Briton in Japan. Also on @valoisdubins@famichiki.jp and @valoisdubins.bsky.social
Aug 2, 2024 • 16 tweets • 4 min read
A careful reading of the wiki page for Imane Khelif as it currently stands shows a curious tale of how falsehoods about her have been recycled into mainstream journalism.
It's a mess because of how these falsehoods have slipped into what are normally considered reliable sources, especially with the help of a few transphobic journalists.
2/12
Apr 18, 2024 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
The more I look at the Cass Final report, the odder (and worse) it gets.
Take the University of York review commissioned by Cass into cross-sex hormones.
This is the review that sorts evidence into high, moderate and low quality.
1/5adc.bmj.com/content/early/…
It's crucial to point out that this review did NOT actually throw out any study that wasn't classed as "high quality". It sorted what was there into three ranks of quality.
That's not the mechanism by which Cass discounts a lot of evidence.
2/5
Apr 17, 2024 • 10 tweets • 3 min read
Some odd sourcing in Cass in the section on detransition after hormones (15.44 - 15.56)
Cass supposedly defines detransition as moving back the gender congruent with birth sex AFTER medical intervention.
That is, she makes a difference between detransition, and desistance.1/9
There are critical reviews of the detransition literature. For example:
The modern anti-trans movement *began* with Christian evangelicals, w/help of an antisemitic conspiracy theorist expelled from the Deep Green movement.
It began as conservatives were losing the battle against gay marriage. 1/
One of the best things I ever did to educate myself was learn about the mechanics of climate change denial.
Time and again, it’s helped me navigate science issues where the media can’t cope & where tribal instincts don’t help. Vaccines, radiation, COVID, trans issues.
1/25
Often people say“critical thinking” is key, as if someone without years of scientific training could easily navigate often tough scientific questions so long as they “question everything”.
But there is a reason why “question everything” is the slogan of conspiracy theorist.2/25
Aug 23, 2023 • 10 tweets • 3 min read
@cojojonudo @JaneyGodley It catches on on the right in the US, but doesn’t make much progress in the centre. It’s wrapped up with anti-abortionism and right wingers banging on about Critical Race Theory.
But then something bad happens in the UK. 2/
@cojojonudo @JaneyGodley This anti-trans rhetoric from the US infests the mumsnet talkboards.
Mumsnet has a middle class white audience.
So in the UK, transphobia becomes part of the mainstream media.
@rcc@ksvarnon@Q_i_a_n_a@Penn What’s true: when the Russians provoked and supplied/ manned an armed “separatist” movement in 2014 in revenge for their chosen Presidential candidate being thrown out of power, the Ukrainian armed forces were in a sorry state. Several far right militias filled the gaps. 1/@rcc@ksvarnon@Q_i_a_n_a@Penn After the conflict died down, one far right battalion (Azov) was absorbed into the Ukrainian army. It’s a little less than 1000 soldiers in an armed forces of more than 215,000. So it’s a small part of the army. 2/
Sep 5, 2018 • 7 tweets • 4 min read
@Muinchille@jonworth I think your analysis carries an assumption that common ground can genuinely be found by appealing to values. The problem is that the material basis of political cleavages seems much less important for Brexit than direct issues of personal values. 1/@Muinchille@jonworth If you compare Indyref with the Brexit vote, both start from the view that there is something wrong with how we are governed. But the solutions are radically different, as far as we can discern the Brexit solution. 2/
