Lets also not forget that Texas:
Just because texas as a state has a dark past doesn’t mean they havent or aren’t capable of change. I feel that the people of Texas are more accepting than the government that represents them.
By referring to Texas’s dark history, you’re provoking an implication that Texas will never change, even in the non-foreseeable future. I don’t believe that statement has any benefit but to profile an entire state as evil, which I feel like is not proactive at all, as it doesn’t even allow a glipse of hope that Texas has the capability to change, or rather that it has changed yet we are unaware of it. Texas, and many other states can change, but can we please not profile a state to be evil?
It’s a fair point to bring up in the context of saying “maybe we should reconsider holding large and diverse robotics events in a state with a spotty track record for its respect for diversity.”
In the immortal words of a certain famous Texan, “fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can’t get fooled again.”
EDIT: Also, I want to stress, we are (or at least I am) not saying most Texans are evil or bad or transphobic. However, enough Texans seem to consistently be at least OK with transphobic etc policies, and their voting system is set up in such a way, that the people who are elected often seem to enact policies that hurt people. Whose fault that is is largely irrelevant to the central question, is Texas a good place to hold Worlds? Which, given their track record of actions in the past, seems to indicate the answer is probably no.
I’ll echo this. There are good people in Texas, who are welcoming of all, including trans people. However, it’s clear that at a political and societal level, that Texas is not presently very respectful of diversity.
They’re tolerant of flamboyance, as long as it’s within certain bounds - oversized cowboy hats, draped in the Lone Star, with huge belt buckles, and giant spurs won’t get a second look anywhere in the state - but wearing an oversized hat draped in the Rainbow Flag would probably only receive that same lack of attention in Austin and some areas of Houston and Dallas.
I am not disagreeing. I wholeheartedly believe that right now and for the near future the venue should switch locations, but using history is definitely not beneficial nor an accurate representation of the modern era. It’s the equivalent of banning Germany from the Olympics today because of its dark past. If we were to ban Germany from the Olympics because of its dark history, when will they ever be able to compete, if all we’re ever gonna do is never put dark times in the past?
Please, to assume that Texas’s dark past as a deciding factor, the state would never be a consideration for worlds in the future, even after Texas changes to something moral and good because all you’re gonna do is look back at the history of Texas and say “no.”
The difference there, is that Germany confronted, addressed, and changed (towards the “good”) from their “dark history”. The Nazi flag is banned in Germany. The Stars-and-Bars flies with impunity in Texas.
While there are still racist/homophobic/anti-LGBTQ Germans, German society (and politics) is much more welcoming of diversity, probably than Texas.
I think everyone is misunderstanding the moralities of Texans, as a whole…
Texas is built upon slow-moving, traditions. They take time to transition to modern beliefs, as compared to rapidly jumping into things. Yes, Texas has ignorant sides but what makes it great sometimes is its capability to observe other state’s before fully implementing up-to-date modern beliefs. The only downside to this strategy is that other states adapt quickly, then scorn Texas for being immoral for not adopting quick enough, when Texas is always going to be 10-20 years in the past when it comes to ideologies. Texas is known for its consistency and predictability, which is why they can fly the same flag for centuries. America has made mistakes as well, and they apologize, but they don’t change the American flag either. A flag is merely a social construct. Even if you change the label or logo, the country and people are all that matters.
Texas acknowledges its dark past, and they even apologized as well:
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CRECB-2009-pt12/html/CRECB-2009-pt12-Pg15547-2.htm
I would appreciate it if we do not use a dark past as a reactive measure to not select a state for worlds, and rather only use the situation at-hand which is the governor being ignorant and not up-to-date with the modern way of thinking (as that is likely the reality of what’s happening, not ill-intent). I’ve experienced it first-hand here (I once was ignorant myself) so I understand the cause: a simple ignorant herd mentality that hates change and prefers predictability. Just give Texas some time and their ideas will likely change and be more inclusive after about 1-2 decades.
Perfect, let’s table this for now and come back in a decade or so when Texas is showing signs they’re becoming more inclusive.
You know what Germany did to confront its dark past? Actively acknowledge it and put in decades pf work to correct it and ensure it doesn’t happen again.
That really hasn’t been the case with TX, or a lot of states here.
Also, saying let’s give TX some time for things like human rights really doesn’t sit right with me. Like beliefs or not, they were antiquated and bad then, and bad now. That’s like the people who argued slavery shouldn’t have been abolished or pushed to abolishment and that given time, Southern States would’ve eventually gotten rid of it.
With all due respect, this is a lot of words to say Texas isn’t that great a place and has done a lot of crappy things. To defend some of the things they’ve done by saying they’re slow to adopt things is incredulous.
This is beyond just the topic at hand, but socially, economically, and everything else. There is a reason why Texas is waving the same flag used centuries ago. But this lies on whether you believe that being slow to adopt everything is good or bad. If Texas adopts things as quick as the other states, there would be less predictability and an overall increase in uncertainty. This is risky as Texas has a massive economic infrastructure alongside geographical reasons as well (Texas is bordering another country so being slow, consistent, and precise with procedures and laws is important). Additionally, communication is harder to spread considering how much of Texas is rural (23%). Not to mention moralities 10-years behind when Texas is mostly rural which is why information is slow moving.
I feel like it is hard to blame a state to be slow with adoption when the infrastructure is slow itself.
I mean… we’re talking about fundamentally human rights issues here.
If Texas is slow to adopt what should be obvious things here for human rights because of fears of how it’d change their infrastructure… that doesn’t say anything good about the state and what they stand for.
You can’t sit back on “Oh this is predictable and more certain” for the types of topics we’re talking about here. That’s a cop out. Texas also hasn’t really shown much impetus in striving for progress here in a lot of ways.
Those things may add context to the situation, but they absolutely do not excuse it.
Thanks for addressing the faulty analogy to Germany. I would just add that Germany not only acknowledged the horrific crimes against humanity that it committed, it has also paid out billions in reparations to the victims and their descendants. It has mandated that its schools teach the full and painful history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, and it has enacted strict laws that are aimed to prevent anyone from trying to distort, hide, or deny the truth of what happened.
Although it may seem that by bringing in Nazi Germany, slavery, and racial hatred, we have gotten away from the topic at hand, I think the point is that Texas - as a state - has a poor record and that it is, once again, on track to being on the wrong side of history. I respectfully reject the idea that we just have to give them “a decade or two” to catch up. That’s not fair to the community that’s being targeted.
I mean, so much wrong here.
So does California, though it seems to move faster and is more welcoming of diversity. Arguably a better economy, too.
Germany is roughly half the size of Texas, with a similar Urban/Rural divide. I’m pretty sure cars and airplanes work in Texas, as do cell phones and the internet.
And let’s face it, the reason for this thread is because Texas changed. For the worse. Trans people were already marginalized in Texas. Now they are moreso.
Texas’ has a great deal of rural land, but it is urban. The article you link is using 2010 pop data to make an odd point that Texas has the largest pop of people living in rural counties. That article’s old data indicates 46.5% live in urban areas - Texas’ population increased by 4 million (census) between 2010 and 2020 - largely in urban areas. If you click that link, you will see I have Wyoming (actually rural) for comparison.
Texas has 4 of the 10 largest cities in the US, and 6 cities with population within their city limits that is greater than all of, for example, Wyoming.
Texas is urban.
… The Stars and Bars was one of the Confederate flags
oh my B i though stars and bars was American flag… ill delete my post
your thinking of stars and stripes
Yeah musta misread the post or something i deleted my post i just slipped up while reading.
Now, VEX is certainly not Disney, but…