What’s in a name? In Shakespeare, when Juliet asks this regarding her forbidden lover Romeo’s last name of Montague, it’s an expression of lamentation. In her society she is banned from a life with her true love. Nowadays, naming things of all kinds is important — especially in politics.
Late last week, after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered his state’s Department of Family and Protective Services to treat gender-affirming care for transgender minors as child abuse, it seemed suddenly that Democrats had trouble with names. When asked about it, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki didn’t even use the word “trans” or “transgender” in her reply, instead choosing to steer the conversation away from Texas and toward’s Florida’s “don’t say gay” bill which targets LGBTQ+ students more broadly.
