Fearmongering

Alberta’s new policies are not only anti-trans, they are anti-evidence

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 5, 2024
Policy, JAMA, Parent, Knowledge, Curriculum, Family, Suicidal ideation, Legislation, Research, Fear, Government, Egale Canada, Child, Patient, Athlete, American Medical Association, Fearmongering, Human, School, Scientific American, United Conservative Party, Facial muscles, Name, Mental health, Testosterone, Ethics, HRT, Journal, Smith, Risk, Education, Violence, Sport, Health, Suicide, Puberty, Muscle memory, Woman

Like other experts, we worried these policies would mimic the parental rights legislation recently introduced in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.

Key Points: 
  • Like other experts, we worried these policies would mimic the parental rights legislation recently introduced in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.
  • Smith has unveiled a suite of policies that directly attack trans and gender-diverse children and youth in Alberta.
  • As we explain below, these policies are at odds with research about gender-affirming care, curriculum and sports.

Evidence on trans-affirming care

  • Like all medicines, side effects are a risk but researchers caution against fear-mongering in response to gender-affirming care.
  • The evidence about trans-affirming health care for youth is clear — it saves lives.
  • Rather than restrict life-saving medical care, experts in fertility medicine call for increased accessibility for trans people to fertility services.

Sex education evidence

  • Classroom instruction on gender, sexuality and sexual orientation also now requires parental notification and opt-in.
  • Finally, third-party resource materials on gender, sexuality and sexual orientation in schools need to be pre-approved by the ministry to make sure they’re “age-appropriate.” Education experts agree that what is needed to protect youth — including cisgender and heterosexual kids — from potential abuse is robust and consent-based sexual health education.
  • Youth have the right to knowledge and skills about their bodies, consent, safe/unsafe touch and healthy relationships.

Risk of parental, peer rejection

  • This process essentially requires schools to “out” youth to their parents, who may reject their children.
  • Smith incorrectly suggests that parental rejection of 2SLGBTQIA+ kids is rare.
  • For those who experience family rejection, the rates of suicide are incredibly high.

Trans athletes evidence

  • Smith’s policy will also ban trans girls and women athletes from participating in competitive women’s sports.
  • Some scientists maintain that trans women and girls have no “biological advantage” over cisgender girls and women.
  • A book on the topic that reviewed evidence on testosterone determined there is no direct relation between the hormone and athletic performance.

What’s the truth?

  • In contrast, trans youth who are affirmed in schools, health care and in sports have better self-confidence and relationships with their parents.
  • Smith has incorrectly warned there are risks associated with affirmation and inclusion in schools for trans kids.
  • It includes more information on clinical guidelines for the prescription of puberty blockers for the purposes of gender-affirming care.


Corinne L. Mason receives funding from SSHRC. Leah Hamilton receives funding from SSHRC.

Flat Footed LLC Issues Open Letter to Fellow Shareholders to Expose the Distortions and Misrepresentations in Diversified Healthcare Trust’s Recent Investor Presentation

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Professional Services, Finance, Acceleration, Net, TravelCenters of America, Housing, Chairperson, SHOP, GOLD, Government, RMR, Public expenditure, Fearmongering, Bank of America, EBITDA, DHC, Special, OPI, Ventas, Growth, Bank, Letter, FFL, Security (finance), Pharmaceutical industry, Auction, Holding company, Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, Real estate, Management, Commercial property, Cryptocurrency, Drug, Trustee

As you may know, FFL issued a comprehensive presentation earlier this month that focuses on three key points:

Key Points: 
  • As you may know, FFL issued a comprehensive presentation earlier this month that focuses on three key points:
    The proposed merger materially undervalues DHC.
  • FFL’s presentation shows how RMR, which has drawn more than $300 million in non-performance related fees from DHC and OPI in recent years, is completely conflicted.
  • RMR’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Adam Portnoy, is also the Chairman of both DHC and OPI.
  • As you assess these important points, we also ask that you consider the numerous distortions and misrepresentations made in DHC’s recently released investor presentation.

Journalists reporting on the Voice to Parliament do voters a disservice with 'he said, she said' approach

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
People, Panic, Executive, Democracy, Habit, Atmosphere, Public opinion, Indigenous Voice to Parliament, Liberal Party, Politics, Opposition, Aborigine, Sky News, Nonsense, The Canberra Times, Harvard University, Mabo, Human voice, Wind, Thought, Parliament, Documentation, Social media, Population, Fearmongering, ABC, Parliament of Australia, YouGov, Commonwealth Parliament, Radio, How Democracies Die, Brexit, Commonwealth, Liberal, News, Constitution, Film industry, Management, Financial adviser, Mobile phone, Whaling

Australia has not escaped, although the consequences here have been nothing as compared with Brexit or the insurrection in Washington on January 6, 2021.

Key Points: 
  • Australia has not escaped, although the consequences here have been nothing as compared with Brexit or the insurrection in Washington on January 6, 2021.
  • Social media has been the primary agent of this democratic dysfunction, but parts of the professional mass media have also contributed.
  • The Voice referendum, with its impassioned arguments on both sides, presents the Australian media with an opportunity to show their capacity for truth-telling and impartiality.
  • The result is that absurd or far-fetched propositions go unchallenged other than by an opposing political voice.
  • The starkest examples come from stories about the scope and power of the proposed Voice.
  • An example was a front-page story in The Australian, amplified by Sky News, in which Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the Voice could offer advice on interest rates.
  • Attempts like this to panic the population have their parallels in the scaremongering over native title 30 years ago.
  • Read more:
    What happens if the government goes against the advice of the Voice to Parliament?
  • A third argument is that the Voice is a mechanism to enshrine racial difference as a feature of the Constitution.

Heartland Institute Ships Climate at a Glance Book to Thousands of Teachers Across America

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Island, Sea, Fire, Climate change, Soil pH, International Conference on Climate Change, Research, Human, Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change, News, IPCC, Flood, Carbon, Politics, NASA, Student, Environmental policy, Conference, United Nations, Fearmongering, Communication, Economist, Science, Publication, Climate, Environment, Heartland Institute, Policy, NOAA, Ice, GDP, Extreme weather, School, Interview, Pacific typhoon season, Arthur, Literature, The Heights, Teacher, Government, Record, Atmosphere, Laboratory, Polar bear, Season, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Tutoring, Book, Management, Agriculture, Limestone, Coral Reefs, Animal

The book was edited by H. Sterling Burnett , director of The Heartland Institute’s Arthur B. Robinson Center for Climate and Environmental Policy and managing editor of Environment & Climate News .

Key Points: 
  • The book was edited by H. Sterling Burnett , director of The Heartland Institute’s Arthur B. Robinson Center for Climate and Environmental Policy and managing editor of Environment & Climate News .
  • All three climate experts will be presenting at The Heartland Institute’s 15th International Conference on Climate Change in Orlando, Florida, Feb 23-25.
  • “Teachers and students need a concise, scientifically compelling summary of the most frequently discussed climate change topics,” said Heartland Institute President James Taylor.
  • “Providing teachers with a concise, easily accessible, fact filled book about key climate topics – eschewing all rancor, ad hominem, and politics.

Madison Horn Responds to the Endorsement Given by Former President Trump to James Lankford

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 29, 2022
United States Senate, Senate, Fearmongering, Trump, Safety, Politics, Cherokee Nation, GLOBE, Solution, Dan Sullivan (U.S. senator), Government, Hunting, Drug, Lankford

OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Horn , U.S. Senate nominee and cybersecurity expert from the state of Oklahoma, is running against James Lankford for the U.S. Senate.

Key Points: 
  • OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Horn , U.S. Senate nominee and cybersecurity expert from the state of Oklahoma, is running against James Lankford for the U.S. Senate.
  • On Tuesday, Sept. 27, former President Donald J. Trump released his endorsement of Lankford.
  • "To anyone paying attention, the former President endorsing Senator Lankford should come as absolutely no surprise.
  • "This endorsement is something Lankford has been working towards for the past 18 months, ever since he fell out of Trump's good graces.

CLC: Conservatives Refuse to Talk Lagging Wages Instead Push Low-Wage Austerity Agenda

Retrieved on: 
Monday, May 16, 2022
CLC, Bank, Government, Conservatism, Conservative Party, Bruske, Political lists, Fearmongering, Eating, Bank of Canada, GLOBE, Renewable energy, Cryptocurrency

Workers are worried about how the rising costs of groceries, gas and family essentials are eating into their paycheques more and more each month.

Key Points: 
  • Workers are worried about how the rising costs of groceries, gas and family essentials are eating into their paycheques more and more each month.
  • Conservatives love to talk about inflation yet are silent on how corporate greed is fuelling skyrocketing prices or how workers wages are falling behind, said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress(CLC).
  • All we hear from these leadership candidates is the same low-wage austerity playbook we have seen for decades from Conservatives and their Bay St. buddies.
  • Fair wages, good jobs and investing in our infrastructure and supply chains are all vital parts of the solution.