A new cleanup update has been posted covering the recent Vault rework, rank changes, policy cleanup, and theme polish.
The goal is to make LC cleaner, easier to understand, and safer for the site going forward.
- Jack Of Blades
Games+ and AI+ restrictions have been removed. Members+ is no longer required to access those sections.
Vault investing has also been disabled and removed from the shop. The gates are open. The Vault is closed.
I can provide my analysis on the trans issue in a spoiler:
The LGB, T+ stuff has been wielded by some as a hammer to break western society so that it can be remade. It's also been a purity test to see who is either a true believer or who will at least be a useful 'idiot' (who does the revolutionists' bidding thinking that they're just being righteous). One issue is that it's not going to be the LGB, T+ people who will rebuild the society, but those with the power and resources. Note that revolutionaries often (not always) use universities as ignition points, but then after the revolution's success (often, not always) remove the academics (Russia→USSR, Iran after the deposition of the Shah, China in the Cultural revolution). The action of the revolution is not the end point, the rebuilding is, and the powerful and resource-rich hold all those cards. Also, the revolutionaries are ripe for getting swept off of their win if they are weakened by the fight (see the bolshevik revolution, china after WWII). Plus after the revolution, an individual or group can easily co-opt the resulting government for their own enrichment. It's very hard to resist for those in power and to prevent for those governed. LGB, T+ groups are being used either with or without their knowledge and consent to damage their home societies. And I will oppose the changing of 95%+ of society to adapt to 2-3% of folks who are unable, or unwilling, to find a place in it for whatever reason.
That's the political part.
I see 3 classes of trans folks:
1: Intersex folks with observable biology that does not conform to the vast majority (99.9% is a vast majority) of human biology have real decisions that in the past had been made for them, and often made for their parents, by doctors. If there were real research that were ethical, it might be possible to determine when and if surgical intervention is best. I suspect that those individuals would be best served by preserving any functioning gonads that might exist, but have only my own understanding and life experience to back that up. These people are by far the smallest group, but have the benefit of observable biology to help with their coping with life outside the norm. Since they (and anyone they care to involve) can see the differences, not just feel or believe them, they have a tangible 'touchstone' to anchor to and make adjustments from there.
2: The folks who are truly of the impression that their observable biology is at odds with their persona have a hard road, since their mental state is not shown in their observable biology. Permanent, that is irreversible, changes to their body are just that: irreversible. That should be the last resort and only after adulthood. As with having sex, only an adult can consent to these permanent changes, one of the greatest of which is permanent sterility. Since the pharmaceutical and surgical changes are irreversible, they should be used once all other paths of trying to accept or deal with their observable biology have been exhausted. If in the future the sterility were to become reversible, then the newly non-permanent changes might be very helpful.
3: There are and have been many people who seek attention for a long time. If it's outré but trendy, they are it! Because being trans, or on a spectrum of other sexual identities, is socially unassailable, the attention seekers get cover from anyone calling them out publicly, since saying that a gay, non-binary, or trans person is faking it is social suicide. I suspect that attention seekers existence inflates both the transition reversal ("I didn't really mean it!") and the suicide numbers [attempted and successful both]. That second is inflated because attempting suicide is not soloely a call for help, but can be a way to get attention that some exploit. A noticeable proportion of the LGB, T+ community falls into the attention-seeking category.
The first two groups need help (in whatever forms are successful in their individual cases) to get themselves as comfortable as they are able to be with reality. The last group needs to get their attention seeking fixed in some fashion. I want help for the intersex and truly confused people. For the attention seekers, I am unwilling to enable their behavior, and they damage the other two groups' legitimacy, making those with legitimate troubles easier to dismiss as attention-seeking.
Fantastic breakdown and nearly perfectly mirrors many of my own views of the issue.
Though I wouldn't be quite as tactful and spew far more vitriol when talking about the 3:rd group.
"Hello Dweignear and welcome to the thread.
Take a moment to read through the very first post of it, then take a stroll through the university.
Both places have some good to know info. The Coin-Hustlers University"
For some extra info about the coins look into this thread too. Credit System for purchasing Members+
