Politics Reflects Society: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

By: Dr. Denise Renye

What’s interesting about politics is they reflect society – not only in terms of beliefs but also in behaviors. For instance, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley’s interactions with Professor Khiara Bridges, an expert in race and reproductive rights, during a Senate hearing related to abortion rights on July 12, 2022. He demonstrated the gaslighting and denigration that transfolx, BIPOC, and basically anyone who’s not a cis-gendered, straight, white man experience on a regular basis.

A brief recap of the interaction: Bridges referred to “people with the capacity for pregnancy” and Hawley asked, “Would that be women?” Bridges said, “Many women, cis women, have the capacity for pregnancy. Many cis women do not have the capacity for pregnancy. There are also trans men who are capable of pregnancy as well as non-binary people who are capable of pregnancy.”

The Republican senator then asked, “So this isn't really a women's rights issue?” and Bridges said, “We can recognize that this issue impacts women while also recognizing that it also impacts other groups. Those things aren't mutually exclusive.” After more back and forth, Bridges said his line of questioning was “transphobic and it opens trans people up to violence.”

“Wow,” Hawley said. “So you're saying that I'm opening people up to violence by asking if women are the folks that can have pregnancies?” Bridge added that “1 out of 5 transgender persons has attempted suicide.”

Hawley continued and told Bridges he didn’t think men could get pregnant to which she said, “Then you are denying that trans people exist.” Hawley continued that denial when he spoke with Fox News later. He told the news outlet:

“Here is the modern Democrat Party today. It [deems] that you have to say that ‘men can get pregnant.’ And if you don't say it, then you are a bigot and you are responsible for violence. That is the party line. Let's not forget who invited this witness. She was there as a Democrat witness. You didn't see a single Democrat disagree with that. In fact, they're all over social media applauding her and saying, ‘Oh, that's exactly right.’ It's not exactly right – it is exactly crazy – which is why voters are running screaming away from the Democrat Party. This is craziness. They think that if a biological man wants to claim to be a woman, hey, that's fine. And we all have to accept it, or else we're bigoted and violent. It's just crazy.”

Hawley is engaging in classic gaslighting behavior because he’s denying reality. He’s saying that his version of reality is the only one that exists. Bridges was spot on when she said, “Then you’re denying that trans people exist.” He is. Not only is he denying their existence, he’s also saying it’s “crazy” to acknowledge them in the first place. It’s not crazy because transfolx and nonbinary folx do indeed exist whether Hawley “thinks it’s crazy” or not.  

This is how our government is run right now – with a minority group of conservative people exerting control and denying other people respect and care. It’s a hypercompetitive, “me first” model that appears not only in government but in families too. People learn this sort of behavior at home and also by watching politicians like Hawley. This dysfunctional behavior gets modeled and then deemed acceptable because it’s so pervasive. And as I mentioned in my gaslighting blog, people learn to do this to themselves as well.  

These patterns are sabotaging of self and others. How can you connect with yourself and others if you’re not open to seeing their point of view and instead are adamant that your way of looking at things is the only way? This is why individual therapy and coaching are so important – someone else is able to point out behaviors operating out of your awareness and support you in changing them if you wish and are ready.  

Journal prompts:

·      How do I gaslight myself or others?

·      How do I feel when I see interactions on the political stage?

·      What boundaries do I need to put around my interactions watching the news and politics?

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References

Creitz, Charles. “Hawley: Viral abortion hearing moment shows why regular Americans 'running screaming' from Democrats.” Fox News. July 12, 2022. https://www.foxnews.com/media/hawley-viral-abortion-hearing-moment-shows-regular-americans-running-away-screaming-democrats

Lazarus Caplan, Anna. “Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley Called 'Transphobic' by Law Professor in Heated Senate Hearing.” People.com. July 13, 2022. https://people.com/politics/missouri-sen-josh-hawley-called-transphobic-by-law-professor-in-heated-senate-hearing/