All purpose news and politics thread part VII: News & Politics Total Landscaping

[Sharpandpointies]

(Disclaimer: the Guardian is a left-wing newspaper; the entire article is quite interesting)

I don't normally stick my head in here, but it's worth pointing out that The Guardian, despite being (mostly) left-wing, is well known for having a serious issue with transphobia and transphobic senior staff. Has been for a while.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5vx...ns-journalists

https://www.thepinknews.com/2021/10/...rotest-london/

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/the-gua...a-journalists/

https://transwrites.world/guardian-w...e-transphobic/

https://www.reddit.com/r/transgender..._is_now_their/

Etc.

Just to note.

[CaptainEurope]

Trump Media & Technology Group stock is down 8% since the start of business today. Tesla is down 1%. DJI slightly up.

[Jack Dracula]

The right-wing online news portal Voice of Europe has been revealed as a Kremlin operation.

Czechs Bust Major Russian Propaganda Network



Taking Russian money to speak against European interests. Treason.

And the AFD is in the thick of it. I’m shocked! Well…not very shocked.

[CaptainEurope]

Brian Pritchard, "election integrity" advocate and first vice chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, has been found guilty of voting illegally nine times.

[CaptainEurope]

I guess they have information that Mitch McConnell is quite ill?

Republican-passed bill removes role of Democratic governor if Senate vacancy occurs in Kentucky

The state Senate voted 34-3 after a brief discussion to send the bill to Gov. Andy Beshear. The governor has denounced the measure as driven by partisanship, but the GOP supermajority legislature could override a veto when lawmakers reconvene for the final two days of this year’s session in mid-April.

The bill includes an emergency clause, meaning it would take effect immediately if enacted into law.

Rudy introduced the bill in February and it cleared a House committee a day after McConnell’s announcement that he will step down from his longtime Senate leadership position in November. The decision set off a wave of speculation back home in Kentucky about the future of his seat.
...

Beshear — who won a convincing reelection victory last November over a McConnell protege — had already seen his influence over selecting a senator greatly diminished by GOP lawmakers.

In 2021, the legislature removed the governor’s independent power to temporarily fill a Senate seat. That measure limits a governor to choosing from a three-name list provided by party leaders from the same party as the senator who formerly held the seat. Both of Kentucky’s U.S. senators are Republicans. The measure became law after GOP lawmakers overrode Beshear’s veto.

[Mister Mets]

I don't claim to understand the decision, but as far as I can tell it seems Mister Mets would rather everyone reading assumes he lacks the ability to understand the most basic of Math skills (Adding & Subtracting) rather than admit to dishonestly pretending not to understand it here.



I maintain the bolded part at the end gives the game away, so he can post whatever he likes at this point. I've made it clear how I feel about dishonest revisionism carried out after the fact by politicians in office as well as less lofty individuals. Given the behavior on display for years now, this particular boy has cried wolf far too often for it to be accepted as genuine.

E:

This is from his direct reply to my claiming it was a false misunderstanding. I'm just flabbergasted at this entire decision to rush headlong into this situation.

Let's take a look.

I don't like being called a liar, especially if this board is a big part of my digital footprint.

So let's check out the comments.

To give basic context, I posted an article from The Week to support the idea of a significant increase in females (born with XX chromosomes) identifying as trans in college. The article had a line "About 0.6 percent of American adults identify as transgender, the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law has estimated. But in recent years, vastly more young people are seeking treatment for gender dysphoria, teen girls in particular. In surveys by the American College Health Association, the number of students brought up as girls identifying as transgender soared from 1 in 2,000 in 2008 to 1 in 20."

https://theweek.com/life/1006253/the...er-trans-teens

I was going to analyze posts from 2023 to show that I was under a misunderstanding of Dalak's claim that a reporter lied because he doesn't know whether someone identifying as nonbinary is biologically male.

But looking at the beginning of the argument, I see that I understood his argument as he made it.

Tendrin broke down the study. Some of these posts are on multiple issues, so I'm just quoting the relevant sections.

Thank you for finally linking it. The change to the nature of the question and the inclusion of gender non-conformance explains much. This was pointed out last time.

Here's the actual breakdown.

7C) Which term do you use to describe your gender identity?
Trans/Gender
Cis Men Cis Women Non-conforming Total
Freq. Pct. Freq. Pct. Freq. Pct. Freq. Pct.
1 Woman or female 56.5
2 Man or male 39.4
3 Trans woman 0.2
4 Trans man 0.3
5 Genderqueer 0.5
6 My identity is not listed 0.5
7 Agender 0.3
8 Genderfluid 0.5
9 Non-binary 1.9
10 Intersex 0.0
Valid responses = 12

In other words, once again, the statistics do not bear out the breathless fear of conservatives who want us to protect white womanhood. That's what this is really about, after all.

From Tendrin's perspective, people who are gender non-conforming do not fall in the umbrella of trans.

Dalak did not dispute this.

So both studies seem to show that the 1-in-20 number is a gross exaggeration? Good to know! It also doesn't show a big jump in trans men compared to trans women, so that's good to see as well, even if one is also on UK folks.

I responded that from my understanding gender non-conforming people count as trans.

But the studies don't show that the 1 in 20 figure was a gross exaggeration. The percentage of students who are trans men, trans women, genderqueer, non-binary, agender, genderfluid or who do not have a listed identity is 4.2%. It's not a gross exaggeration to put that at 1 in 20 (5%) females, especially as the numbers are a bit different between the two sexes.

There are more trans men than trans women at the college, although there are also more women than men. However, there is a big increase in the level trans men compared to any increase in trans women, as trans women used to outnumber trans men by quite a lot.

Dalak responded.

Yes, it is a gross exaggeration to say 1 in 20 as that was being used to show how many were transitioning into men when nowhere NEAR that number was actually trans let alone transitioning. It's also highly inaccurate to throw anything that isn't Gay or Straight into the Trans pile as you are suggesting, as that isn't even technically correct. Considering your stance below this is even more of a stretch for you.

I also have no idea if trans women outnumbered trans men as much as you say, but I'd like clarification and evidence before I accept it considering what media you consume.

....


The 2 bolded directly contradict each other, as there is nothing about genderqueer, nonbinary, and others that make them Trans unless it's an intention to overestimate the number for shock value. You can apply LGBT to them, but that includes far more than just T. It also is pretty damning for reporters who make these stances to lack the education to have these false definitions in mind, and shows they either don't know the subject enough or are deliberately skewing things which is bad in either case for any claim of journalistic integrity. You can expect them to articulate things well as that's their career, and when they don't they spread the misinformation that taints people who expect them to deliver the truth - just like you were misinformed by that 1 in 20 number they inflated AFTER lumping in anything not biologically male or female. (4.2 is far closer to 1 in 25, and it's taught in schools to round DOWN below .5)

BTW I have been arguing that clarifying your stance strongly is necessary rather explicitly, while you seem to be defending deliberately allowing others to misunderstand your stance. If I'm wrong please clarify and correct me.



And I said there are many religious politicians who don't let their religion force their beliefs on others whom I can respect for that fact, it's the ones who do things like vote for Evolution not to be taught or just as much as christian alternatives (Not any other religious origin of existence, just Christianity) that are teh ones I'm discussing and you know it. If they cannot allow others who disagree with them to live their lives as they believe (Protected in the First amendment) then they are not fit to govern.



I want it to affect EVERYONE so this is not a worry of mine, I want everyone on the government payroll (And contractors/etc taking govt money temporarily) to be strongly punished if they lie in a way that's strong enough to make them all think twice before letting their mouths run away with them. If this hits left or right I don't care as long as it's genuine and even handed. Whether any party would abuse this would depend on clarifications built into any legislation, but there is no neutral standard of Falsehood compared to Truth. Either something is a fact or it's not, and relying on the old excuse of "It's just an opinion" or "I heard other people say it" will not be allowed if I was writing the law. Once enough people have been abused of the notion that they can get away with spreading lies and misinformation then ALL will equally learn to control their tongues or get fined a percentage of their income then be jailed after enough infractions.

Of course this would only apply when they are on govt time, trying to represent their office on their own time, or doing an interview, you can't control whether people lie in their off time when it's unrelated as that also would breach the 1st.

So Dalak you've been gaslighting me for hundreds of posts. I summarized your argument accurately.

If you were mistaken, you owe me an apology.

If you're a troll, you owe it to everyone else.

[thwhtGuardian]

Let's take a look.

I don't like being called a liar, especially if this board is a big part of my digital footprint.

So let's check out the comments.

To give basic context, I posted an article from The Week to support the idea of a significant increase in females (born with XX chromosomes) identifying as trans in college. The article had a line "About 0.6 percent of American adults identify as transgender, the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law has estimated. But in recent years, vastly more young people are seeking treatment for gender dysphoria, teen girls in particular. In surveys by the American College Health Association, the number of students brought up as girls identifying as transgender soared from 1 in 2,000 in 2008 to 1 in 20."

https://theweek.com/life/1006253/the...er-trans-teens

I was going to analyze posts from 2023 to show that I was under a misunderstanding of Dalak's claim that a reporter lied because he doesn't know whether someone identifying as nonbinary is biologically male.

But looking at the beginning of the argument, I see that I understood his argument as he made it.

Tendrin broke down the study. Some of these posts are on multiple issues, so I'm just quoting the relevant sections.



From Tendrin's perspective, people who are gender non-conforming do not fall in the umbrella of trans.

Dalak did not dispute this.

I responded that from my understanding gender non-conforming people count as trans.


Dalak responded.


So Dalak you've been gaslighting me for hundreds of posts. I summarized your argument accurately.

If you were mistaken, you owe me an apology.

If you're a troll, you owe it to everyone else.

Generally speaking, a gender-nonconforming person may not necessarily identify as trans so they aren't wrong or speaking from "their perspective", you are. I'm not sure what the point is in showcasing that unless you plan to say that you are sorry you were mistaken.

[scourge]

Let's take a look.

I don't like being called a liar, especially if this board is a big part of my digital footprint.

So let's check out the comments.

To give basic context, I posted an article from The Week to support the idea of a significant increase in females (born with XX chromosomes) identifying as trans in college. The article had a line "About 0.6 percent of American adults identify as transgender, the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law has estimated. But in recent years, vastly more young people are seeking treatment for gender dysphoria, teen girls in particular. In surveys by the American College Health Association, the number of students brought up as girls identifying as transgender soared from 1 in 2,000 in 2008 to 1 in 20."

https://theweek.com/life/1006253/the...er-trans-teens

I was going to analyze posts from 2023 to show that I was under a misunderstanding of Dalak's claim that a reporter lied because he doesn't know whether someone identifying as nonbinary is biologically male.

But looking at the beginning of the argument, I see that I understood his argument as he made it.

Tendrin broke down the study. Some of these posts are on multiple issues, so I'm just quoting the relevant sections.



From Tendrin's perspective, people who are gender non-conforming do not fall in the umbrella of trans.

Dalak did not dispute this.

I responded that from my understanding gender non-conforming people count as trans.


Dalak responded.


So Dalak you've been gaslighting me for hundreds of posts. I summarized your argument accurately.

If you were mistaken, you owe me an apology.

If you're a troll, you owe it to everyone else.

All this going on and on and on just to keep supporting transphobic BS.


Semi-related...

Speaking of phobic garbage:
Kansas apparently passed a bill that will require ID verification for any site that has LGBTQ+ content under the pathetic and bigotry-based excused of protecting kids from things "harmful to minors"...which is what they call any form form of homosexuality.

[Dalak]

When one refuses to post literal years worth of context that shows not only has my argument evolved it's verbiage as time went on as Mets kept coming up with technicalities and other "rhetorical tricks" to keep from admitting The Week lied (And how I already apologized if my previous posts had offended any transgender individuals) it shows how one isn't focused on being factually correct or focused on the specifics.

Now, if Mets wants to post proof of how he wasn't lying about misunderstanding basic Math skills it might be more impactful to the subject of Mets' lies in general, his lies about me, and his refusal to admit when he's wrong. He could also apologize to me for lying, but I doubt I will see it.

E: As a bonus, I found where I explained why I posted memes in response to your faux misunderstandings almost a year ago, so the previous claim that I did it without explanation is also false.

Generally speaking, a gender-nonconforming person may not necessarily identify as trans so they aren't wrong or speaking from "their perspective", you are. I'm not sure what the point is in showcasing that unless you plan to say that you are sorry you were mistaken.

Thank you. I didn't think I was the only one with a problem over people who see "Transgender" on a list and say "My identity isn't listed" being counted as Trans just to win an online argument, because that eliminates their agency and choice as far as I'm concerned.

All this going on and on and on just to keep supporting transphobic BS.


Semi-related...

Speaking of phobic garbage:
Kansas apparently passed a bill that will require ID verification for any site that has LGBTQ+ content under the pathetic and bigotry-based excused of protecting kids from things "harmful to minors"...which is what they call any form form of homosexuality.

They aren't fooling anyone really., Kansas or here.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Qpublicans keep on saying stupid sh*t:

Michigan GOP lawmaker claims that buses carrying March Madness teams are 'illegal invaders'

To quote the esteemed Bugs Bunny, “Wotta maroon!”

[Gray Lensman]

Qpublicans keep on saying stupid sh*t:

Michigan GOP lawmaker claims that buses carrying March Madness teams are 'illegal invaders'

To quote the esteemed Bugs Bunny, “Wotta maroon!”

It's not like they are Manchester United fans. That might actually qualify as an invasion.

[AnakinFlair]

Qpublicans keep on saying stupid sh*t:

Michigan GOP lawmaker claims that buses carrying March Madness teams are 'illegal invaders'

To quote the esteemed Bugs Bunny, “Wotta maroon!”

The league should just refuse to play any games in Michigan. Let other states reap the rewards that the tournament brings to local economies.

Trump Media & Technology Group stock is down 8% since the start of business today. Tesla is down 1%. DJI slightly up.

In other words, people are waking up and starting to realize Trump Media and Technology was probably only worth a couple of million. I expect that price to go down more over the coming days.

I guess they have information that Mitch McConnell is quite ill?

Republican-passed bill removes role of Democratic governor if Senate vacancy occurs in Kentucky

I think it's more about making sure a Democrat governor has as little power as possible. If they ever maintain a large majority in the house/senate and get a Republican governor in the mansion, expect most of these laws to either be ignored or repealed.

[hyped78]

I don't normally stick my head in here, but it's worth pointing out that The Guardian, despite being (mostly) left-wing, is well known for having a serious issue with transphobia and transphobic senior staff. Has been for a while.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5vx...ns-journalists

https://www.thepinknews.com/2021/10/...rotest-london/

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/the-gua...a-journalists/

https://transwrites.world/guardian-w...e-transphobic/

https://www.reddit.com/r/transgender..._is_now_their/

Etc.

Just to note.

And how is that related to the article in question? The interim medical review report is public for everyone to read.

Also, the sources that you posted aren't exactly unbiased.

If folks don't want to believe in independent medical and expert reviews that is their problem, I don't care. As I don't care much for Covid deniers, anti-vaxxers and that sort of people.

[hyped78]

Then where are all the studies that definitively show that there is an overwhelming chance of harm?

Surely over the course of forty years that would have been established.

This all just reads like you're enjoying that transphobia is being codified.

I actually don't enjoy or not enjoy anything on this topic.

In Europe, medical experts have increasingly been calling out that puberty blockers are not/might not be as safe as it was thought, in part because the studies you are referring to have extremely limited empirical evidence. And I am pretty sure you know that already, that I am not telling you something you actually don't know.


‘We actually don’t know much’: the scientists trying to close the knowledge gap in trans healthcare
https://www.theguardian.com/society/...ans-healthcare

[hyped78]

On sports: In professional sports, there should be a discussion, but probably only among the people who do those sports, not the general public who don't know what factors into individual performances. But it should start at determining whether there even should be separation for male and female athletes, for each sport separately. Preferably free of some sexist notions that women are some delicate flowers who can't hold their own against men. If there is a serious reason for separation, continue with determining how changes in trans people's bodies change their ability to perform those things. If not, why don't just merge them?
But at some point, it needs to be acknowledged that the abilities of people to perform professional sports are in part based on skills and physique they are born with, so there is never going to be full equality. A person with short legs is never going to run as fast as a person with long legs that trains exactly as hard. And I think it's fair to be wary that this gatekeeping of trans women will eventually move into gatekeeping of others, most likely black people who seem to be naturally better at some sports. Black cis women will probably suffer most, especially those with physiques that make them naturally better. Just look at the vile comments routinely thrown at Serena Williams, it's not exactly a new thing.

For non-professional sports, like school-sports, give me a break. People take them way too seriously already and traumatize children by yelling at them, teaching them to be overtly-competitive and only care about winning. They should be glad if children want to play any sports these days and don't just sit in front of a computer. When I was at school, we had everything together for competitions anyway, except for football for whatever reason, we had that one separately for girls and boys. That was honestly a nightmare, because there was just a few of us in my class, so we were all usually guilted into participating and guess who ended up bullied the most for being terrible at it.

"In professional sports, there should be a discussion, but probably only among the people who do those sports,"

Exactly. That is why I posted this:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/68564019
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/athletic...g-transgender/

"More than 70 per cent of British elite sportswomen against competing with transgender athletes"

For non professional sports I agree, it doesn't matter - everyone can and should play together.