The Manosphere: A Major Problem For The USA

"The 'manosphere' is made up of macho podcasters and influencers, a space where UFC fighters are among those who reign supreme, like Jake Shields. CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan sits down with Shields and also speaks with independent journalist Vera Papisova as part of "MisinfoNation: Extreme America," airing Sunday, April 13 at 8pm ET/PT on 'The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper.'"

Click here for a 7-minute video exposing a dangerous segment of US society that is at the center of the White Supremacy movement, and thus, the Republican Party.

A Troubling Trend In The USA

"Young men are turning to conservatism—in politics and in Christianity

"They didn’t see this coming. Liberals in America are scratching their heads trying to explain what happened in November’s election and the closer they look, the stranger it seems. There was a decided shift to the right among young men in America, crossing ethnic lines and shocking the political class. They shouldn’t have been shocked.

"The evidence was there all along and the pattern has been growing year by year. Looking for young men? Go visit a MAGA rally or drop in at your local conservative church. And these young men are young—some of them still teenagers. They showed up in droves at Trump rallies. The events drew thousands of college fraternity brothers dressed in blazers and, more visibly, an army of young men wearing red, white, and blue and sporting MAGA baseball caps. The young male vote is an increasingly conservative vote, perplexing many liberal parents.

"The New York Times has noticed the trend. A recent headline in the nation’s newspaper of record made that clear: “When Your Son Goes MAGA.” The paper then explained that a good number of liberal parents struggle to understand their own young sons. “As more young men support President Trump, some parents are feeling flummoxed.” They seem to be shocked that their young male offspring are increasingly committed to conservative ideas and gathering in conservative spaces.

"As reporter Callie Holtermann rightly notes, children often follow their parents when it comes to political loyalties. In recent times, however, many conservative sons are breaking with the politics of their liberal parents. One liberal mom had to undergo “tearful therapy sessions” to deal with her own sense of parental failure. “I’ve had to do a lot of soul-searching and reading about it to not feel like I’ve failed as a mom,” she said.

"And it’s not just politics. For the first time in living memory, young men are more likely than young women to attend church. A few months ago, another New York Times report by Ruth Graham set the trend clearly: “For the first time in modern American history, young men are now more religious than their female peers. They attend services more often and are more likely to identify as religious.” Today’s young women tend to be more liberal and more secular than young men.

"What’s going on here? Ruth Graham noted something really significant: “Childless young men are likelier than childless young women to say they want to become parents someday, by a margin of 12 percentage points, according to a survey last year by Pew.” They want to be husbands, they want to be fathers, they want to work, they want to go to church, they want to commit themselves to a bold theology, they want to fulfill a courageous male role and they want to reinforce each other as brothers. They also want father figures they can trust, admire, and emulate. They want respect and they will give respect. The larger society, driven by woke ideologies and pervaded by politicized emotionalism, offers them no encouragement. Liberal churches and female preachers draw virtually none of these young men, who, even if many are not yet well grounded in Scripture and natural law, know that the world around them is often upside-down. They see the culture around them as weirdly confused. These young men are not confused.

"They can tell the difference between a boy and a girl and are thoroughly certain about the matter. They don’t hang on every word President Trump says, but they are drawn to his energy and straight talk. They also feel that Trump’s enemies are often their enemies as well. They like the male affirmation that comes in conservative spaces (and increasingly only in conservative spaces) and they are earnestly seeking young women who are as unconfused as they are. They enjoy being male and hunger to be taken seriously.

"Looking for young men today? Don’t go to a liberal church or seminary—they aren’t there. They are far more likely to be in a conservative school, a college, or seminary devoted to the faith once for all delivered to the saints, and in a conservative church. A photo published by the Times alongside the Ruth Graham article showed a worship service with rows of young men up front. It’s not an accident. They are drawn to bold faith and biblical teaching. They hunger for truth, and someone better deliver it to them. A researcher cited in the Times article said that Christianity is seen as “the one institution that isn’t initially and formally skeptical of them as a class.” That rings true, for sure.

"At my advanced age, I am well past being confused as a young man, but I get to be surrounded by thousands of them every day. They make me incredibly happy. As president of a conservative seminary and college, I get to teach them, work with them, send them out into the world, and go to church with them. I get to see so many of them growing up as young husbands and new fathers. They amaze me. I thank God for them. They may be a perplexity to the world (and even to some of their own parents) but to me they are a sign of God’s favor. It’s our task to teach and encourage them for a life of faithfulness as men of God." (link)

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Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary – the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.

The Truth About Transgendered People

 In case anyone wants to share actual facts today.

In honor of Trans day of Visibility, I thought I'd offer actual facts about transgender people, rather than the misinformation people may spew

1. Being trans is not new. Around 5000-3000 BC, androgynous or trans priests, Gala, were recorded.

2. There aren't a ton of Trans people overtaking society. In fact, numbers show the percentage of trans people is about .01- .5 % of the population.

3. Trans people are not pedophiles or criminals. A UK study showed that trans people have a no higher criminality rate than cis (not transgender) people.

As a point of fact, sexual abuse allegations for Catholic priests as of 2024 reached into the thousands, the Boy Scouts of America estimate that nearly 7800 of their leaders were involved in sexual abuse, and 1/8 student athletes reports being sexually abused by their coaches, with that number jumping to 1/4 in college.

The fact is that transgender people are far more likely to become victims of sexual abuse than commit it.

4. The vast majority of transgender people do not regret transitioning. Regret numbers range from 1-3%. Of that small percentage, many say they regret it due to stigmatization. You are more likely to regret knee surgery than a trans person will regret gender affirming surgery. Any other surgery with a success rate of 96-99% would be considered a miracle.

5. Children are not being "mutilated" .

A study from JAMA pediatrics shows that, in a study of over 5 million patients, less than .1% of children 12-18 are receiving gender affirming meds. Those meds are puberty blockers, which do as they say. That means if they go off those blockers, they will then go through puberty.

It showed that NO children under 12 are receiving any medication, and they are certainly NOT having surgery. 0 children under 12 receive gender affirming surgery.

The rate from 13-14 is 2 per 100,000, and 5 per 100,000 ages 15-18. Of that tiny percentage (that's .000002%, and .00005% respectively), most were top surgeries. Their genitalia were not touched.

6. The big "student athlete" debate. Trans people make up less than 1% of athletes in college sports. Considering that tiny population, not all of them are trans women (they like to ignore that trans men exist in their fear mongering). On top of that, an even smaller percentage will be good enough to have any impact at all in their chosen sport. In 2023, there were a total of 5 Trans athletes in the NCAA. The chances that your daughter will be impacted by a trans athlete is absolutely minute. As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to bet that, without the use of a search engine, anyone can even name another trans athlete aside from Lia Thomas.

Please consider how your elected officials are spending MILLIONS of dollars on making laws that will influence. 01-.5% of the US population, and then tell me where the government waste really is.

Scott Orner

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Mon, Mar 31, 2025

How Biology Challenges The Male-Female Binary

"In this documentary-style episode, Outrage Overload dives into the intricate and often misunderstood world of sex development, using the controversy surrounding female boxers at the Paris Olympics as a case study. We unpack the science, ethics, and personal stories behind Differences in Sex Development (DSDs), challenging the oversimplified narratives that dominate today’s polarizing debates.

"Join us as we explore:

• Why the biology of sex development is more complex than the XX/XY binary.
• How the Paris Olympics highlighted the tension between fairness, inclusion, and misinformation.
• The real-life impact of DSD diagnoses on individuals and families.
• A thoughtful discussion on the challenges of sports eligibility

"Featuring expert insights from Dr. Richard Auchus, a leading endocrinologist, and Amethysta Herrick, a transgender woman and advocate, this episode is a deep dive into science, empathy, and the lessons we can learn about navigating difficult conversations."

Click on the link below for the podcast episode which is an up-to-date presentation of our understanding of sex/gender:

Fairness, Biology, and Outrage: The Complexity of Sex Development

Transgender Athletes: The Truth

"'How many athletes are there in the U.S. in NCAA schools?' Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) asked Baker during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday on federal regulations around sports gambling.

“'Five hundred and ten thousand,' said Baker, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts who has served as president of the NCAA, which governs intercollegiate athletics at more than 1,000 colleges and universities across the country, since 2023.

"'How many transgender athletes are you aware of?' Durbin asked.

'Less than 10," Baker said."

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"Baker said it is 'debatable' whether transgender women will 'always' have a physical advantage over cisgender, or non-transgender, women.

"A recent cross-sectional study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that transgender women who completed more than one year of hormone replacement therapy performed worse than cisgender women in tests measuring lower-body strength and lung functioning.

"Trans women’s bone density, which is linked to muscle strength, was found to be equivalent to that of cisgender women, and there were no meaningful differences in levels of hemoglobin, which facilitates oxygen delivery to muscles and is related to greater aerobic performance.

"An earlier study, also published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that transgender women who went through male puberty retained an athletic edge after one year of hormone therapy. The study’s lead author has cautioned against using the results to categorically ban transgender athletes from competitive sports."

Click on the link below for the full article. IMHO, let the leaders in the particular sports where this could be an issue decide what to do to ensure fairness BASED ON SCIENCE RESEARCH AND NOT POLITICS/IGNORANCE/BIGOTRY!!!:

NCAA president says there are ‘less than 10’ transgender athletes in college sports

The Truth About Gender-Affirming Care

"Trump and Republican candidates made rolling back federal protections for transgender people a big issue, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on TV ads, much of it focused on gender-affirming care for minors. Despite the attention, a new study finds that gender-affirming medications are very rarely prescribed to adolescents."

Click on the link below for the podcast:

Study finds gender-affirming care for minors is very rare

The Truth About Gender-Affirming Care

"A recent article published in the Associated Press debunks a map circulating online claiming to show where it’s possible for toddlers to receive gender-affirming surgeries. It was clearly found to be completely false. Surgery under the age of 18 is very rare and is decided on a case by case basis. No toddler is receiving surgeries, nor any form of gender-affirming medical care for that matter.

"The map in question actually belongs to transgender rights advocate, Erin Reed, and depicts the states that have the 'worst active anti-trans laws' in red and the 'safest states' with protections for transgender people in blue. Right-wing extremists took the map to start a disinformation campaign about safer states for transgender young people.

"The fact check makes clear that gender-affirming surgeries are NOT performed on children, and that, 'In all cases, gender-affirming surgeries are only performed after multiple discussions with both mental health providers and physicians (including endocrinologists and/or surgeons), to determine if surgery is the appropriate course of action.'”

Click on the link below for the full article:

AP Debunks Extremist Claims About Gender-Affirming Care

One Scientist's Opinion Is NOT Science

"Jerry Coyne, author of the book and blog Why Evolution is True, was also at CSICON and gave a talk essentially taking the opposing position to my own. His position is that biological sex in humans is binary, that this is the only scientific position, and anything else is simply ideology trumping science. His talk was after mine so I was very interested in how he would respond to my position. He essentially didn’t – he just gave the talk he was going to give and then included a single slide with his “responses” to my talk. Except, they weren’t responses at all, just a list of standard talking points that really had nothing to do with my talk."

Jerry Coyne is a noted biologist and skeptic specializing in evolution. Thus, he is truly an authority in his areas of expertise. Click on the link below for an expose of his ignorance of sex/gender:

A Discussion about Biological Sex

Trans Athletes: The Current Knowledge

"A groundbreaking study that was sponsored by the International Olympic Committee and released late last week sought to compare a range of athletic abilities between trans athletes and their cisgender counterparts. The finding that trans women athletes are at a relative disadvantage in many key physical areas relating to athletic ability and perform worse on cardiovascular tests than their cisgender counterparts could be the first step in fighting back against the conventional wisdom conservatives have spread that trans women’s participation is inherently unfair."

Click on the link below for the details that fly in the face of ignorance, dogma, and bigotry:

This study on trans women's athletic disadvantages ought to change the debate

Gender-Affirming Care: More Heat Than Light

"Dr Hilary Cass has submitted her final report and recommendations to NHS England in her role as Chair of the Independent Review of gender identity services for children and young people.

"The Review was commissioned by NHS England to make recommendations on how to improve NHS gender identity services, and ensure that children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria receive a high standard of care, that meets their needs, is safe, holistic and effective.

"The report describes what is known about the young people who are seeking NHS support around their gender identity and sets out the recommended clinical approach to care and support they should expect, the interventions that should be available, and how services should be organised across the country.

"It also makes recommendations on the quality improvement and research infrastructure required to ensure that the evidence base underpinning care is strengthened.

"In making her recommendations, Dr Cass has had to rely on the currently available evidence and think about how the NHS can respond safely, effectively, and compassionately, leaving some issues for wider societal debate."

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Click here for the Final Report of a detailed independent review of gender identity services for children and young people for the British NHS

Transphobia: An Evil From Conservatives

"We break down some of the pseudoscience the trans panic is built on, look at the political drive to erase trans people, understand how the language of panic shifts over time, and present an alternate view of societal healing for a healthier humanity."

Click on the link below for a podcast exposing the willful cruelty of today's Republicans/conservatives:

Debunking Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, Groomers, and Detransitioning Misconceptions

Puberty Blockers: Beware Of The Media

Right-wing media is awash with bogus "evidence" of the harm from puberty blockers. This link is a prime offender in promoting the bullsh!t, but don't let its name let you think it is valid. Here is the truth about this website (link)(link). 

Below you will find several links to VALID SUPPORT for puberty blockers:

What to know about puberty blockers

Puberty blockers for transgender and gender-diverse youth

Are Puberty Blockers Reversible?

Sex & Christian History: What You Don't Know

"Was Adam androgynous? What did the apostle Paul say about sex? What does Christianity say about gender roles? Was sex allowed in early Christianity? Here I discuss all of these issues, citing the writings of Paul, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, Polemon the Stoic, Acts of Thecla, and more."

Click on the link below for the bizarre history of sexual attitudes in the history of Christianity:

Ancient Christian Beliefs About Sex Were Wild

Evangelical Christians Have A Lot To Answer For

"On May 29, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a new anti-gay law that puts the country’s already persecuted LGBTQ+ community at risk of life imprisonment for same-sex relations and calls for the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.” This draconian legislation is the latest blow to fundamental human rights in Uganda, and it has deep links to American evangelicals who have for years sought to export US culture wars over gender and sexuality to African countries and Uganda in particular."

Click on the links below for the evil details. Christian morality is an oxymoron 😡:

The Unholy Relationship Between Uganda's Anti-LGBTQ+ Law and US Evangelicalism

How US 'Christian Values' Helped Uganda Become An Evil African Presence

How U.S. Evangelicals Helped Homophobia Flourish in Africa

Sex/Gender: The Science, Not The Pseudoscience

 "As with most things in science, the concept of boy versus girl is more complicated than it appears at first glance. It’s not a simple dichotomy. We, humans, like to classify everything into neat pigeonholes, but Nature’s inventiveness outsmarts us at every step.":

Many factors combine to determine sex and gender, and not one of them is simply black and white.

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"Antiscientific sentiment bombards our politics, or so says the Intellectual Dark Web (IDW). Chief among these antiscientific sentiments, the IDW cites the rising visibility of transgender civil rights demands. To the IDW, trans people and their advocates are destroying the pillars of our society with such free-speech–suppressing, postmodern concepts as: “trans women are women,” “gender-neutral pronouns,” or “there are more than two genders.” Asserting “basic biology” will not be ignored, the IDW proclaims. “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”

"The irony in all this is that these “protectors of enlightenment” are guilty of the very behavior this phrase derides. Though often dismissed as just a fringe internet movement, they espouse unscientific claims that have infected our politics and culture. Especially alarming is that these “intellectual” assertions are used by nonscientists to claim a scientific basis for the dehumanization of trans people. The real-world consequences are stacking up: the trans military ban, bathroom bills, removal of workplace and medical discrimination protections, a 41-51 percent suicide attempt rate, and targeted fatal violence. It’s not just internet trolling anymore.

"Contrary to popular belief, scientific research helps us better understand the unique and real transgender experience. Specifically, through three subjects: (1) genetics, (2) neurobiology, and (3) endocrinology. So, hold onto your parts, whatever they may be. It’s time for 'the talk'":

Stop Using Phony Science to Justify Transphobia

Sex/Gender 101

"Antiscientific sentiment bombards our politics, or so says the Intellectual Dark Web (IDW). Chief among these antiscientific sentiments, the IDW cites the rising visibility of transgender civil rights demands. To the IDW, trans people and their advocates are destroying the pillars of our society with such free-speech–suppressing, postmodern concepts as: “trans women are women,” “gender-neutral pronouns,” or 'there are more than two genders.' Asserting 'basic biology' will not be ignored, the IDW proclaims. 'Facts don’t care about your feelings.'

"The irony in all this is that these 'protectors of enlightenment' are guilty of the very behavior this phrase derides. Though often dismissed as just a fringe internet movement, they espouse unscientific claims that have infected our politics and culture. Especially alarming is that these 'intellectual” assertions are used by nonscientists to claim a scientific basis for the dehumanization of trans people. The real-world consequences are stacking up: the trans military ban, bathroom bills, and removal of workplace and medical discrimination protections, a 41-51 percent suicide attempt rate and targeted fatal violence. It’s not just internet trolling anymore."

Click on the link below for more. You magical/anti-science thinkers, there is no longer an excuse for your willfull ignorance: 

Actual research shows that sex is anything but binary

Elon Musk also needs to get the message. What is it with him and Trump, fellow graduates of UPenn such as I am (guess money talks)? Neither have an excuse also:

Elon Musk’s promise to treat ‘cis’ as a slur will provoke more extremism

Conservative Violence

Since the Republican Party united with conservative Christians in recent decades, elected Trump, and took over local politics in several US states, they have organized efforts to deprive people of their fundamental reproductive, sex, and gender rights. Ironically, these conservatives have claimed, erroneously, that they have been more victimized by progressives than vice-versa. For example, this Fox News piece cites statistics by the discredited organization Crime Prevention Research Center.

Click on the links below for the truth:

House GOP Is Passing Bills Based on Outright Lies About “Pro-Choice Violence”

Violence against abortion providers continues to rise

How political rhetoric factors into the violence against the LGBTQ community

Beware Of Sex/Gender Studies Supported By Conservatives

"It’s a science thingy breakdown! This one can barely be called a science thingy. It’s not great. Dr. Alan Smerbeck is here to debunk one of the go-to citations for conservatives’ homophobia. Does it hold up? No. Look I’m not going to pretend like it’s a close call. Listen to find out why this is a shit study."

Click on the link below for a podcast exposing the usual bad studies on this subject:

How Different Are The Adult Children of Parents Who Have Same-Sex Relationships?

Research Update: Transgender Teen Transitioning

I have posted many times on the subject of non-binary sex and gender. Sabine Hossenfeder is a well-known physicist and educator in such. She is also famous for her YouTube series called, "Science, without the gobbledygook." Click on the link below for her heavily-researched opinion on gender-affirming healthcare, which I think clarifies what we now know in this important area of healthcare:

Is being trans a social fad among teenagers? 

Why Are People Antiscience?

"From vaccination refusal to climate change denial, antiscience views are threatening humanity. When different individuals are provided with the same piece of scientific evidence, why do some accept whereas others dismiss it? Building on various emerging data and models that have explored the psychology of being antiscience, we specify four core bases of key principles driving antiscience attitudes. These principles are grounded in decades of research on attitudes, persuasion, social influence, social identity, and information processing. They apply across diverse domains of antiscience phenomena. Specifically, antiscience attitudes are more likely to emerge when a scientific message comes from sources perceived as lacking credibility; when the recipients embrace the social membership or identity of groups with antiscience attitudes; when the scientific message itself contradicts what recipients consider true, favorable, valuable, or moral; or when there is a mismatch between the delivery of the scientific message and the epistemic style of the recipient. Politics triggers or amplifies many principles across all four bases, making it a particularly potent force in antiscience attitudes. Guided by the key principles, we describe evidence-based counteractive strategies for increasing public acceptance of science."

Click on the link below for a scholarly, in-depth look at the danger and harm of anti-science, as well as its causation and recommended remedies:

Why are people antiscience, and what can we do about it?