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LGBTQ Stuff (split from other political threads)

I have a LGBTQ daughter and another one who was trans for a week or two until she got bored of it, but still has some things she's working on.

Kids used to just dress up as goths for a grade year or two, now it's just trendy to be gender fluid.
 
That seems to bother you though.

Does it? Sure seems to bother the journalists/activists along with liberal governments hell bent on talking about it. I'm not the one issuing murder death kill travel advisories for a problem that doesn't exist.
 
Does it? Sure seems to bother the journalists/activists along with liberal governments hell bent on talking about it. I'm not the one issuing murder death kill travel advisories for a problem that doesn't exist.
Your posts certainly indicate that.
 
Trudeau does his best to weaponize pronouns and children and make it a far-right issue.

Trudeau takes fringe position on gender, schools and parents

Far-right political actors are trying to outdo themselves with the types of cruelty and isolation they can inflict on these already vulnerable people,”Trudeau said at the time in response to a school policy in New Brunswick requiring parents be informed of name, gender or pronoun changes.

Meanwhile

That reference to the issue not being about what she thinks is an allusion to a poll, released earlier this week, showing 78% of Canadians believe parents should be informed before schools make changes. That support, according to the Angus Reid Institute, goes up to 82% in households with children under the age of 18.

Even 69% of those who voted Liberal in the last federal election believe parents should be informed. So much for Trudeau’s claim that this is all about the “far-right.”
 
Since you posted it.

As far as personal safety goes, I would be inclined to take a warning from the Government of Canada more seriously than opinions from strangers in a chatroom.
Good point. I remember hearing how travel restrictions were racist.

I'm sure the Liberals, who aren't doing so well in the polls, have nothing to gain by creating fear with the LGBTQ community and working to associate the Canadian Conservatives with the Republicans in the US.
 
You can be as confrontational and unfriendly as you like matey. All good. I have a LGBTQ daughter and another one who was trans for a week or two until she got bored of it, but still has some things she's working on. So I definitely have skin in the game and not making excuses for bullies or assholes.

They're taking advantage of LGBTQ people which pisse sme off both as a voter and father.
I think that we have a lot of common ground to stand on.

I guess what it boils down to, dispassionately, is that in my eyes its hard to fault your opponent for exploiting your weaknesses, no matter how infuriating it is. The bullies, the assholes, the hardcore anti's - they exist. They're part of right wing Canada. They're under the big tent with us, trying to steer it in the direction they want. Its a weakness that is being exploited.

We can bitch and whine about the unfairness of being painted with the same brush, or we can recognize that

"There are assholes in that tent"

Is resonating more with voters than

"We're not all assholes, in fact most of us aren't. But we think need the votes of the assholes so we have to tolerate their assholery. Stop being unfair and using that against us."

And take responsibility for fixing that weakness and rendering the attack impotent.
 
More grist for the mill.

The Tavistock Clinic reference is noteworthy. See the article at the bottom.


Children must not change gender at school, Tavistock whistleblowers tell Rishi Sunak​

Leading clinicians warn Prime Minister he risks being ‘complicit’ in explosion of teenagers wanting puberty blockers and sex-change hormones

ByEwan Somerville1 September 2023 • 8:29pm


Whistleblowers of the Tavistock clinic have told Rishi Sunak that children must not be allowed to change their gender at school.
Leading clinicians who first went public with failings at the UK’s only child gender clinic have written to the Prime Minister to warn that he risks being “complicit” in a further explosion of teenagers demanding puberty blockers and sex-change hormones if he does not stamp out gender-identity ideology in the classroom.
The group, which includes David Bell, a retired consultant psychiatrist and the former governor at the Tavistock, have now called on the Department for Education (DfE) to “issue strong, unequivocal guidance to schools making clear that they cannot lawfully accommodate ‘social transition’ by children”.
Their letter explains: “That is, they cannot treat any child as if they are, as a matter of fact, a member of the opposite sex. Nor can they insist that the entire school community refers to any child as a member of the opposite sex.”
The DfE’s first ever trans guidance for schools has been beset by delays since last autumn, with the latest deadline of the summer term being missed because of legal concerns. Teachers now face another term of confusion over how to approach trans-identifying pupils as schools return next week.
Social transitioning refers to someone changing their pronouns, name or appearance. Conservative MPs have already called for the guidance to ban it without parental permission, with campaigners arguing it can lead to more invasive medical transitioning that pupils may later regret.
But trans groups argue that it improves the mental health of pupils who question their gender, by affirming their identity.

‘Clear guidance on the law’​

The letter to Mr Sunak was also signed by Marcus and Susan Evans, formerly psychoanalytic psychotherapists at the Tavistock, Az Hakeem, the former head of the adult gender dysphoria psychotherapy service at the clinic, Stephanie Davies-Arai BEM, founder of Transgender Trend, and Stella O’Malley, a psychotherapist and co-founder of the parents’ group Genspect.
It warned: “The government has been complicit in creating this distress by allowing gender-identity ideology into schools and failing to provide schools with clear guidance on the law concerning sex and transgender identity.
“... And in failing to stop this promotion of an unscientific and harmful ideology in schools, the government bears some responsibility for the skyrocketing numbers of children arriving at gender clinics demanding puberty blockers and hormones.”
The letter calls for gender-distressed children to be referred to the local child mental health service where appropriate, adding: “If the government delays, practice in schools and gender clinics will further diverge.
“We can expect to see more and more children developing gender distress at school, and it will fall to gender clinics to try to help them.”
A Government spokesman said: “The Education Secretary is working closely with the Minister for Women and Equalities to provide guidance to schools and colleges.
“Given the complexity and sensitivity of the issue, we’re taking the time to make sure any guidance we provide is as clear as possible.
“We’ve been repeatedly clear about the importance of biological sex and we advise that schools and colleges proceed with caution – prioritising the safeguarding and wellbeing of all children and involving parents in decisions relating to their child.”


Tavistock Clinic article

Tavistock transgender clinic shut down by NHS after review finds it is ‘not safe’ for children​

Young people who believe that they are trans will be moved into regional centres which will take a more 'holistic' approach to treatment

ByHayley Dixon, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT28 July 2022 • 12:22pm


The Tavistock transgender clinic is to be shut down by the NHS after a review found it is "not safe" for children.
NHS England will move young people who believe that they are trans into regional centres which will take a more “holistic” approach to treatment and look at other mental health or medical issues they may have.
The decision is a response to the interim Cass Review, which warned that medics in the Tavistock had felt “under pressure to adopt an unquestioning affirmative approach” to gender identity rather than going through the normal process of clinic assessment with young people.
Dr Hilary Cass, the consultant paediatrician who is leading the independent review, found earlier this year that the clinic as the only provider of gender identity services for young people in England was “not a safe or viable long-term option”.
Announcing their response to Dr Cass's recommendations, NHS England said that “given the urgent requirement to stabilise current service provision” they will establish two “Early Adopter services” run by specialist children’s hospitals.

Clinic to close by next spring​

The centres, one in London and one in the North West, will take responsibility for all of the Tavistock clinic’s patients and waiting lists with the aim to shut down the clinic by next spring.
NHS England have also committed to follow Dr Cass’s recommendation that they carry out “rapid” research on the use of puberty blockers by young people after it was noted there is currently “insufficient evidence” on their impact.
The Cass review was commissioned by NHS England in 2020 amid concerns that there was “scarce and inconclusive evidence to support clinical decision making” which saw children as young as 10 given puberty blockers.
There were concerns over a sharp rise in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust – over 5,000 in 2021/2 compared to 250 a decade earlier and long waiting lists.
Dr Cass, a past president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, was also asked to investigate the “marked changes” in the patients being referred from those who are born men wishing to become women to girls in their early teens claiming that they were born in the wrong body.
A spokesman for NHS England noted “a significant number of children are also presenting with neurodiversity and other mental health needs and risky behaviours which requires careful consideration and needs to be better understood”.
It was amid fears that doctors were too quick to affirm a child’s new identity, without looking at other mental health or medical issues, that Dr Cass recommended moving away from a single provider model.
The NHS said that it recognised the need to “establish regional services that work to a new clinical model that can better meet the holistic needs of a vulnerable group of children and young people”.

Recommendations to be released​

New recommendations from the Cass review, due to be released on Thursday, state that “staff should maintain a broad clinical perspective in order to embed the care of children and young people with gender uncertainty within a broader child and adolescent health context’.
Initially two clinics will be set up, one in London led by a partnership between Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital and a second in the North West, led by a partnership between Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
The NHS hopes to eventually run around eight regional centres.
“The ongoing work of Dr Cass’ review, alongside our experience in establishing the Early Adopter services, will help shape the development of the new model of care, national standards and a new national service specification against which regional services can be commissioned,” an NHS England spokesperson said.
“We will engage and consult fully on this service specification in due course.”
 
Does it? Sure seems to bother the journalists/activists along with liberal governments hell bent on talking about it. I'm not the one issuing murder death kill travel advisories for a problem that doesn't exist.
As far as personal safety goes, I would be inclined to take a warning from the Government of Canada more seriously than opinions from strangers in a chatroom.

For clarity, the travel advisory was not about personal safety.

2SLGBTQI+ travellers​

Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws.

That's it. Now, as for the "Risk, Safety and Security" advisories re the USA, those have been the same for quite some time (years?).

Risk level​

United States - Take normal security precautions​

Take normal security precautions in the United States
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Safety and security​

Border with Mexico​

Criminal incidents associated with drug trafficking are more frequent at the border with Mexico, in the following states:
  • Arizona
  • California
  • New Mexico
  • Texas
If crossing the U.S.– Mexico border by car:
  • remain extremely vigilant
  • only use officially recognized border crossings
  • avoid travelling at night

Crime​

Petty crime​

Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, occurs, particularly in urban centres and tourist locations.
  • Don’t leave bags or valuables unattended in parked cars, especially rental vehicles, even in trunks
  • Ensure that your belongings, including passports and other travel documents, are secure at all times

Violent crime​

Within large urban areas, violent crime more commonly occurs in poor neighbourhoods, particularly from dusk to dawn. It often involves intoxication. Incidents of violent crime are mainly carried out by gangs or members of organized crime groups but may also be perpetrated by lone individuals. Although violent crime rarely affects tourists:
  • be mindful of your surroundings at all time
  • verify official neighbourhood crime statistics before planning an outing
  • if threatened by robbers, stay calm and don’t resist
Crime Data Explorer – Federal Bureau of Investigation

Gun violence​

The rate of firearm possession in the US is high. It’s legal in many states for US citizens to openly carry firearms in public.
Incidences of mass shootings occur, resulting most often in casualties. Although tourists are rarely involved, there is a risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Familiarize yourself on how to respond to an active shooter situation.
Active Shooter Event Quick Reference Guide - Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Home break-ins​

Canadians living in holiday homes have been the victims of break-ins and burglary.
Make sure you lock windows and doors securely at night and when you are away.

Common criminal strategies​

Be on alert for robbery ploys targeting visitors.
Some criminals on highways target travellers leaving airports or other tourist destinations. They signal tourists to stop due to an issue with their vehicle. They then wait for the driver to pull over or exit the car before grabbing exposed valuables. Criminals may also throw items at the windshield, obscuring the view of the road and forcing the driver to pull over.
If you’re the victim of such a ploy:
  • avoid pulling over on the side of the road
  • put on your hazard lights and slowly drive to a gas station, police station or other safe and populated area

Demonstrations​

Demonstrations may occur. Even peaceful demonstrations can turn violent at any time. They can also lead to disruptions to traffic and public transportation.
  • Avoid areas where demonstrations and large gatherings are taking place
  • Follow the instructions of local authorities
  • Monitor local media for information on ongoing demonstrations
Mass gatherings (large-scale events)

Fraud​

Credit card and ATM fraud occurs, including debit card cloning. Be cautious when using debit or credit cards:
  • pay careful attention when your cards are being handled by others
  • use ATMs located in well-lit public areas or inside a bank or business
  • avoid using card readers with an irregular or unusual feature
  • cover the keypad with one hand when entering your PIN
  • check for any unauthorized transactions on your account statements
Overseas fraud

Terrorism​

There is a threat of terrorism. Terrorist attacks could occur at any time.
Targets could include:
  • government buildings, including schools
  • places of worship
  • airports and other transportation hubs and networks
  • public areas such as tourist attractions, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, shopping centres, markets, and hotels
Always be aware of your surroundings when in public places.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains a public alert system on terrorism to communicate information about terrorist threats.
National Terrorism Advisory System – U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Hiking and mountaineering​

If you intend on hiking, backpacking or skiing:
  • never practise these activities alone and always hire an experienced guide from a reputable company
  • buy travel insurance that includes helicopter rescue and medical evacuation
  • obtain detailed information on hiking routes or ski slopes before setting out and do not venture off marked trails or slopes
  • ensure that your physical condition is good enough to meet the challenges of your activity
  • ensure that you are properly equipped and well informed about weather and other conditions that may pose a hazard
  • inform a family member or friend of your itinerary, including when you expect to be back to camp
  • know the symptoms of acute altitude sickness, which can be fatal
 
... We can bitch and whine about the unfairness of being painted with the same brush, or we can recognize that

"There are assholes in that tent"

Is resonating more with voters than

"We're not all assholes, in fact most of us aren't. But we think need the votes of the assholes so we have to tolerate their assholery. Stop being unfair and using that against us."

And take responsibility for fixing that weakness and rendering the attack impotent.
Well summed up - and that can cover a LOT of different tents these days, at all points of the political spectrum dealing with all sorts of issues.
 
For clarity, the travel advisory was not about personal safety.
What, then? Collective safety? If the advisory wasn't there for safety, what was it for?

The Canadian government was fear-mongering. The "tell" is that they didn't bother to go into details, because the details would have been ridiculous. "We have concerns." No amount of lipstick is enough for that pig, no matter how often it is trotted out.
 
Travelling to the US is pretty simple, don’t stand out and try to make unnecessary noise, especially to the red states. If you go down there virtue signalling for whatever reason chances of getting capped is not zero. This advisory is pretty vague, but it’s one way to make something out of nothing and pretend to be doing something. LPC is great at that.
 
If you go down there virtue signalling for whatever reason chances of getting capped is not zero.
That might be strictly true, but the chance is infinitesimal. How many Canadians have been "capped" in the US just for sounding off (assuming they didn't sound off to gang-bangers or some such)?
 
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