I’m not saying the entire body of Steve Hassan’s work is entirely worthless (other cult researchers have found what they believe to be serious methodological flaws in his BITE model, mind), BUT:

if a man had publically supported Joanne Rowling’s ongoing campaign of militant transphobia, leveraging his brand as The Cult Expert Guy to imply that trans people are or resemble a cult (essentially just trying to use scientific-sounding language to dress up the old lie that queer people actively recruit others, especially the young and/or vulnerable, into their ‘lifestyle’), seemingly based entirely on the man’s own frankly comical misunderstanding of the sissy hypno kink;

I would think twice before uncritically citing him as an authority.

Not doubting you, OP, but do you have some links for further information? I definitely had no idea about his anti-trans views, and I’d bet most people who cite his work don’t either.

sure, here’s one of his own twitter threads about it

As you can see, as well as vocally supporting Rowling, he uncritically echoes the transphobic talking points that

• people are being ‘rushed’ into medical transition [and here we shall pause to allow the raucous laughter of trans people and anyone who has ever known them to die down]

• calls sissy hypno videos ‘weapons-grade mind control’ like they’re a fucking comic book doomsday device

• talks about trans people harrassing detransitioners, which is demonstrably untrue; most trans people are perfectly supportive of those who say ‘I thought I was trans but I’m not’, and only push back against those who add ’…so therefore nobody else should be trans either’, which isn’t harrassment. It’s self-defence.

• and says what for me is the scummiest fucking thing in the whole thread: that people who come out as trans end up ‘isolated from their families and friends’, which is sadly often true but is uuuhhh usually not that trans person’s choice. Steve. you yard-long smear of yeasty cocksnot.

For me the most grimly funny thing about this is that the ‘gender critical’ movement that Hassan is aligning himself with is WILDLY more cult-like than trans people just existing as a category of human being could ever be.

I think for me this really is a ‘You are not immune to propaganda’ case study writ large. Dude came up with some good points for critical thinking and cult ID, but when those clashed with his own belief system, he got suckered right in anyway.

I suppose the moral of the story is: when things seem to confirm your beliefs and what you want to think, that’s when you most need to be critical.

“I have watched numerous hypno porn videos for as part of my extensive research and I can state with confidence as an expert in coercive control that anyone watching these movies would instantly become transgender” sir

[Image Description: A brown color block with text that reads “support trans people who can’t avoid hearing their deadname.”]

apparently I have to school some people's asses on being poor again

Listen up, Tumblr. There are some cold hard facts about being poor that you need to know before you try to talk to me or my family or any other poor person about anything involving money, food, jobs, housing or healthcare.

There is probably a lot more shit I could tell you about what it’s like to be poor, but I’m tired and achy and so done with this shit, so I’m gonna stop here.

So accurate.

Female villains are usually cold and powerful, regal and impressive. But male villains, how often are they flirtatious or predatory? Manipulative, physically weak, and easily frightened? How often are they sassy, or thin, or well-dressed?

These aren’t a smattering of random characteristics, these kinds of traits are grouped together pretty frequently in the form of what’s known as the “sissy archetype.” A “sissy” is defined as a person who is effeminate or cowardly, usually used to insult men by saying they have feminine qualities. TV Tropes refers to this as the “Camp Gay” trope.

Now there’s nothing wrong with being an effeminate, fashion-loving gay man. But when it’s the predominant representation of the queer community, it leads to negative and restrictive stereotypes of an extremely diverse community. And to take it one step further, the problem is even worse when this kind of character only appears in children’s media as the villain.

also, i want to apologize to people whose messages were ever ignored by me or took me ages to reply to. i have no excuses, i’m just shit at communicating and a lot of time get stuck in my own head, postpone replying and then either forget about it or think that it is too late to reply. i’m sorry if i’ve ever made someone feel bad bc of this - honestly, it’s never personal, it’s just me and my inner problems. i will try harder to work on it. thank you for ever initiating conversations with me

PSA - Misophonia

What is Misophonia? - Misophonia, also known as Sound Rage is a neurological condition that causes certain sounds to trigger a moderate to severe emotional response, usually anxiety or anger. Individuals with Misophonia feel panic and rage from hearing certain sounds. They may need to move away from the sounds or wear earbuds to block the noise. Other people with Misophonia feel compelled to mimic the trigger sound, a natural response that causes an empathetic reaction in the brain and reduces the hostility the noise can cause. Severe Misophonia can even cause outbursts of violence upon a trigger. The disorder is linked to both Tourette Syndrome and Synesthesia among other neurological conditions. There is no cure or treatment so individuals with it must learn to live with it. 

What does Misophonia feel like? - Imagine somebody dragging their fingernails down a chalkboard. Does it give you chills? Make you block your ears? Shudder? How long can you listen to that noise? For people with Misophonia the response is similar. Hearing trigger noises causes the body to tense up. It can make the person feel angry, hostile, stressed, anxious, panicky and trapped. It can also cause the person to feel the impulse to be violent or to self injure. 

What are Misophonia triggers? - The triggers range for every individual but here are some common ones:

Please be mindful that many of these noises can trigger strong unpleasant emotional responses from the people around you and that those with Misophonia, who “snap” at you for making these sounds, do not mean to be rude and harsh, it is a reaction they cannot control. If there is anyway to keep these sounds to a minimum, all of those with Misophonia will be very appreciative! 

Please share to spread the word. Thank you!

Watch: “Is this the president we want for our daughters?”

List of anime series/movies with unique art styles.

For my friends on tumblr, in case you guys want something to watch, here’s a quick list of anime series/movies with unusual/unique art styles that you may or may not know.

Kaiba

With an artstyle reminiscent of the original Astro Boy, Kaiba has a very simplistic (yet stylized) and fluid style of animation and art. The story revolves around the titular character, who wakes up with a hole in his chest with no idea of who he is. I enjoyed this a lot for the art, music and characters, who all have realistic motivations and ideals, as well as the themes handled in it; such as what defines “being human” when bodies and memories are as disposable as plastic. Genre: Sci-Fi, Psychological Drama

Redline

In terms of sheer action and excitement I got from watching a movie, I’ve got to say that Redline is one of the best ever in those departments. With a highly stylized comic-book-esque art style with a high influence from Western comics like Dick Tracy (with the emphasis on black shadows on solid colours and thick black outlines), this show is extremely fluidly animated, the movie is said to consist of 120 000 hand-drawn frames, taking seven years to complete. The movie follows the story of racer JP (aka “Sweet” JP, because of his refusal to use weaponry while racing) trying to win (and survive) the titular Redline, a race consisting of multiple racers from multiple different galaxies and planets. Genre: Racing, Sci-Fi, Action

Mononoke

Every frame of this anime could be screencapped and slapped onto someone’s dashboard for their aesthetic. That is how distinct the art style and character design of this show is. The show uses a form of “plaid animation”, where something will be animated over a still color or object as it moves, creating most of the time a jarring effect that is usually the sign of a lazy animator, however in Mononoke, the show utilizes the art to create a sense of a surreal, dream-like environment, intentionally focusing on the jarring effect. The art and design of the environment is also extremely ornate and beautiful. The show focuses on the story of the unknown Medicine Seller and his travels through Japan (in an unknown time period), killing spirits and creatures known as Mononoke. However, he cannot do so until he learns their Form, Truth and Reasoning/Regret, which leads to some very interesting lessons at the end of each story. Genre: Mystery, Horror

Dead Leaves

Another comic-influenced movie, and just barely under an hour too; Dead Leaves is an extremely fun, hyper-action-packed movie with amazing character design (almost EVERY good character in this movie has a unique design, barring the civilains and generic bad guy cannon fodder), driven by slapstick, humor (usually of the sexual kind) and more pop culture references than you can digest within the time span they’re thrown at you. The story focuses on criminals Retro and Pandy; Retro having a TV instead of a head, and Pandy having a panda-like marking on her eye, who, shortly after waking up on the moon and causing havoc on a nearby planet, are imprisoned in a super-jail. Genre: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Kuuchuu Buranko / Welcome to Irabu’s Office

Combining rotoscoped 3D, 2D animation and live action elements, Kuuchuu Buranko is an extremely surreal look into the world of psychiatry. The art and designs were created by the lead artist of Mononoke, Kenji Nakamura. But whereas Mononoke had some subtlety/ to its art, this show is bright, colourful and neon as all hell. The show focuses on Dr. Ichiro Irabu and how he helps his patients with their problems, who are all connected in some way or the other. Genre: Comedy, Psychological Drama

The Tatami Galaxy

With a bright visual style that also manages to be subtle at the same time, The Tatami Galaxy also utilizes not just its art as a device for story telling, but the form of the show itself to convey its messages. I can’t spoil too much about the show, but I can give you this: if you enjoy the first episode, please watch it to completion, as this show basically requires the viewer to watch the show in its entirety. The story focuses on an unnamed protagonist, commonly referred to as Watashi by the show’s fans, who tries to attain the “rose-tinted” college life style he has desired for his whole life, as well as all the challenges he faces on the way. With fast-paced dialogue, a lot of humor, interesting character and background designs, as well as the various forms of “characterization”, and also the themes tackled by this show, I’d say it’s one of my favorite shows of all time. Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Drama, Psychological, Sci-Fi

I plan to add more to this list once I get around to them.

Mind Game

Mind Game. Directed by Masaaki Yuasa (also the director behind The Tatami Galaxy, Kaiba and Ping-Pong). I don’t think words can do this movie justice, but I’ll try. Imagine a combination of 3D-morphing-into-2D, sketches, animated photo images of (presumably) the voice actor’s for talking, extremely smooth and fluid movement, plus an insane amount of exaggeration,all coupled with a huge range of bright and dark colours and you’ve got Mind Game’s animation style down somewhat. Go look up more GIFs, they’ll help you understand the range of styles this surreal (and extremely fun) movie goes through. The plot follows Nishi, a down-on-his-luck, 20-years-old manga writer, running into his childhood crush Myon. He discovers she’s getting married soon while they’re talking inside her father’s restaurant. After that (plus another key event), the craziness in the movie begins; Nishi having a new-found desire to live life. Genre: Comedy, Surrealism, 

Tekkonkinkreet

Tekkonkinkreet, although similar in appearance to some Masaaki Yuasa works, was not made by the man himself (although, it was made by the company, Studio 4°C, that helped produce Mind Game). This movie has incredibly detailed backgrounds, similar to a Studio Ghibli film, with amazing usage of lighting, camera shots and motion blur as well as a wide variety of colours and shades. The story follows Black and White, two street orphans who call themselves “The Cats”, trying to keep control of their town from dangerous enemies. Although vastly different in personalities, they support each other emotionally, mentally and physically very well. Genre: Action, Drama, Adventure

The Diary of Tortov Riddle

The Diary of Tortov Roddle, although very short (6 episodes all leading up to 14 minutes! Watch it here! It has three special episodes that are part of the DVD though), is an interesting adventure of a surreal world that seems almost like a moving/animated picture rather than a movie or series. It follows the journey of Tortov Roddle and his pig-steed throughout this world, with just his calm thoughts and experiences. There’s no dialogue in this series but it doesn’t really require any dialogue at all, the only dialogue being Tortov’s journal entries at the beginning and end of each episode. The music, lack of dialogue and artall contribute to a very interesting, mysterious atmosphere. Genre: Fantasy, Surrealism, Adventure

Mononoke and Dead Leaves are SO good. I’ll have to check out the other titles on here.

Where my Spoonies at?

My curiosity is getting the better of me.  If you are a Spoonie, please reblog with your location in the tags (city, state or your countries equivalent).

Maybe you’ll find a local Spoonie to befriend?  Maybe I’ll just sate my curiosity.

Admin J & Admin E

Right now I'm visiting near Covington Georgia... But I'm typically in Monticello/Mansfield area.

Where I'm staying depends on which Drs i'm mainly going to be seeing for a while.

Shit Abled People Say #209

“I don’t want you to be too dependent on your wheelchair. You’re too young to have to rely on one!”

-said by my mother after I returned from a trip that required me to use my chair full time. Sigh.

Something like this was said to me by my various doctors. They criticized my using a cane, then crutches, then walker & got very angry when I mentioned needing a wheelchair. They seem to get angry with me as my health fails to improve, & instead worsens. I'm not doing it on purpose. I hate hurting so much. Sometimes the pain is so bad I can only think of ending my life... Why do the doctors think this is just a bunch of bs to waste their time!? What about my QUALITY OF LIFE!? Why is it less important than their time?! These devices help improve my quality of life. I'd rather use them than try to assimilate into Abled Culture.

And now I'm exhausted and need a nap...

PokeGo Spoonies

I don’t have the game but I have an idea for those who do, though I don’t know if it would work so someone tell me if it does or doesn’t.

Apparently you have to walk around to hatch the eggs. Obviously, some folks can’t do that. But if you have a dog, try having them walk the eggs for you. Use dog backpack, put a pocket on a sweater, or find another way for your dog to carry your phone.

What could Pokémon Go have done better with respect to accessibility?

We all know that Pokémon Go is a total mixed bag when it comes to accessibility for players with disabilities. I’ve also already written about why Pokémon Go is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems with disability accessibility in video games. (If you haven’t read that, please do. Quite frankly, I think it’s way more important than this post.)

At this point, I’ve also read enough on the issue to know that Niantic made a lot of anti-community decisions with respect to the game. And that poor behavior has certainly spilled over into the realm of accessibility. While I will mention said behavior when it’s applicable, what I’m really interested in exploring is how games like Pokémon Go could do better with respect to accessibility. In other words, how can industry do better moving forwards?

Keep reading

My little sister only has like 48% lung capacity amongst other issues which means she struggles to walk very far because she easily gets so tired and out of breath. Rather than use a wheelchair to aid her day to day she came up with an alternative mobility aid: A push along scooter. She scoots about town, has the dog run along side it for her walks and she can get so much further than if she were to walk. It can fold up and is pretty light weight. She’ll take it in shops with her and it has a strap to carry it if need be. It even has a hook for shopping bags on it. Some people still give her odd looks when she parks in the disabled bays (with the appropriate disabled parking badge) and gets out a scooter but she scoots away without a care in the world.  I thought it was a pretty cool mobility aid :) 

It is cool!

Shit Abled People Say #230

“Quit being lazy. Everybody has hard things in life. You’re just using this as an excuse.”