March 17, 2025 • 16 mins
Host Athena Hope, a black trans woman currently living in Texas, covers the startling trend of pastor pedophiles in our society. Athena also discusses the recent horrific bills Republicans are attempting to make law.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Athena Hope (00:16):
Hello everyone, welcome to the Transgenders at
War podcast, the show thatfocuses on transgender people,
politics and how transgenderpeople are affected by it.
I'm your host, athena Hope.
In this episode, we will bediscussing a few stories from
the past week.
We will talk about the worryingtrend of pastor pedophiles and
the downright awful bills theRepublicans are passing.
(00:36):
Please be warned that thisepisode contains a trigger
warning for sexual abuse.
We have a lot to discuss, solet's dive into it.
While some Christians andreligious individuals accuse
(00:57):
drag queens and gay people ofinappropriate behavior towards
children, it's important toconsider whether these are
accusations or are they justprojections.
The frequent report ofpedophile pastors indicate a
serious issue within religiousinstitutions.
On this show, we will begintracking these cases.
I found half a dozen of thesecases in the past week alone, so
let's talk about it.
Our first case involves RobertMorris, the former spiritual
(01:19):
advisor to Donald Trump.
A grand jury has indictedMorris on five counts of sexual
acts with a 12-year-old girl.
In the year 2000, pastor RobertMorris founded the Gateway
Church in South Lake Texas.
The church grew rapidly andbecame a megachurch with around
100,000 members.
On March 12, 2025, the courtindicted Morris, who now faces
(01:40):
up to life in prison forsexually assaulting Cindy
Clemishire, who now faces up tolife in prison for sexually
assaulting Cindy Clemishire.
Morris sexually assaulted Cindymultiple times in the 80s.
He raped her over a period offour years.
Cindy said she was only 12years old and was wearing pink
pajamas when he started.
She has been seeking justicefor decades.
Her persistence has finally ledto these charges.
In 2005, cindy reached out toPastor Morris through emails and
(02:05):
phone calls seekingacknowledgement and
accountability.
She shared 23 years after youbegan destroying my life, I am
still dealing with the pain anddamage you caused.
Morris responded by threateningher with legal action and
attempting to bribe her intosilence.
Cindy had to wait over 40 yearsto see any hope for justice.
Cindy said that she hadrepeatedly tried to disclose the
(02:27):
abuse to the church elders andpastors, but they ignored her.
It was only when she spokepublicly did any meaningful
action take place.
After Pastor Morris was exposed,the church issued a statement
describing his behavior simplyas, quote a moral failure by
engaging in inappropriatebehavior with a young lady.
The church elders furtherstated quote since the
(02:49):
resolution of this 35-year-oldmatter, there has been no other
moral failures.
The church elders stated thathis punishment was already dealt
with through repentance andconfession.
Let me be crystal clear.
This isn't just a moral failure.
This is a criminal act and itdemands justice.
Your God won't save you frompunishment this time.
You raped a 12-year-old girlfor years and now the world
(03:13):
knows you deserve nothing but tobe buried under the jail, and I
highly doubt someone whocommits an act as vile as this
hasn't harmed other children.
Who knows how many victims andmoral failures Morris had over
the decades?
I wouldn't be surprised if morevictims came forward.
Four elders of the church boardwho were aware of Morris'
actions were temporarily placedon leave.
(03:34):
During the investigation, pastorMorris often weaponized his
group of 100,000 members to helpsupport his Christian
nationalist agenda.
He encouraged them to putpressure on lawmakers to pass
conservative andanti-transgender laws.
This included a bill thatrequired people to use bathrooms
matching their gender assignedat birth rather than their
gender identity.
(03:54):
For conservatives, everyaccusation is a confession, but
let's not forget the irony here.
Morris suggested he would besafer in a bathroom with you
instead of a trans person.
Do not trust in the words ofChristian nationalists.
They use their faith as ashield and will tell you trans
and gay people are dangerousonly to hide the wicked acts
that they do behind the scenes.
Morris was Donald Trump'sleading spiritual advisor.
(04:16):
Trump has praised Morrismultiple times, but, as they say
, birds of a feather flocktogether.
In a future episode, we'llreveal Donald Trump's deep ties
to Jeffrey Epstein and continueto expose these predators.
Pastor Robert Morris is a wickedman.
He regularly used his largegroup of 100,000 members to push
his conservative agenda, aswell as tricking his followers
(04:38):
into giving him millions ofdollars.
Money and wealth he uses tolive a luxurious lifestyle with
mansions and private jets.
Money and wealth he uses tolive a luxurious lifestyle with
mansions and private jets.
Churches in America enjoycollecting money tax-free while
wielding significant influenceover our laws and policies.
This needs to change.
We cannot allow those whoexploit and target the
vulnerable to influence ourgovernment.
I'm only on the second pastorpredator and I'm already about
(05:01):
to throw up after reading aboutthis guy.
Religious people are usingtheir status to get away with
molesting and abusing kids.
I have to report on this andbring it to light.
Do not bring your childrenaround these pastors.
They are sick and it is showntheir other church staff will
help them hide what they do.
Our next pastor predator comesfrom Brentwood, new York.
On March 11th 2025, a pastorpleaded guilty to sexually
(05:24):
exploiting a child.
Pastor Jose Saiz Jr faces aminimum sentence of only 15
years in prison, with thepossibility of up to 30 years
behind bars.
Saiz engaged in sexuallyexplicit conversations with
multiple minors and anundercover law enforcement
officer using the messaging appTelegram.
His admissions to the officersare nothing short of horrifying.
(05:44):
He confessed to targetingchildren between the ages of 11
and 15, even admitting toabusing a baby.
He brazenly stated that he usedhis church to seek out young
victims.
It goes further than that.
Saiz also admitted toencouraging a minor to produce
child pornography and distributeit.
He confessed to saving theseclips and sharing them with at
least 10 other people.
(06:05):
The depth of his depravity isstaggering and, in his own words
, reveal a chilling lack ofremorse.
He said quote I'm sorry that Icould not stop.
The FBI got involved aftersomeone sent them an online tip
about what Sayez was doing.
They searched his phone with awarrant and found 15 videos with
child pornography saved onTelegram.
One of these videos showed achild performing sexual acts.
(06:28):
Fbi Assistant Director Bakshishad this to say the defendant
not only admitted to sexuallyabusing young children, but also
discussed his church and hismembers as targets of additional
abuse.
His sustained exploitation ofchildren in person and online is
clear, and this guilty plea isa step forward on the road to
justice for his victims.
(06:49):
Children are among the mostvulnerable in our communities
and the FBI will stop at nothingto make sure they are protected
and the monsters who would dothem harm are put behind bars.
The thought that Sayez could bereleased in as little as 15
years, or even 7 to 8 years withgood behavior, is terrifying.
People like this do not change,and the risk of him
re-offending is a grave concern.
(07:10):
When he is free, he is justgoing to infiltrate another
church and find more victims.
How did our justice systemarrive at such a soft sentence
for such horrific crimes, andhow much did his title of church
pastor influence this outcome?
Horrific crimes and how muchdid his title of church pastor
influence this outcome?
As a father of three youngchildren himself, sayez's
betrayal of trust is even moreegregious.
If not for the FBI'sintervention, how many more
(07:32):
victims would there have been?
And how many other pastors arestill out there hiding their
crimes behind a facade of piety?
Reporting on this trend is noteasy.
It's emotionally taxing on meand deeply disturbing, but it's
essential that we shine a lighton these dark corners of our
society.
Just because someone claims tobe a person of faith does not
make them a good person.
(07:52):
We must hold the churchesaccountable and demand
transparency and justice for thevictims.
It is just shocking thatmainstream media is not
reporting on some of the billsthat Republicans have been
passing.
Republicans create laws andbills that are based only on
hatred and fear.
Let's start with Bill SB-456, abill that Republicans have
(08:16):
already passed.
This bill allows adults tocheck the genitalia of children
with no need for permission fromtheir parents.
Yes, you heard that right.
This bill arises fromtransphobia.
Pretending to be a way toidentify transgender children,
this bill allows healthcareworkers to check a child's
genitals if they think the childmight be transgender, and they
(08:37):
can do this without the parent'spermission.
The bill defines sex based onwhether someone can produce eggs
or sperm and categorizesintersex individuals strictly as
male or female, withoutdetermining how.
This bill requires separaterestrooms and changing rooms for
those assigned male or femaleat birth.
An earlier version of this billsaid any teacher could inspect
(08:57):
children's genitalia, but nowonly healthcare workers can.
However, the core issue remains.
Adults can legally inspect achild's genitals in secret
without parents' permission.
Healthcare workers have a freepass as long as they say that
they suspect the child of beingtransgender.
This bill won't just hurttransgender kids, it will hurt
cisgender children frompedophile adults who will abuse
(09:18):
this law.
Republicans, I have a seriousquestion for you.
Do you hate transgender peopleso much that you're willing to
allow random adults to look atand fondle your child's genitals
without your knowledge?
I can't comprehend how thisbill is seen as anything but a
violation of children's rightsand privacy.
We have been saying for a whilenow that Republicans are
obsessed with children'sgenitals, and now they've passed
(09:38):
a bill to legalize it.
This makes me sick to my corethat we could live in a world
where this becomes the law.
The abuse Republicans will usethis for will be outstanding.
They don't even have to suspecta child is transgender.
With this bill, they now have alegal pass to look at and
fondle a child's genitalsanytime they want.
This is the Christiannationalist agenda in action.
The mainstream media has beensilent on this bill, and it's
(10:00):
only when it becomes law andchildren start coming home
traumatized that parents willrealize the horror of what's
allowed to happen, and by thenit will be too late.
It was never about keeping kidssafe.
The Christian nationalistagenda is clear Hurt transgender
people at any cost, even if itmeans hurting their own children
to do it.
I hope Republicans are happywith what they voted for.
The economy is turning shit andthey're focusing on
(10:21):
traumatizing kids instead.
This bill is nothing short oflegalized child rape.
Is this what making Americagreat again looks like?
I am absolutely disgusted withthe direction this country is
taking.
On the bright side, though, atleast this bill doesn't affect
my very existence.
That will be the next bill wewill discuss.
Next, we're discussing a billthat has sparked nationwide
(10:41):
outrage and concern.
Texas House Bill 3817, alsoknown as the Gender Identity
Fraud Act, republicanRepresentative Tom Olofsen has
introduced this bill.
This bill would make it illegalfor transgender people to say
or write that they are adifferent gender than the one
that they were assigned at birth.
If this law is approved, anyonewho breaks it could go to
prison for up to two years andpay a fine of $10,000.
(11:04):
This law would apply if someonegives false or misleading
information about their genderidentity to the government or
their employer if it doesn'tmatch your gender assigned at
birth.
The implications of this billis terrifying.
If it becomes law, transgenderpeople will be punished for
being honest about their genderidentity.
It would also remove legalrecognition and punish those who
have already changed theirgender on official documents.
(11:25):
House Bill 3817 is part of theChristian nationalist agenda
that seeks to erase transgenderpeople.
It aligns with Trump'sexecutive orders that mandate
federal agencies to recognizeonly a person sex assigned at
birth on official documentsinstead of their gender identity
.
But the attacks don't stopthere.
Republicans are trying toextend a ban on gender affirming
care.
This ban would apply not justto kids, but to adults too.
(11:48):
Texas Representative BrentMoney recently filed a bill that
would make it illegal forhealthcare providers to give
puberty blockers, hormonetherapy or surgeries to anyone
wanting to affirm their genderidentity, no matter their age.
In response to the bill, brentMoney stated on Twitter that he
was just quote protectingchildren and vulnerable
individuals.
Republicans, I think I speak forall sane people when I say this
(12:10):
.
You say you're doing all thisto protect women and children,
but how about you just fuck off?
If you really cared aboutprotecting children, you would
address the leading cause ofdeath among kids and teens
school shootings, but that issueis off the table for you.
These efforts are not aboutprotection.
They are about pushing aChristian nationalist agenda
that seeks to harm and eraseminorities.
The number of laws against LGBTrights are increasing quickly.
(12:33):
Since the start of 2025, over500 anti-gay bills have been
proposed, according to theAmerican Civil Liberties Union.
Transgender people have said foryears that the Republicans'
ultimate goal is genocide.
It was never about sports,women's safety, fairness or
trans kids.
This bill would make everydaythings like signing an email
with the chosen name or tellingan employer your gender identity
(12:55):
illegal.
Just like Germany before, itwas a tactic to normalize a lack
of empathy so that theannihilation of entire
demographics can be justified,project 2025 is inching closer
and closer to its goal ofgenocide against trans people.
Those who call us alarmists forsaying Christian nationalists
are trying to commit genocideagainst us.
Look where we are now.
(13:15):
This is genocide.
Texas should be condemned forhuman rights violations.
If this bill passes, theyshould have already been
condemned for all their hate.
This is as despicable as itgets, and I'm disgusted.
We must stand up and speak outagainst these atrocities.
The so-called party of smallgovernment is dictating how
people should live their lives,stripping away freedoms under
the guise of protection.
(13:36):
How can this be the land of thefree when laws actively seek to
erase entire communities?
The reason why I and 15,000other trans people are being
kicked out the military is tohurt and kill us off
systematically, the militarybeing the biggest employer of
trans people.
This was meant to cause nothingbut harm.
This is precisely what aChristian nationalist is someone
who is evil down to their verycore.
(13:57):
The idea of punishing everytrans person for not conforming
to societal norms brings a smileto the faces of Christian
nationalists as they continuetheir crusade against us.
The damage is already done,even if the bill doesn't pass.
The overturned window hasshifted, normalizing radical
ideas Like a frog in boilingwater.
Trans people are in the hotseat right now.
Where is our help?
(14:18):
Why have the Democratsabandoned us?
Where are our allies?
Even Gavin Newsom of Californiacondemned trans people last
week.
People we thought we couldtrust have abandoned us for
political gain.
Let me leave you with a quotefrom Martin Niemöller, someone
who lived during the rise ofHitler.
First they came for thesocialists and I did not speak
out because I was not asocialist.
(14:38):
Then they came for the tradeunionists, and I did not speak
out because I was not a tradeunionist.
Then they came for the Jews,and I did not speak out because
I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me and therewas no one left to speak for me
.
While this specific bill mightnot pass, it's clear that
Republicans and Christiannationalists are determined to
advance their agenda.
Their vision of making Americagreat again is to go back to a
(15:02):
time where only straight, whiteChristian men were the only ones
accepted, and unless they arestopped, they will get what they
want.
I would like to thank each andevery one of you for taking the
time to listen to this episode.
I used to live in a world whereI felt completely useless while
(15:22):
absolutely horrible things werehappening around me.
Since doing this podcast, itfinally makes me feel like I
have a voice and can dosomething.
This is only something that Iwant to expand.
In the future.
I plan on being on YouTube.
I will travel the country andeven bring Republicans or people
with completely oppositeopinions on this podcast.
I want to be the progressive BenShapiro Just imagine, ben, but
(15:43):
not so evil Someone who can helpexplain ideas and concepts to
people, because ignorance andlack of understanding are among
the most significant issues inour country.
My name is Athena Hope and mymission is to bring love and
understanding everywhere.
I know I won't be able to reachevery single person, but I'm
sure I can reach most, and thatwould be good enough.
As always, you can get sourcesfor everything talked about in
(16:05):
this episode inside the shownotes.
Unless things change, therevolution will start, and I
will be more than happy to do mypart in it.
I ask all of you to leave thisepisode with peace and love.
We will have justice.
We demand it.
I'm your host, athena Hope, anduntil next time.
This has been Transgenders atWar.
Hello everyone, welcome to the Transgenders at
War podcast, the show thatfocuses on transgender people,
politics and how transgenderpeople are affected by it.
I'm your host, athena Hope.
In this episode, we will bediscussing a few stories from
the past week.
We will talk about the worryingtrend of pastor pedophiles and
the downright awful bills theRepublicans are passing.
(00:36):
Please be warned that thisepisode contains a trigger
warning for sexual abuse.
We have a lot to discuss, solet's dive into it.
While some Christians andreligious individuals accuse
(00:57):
drag queens and gay people ofinappropriate behavior towards
children, it's important toconsider whether these are
accusations or are they justprojections.
The frequent report ofpedophile pastors indicate a
serious issue within religiousinstitutions.
On this show, we will begintracking these cases.
I found half a dozen of thesecases in the past week alone, so
let's talk about it.
Our first case involves RobertMorris, the former spiritual
(01:19):
advisor to Donald Trump.
A grand jury has indictedMorris on five counts of sexual
acts with a 12-year-old girl.
In the year 2000, pastor RobertMorris founded the Gateway
Church in South Lake Texas.
The church grew rapidly andbecame a megachurch with around
100,000 members.
On March 12, 2025, the courtindicted Morris, who now faces
(01:40):
up to life in prison forsexually assaulting Cindy
Clemishire, who now faces up tolife in prison for sexually
assaulting Cindy Clemishire.
Morris sexually assaulted Cindymultiple times in the 80s.
He raped her over a period offour years.
Cindy said she was only 12years old and was wearing pink
pajamas when he started.
She has been seeking justicefor decades.
Her persistence has finally ledto these charges.
In 2005, cindy reached out toPastor Morris through emails and
(02:05):
phone calls seekingacknowledgement and
accountability.
She shared 23 years after youbegan destroying my life, I am
still dealing with the pain anddamage you caused.
Morris responded by threateningher with legal action and
attempting to bribe her intosilence.
Cindy had to wait over 40 yearsto see any hope for justice.
Cindy said that she hadrepeatedly tried to disclose the
(02:27):
abuse to the church elders andpastors, but they ignored her.
It was only when she spokepublicly did any meaningful
action take place.
After Pastor Morris was exposed,the church issued a statement
describing his behavior simplyas, quote a moral failure by
engaging in inappropriatebehavior with a young lady.
The church elders furtherstated quote since the
(02:49):
resolution of this 35-year-oldmatter, there has been no other
moral failures.
The church elders stated thathis punishment was already dealt
with through repentance andconfession.
Let me be crystal clear.
This isn't just a moral failure.
This is a criminal act and itdemands justice.
Your God won't save you frompunishment this time.
You raped a 12-year-old girlfor years and now the world
(03:13):
knows you deserve nothing but tobe buried under the jail, and I
highly doubt someone whocommits an act as vile as this
hasn't harmed other children.
Who knows how many victims andmoral failures Morris had over
the decades?
I wouldn't be surprised if morevictims came forward.
Four elders of the church boardwho were aware of Morris'
actions were temporarily placedon leave.
(03:34):
During the investigation, pastorMorris often weaponized his
group of 100,000 members to helpsupport his Christian
nationalist agenda.
He encouraged them to putpressure on lawmakers to pass
conservative andanti-transgender laws.
This included a bill thatrequired people to use bathrooms
matching their gender assignedat birth rather than their
gender identity.
(03:54):
For conservatives, everyaccusation is a confession, but
let's not forget the irony here.
Morris suggested he would besafer in a bathroom with you
instead of a trans person.
Do not trust in the words ofChristian nationalists.
They use their faith as ashield and will tell you trans
and gay people are dangerousonly to hide the wicked acts
that they do behind the scenes.
Morris was Donald Trump'sleading spiritual advisor.
(04:16):
Trump has praised Morrismultiple times, but, as they say
, birds of a feather flocktogether.
In a future episode, we'llreveal Donald Trump's deep ties
to Jeffrey Epstein and continueto expose these predators.
Pastor Robert Morris is a wickedman.
He regularly used his largegroup of 100,000 members to push
his conservative agenda, aswell as tricking his followers
(04:38):
into giving him millions ofdollars.
Money and wealth he uses tolive a luxurious lifestyle with
mansions and private jets.
Money and wealth he uses tolive a luxurious lifestyle with
mansions and private jets.
Churches in America enjoycollecting money tax-free while
wielding significant influenceover our laws and policies.
This needs to change.
We cannot allow those whoexploit and target the
vulnerable to influence ourgovernment.
I'm only on the second pastorpredator and I'm already about
(05:01):
to throw up after reading aboutthis guy.
Religious people are usingtheir status to get away with
molesting and abusing kids.
I have to report on this andbring it to light.
Do not bring your childrenaround these pastors.
They are sick and it is showntheir other church staff will
help them hide what they do.
Our next pastor predator comesfrom Brentwood, new York.
On March 11th 2025, a pastorpleaded guilty to sexually
(05:24):
exploiting a child.
Pastor Jose Saiz Jr faces aminimum sentence of only 15
years in prison, with thepossibility of up to 30 years
behind bars.
Saiz engaged in sexuallyexplicit conversations with
multiple minors and anundercover law enforcement
officer using the messaging appTelegram.
His admissions to the officersare nothing short of horrifying.
(05:44):
He confessed to targetingchildren between the ages of 11
and 15, even admitting toabusing a baby.
He brazenly stated that he usedhis church to seek out young
victims.
It goes further than that.
Saiz also admitted toencouraging a minor to produce
child pornography and distributeit.
He confessed to saving theseclips and sharing them with at
least 10 other people.
(06:05):
The depth of his depravity isstaggering and, in his own words
, reveal a chilling lack ofremorse.
He said quote I'm sorry that Icould not stop.
The FBI got involved aftersomeone sent them an online tip
about what Sayez was doing.
They searched his phone with awarrant and found 15 videos with
child pornography saved onTelegram.
One of these videos showed achild performing sexual acts.
(06:28):
Fbi Assistant Director Bakshishad this to say the defendant
not only admitted to sexuallyabusing young children, but also
discussed his church and hismembers as targets of additional
abuse.
His sustained exploitation ofchildren in person and online is
clear, and this guilty plea isa step forward on the road to
justice for his victims.
(06:49):
Children are among the mostvulnerable in our communities
and the FBI will stop at nothingto make sure they are protected
and the monsters who would dothem harm are put behind bars.
The thought that Sayez could bereleased in as little as 15
years, or even 7 to 8 years withgood behavior, is terrifying.
People like this do not change,and the risk of him
re-offending is a grave concern.
(07:10):
When he is free, he is justgoing to infiltrate another
church and find more victims.
How did our justice systemarrive at such a soft sentence
for such horrific crimes, andhow much did his title of church
pastor influence this outcome?
Horrific crimes and how muchdid his title of church pastor
influence this outcome?
As a father of three youngchildren himself, sayez's
betrayal of trust is even moreegregious.
If not for the FBI'sintervention, how many more
(07:32):
victims would there have been?
And how many other pastors arestill out there hiding their
crimes behind a facade of piety?
Reporting on this trend is noteasy.
It's emotionally taxing on meand deeply disturbing, but it's
essential that we shine a lighton these dark corners of our
society.
Just because someone claims tobe a person of faith does not
make them a good person.
(07:52):
We must hold the churchesaccountable and demand
transparency and justice for thevictims.
It is just shocking thatmainstream media is not
reporting on some of the billsthat Republicans have been
passing.
Republicans create laws andbills that are based only on
hatred and fear.
Let's start with Bill SB-456, abill that Republicans have
(08:16):
already passed.
This bill allows adults tocheck the genitalia of children
with no need for permission fromtheir parents.
Yes, you heard that right.
This bill arises fromtransphobia.
Pretending to be a way toidentify transgender children,
this bill allows healthcareworkers to check a child's
genitals if they think the childmight be transgender, and they
(08:37):
can do this without the parent'spermission.
The bill defines sex based onwhether someone can produce eggs
or sperm and categorizesintersex individuals strictly as
male or female, withoutdetermining how.
This bill requires separaterestrooms and changing rooms for
those assigned male or femaleat birth.
An earlier version of this billsaid any teacher could inspect
(08:57):
children's genitalia, but nowonly healthcare workers can.
However, the core issue remains.
Adults can legally inspect achild's genitals in secret
without parents' permission.
Healthcare workers have a freepass as long as they say that
they suspect the child of beingtransgender.
This bill won't just hurttransgender kids, it will hurt
cisgender children frompedophile adults who will abuse
(09:18):
this law.
Republicans, I have a seriousquestion for you.
Do you hate transgender peopleso much that you're willing to
allow random adults to look atand fondle your child's genitals
without your knowledge?
I can't comprehend how thisbill is seen as anything but a
violation of children's rightsand privacy.
We have been saying for a whilenow that Republicans are
obsessed with children'sgenitals, and now they've passed
(09:38):
a bill to legalize it.
This makes me sick to my corethat we could live in a world
where this becomes the law.
The abuse Republicans will usethis for will be outstanding.
They don't even have to suspecta child is transgender.
With this bill, they now have alegal pass to look at and
fondle a child's genitalsanytime they want.
This is the Christiannationalist agenda in action.
The mainstream media has beensilent on this bill, and it's
(10:00):
only when it becomes law andchildren start coming home
traumatized that parents willrealize the horror of what's
allowed to happen, and by thenit will be too late.
It was never about keeping kidssafe.
The Christian nationalistagenda is clear Hurt transgender
people at any cost, even if itmeans hurting their own children
to do it.
I hope Republicans are happywith what they voted for.
The economy is turning shit andthey're focusing on
(10:21):
traumatizing kids instead.
This bill is nothing short oflegalized child rape.
Is this what making Americagreat again looks like?
I am absolutely disgusted withthe direction this country is
taking.
On the bright side, though, atleast this bill doesn't affect
my very existence.
That will be the next bill wewill discuss.
Next, we're discussing a billthat has sparked nationwide
(10:41):
outrage and concern.
Texas House Bill 3817, alsoknown as the Gender Identity
Fraud Act, republicanRepresentative Tom Olofsen has
introduced this bill.
This bill would make it illegalfor transgender people to say
or write that they are adifferent gender than the one
that they were assigned at birth.
If this law is approved, anyonewho breaks it could go to
prison for up to two years andpay a fine of $10,000.
(11:04):
This law would apply if someonegives false or misleading
information about their genderidentity to the government or
their employer if it doesn'tmatch your gender assigned at
birth.
The implications of this billis terrifying.
If it becomes law, transgenderpeople will be punished for
being honest about their genderidentity.
It would also remove legalrecognition and punish those who
have already changed theirgender on official documents.
(11:25):
House Bill 3817 is part of theChristian nationalist agenda
that seeks to erase transgenderpeople.
It aligns with Trump'sexecutive orders that mandate
federal agencies to recognizeonly a person sex assigned at
birth on official documentsinstead of their gender identity
.
But the attacks don't stopthere.
Republicans are trying toextend a ban on gender affirming
care.
This ban would apply not justto kids, but to adults too.
(11:48):
Texas Representative BrentMoney recently filed a bill that
would make it illegal forhealthcare providers to give
puberty blockers, hormonetherapy or surgeries to anyone
wanting to affirm their genderidentity, no matter their age.
In response to the bill, brentMoney stated on Twitter that he
was just quote protectingchildren and vulnerable
individuals.
Republicans, I think I speak forall sane people when I say this
(12:10):
.
You say you're doing all thisto protect women and children,
but how about you just fuck off?
If you really cared aboutprotecting children, you would
address the leading cause ofdeath among kids and teens
school shootings, but that issueis off the table for you.
These efforts are not aboutprotection.
They are about pushing aChristian nationalist agenda
that seeks to harm and eraseminorities.
The number of laws against LGBTrights are increasing quickly.
(12:33):
Since the start of 2025, over500 anti-gay bills have been
proposed, according to theAmerican Civil Liberties Union.
Transgender people have said foryears that the Republicans'
ultimate goal is genocide.
It was never about sports,women's safety, fairness or
trans kids.
This bill would make everydaythings like signing an email
with the chosen name or tellingan employer your gender identity
(12:55):
illegal.
Just like Germany before, itwas a tactic to normalize a lack
of empathy so that theannihilation of entire
demographics can be justified,project 2025 is inching closer
and closer to its goal ofgenocide against trans people.
Those who call us alarmists forsaying Christian nationalists
are trying to commit genocideagainst us.
Look where we are now.
(13:15):
This is genocide.
Texas should be condemned forhuman rights violations.
If this bill passes, theyshould have already been
condemned for all their hate.
This is as despicable as itgets, and I'm disgusted.
We must stand up and speak outagainst these atrocities.
The so-called party of smallgovernment is dictating how
people should live their lives,stripping away freedoms under
the guise of protection.
(13:36):
How can this be the land of thefree when laws actively seek to
erase entire communities?
The reason why I and 15,000other trans people are being
kicked out the military is tohurt and kill us off
systematically, the militarybeing the biggest employer of
trans people.
This was meant to cause nothingbut harm.
This is precisely what aChristian nationalist is someone
who is evil down to their verycore.
(13:57):
The idea of punishing everytrans person for not conforming
to societal norms brings a smileto the faces of Christian
nationalists as they continuetheir crusade against us.
The damage is already done,even if the bill doesn't pass.
The overturned window hasshifted, normalizing radical
ideas Like a frog in boilingwater.
Trans people are in the hotseat right now.
Where is our help?
(14:18):
Why have the Democratsabandoned us?
Where are our allies?
Even Gavin Newsom of Californiacondemned trans people last
week.
People we thought we couldtrust have abandoned us for
political gain.
Let me leave you with a quotefrom Martin Niemöller, someone
who lived during the rise ofHitler.
First they came for thesocialists and I did not speak
out because I was not asocialist.
(14:38):
Then they came for the tradeunionists, and I did not speak
out because I was not a tradeunionist.
Then they came for the Jews,and I did not speak out because
I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me and therewas no one left to speak for me
.
While this specific bill mightnot pass, it's clear that
Republicans and Christiannationalists are determined to
advance their agenda.
Their vision of making Americagreat again is to go back to a
(15:02):
time where only straight, whiteChristian men were the only ones
accepted, and unless they arestopped, they will get what they
want.
I would like to thank each andevery one of you for taking the
time to listen to this episode.
I used to live in a world whereI felt completely useless while
(15:22):
absolutely horrible things werehappening around me.
Since doing this podcast, itfinally makes me feel like I
have a voice and can dosomething.
This is only something that Iwant to expand.
In the future.
I plan on being on YouTube.
I will travel the country andeven bring Republicans or people
with completely oppositeopinions on this podcast.
I want to be the progressive BenShapiro Just imagine, ben, but
(15:43):
not so evil Someone who can helpexplain ideas and concepts to
people, because ignorance andlack of understanding are among
the most significant issues inour country.
My name is Athena Hope and mymission is to bring love and
understanding everywhere.
I know I won't be able to reachevery single person, but I'm
sure I can reach most, and thatwould be good enough.
As always, you can get sourcesfor everything talked about in
(16:05):
this episode inside the shownotes.
Unless things change, therevolution will start, and I
will be more than happy to do mypart in it.
I ask all of you to leave thisepisode with peace and love.
We will have justice.
We demand it.
I'm your host, athena Hope, anduntil next time.
This has been Transgenders atWar.
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