Hello everyone! Just wanted to let you in on a bit of awesome news. Today marks the launch of a brand new sister-site within the Skepchick network. It’s called Queereka, and is dedicated to the intersection of skepticism and LGBTQ topics. We will promote the inclusion of LGBTQ issues and individuals within the skeptic community and movement, the skeptical discussion of LGBTQ topics, and also... »
Debunking myths is one of those things that us skeptics are supposed to do, right? Okay then… (my triskaidekaphilia isn’t showing, is it?) 1. Trans women are just really, really, REALLY gay. This one is impressively persistent, and unbelievably common. It was even pulled out recently while Lance Bass, an openly gay man, was guest-hosting Access Hollywood. The truth is fairly simple: ge... »
(Thanks to Gwenn and BeardOfPants for some of the links!) There’s been a lovely and adorable video circulating on the tubes-osphere the last few days that I’m sure has helped bolster a comforting sense of optimism about the next generation’s understanding of gender. A little girl named Riley gets irate about the toy store’s division into a pink section and an “every other colour” section, a... »
A very special extra set of Quickies, direct from Miniature Red Polar God. Happy Monkey! No, Virginia, There is No Santa Claus. From my blogging hero, Greta Christina. On Santa. Elyse’s letter to her son about Santa Claus. White Wine In The Sun… the OTHER Tim Minchin Christmas song. The one that, for me, supplanted Fairytale of New York by The Pogues for the top spot in my personal Ho... »
You know what this world needs more of? Misconceptions about transsexuality. Wait… I think I got that backwards. Right… there is absolutely no dearth whatsoever of misconceptions people have about transsexuality. Sometimes I feel like a sort of trans-advocate Sisyphus, perpetually pushing a boulder of education up a hill of myths, stereotypes, fear, hatred, ignorance, disinterest and general lazin... »
By far one of the most challenging obstacles to building a meaningful dialogue about privilege is the extreme ease with which we’re able to take it for granted. Quick: when was the last time you thought about proprioception? Unless you’re a neurologist, or read a lot of Oliver Sacks, the answer could very well be “never, I guess”. We don’t think about it because we’ve never gone without it. Propri... »
It’d be my guess that given the overlap between the skepticism and atheism camps, a lot of our readers are already going to have a few reservations about the Salvation Army, and whether or not they should throw them a little change, or if perhaps their money could be better used elsewhere. »
For some reason, political debates concerning LGBT rights and issues like same-sex marriage often end up getting caught up in the question of whether or not being gay, lesbian, bi or trans is a choice. I’ve always considered this to be something of a red herring. Why, exactly, does it matter? If it were a choice, is there anything to justify treating it as anything other than a choice someon... »
