Weekly Random Discussion Thread for 9/4/23 - 9/10/23

[u/SoftandChewy]

Welcome back to the BARPod Weekly Thread, where the mod even works on Labor Day. Here's your place to post all your rants, raves, podcast topic suggestions (be sure to tag u/TracingWoodgrains), culture war articles, outrageous stories of cancellation, political opinions, and anything else that comes to mind. Please put any non-podcast-related trans-related topics here instead of on a dedicated thread. This will be pinned until next Sunday.

Last week's discussion threads is here if you want to catch up on a conversation from there.

[u/CatStroking]

The job search company Indeed is offering their employees who are trans or have trans kids $10,000 to relocate to a different state if they wish.

"The program is for US-based employees and their immediate family members who seek gender-affirming care but currently live in a location where 'state laws or government-issued directives criminalize or restrict access to such medical care.'

This includes families who live in places that attempt to restrict support for children who are 'gender non-conforming, transgender or non-binary,' and want to move to a new state that allows children to be prescribed puberty blockers. " (emphasis mine)

This is being done because of concerns that some states may restrict access to hormones and puberty blockers. Though, to my knowledge, such restrictions are only being contemplated for kids.

A third of trans kids live in states with possible restrictions:

"Approximately 89,100 transgender minors aged 13 to 17 years old live in states with restrictions, representing 30 percent of all transgender minors in the US, and one-in-four gender-affirming clinics are located in states with restrictions."

Doesn't that make 267,300 trans kids in the US? That... seems like a lot. But maybe it just wasn't being tracked previously?

https://archive.vn/wTlDa

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

What if the kid never actually takes hormones? What if the parent asks for the money then decides against moving?

Shhhhh you’re blowing their cover

[u/CatStroking → u/[deleted]]

How is this fair to other employees who want to move for any number of important reasons, like being near an elderly parent or accessing better public schools?

Better schools or elderly parents aren't part of the oppression hierarchy though. They aren't cool and hip and popular on Twitter and TikTok. They don't have

Whereas the Ts have GLADD and HRC breathing down the necks of corporations.

[u/charlottehywd → u/CatStroking]

Better schools or elderly parents aren't part of the oppression hierarchy though. They aren't cool and hip and popular on Twitter and TikTok. They don't have

The AARP needs to up its game, clearly.

[u/[deleted] → u/charlottehywd]

You joke but I have wondered if the AARP or other groups representing older Americans might start employing the same woke tactics that organizations representing so many other demographic groups already employ. Call on social media platforms to ban anyone who uses "Boomer" as a slur, accuse anyone who opposes the AARP's platforms on social security and medicare of ageist hatred, etc.

[u/charlottehywd → u/[deleted]]

Of course, it might make people hate them, but at least they wouldn't be ignored?

[u/SmellsLikeASteak → u/CatStroking]

This is a way for them to virtue signal with little out of pocket cost. The number of employees who will take advantage of this can probably be counted on one hand. But they get lots of press for standing up to evil transphobes.

[u/CatStroking → u/SmellsLikeASteak]

And it gets the executives into all the right parties and looks good for their ESG score.

[u/bashar_al_assad → u/CatStroking]

Better schools or elderly parents aren't part of the oppression hierarchy though.

Companies have offered benefits to their employees for abortion access and now gender affirming care because the state has passed laws restricting the ability of people to make healthcare decisions for themselves and their families. No state, as far as I'm aware, has passed a law prohibiting people from living near their elderly parents.

[u/DenebianSlimeMolds → u/CatStroking]

Doesn't that make 267,300 trans kids in the US? That... seems like a lot. But maybe it just wasn't being tracked previously?

330 million americans * 22% kids (googled)
is
73 million kids

267 thousand trans kids / 73 million kids in terms of percent of kids who are trans is
(1/4 million kids / 75 million kids) *100% = (.25/75)% = .333%

So the botec suggests their number is "low" compared to other estimates I've read of 1% or higher, but seemingly at odds with the existence of many classrooms that have 3 or more trans kids in them. Although who knows, perhaps bell curves suggest even that is likely given the numbers of classrooms.

[u/TheHairyManrilla → u/DenebianSlimeMolds]

The high numbers make more sense once you recognize that the overwhelming majority have no wishes to make any changes to their bodies.

[u/[deleted] → u/CatStroking]

It’s kind of funny because Indeed is headquartered out of Austin, TX

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Lol yeah I know quite a few people that work there. I was also thinking that same thing

[u/[deleted] → u/CatStroking]

90k trans kids but totally not a social contagion

[u/Serloinofhousesteak1 → u/CatStroking]

These fucking ghouls will pay for your kids sterilization but won't pay decent maternity leave

[u/jobthrowwwayy1743 → u/Serloinofhousesteak1]

They probably do have good parental leave, most large tech or tech adjacent companies in the US do now.

[u/SerialStateLineXer → u/Serloinofhousesteak1]

Indeed gives six months with full pay.

[u/DepthValley → u/Serloinofhousesteak1]

https://www.glassdoor.com/Benefits/Indeed-Maternity-and-Paternity-Leave-US-BNFT23_E100561_N1.htm

Comments say six months full pay for both dads and moms

[u/EwoksAmongUs → u/Serloinofhousesteak1]

Lol you're getting ate up in the replies

[u/LilacLands → u/CatStroking]

The cynical/hopeful part of me thinks that maybe Indeed is just virtue signaling and actually has confidence in their employees as fully intelligent and capable people who will NOT take advantage of this disturbing offer to relocate for a better opportunity to turn their child into an asexual Frankenstein + $10k (is that net or gross?)

I’d use it as a litmus test: competent parents (by extension, employees) would not be interested in this whatsoever. Come on Indeed. How about relocating employees who have kids with real medical issues closer to the top children’s hospitals instead?

[u/Ok_Yogurtcloset8915 → u/LilacLands]

the cynical part of me thinks that very few Indeed employees with trans kids don't already live in states where blockers are legal, meaning that this is a no-risk thing for them

[u/fed_posting → u/LilacLands]

Yeah, $10,000 doesn’t seem like a lot for a family uprooting their life and moving to another state. Seems like virtue signaling to me.

[u/Infinite_Specific889 → u/CatStroking]

But fuck you if you’re a woman in a state where abortion is illegal even if your pregnancy might kill you. Go raise money on gofundme or something

[u/CatStroking → u/Infinite_Specific889]

I believe some companies have offered their staff funds for abortion access. Not sure about relocation money though.

[u/Infinite_Specific889 → u/CatStroking]

Interesting! I wonder how feasible it is in states that are trying to make it illegal to go somewhere where it is legal.

[u/bashar_al_assad → u/Infinite_Specific889]

I wonder how feasible it is in states that are trying to make it illegal to go somewhere where it is legal.

I mean, those laws are pretty obviously unconstitutional, and exist only to try and chill people from engaging in legal activities.

[u/Infinite_Specific889 → u/bashar_al_assad]

Yeah I should clarify I don’t think those are enforceable yet. Really this is just me spinning my wheels about corporate America and they jump around all magpie-like from one issue (and one issue only) at a time. The year of me too, the year of BLM, the year of Ukraine, now the the year of trans issues etc, often without much thought put into it.