squirrel

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A new scientific paper about the UK's ban of puberty blockers.

Abstract:

This paper presents an analysis of data from trans children and young people and their parents following the imposition of a UK-wide ban on puberty blockers for this group. The consequences of this ban on trans and non-binary children and young people are analysed revealing very serious adverse effects, less than a year after its imposition, including sharply declining mental health, increased depression, social isolation, anxiety, stress, self-harm, school avoidance and suicide ideation. The ban appears to be a particular worry for children who are currently known only by their identified genders who fear being coercively outed. Parents themselves also report corresponding increases in levels of stress and worry about their children’s well-being and the possibility that they might attempt suicide. Increasing levels of transphobia and social exclusion since the ban’s imposition were also reported. The data presented here questions the entire rationale and ethical basis for the puberty blocker ban, providing hard evidence that it is both dangerous and unjustified given the significant level of harm it is causing.

 

Playing games while protests rage

Archived version: https://archive.is/31MzM

 

[The "Sims killer"] inZOI has a lot of issues, lets talk about them.

 

A UK court has made a decision defining genders which has put it at odds with a less noticed, more important, decision from the CJEU. This is the Gist.

 

"I think this whole debate ... is hard to solve when people aren't on the fundamental same page about the existence of a trans identity and the fact that it is a valid identity."

 

Also, food influencers making anti-ICE content indicates a bigger, notable political shift.

 

It’s as simple as love.

 

Yes, the thumbnail is horrible. The video is still good though.

Video description:

I bet you thought coming out as trans was all glitter, pride flags, and instant self-love. Cute, right? Turns out, it’s mostly confusion, paperwork, and people asking weird questions. So yeah, total blast.

 

cross-posted from: https://reddthat.com/post/43306752

Police in northwestern China are cracking down on writers of online erotic fiction across the country, including many college students, according to RFA sources and media reports, amid concern that officers are punishing people outside their jurisdiction.

Police in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, have been summoning writers who don’t even live there. A report from Caixin media group said some have been referred to police for prosecution, and anecdotal evidence indicates writers are facing substantial fines.

A source who spoke to Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity for safety reasons said the crackdown could involve 200-300 writers.

Their cases have also sparked a legal debate over the definition of “obscene materials” and renewed public discussion on the boundaries of creative freedom. Known as “Danmei,” the genre features romantic relationships between male characters. It originated in Japan and has become popular in China.

Amid tightened restrictions in China, many writers have turned to Haitang Culture, a Taiwanese-based adult fiction website established in 2015 to publish their work. The website on the democratic island doesn’t force censorship and allows explicit written content. Most readers are females.

Authorities in China have reacted. Last year, two China-based distributors affiliated with Haitang Culture were arrested for “assisting in information network criminal activities,” according to Shuiping Jiyuan, a news portal on the WeChat social media platform.

The recent police crackdown in Lanzhou followed similar moves in the eastern province of Anhui in June 2024, where authorities began arresting writers of online erotic fiction under the charge of “producing and distributing obscene materials for profit,” resulting in heavy fines and even prison sentences.

Police are seeking out writers even when they leave outside their jurisdiction - a practice that critics call “offshore fishing,” implying the motive of police is financial or political, rather than strictly legal.

“I don’t understand what they’re trying to do—are they pushing political correctness, or are they just desperate for money?” said Liu Yang, a veteran media professional in Lanzhou, told Radio Free Asia. “The police are short on funds, and now even arrests have become a way to make money.”

 

Ubisoft developers have told a French court that former execs Serge Hascoet, Tommy Francois, and Guillaume Patrux alleg…

 

Voice actors have been on strike since July 2024

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 month ago

Of course. ヾ(^▽^)ノ

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 month ago

Yeah, that could be narcissistic behaviour though there are also other possible explanations, such as "antisocial personality disorder". Ultimately it is very hard to distinguish one personality disorder from another without a full diagnosis by a professional. Those personality disorders may look very much alike from an observer perspective, but differ in the nuances of the behaviour, the underlying thought processes and their origin (and therefore have to be treated differently in a clinical setting).

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (5 children)

The question is somewhat difficult to answer, because the reactions to HRT are very individual. They depend on things like your age, your genetic make-up and the kind of HRT you get (what kind of drugs, what dosage, etc.)

To put things as general as possible: If you start HRT you may first feel euphoria, which is (more often than not) a purely psychological reaction. The actual effects of HRT will usually begin to manifest after a few weeks (once again: highly depending on what you are taking and how your body reacts to it). Unlike the initial psychological effect this will usually be more gradual, as your body and mind "ease into" their new state of being.

The obvious physical effects usually take months to manifest (growth of breast tissue, etc), though infertility can come earlier, particularly if you take anti-androgens or progesterone.

Because you specifically asked about sperm, the effects of HRT are (mostly) reversible in that regard, particularly if you haven't taken HRT for long. Some people can become fertile after months, sometimes even years of HRT, once they stop taking it.

So: Yes, most people can stop HRT for a while, freeze some sperm and then go back on. There are no guarantees, but it works far more often than not.

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Allow me to attempt an answer.

Of course, there is the simple lack of empathy, the inability to imagine what another person could feel. A complete lack of empathy is very rare, much more common are varying degrees of a loss of empathy which are often situational: "I do not recognise somebody I am talking to on the internet as a full human being." or "This person looks so unlikely what I am used to, they are not fully human."

But far more often immoral behaviour is strongly tied to cognitive dissonance. This psychological concept describes the notion to hold two different, contradictory beliefs at the same time. Such as: "I am morally good." and "I am allowed to hurt others."

The underlying thoughts are often strongly tied to emotions and the way our reasoning works: More often than not, we have an emotion first and find a justification for it lateron. In the cases you are describing that person may feel an emotion/desire to hurt someone. They may know in theory that hurting others is bad, but this is where cognitive dissonance comes into play.

They will attempt to find a rational justification for their behaviour. Confronted with their behaviour, they will use that justification as their defense: "I hurt someone because they got on my nerves!" or "They deserve it, someone had to teach them a lesson." or whatever may seem appropriate in that setting. But this justification is also what they will tell themselves in their heads in order to see themselves as morally good, despite their transgressions.

Of course, the question remains where their desire to hurt others come from. Psychological studies suggest that such behaviour is often triggered by stress of some kind or other (rather than actual malice), which they will then project onto the person they hurt: "I had a bad day and then they made it worse."

Some people regret their behaviour lateron, especially if they are confronted by others; but cognitive dissonance is very strong and prevents many other people from ever recognising their own bad behaviour as such, particularly if their bad behaviour lies in the past. At the same time, the worse the behaviour, the stronger cognitive dissonance becomes; no matter how contradictory that may seem: "I cannot be a bad person, therefore my behaviour has to be justified." And their mind will provide justification(s). It may take a lot of time, effort and critical thinking to undo this state of mind.

I hope my comment answers your question.

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 month ago

I have to admit, I was also puzzled by what they mean with "horny", despite agreeing with the gist of the article.

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 month ago

Me? I am impartial, I am certainly not being paid by Big Dictionary!

*attempts to hide the old, dusty Oxford English Dictionary on the bookshelf

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 195 points 1 month ago (8 children)

Dictionaries are - by definition - descriptive. It is not their duty to judge what goes into them. They merely collected terms used by people and explain what they mean.

Demanding to remove information from a dictionary, because you do not like what it expresses or the people who use those terms, is the very definition of censorship.

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I think I experienced similar feelings which usually appear when I was comparatively "better" than during the times that counted as major depressive episodes, according to the professionals I dealt with.

But honestly the way our psyche deals with depression is highly individual and good, responsible therapists/psychiatrists/neurologists/... consider a variety of symptoms before making a final diagnosis. With the exception of a high risk of suicide which will immediately place the sufferer in the "major depressive disorder" category, because of the immediate danger to their lives.

What I want to say: Probably only an expert will be able to tell you exactly what kind of depression you have/had. And I cannot claim to be one. I am simply someone who suffers from it too and I read up about it.

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 2 months ago (4 children)

I am sorry for being the bearer of sad news. Suicidal thoughts are the most easily recognizable of the symptoms. And even if they are less persistent between major depressive episodes, a lot of us are still stuck with depression in one form or another for the rest of our lives.

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 55 points 2 months ago (13 children)

And that's the difference between minor depressive disorder and major depressive disorder. Thank you for attending Depression 101.

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I moments of crisis, I will just start crying, but I can do that very fast.

[–] squirrel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 months ago

Ah oui, c'est bien jolie and même romantique. J'envie tout le monde qui habite dans un coin aussi beau.

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