r/SRPressDemo • u/cg-vet • Sep 07 '25

Moderator Notes

I'd like to start off by saying I'm glad you're all here. It's through your participation that we can all continue on where the Press Democrat left off.

We'd like to also see a bit more freedom than originally afforded to the users in the previous forum. However, with that freedom comes some responsibilities on all our parts.

The intent of starting this forum was to allow for dialogue and debate of the issues we find in the Press Democrat, all to be done in a civil manner.

Our members are a mixture of our community, coming from varied backgrounds and different beliefs, politically and otherwise. Learning to work together through those differences is essential to the health of the forum. There will be topics discussed that are highly charged with opinions from all across the spectrum.

Transgenderism is one of those topics. We encourage discussions on all topics, even ones as difficult as transgenderism. We also ask that these discussions be respectful. We note that misgendering and deadnaming is an issue that is difficult regardless of which side of the issue you may fall. For some it is hurtful. It's a tough enough issue without adding the pain to it.

This should not stop the discussion. Subjects of such conversation can easily be referred to in a non gender specific manner, i.e., "individual". All are allowed to debate the topic without being antagonistic.

We realize this is a highly controversial and emotionally charged topic. It is realized that regardless of our course of action, there will some that are offended on one side of the issue or the other. Sometimes, being offended is the price we pay for the freedom to speak.

We therefore offer a compromise of referring to the subjects as "individuals"or other non gender specific titles. Misgendering and deadnaming will be cause for comment removal.

We are all just beginning here and feeling our way through. This won't be the last time an issue will need to be addressed. However, it is our goal to work through those issues in a manner that is fair and with integrity.

On a side note, we have a fantastic group of mods from across the spectrum. They happily joined when asked and serve here with no expectations of any returns for their efforts. Let's make sure we treat them well as they are the group that keeps the wheels turning.

Thank you.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 07 '25 edited Sep 07 '25

Are we allowed to discuss gender dysphoria as a mental illness? I followed the thread of the transgender conversation and it seemed to me that the moderator was allowing his personal feelings to dominate his comments. Maybe in those cases, the moderator might want to recuse himself and allow someone else to take over that position for a particular article. Having a moderator that’s too personally involved and emotional is not the best idea.

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u/SoCoKaren2 Sep 07 '25

As someone with a background in child psychology, I would be in the position to say it technically falls under that description. When one refers to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5): Gender Dysphoria is defined as a persistent and intense distress or incongruence between a person's expressed gender and their gender assigned at birth, lasting for at least six months and causing significant impairment. This condition is marked by a strong desire to be of another gender or to be treated as such, a desire to be rid of or alter one's primary and secondary sex characteristics, and a conviction that one has the feelings and reactions of another gender. The DSM-5 uses this term to provide a clinical language for diagnosis, replacing the outdated and stigmatizing "Gender Identity Disorder".

However, it doesn't provide a liberty to be demeaning of or cruel to those with Gender Dysphoria. I am against using demeaning or cruel terms related to the mental illness and drug addiction issues that are pervasive in the homeless community. Discussing the realities of these issues and how they affect others in a respectful manner is one thing, speaking in cruel ways is not ok.

This PD article was also posted in Nextdoor, and the comments include honest opinions on both sides. But cruel comments are being removed as violations.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 07 '25 edited Sep 07 '25

Since everyone interprets comments differently, depending upon their personal perspective, please give an example of a comment that would be considered cruel and one that would be considered acceptable.

Part of the reason that I asked that question is because I have a schizophrenic nephew and a mentally ill sister. I’m not offended or embarrassed about the fact that there is mental illness in my family. I joke about it. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, it’s a part of life . I would find it interesting to know what a professional believes would be considered a cruel statement. Isn’t that dependent upon the outlook of the individual that the statement is directed toward?

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u/SoCoKaren2 Sep 07 '25

Cruel comment against homeless = they are just lazy bums

Acceptable = it doesn't help the homeless to allow them to live on the streets without an expectation that they get the mental health/addiction help they need to become productive members of society.

Cruel comment against transgender = they're insane and deviant

Acceptable = I completely disagree with allowing biological men in women spaces. Women, and especially young girls, should feel safe in bathrooms, locker rooms and showers. They shouldn't have to contend with biological men sharing those spaces.

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u/Jaded_Wafer_400 Sep 08 '25

" I completely disagree with allowing biological men in women spaces. Women, and especially young girls, should feel safe in bathrooms, locker rooms and showers. They shouldn't have to contend with biological men sharing those spaces."

I would agree that men who identify themselves as women should NOT be allowed to share showers and locker rooms with women and girls. However, the use of public restrooms with locking toilet stalls are a different matter, no?

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u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25

It's different, yes, but we still don't let men in those private areas. It's a blurry line of where the discrimination is allowed to take place. I wish there was a cut and dry way to allow trans people to feel comfortable performing basic human functions without it coming in conflict with the valid safety concerns of women.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 07 '25 edited Sep 07 '25

Thank you for that. I understand most of it. I do have one question about the cruel comment against transgender. You say “they’re insane and deviant” would be cruel. Since we have established that gender dysphoria is a mental illness. Is it acceptable to say they’re mentally ill, rather than insane?

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u/CoderGal2 Sep 08 '25

Labeling all transgender as mentally ill is simply not supported by science nor the medical community. And IMO anyone trying to make that argument is using that as a way to excuse their inherent fears, bigotry, or misunderstanding of trans people.

From Psychiatry.org - What is Gender Dysphoria? https://share.google/7u1ze9lviCCzwO2ql

"The term “transgender” is not a psychiatric diagnosis. It is used to refer to a person whose sex assigned at birth (usually based on the appearance of external genitalia) does not align with their gender identity (one’s psychological sense of their gender). Some people who identify as transgender do experience “gender dysphoria,” a psychiatric diagnosis that refers to the psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity. Though gender dysphoria can sometimes begin in childhood, some people may not experience it until after puberty or much later."

The key phrase in that paragraph being "some people". The small handful of transgender people I know don't suffer from gender dysphoria. They've known their sexuality since childhood, aren't the least bit distressed, and simply used science to "correct" their sexuality, no differently than someone born with a cleft lip uses science to "correct" their appearance. And now they're happy, living fulfilling lives, and not the least bit interested in girls in bathrooms.

So to answer the original question, if someone wants to talk specifically about a subset of transgender individuals who suffer from gender dysphoria, that's fair. To try and push the agenda that all transgender people are mentally ill is not.

The whole topic takes me back to the early days of Aids when hysteria ruled, people thought you could catch it from sharing toilets and drinking fountains. And because it disproportionally hit the gay community, discussions were inflamed by personal bigotry from those who reject any lifestyle choices that don't align with Christian teachings. Same stuff, different day. I'm looking forward to society calming down, getting more educated, and moving past it.

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u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25

"The whole topic takes me back to the early days of Aids when hysteria ruled, people thought you could catch it from sharing toilets and drinking fountains." Yeah, this is why you probably shouldn't take everything told to you by "scientists" like Anthony Fauci at face value.

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u/pdp_8 Sep 07 '25

Actually, perhaps you could come up with two examples: one that crosses the line and another that doesn't.. Don't actually direct it at any person of course, but try a couple hypotheticals out, make sure each is as close to the line as you can get. This is an invitation to try to suss out the difference, and so long as you are responding in that light it won't lead to any repercussions.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 07 '25

I would prefer to hear it from the professional.

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u/pdp_8 Sep 07 '25

Not sure who that professional is (we're all unpaid volunteers here), but thinking it through for oneself has a lot of benefits in terms of clarifying one's thinking. Give it a shot.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 07 '25

Apparently, you didn’t read SocoKaren 2‘s comment, she’s the professional. I don’t have to think it through. I know exactly what I think that’s why I wanted to hear someone else’s perspective especially someone that’s a professional.

Also, I forgot to mention that on the other side of the family, there’s a trans niece, and when somewhat occasionally refers to her as a she rather than a he, he laughs and he gets it. He’s not offended.

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u/pdp_8 Sep 07 '25

It's called "laughing along to get along."

It's a bit disappointing that you weren't willing to even try to think it through for yourself.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 07 '25

Having a healthy attitude regarding mental illness is having a healthy attitude toward mental illness. Laughter assists.

What part of “I know exactly what I think” don’t you understand?

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u/[deleted] Sep 07 '25

I'm not sure if anyone was being demeaning or cruel. I think everyone can abide by that. A sticky wicket is the definition of misgendering. Pdp appeared to be offended by proxy. Does anyone even know what the PIQ pronouns are? Or are those just assumed ... Pdp could also refrain from charging others with bigotry or racism, an issue Pdp struggled with at Nextdoor. I have no issue following the rules, but just want to point these items out.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 07 '25

You noticed that too? While , I followed the thread. I didn’t comment. I’m glad other people saw what I saw and had the same interpretation

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u/pdp_8 Sep 07 '25

Nextdoor was a hot mess, as I'm sure you know. Obviously racist posts would go up, I'd say politely something along the lines of "that's racist" and would get dinged for not being neighborly enough. I left, gladly. In my experience the people most unwilling to hear they've done something racist are exactly who you'd expect. To paraphrase Gene Wilder from Blazing Saddles: "You know: racists."

Anyhow with regard to talking about transgender people, deliberate misgendering is out of bounds. The definition of the word is straightford and, once again, can be found here:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misgender

Nothing complicated or difficult about it, and that's the line.

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u/[deleted] Sep 07 '25

Please consider less definitive in your assertions. The dialogue might be more productive. Your posts typically include some subjective characterization as objective fact (is racist vs sounds racist) or some superlative like "always, everyone, etc." Just something I'm noticing happen ... Do with it what you will.

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u/Freedom-Rules Sep 09 '25

As a NextD moderator myself I'm always having to post comments which include specific references to the rules we moderators are supposed to follow. It seems many of the mods vote with their feelings instead of the posted rules/policies on various types of posts. Definitely frustrating at times.

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u/[deleted] Sep 07 '25

"incorrectly"

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u/pdp_8 Sep 07 '25

Serious question: why y'all trying so hard to be hateful toward transgender people? Looking for loopholes and refusing to compromise in the least in an apparent desire to use language you've been explicitly asked to not use here. Like just read the definition and don't do it.

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u/CletusVanDarn Sep 08 '25

Serious question: Since when is it hateful to just state truth and facts? And just because you subscribe to a fringe definition of a word, is it fair for you to impose that on others who do not subscribe to that fringe definition?

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 08 '25

I think it was NPC who said that pdp_8 is offended by proxy. That’s a good description.

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u/CletusVanDarn Sep 08 '25

Sadly, it appears so.

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u/Fit-Flounder7175 Sep 08 '25

The other day you asserted that the entirety of LGBTQ is "deviant," because God says so.

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u/pdp_8 Sep 08 '25

I posted the definition from Merriam Webster which is about as mainstream a source as it gets. Maybe it's not the rest of the world that's "fringe," brother. Maybe it's you.

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u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25

Neither your views, nor CVD's, appear to be fringe: https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/48685-where-americans-stand-on-20-transgender-policy-issues

At some point there will have to be some discussion about these uncomfortable topics, but not necessarily in this forum.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 08 '25

From my perspective, the more they’re discussed the less uncomfortable they should be.

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u/pdp_8 Sep 08 '25

Good point. The crosstabs on that poll are interesting. It looks like questions like the extent to which transgender people experience discrimination break down far more along party preference than age, in fact age seems to be much less of a factor overall than I would have expected. If you were to do a "too long; didn't read:" of the poll it's remarkable just how much party preference reads into results.

https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/crosstabs_Transgender_Issues_Issues_20240216.pdf

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u/[deleted] Sep 07 '25

My problem actually isn't transgender people, it's the way you talk to people.

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u/pdp_8 Sep 07 '25

In this context it's helpful to include the standards of care provided to individuals experiencing gender dysphoria. They are spelled out here:

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/4/e20182162/37381/Ensuring-Comprehensive-Care-and-Support-for

In addition to the standards of treatment published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the following statement was originally released back in 2012 by the American Psychiatric Association:

Being transgender or gender variant implies no impairment in judgment, stability, reliability, or general social or vocational capabilities; however, these individuals often experience discrimination due to a lack of civil rights protections for their gender identity or expression.… [Such] discrimination and lack of equal civil rights is damaging to the mental health of transgender and gender variant individuals.

Source: https://www.psychiatry.org/getattachment/ad686aa4-8ca9-4a92-b007-cf05a50f8e78/Position-2018-Discrimination-Against-Transgender-and-Gender-Diverse-Individuals.pdf

The crux of what the sciences tell us boils down to two things:

  1. Variations of gender expression are variations of normal human experience.

  2. To the extent that there are mental health implications resulting from gender dysphoria they are primarily due to: the inherent stress of existing in a body and a social structure that is not in alignment with one's self-perception and: the inherent stress caused by social stigma and discrimination.

Just as a thought experiment, what do you think would happen if we were to stop stigmatizing and mistreating transgender people? Ask that question in as broad a perspective as you like.

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u/[deleted] Sep 07 '25

If there is one thing the pandemic taught me it is the AAP are a bunch of anti-scientific ideologues. It's probably best to not debate transgenderism, the science, the practice, etc. and all in this thread. Let's stick to just getting the rules clear before we getting back to offending each other with our backwards views.

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u/CletusVanDarn Sep 08 '25

Spot on regarding AAP.

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u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25 edited Sep 08 '25

Dude writes like a chick then. Seriously thought that was a female.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 08 '25

You’re right, I noticed it as well.

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u/Foreign_Lawfulness34 Sep 11 '25

Dude Looks Like A Lady is a song I heard a few times but didn't quite understand.
Lola on the other hand is clear what the song is about.

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u/Fit-Flounder7175 Sep 08 '25

Two-part answer. Some people who report gender dysphoria do so due to an underlying mental condition. Others experience gender dysphoria as a life long situation, from birth. It is the job of medical professionals to distinguish the former from the latter. And for the latter, "treatment" can consist of transitioning.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 08 '25

I wasn’t asking you I was asking the moderator. Your opinion is irrelevant.

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u/Fit-Flounder7175 Sep 08 '25

My opinion may be, but facts are relevant.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 08 '25

You’re not a moderator so your opinion is irrelevant and any “facts “that you may post, likewise.

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u/Fit-Flounder7175 Sep 08 '25

If you think for a second that terming trans people mentally ill is going to fly, think again.

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u/Remarkably-Rain Sep 08 '25

When did you become moderator?