Hungary has passed a law which seems to prohibit showing video including transgender minors except late at night.

The expression "defend the right of children to an identity that conforms to their birth gender," when we interpret "right" correctly, means that no one should try to force or pressure children to be trans. I agree that children who want to be cis have the right to be cis.

However, I doubt that many children grow up under pressure to be trans. Few parents are likely to impose such pressure. (The Chinese movie, "Farewell My Concubine," presents a fictional example that might be based on some real instances 100 years ago.)

The right-wing advocates of that law seem to twist the concept of "have the right" by adding, implicitly, "whether they like it or not." That results in an excuse to impose something on people while pretending to be respecting their freedom.

People have duties as well as rights. There are times when we must demand that people carry out their duties — for instance, to pay taxes so the state can carry out its missions. But we should reject the dishonesty of pretending that this is done for the sake of those people, that it constitutes defending their rights.

It appears that "children" is being used here to mean "minors". I can't let that practice go by without a rebuke. Treating teenagers like children harms them by infantilizing them.

Australia will soon decide, secretly, the sentence to impose on the heroic whistleblower that we know only as "Witness K".

Pfizer has pulled out of ALEC, in response perhaps to public pressure.

It is better to cease support for ALEC than continue it, but whatever motivated the company to support ALEC may find a new expression — perhaps through PhRMA, which lobbies for Big Pharma.

A leaked meeting recording shows Manchin asking rich donors to "convince" some Senate Republicans to vote for an investigation of the Jan 6 insurrection, to help him preserve the filibuster.

San Jose, California, cannot prohibit guns. It plans to require gun owners to carry insurance and pay a tax.

Those who possess guns but have not paid and insured them will have them seized.

I think it is a clever idea. Let's see how well it works.