All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[babyblob]

Biden's getting salty in the State of the Union.

Bout damn time.

[Tendrin]

If your primary 'concern' is that being trans is a social contagion, you are repeating reheated and rehashed anti-gay propaganda. Shrier's claims are debunked, her research was bad, and her book both transphobic and anti-gay in its construction. If you care about facts, research, logic and nuance as one might claim, you'd probably take what is the collective acknowledgement of almost the entire EU and North American medical establishment's recomendations on gender-affirming care. My SO had a syndrome which required her to take HRT growing up to ensure she developed properly. According to Texas, this wouild be 'child abuse' -- except she's not trans so it wouldn't be. Weird how their ideas are just enforcing cis-heteronormativity.

If your primary concern is 'what if they regret it', I have good news for you: They almost never do. In fact, you are talking about actively denying care to the vast majority of trans kids who need it to avoid even the ghost of a chance of harm to a child who exists only in your imagination.

Amazing how it compares to certain other debates about 'children' conservatives love to have, where the real suffering of real people is ignored, but they can foist off their alleged concerns on an imaginary kid instead who won't make any choices they don't want them to make.

[Kirby101]

Many polling places in Texas were closed or opened late because of staff shortages.
This is because the GOP passed a law designed to do just that, by threatening workers with criminal protection.

Let's be clear, they passed a law that addressed something that was not happening and there was no danger of it.
It also protects GOP goon Squad 'poll watchers'.

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03...tion-closures/

It will only get worse in November.

[Tendrin]

But Kirby, we've been assured that these laws don't REALLY suppress the vote by the conservatives on this thread!

[Kirby101]

But Kirby, we've been assured that these laws don't REALLY suppress the vote by the conservatives on this thread!

There isxan appropriate line from Nowhere Man by the Beatles.

[Tendrin]

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/irr...mage-part-one/

Ms. Shrier, Lisa Littman, whose 2018 study proposed the diagnosis of “rapid onset gender dysphoria” (ROGD), and now apparently Dr. Hall see themselves as victims of a “woke” activist movement trying to censor science. Hall’s review has already been republished on another website, one that is prominent in the circles of the skeptical movement. (Note added 7/18/2021: Last week, Dr. Hall also republished a revised version of her review on her own blog.) In contrast to claims of Shrier having been “silenced,” her book has garnered praise and support, with several sites taking up her cause in the past week alone. Before Dr. Hall’s review, Shrier had previously appeared at a high-profile Senate hearing. She still has a platform as a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and has expressed her views on several podcasts, including Joe Rogan’s massively popular one. Meanwhile, in part due to Shrier’s enthusiastic promotion, Littman’s made-up diagnosis of ROGD has enjoyed a renewed interest, spread widely, and is accepted by many as a real medical diagnosis.

Bad science, however, remains bad science, and personal opinions based in confirmation bias and politicized beliefs are bad science.

Irreversible Damage was published by politically conservative firm Regnery Publishing and claims to shed a light on “biological female teens caught up in this transgender craze.” Shrier, a freelance journalist with a JD from Yale Law School, per her own admission, knew little about gender dysphoria before writing her book. She also admits to having negligible understanding of human anatomy, psychology, and endocrinology. (It shows.)

The book title alone is inflammatory and misleading, and clearly intended to alarm concerned parents, the target demographic for Shrier’s book. Shrier uses emotional language throughout to appeal to the reader. Her book presents a mix of anecdotal reports, opinion pieces, and minimal cited research. The studies she cites are either misinterpreted or cherry-picked to only include those experts she deems reputable, all of whom have a problematic track record in transgender health and research. Her “Select Bibliography”, an annotated version of which is included as an appendix to this post, lists resources that are equally problematic.

There is actually zero proof that 'ROGD' exists beyond parents freaking out that their children might be trans, which is a new version of parents freaking out that their children might be gay.

It's the *same damn thing*. We're all old enough to remember when it was the gays who were consistently accused of 'grooming' children to 'be gay'.

As such, you can draw a direct line from the nonsense spouted by Shirer here to the terrorizing of trans children in Texas. It's all the same horse shit. If you defend one, you're defending the other.

[JackDaw]

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/irr...mage-part-one/



There is actually zero proof that 'ROGD' exists beyond parents freaking out that their children might be trans, which is a new version of parents freaking out that their children might be gay.

It's the *same damn thing*. We're all old enough to remember when it was the gays who were consistently accused of 'grooming' children to 'be gay'.

As such, you can draw a direct line from the nonsense spouted by Shirer here to the terrorizing of trans children in Texas. It's all the same horse shit. If you defend one, you're defending the other.

I thought percentage of people regretting transitioning was low…about 5 percent by most recent study estimates…but does exist. Certainly never seen any objective study claiming zero. Have you?

Given how big a call that is…and how volatile kids can be at various stages of their life, that usual quoted regret rate is very low. I suppose one fear is that this low rate might become higher as it becomes more socially acceptable to transition? (Though realistically…it’s not an option many people will take unless they feel it’s a driven necessity.)

[Tendrin]

I thought percentage of people regretting transitioning was low…about 5 percent by most recent study estimates…but does exist. Certainly never seen any objective study claiming zero. Have you?

Given how big a call that is…and how volatile kids can be at various stages of their life, that usual quoted regret rate is very low. I suppose one fear is that this low rate might become higher as it becomes more socially acceptable to transition? (Though realistically…it’s not an option many people will take unless they feel it’s a driven necessity.)

The study you're referring to asked people if they had detransitioned. That number was something like 1 in 10. Of that 10 percent, nearly every one who was asked cited external pressures, such as a hostility from friends and family, as the reason for their detransitioning. Focusing on detransitioners is, itself, a mistake, because it paints them all as regretting their transiton, while ignoring the fact that the vast majority of those people only did so *because of transphobia*. So, like ... a tiny number of that 10% number that gets bandied about did have *some* regrets. For example, Danielle Bunten Berry, the designer of the games 'MULE' and 'Seven Cities of Gold', formally had a sex change operation in the 90s. She later expressed her wishes she'd taken her transition slower. That said, the numbers of people like her compared to those utterly satisfied with their identity post transition are in such small amounts that prioritizing them over the vast number of people who need gender affirming care is just a rhetorical tool used to deny care in the hopes of conversion therapy working.

The reality of gender-affirming care at that age is hormone blockers, so as to prevent an unwanted puberty, and hormone blockers are used for all kinds of non-trans conditions, such as precocious puberty in cis children. It's not a major call for most of the children involved. Once they know, they know.

What this highlights as crucial is support networks for trans children, not trying to terrorize the trans out of them through the state as Abbott's Texas wants to do.

In this national study, 13.1% of TGD respondents who had ever pursued gender affirmation reported a history of detransition. To our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically examine reasons for detransition in a large national sample of TGD adults. The vast majority of participants reported detransition due at least in part to external factors, such as pressure from family, nonaffirming school environments, and sexual assault. External pressures such as family rejection,15 school-based harassment,16 lack of government affirmation,17 and sexual violence18 have previously been associated with increased suicide attempts in TGD populations. Our findings thus extend prior studies, and suggest that external pressures should be understood not only as risk factors for poor mental health but also as obstacles to safely living in one's gender identity and expression.

Although there have been published guidelines for gender affirmation,8,9 case studies regarding detransition,10–12 and published data on the uncommon experience of regret following gender affirmation,26 there has been little rigorous study with large TGD community samples regarding detransition. This study offers novel insights into the prevalence of this phenomenon and its drivers. These findings are of key clinical importance, as most of the reasons identified for detransition were adverse external factors that clinical care teams can work to ameliorate, to support TGD patients' autonomy and health.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8213007/

According to this study, just 2.4% of the 13% of trans people expressed *actual doubt or uncertainty* about their gender as a reason to detransition. That is a *vanishingly* small number compared to the positive outcomes associated with a properly supported transition.

[Tendrin]

China creating daylight between its position and Russia.

(Bloomberg) -- China is “extremely concerned” about the harm to civilians in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Ukrainian counterpart in a call, in the latest indication of Beijing’s desire to prevent the war’s further escalation.

Wang said the world’s second largest economy also “deplores the outbreak of conflict between Ukraine and Russia,” according to a statement posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. The remarks were published after a call between Wang and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the most senior exchange since Russia’s Vladimir Putin launched the invasion Thursday.

Wang also acknowledged the conflict was a “war,” rather than a “special military operation” as described by Russia. Kuleba said Ukraine was willing to strengthen communication with China and that it looked forward to China’s “mediation for the realization of the ceasefire,” according to the statement.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...edgdhp&pc=U531

[Zelena]

Yes, thats what the media said. I wonder how that happened. The Ukrainians weren't prepared, I suppose. its almost unbelievable that the planes weren't better defended.

The attack was a surprise: they didn’t believe what the Americans told them. There are a lot of ties between the Russians and the Ukrainians, mixed families…

[Robotman]

Knox County, Tenn mayor Glen Jacobs, aka Kane from the WWE is a garage person.

https://deadspin.com/tennessee-mayor...1848603419/amp

Commenting on the Ukraine situation, Jacobs promoted an authoritarian world view stating “If you on the Left are shocked by Putin’s aggression, wake up sunshine. Might makes right. Weakness (really what the Left is all about) is not a virtue…”

The guy took too many chair shots to the head.

[numberthirty]

Knox County, Tenn mayor Glen Jacobs, aka Kane from the WWE is a garage person.

https://deadspin.com/tennessee-mayor...1848603419/amp

Commenting on the Ukraine situation, Jacobs promoted an authoritarian world view stating “If you on the Left are shocked by Putin’s aggression, wake up sunshine. Might makes right. Weakness (really what the Left is all about) is not a virtue…”

The guy took too many chair shots to the head.

What passes for a punchline later on...

(And, no, the US should still not get involved)

(Very, "Dude, I Think That The Second Part Of What You Said Would Like A Word With The First Part Of What You Said...")

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Knox County, Tenn mayor Glen Jacobs, aka Kane from the WWE is a garage person.

https://deadspin.com/tennessee-mayor...1848603419/amp

Commenting on the Ukraine situation, Jacobs promoted an authoritarian world view stating “If you on the Left are shocked by Putin’s aggression, wake up sunshine. Might makes right. Weakness (really what the Left is all about) is not a virtue…”

The guy took too many chair shots to the head.

I'm not saying people should spam twitter with the Rock's speech of this...but it would be fun if every twitter reply was people mocking him with this.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Speaking of terrible people , MGT and Beobert decided to spend the State of Union heckling Joe Biden. To his credit people moved away from them during a clip because they didn't want to be considered as stupid as these clowns. Its said the worst spot came as Biden was discussing his son dying of cancer who served in the military. Not only did it make it seem like the clowns heckling someone in military they decided to do it while a father discussed his son dying of cancer !

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Speaking of terrible people , MGT and Beobert decided to spend the State of Union heckling Joe Biden. To his credit people moved away from them during a clip because they didn't want to be considered as stupid as these clowns. Its said the worst spot came as Biden was discussing his son dying of cancer who served in the military. Not only did it make it seem like the clowns heckling someone in military they decided to do it while a father discussed his son dying of cancer !

I'm guessing Kraven Kevin McCarthy assigned Boobert and Trashy Greene to have been the GQP's designated rabble rousers last night. What annoys me is that those idiots won't be censured for their wretched actions, hell, chances are they'll be praised to high heaven by the clowns on Faux News this morning.