunbathing on rocks.
a person sitting on a towel on a beach
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

People Share The Weirdest Flexes They Heard Someone Say With A Straight Face

It is never attractive to gloat.

Even so, some people can't help but brag, or "flex" as it is sometimes known, about certain accomplishments or attributes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @thedowntheredoc's TikTok video
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok

TikToker Hilariously Calls Out Target After Champion Pants Feature Awkwardly-Placed Front Pleat

Sometimes you can just tell when something was designed *for* women, but was not actually designed *by* women.

Take, for instance, the new pleated pants available at Target from the Champion clothing line. While there's nothing wrong with pleated pants and they certainly have a suitable spot in the workplace, the latest rendition of Champion pleated pants are, shall we say, NSFW.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kaicutch's Instagram video
@kaicutch/Instagram

Woman Flips Her Car After Belting Out Ironic Britney Spears Lyric In Wild Viral Video

Whether we want to admit it or not, we've all had our fair share of carpool karaoke and maybe even imagined our car as our own personal recording studio.

But TikToker and Instagrammer Kaitlynn McCutcheon may have gotten too into her performance of Britney Spears' classic, "Hit Me Baby, One More Time," when the road and her car both said, "Bet."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@lynnshazeen's TikTok video
@lynnshazeen/TikTok

Woman Goes Viral After Revealing How Her Obsession With Matcha Landed Her In The Hospital

Let's be honest: Too much of anything isn't good for us. It's all about the balance!

But the media and social media trends have taught us that certain things are really good for us, encouraging us to be like the "very mindful and very demure" girls and take care of ourselves. One such example is drinking more matcha, especially if you really like coffee or think you have a caffeine addiction.

Keep ReadingShow less