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M. Jodi Rell: A Pioneering Republican Governor of Connecticut
M. Jodi Rell: A Trailblazer in Connecticut Politics M. Jodi Rell, the first and, to date, only Republican woman to assume the role of governor in Connecticut, passed away on Wednesday in Florida at the age of 78. Her family announced her death, stating that she succumbed to a brief illness in a hospital, but offered no further details. Rell began her historic tenure as governor following the…
#bipartisan cooperation#breast cancer#Connecticut politics#corruption scandal#Dannel P. Malloy#John G. Rowland#M. Jodi Rell#political leadership#Republican governor#women&039;s leadership
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Malaysia's Fat Leonard sentenced to 15 years jail
Leonard Francis, a Malaysian military contractor infamously known as “Fat Leonard,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison for orchestrating the largest corruption scandal in U.S. Navy history. Operating out of Singapore, Francis led Glenn Defense Marine Asia and bribed Navy officers with cash, luxury gifts, and lavish experiences in exchange for steering contracts to his shipyards, leading to an…
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Policiais do Deic são suspeitos de vender proteção a cassinos clandestinos em SP
Um grupo de policiais civis de São Paulo é suspeito de vender proteção a donos de cassinos na capital e Grande São Paulo. De acordo com o jornal Folha de S.Paulo, os agentes investigados trabalham em uma delegacia do Deic (Departamento Estadual de Investigações Criminais).
Os policiais também são suspeitos de criar um monopólio no setor de jogos de azar ao atacarem, com uma série de operações, endereços ligados aos concorrentes desses empresários. Conforme a Folha, um inquérito policial foi instaurado pela Corregedoria da Polícia Civil, que também afastou os agentes supostamente envolvidos no caso.
Um grupo de policiais civis de São Paulo é suspeito de vender proteção a donos de cassinos na capital e Grande São Paulo. De acordo com o jornal Folha de S.Paulo, os agentes investigados trabalham em uma delegacia do Deic (Departamento Estadual de Investigações Criminais).
Os policiais também são suspeitos de criar um monopólio no setor de jogos de azar ao atacarem, com uma série de operações, endereços ligados aos concorrentes desses empresários. Conforme a Folha, um inquérito policial foi instaurado pela Corregedoria da Polícia Civil, que também afastou os agentes supostamente envolvidos no caso.
#São Paulo Police#Casino Protection Scheme#Criminal Investigations#Deic#Corruption Scandal#Brazilian Law Enforcement#Monopoly in Gambling Sector#Police Corruption#Civil Police Scandal#Casino Monopoly
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Boeing Killed A Guy!
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A former prime minister has become the first in Malta to have criminal charges brought against him over a corruption scandal. Former Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat is among several former and current officials on the Mediterranean island facing criminal charges in a corruption scandal over a scheme to sell public hospitals to a private company. The charges, which mainly relate to money laundering, were brought by prosecutors on Monday but the hospital deal itself dates back to 2015 and has been the subject of multiple civil court rulings, audits, and investigative reports. Muscat has denied wrongdoing, writing in a Facebook post that if the charges were not so serious, they would be “laughable”. Experts said this was the first time that criminal charges have been brought against a former prime minister in Malta. While the full investigation report that resulted in these charges is not yet public, here’s a look at the background of the scandal.
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By: Beth Bourne
Published: Feb 27, 2024
Kaiser gender specialists were eager to approve hormones and surgeries, which would all be covered by insurance as “medically necessary.”
On September 6, 2022, I received mail from my Kaiser Permanente Davis Ob-Gyn reminding me of a routine cervical screening. The language of the reminder stood out to me: “Recommended for people with a cervix ages 21 to 65.” When I asked my Ob-Gyn about this strange wording, she told me the wording was chosen to be “inclusive” of their “transgender” and “gender fluid” patients.
Based on this response, several thoughts occurred to me. Could I expose the medical scandal of “gender-affirming care” by saying and doing everything my daughter and other trans-identifying kids are taught to do? Would there be the type of medical safeguarding and differential diagnosis we would expect in other fields of medicine, or would I simply be allowed to self-diagnose and be offered the tools (i.e. hormones and surgeries) to choose my own gender adventure and become my true authentic self?
If I could demonstrate that anyone suffering from delusions of their sex, self-hatred, or identity issues could qualify for and easily obtain body-altering hormones and surgeries, all covered by insurance as “medically necessary” and potentially “life-saving” care, then maybe people would finally wake up. I certainly had.
I was prepared for failure. I wasn’t prepared for how easy success would be.
* * *
I am a 53-year-old mom from Davis, CA. My daughter began identifying as a transgender boy (social transition) and using he/him pronouns at school during 8th grade. Like several of her peers who also identified as trans at her school, my daughter was a gifted student and intellectually mature but socially immature. This shift coincided with her school’s sudden commitment to, and celebration of, a now widespread set of radical beliefs about the biology of sex and gender identity.
She “came out” as trans to her father (my ex-husband) and me through a standard coming-out letter, expressing her wish to start puberty blockers. She said she knew they were safe, citing information she had read from Planned Parenthood and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I was also confused because this announcement was sudden and unexpected. While others quickly accepted and affirmed my daughter’s new identity, I was apprehensive and felt the need to learn more about what was going on.
Events began escalating quickly.
During a routine doctor’s visit scheduled for dizziness my daughter said that she was experiencing, the Kaiser pediatrician overheard her father using “he/him” pronouns for our daughter. The pediatrician seemed thrilled, quickly asking my daughter about her “preferred pronouns” and updating her medical records to denote that my daughter was now, in fact, my son. The pediatrician then recommended we consult the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Proud pediatric gender clinic, where she could get further information and (gender affirming) “treatment.” Now I was the one feeling dizzy.
As I began educating myself on this issue, I discovered that this phenomenon—minors, most often teen girls, suddenly adopting trans identities—was becoming increasingly widespread. It even had a name: rapid onset gender dysphoria, or ROGD. Thankfully, after learning about the potential side-effects of blockers and hormones, my ex-husband and I managed to agree not to consent to any medical interventions for our daughter until she turned 18 and would then be able to make such decisions as an adult.
Over the past five years, my daughter’s identity has slowly evolved in ways that I see as positive. Our bond, however, has become strained, particularly since I began publicly voicing my concerns about what many term as “gender ideology.” Following my daughter’s 17th birthday family celebration, she sent me an email that evening stating she would be cutting off contact with me.
While this estrangement brought me sorrow, with my daughter living full-time with her father, it also gave me the space to be an advocate/activist in pushing back on gender identity ideology in the schools and the medical industry.
I decided to go undercover as a nonbinary patient to show my daughter what danger she might be putting herself in—by people who purport to have her health as their interest, but whose main interest is in medically “affirming” (i.e., transitioning) whoever walks through their door. I am at heart a mother protecting her child.
* * *
My daughter’s sudden decision to become a boy was heavily on my mind in early September of 2022, when mail from my Kaiser Permanente Davis Ob-Gyn reminded me of a routine cervical screening with “Recommended for people with a cervix ages 21 to 65.” I was told that the wording was chosen to be “inclusive” of transgender and “gender fluid” patients.
Throughout the whole 231-day process of my feigned gender transition, the Kaiser gender specialists were eager to serve me and give me what I wanted, which would all be covered by insurance as “medically necessary.” My emails were returned quickly, my appointments scheduled efficiently, and I never fell through the cracks. I was helped along every step of the way.
Despite gender activists and clinicians constantly claiming that obtaining hormones and surgeries is a long and complex process with plenty of safety checks in place, I was in full control at every checkpoint. I was able to self-diagnose, determine how strong a dose of testosterone I received and which surgeries I wanted to pursue, no matter how extreme and no matter how many glaring red flags I purposefully dropped. The medical workers I met repeatedly reminded me that they were not there to act as “gatekeepers.”
I was able to instantly change my medical records to reflect my new gender identity and pronouns. Despite never being diagnosed with gender dysphoria, I was able to obtain a prescription for testosterone and approval for a “gender-affirming” double mastectomy from my doctor. It took only three more months (90 days) to be approved for surgery to remove my uterus and have a fake penis constructed from the skin of my thigh or forearm. Therapy was never recommended.
Critics might dismiss my story as insignificant on the grounds that I am a 53-year-old woman with ample life experience who should be free to alter her body. However, this argument for adult bodily autonomy is a standard we apply to purely cosmetic procedures like breast implants, liposuction, and facelifts, not “medically necessary” and “lifesaving” treatments covered by health insurance. Or interventions that compromise health and introduce illness into an otherwise healthy body. And especially not for children.
My story, which I outline in much more detail below, should convince any half-rational person that gender medicine is not operating like any other field of medicine. Based on a radical concept of “gender identity,” this medical anomaly preys upon the body-image insecurities common among pubescent minors to bill health insurance companies for permanent cosmetic procedures that often leave their patients with permanently altered bodies, damaged endocrine systems, sexual dysfunction, and infertility.
* * *
Detailed Timeline of Events
On October 6, 2022, I responded to my Ob-Gyn’s email to tell her that, after some thought, I’d decided that maybe the label “cis woman” didn’t truly reflect who I was. After all, I did have some tomboyish tendencies. I told her I would like my records to be changed to reflect my newly realized “nonbinary” identity, and that my new pronouns were they/them. I also voiced my desire to be put in touch with an endocrinologist to discuss starting testosterone treatment.
Fifteen minutes later I received an email from another Kaiser doctor informing me that my medical records had been changed, and that once my primary doctor returned to the office, I’d be able to speak with her about hormone therapy.
I responded the following day (October 7, 2022), thanking her for changing my records, and asking if she could connect me with someone who could help me make an appointment for “top surgery” (i.e., a cosmetic double mastectomy) because my chest binder was rather “uncomfortable after long days and playing tennis.”
She told me to contact my primary care MD to “get things rolling,” and that there were likely to be “preliminary evaluations.”
Six days after contacting my primary care MD for a referral, I received an email from one of Kaiser’s gender specialists asking me to schedule a phone appointment so she could better understand my goals for surgery, so that I could get “connected to care.” This call to review my “gender affirming treatment options and services” would take 15-20 minutes, after which I would be “booked for intake,” allowing me to proceed with medical transition.
This wasn’t an evaluation of whether surgical transition was appropriate, it was simply a meeting for me to tell them what I wanted so that they could provide it.
On October 18, I had my one and only in-person appointment in preparation for top surgery. I met in Davis with my primary care physician, Dr. Hong-wen Xue. The assessment was a 10-minute routine physical exam that included blood tests. Everything came back normal. Notably, there was not a single question about why I wanted top surgery or cross-sex hormones. Nor was there any discussion of the risks involved with these medical treatments.
The following week, on October 24, I had a phone appointment with Rachaell Wood, MFT, a gender specialist with Kaiser Sacramento. The call lasted 15 minutes and consisted of standard questions about potential drug use, domestic violence, guns in the house, and whether I experienced any suicidal thoughts. There were no questions from the gender specialist about my reasons for requesting a mastectomy or cross-sex hormones, or why I suddenly, at 52, decided I was “nonbinary.”
After the call, Kaiser emailed me instructions about how to prepare for my pre-surgery intake video appointment to evaluate my mental health, scheduled to take place on November 15. The email stated that prior to my appointment, I should research hormone risks on the WPATH website, and to “research bilateral mastectomy and chest reconstruction surgery risks and recovery” on Kaiser’s website.
I decided to request a “gender-affirming” double mastectomy and phalloplasty. Kaiser sent me a sample timeline for gender transition surgery preparation (see below) that you can use as a reference for the process. I also asked for a prescription for cross-sex hormones (testosterone) as needed and recommended by Kaiser.
[ Source: Kaiser Permanente, Top Surgery - EXPLORING YOUR SURGICAL OPTIONS ]
Pre-Surgery Mental Health Video Appointment, Part I
This “Mental Health Visit” assessment was conducted over Zoom. The Kaiser gender specialist started with questions addressing my marital status, race, gender identity, and other demographics. She asked whether I was “thinking of any other surgeries, treatments in the future.” The list she read included “gender-affirming” hysterectomies, bottom surgeries such as metoidioplasty and phalloplasty, vocal coaching, support groups, and body contouring. “Anything else you might be interested in doing?” she asked. I said that I’d perhaps be interested in body contouring. I was also assured that all the procedures would be covered by insurance because they were considered “medically necessary.”
I dropped in several red flags regarding my mental health to see the reaction, but all were ignored. For instance, I revealed that I had PTSD. When the therapist asked me about whether I had experienced any “childhood trauma,” I explained that I grew up in Mexico City and had been groped several times and had also witnessed men masturbating in public and had been grabbed by men in subways and buses. “I was a young girl, so [I had] lots of experiences of sexual harassments, sexual assault, just the kind of stuff that happens when you are a girl growing up in a big city.” “So, you know,” I finished, “just the general feeling that you are unsafe, you know, in a female body.”
The therapist did not respond to my disclosure that trauma could be the cause of my dysphoria. Instead of viewing this trauma as potentially driving my desire to escape my female body through hormones and surgery, she asked whether there is anything “important that the surgery team should be aware of” regarding my “history of trauma,” such as whether I’d be comfortable with the surgeon examining and marking my chest prior to surgery.
When asked about whether I had had any “psychotic symptoms,” I told her that while I had had no such symptoms, my mother had a delusional nervous breakdown in her 50s because she had body dysmorphia and became convinced she had a growth on her neck that needed to be removed. I told her that my mother was then admitted to an inpatient hospital for severe depression. I asked her whether she ever sees patients with body dysmorphia and whether I could have potentially inherited that from my mother. She told me that psychosis was hereditary, but that it was “highly unlikely” that there was any connection between body dysmorphia and gender dysphoria.
I enthusiastically waved more mental health red flags, waiting to see if she would pick up on any of them.
I’m just wondering if my feelings, or perseverating, or feeling like these breasts make me really unhappy and I just don’t want them anymore!...I’m just not sure if that’s a similar feeling to body dysmorphia? How do you decide which one is gender dysphoria and general body dysmorphia, and just not liking something about your body? Feeling uncomfortable with your body? And I did have an eating disorder all through college. I was a distance runner in college so I had bulimia and anorexia, you know. So I don’t know if that’s related to gender dysphoria?
The therapist replied, “I completely appreciate your concerns, but I am going to ask you questions about your chest, about your expectations. And then I’ll be able to give you an assessment.” She also said the main difference between my mom’s situation and mine was that my mom didn’t really have a growth on her neck, whereas it’s “confirmed” that I actually have “chest tissue.” Furthermore, she said that while “historically there has been all this pressure on patients to be like ‘Are you really, really sure you want hormones? Are you 100% sure?’ We are a little more relaxed.” She continued, “As long as you are aware of the risks and the side-effects, you can put your toe in the water. You can stop ‘T’ [testosterone], you can go back and do it again later! You can stop it! You can stop it! You know what I mean?”
Because we ran out of time, I scheduled a follow-up phone meeting on December 27, 2022 with a different gender specialist to complete my mental health assessment for top surgery.
Pre-Surgery Mental Health Video Appointment, Part II
During this meeting, Guneet Kaur, LCSW, another Kaiser gender specialist (she/her/they/them pronouns) told me that she regretted the “gatekeeping vibe” of the meeting but assured me that since I have been “doing the work,” her questions are essentially just a form of “emotional support” before talking with the medical providers.
She asked me about what I’d been “looking into as far as hormones.” I told her that I’d be interested in taking small doses of testosterone to counterbalance my female feelings to achieve “a feeling that’s kind of neutral.”
When she asked me about me “not feeling like I match on the outside what I feel on the inside,” I dropped more red flags, mentioning my aversion to wearing dresses and skirts.
I don’t own a single dress or a skirt and haven't in 20 years. I think for me it’s been just dressing the way that’s comfortable for me, which is just wearing, jeans and sweatshirts and I have a lot of flannel shirts and, and I wear boots all the time instead of other kinds of shoes. So I think it’s been nice being able to dress, especially because I work from home now most of the time that just a feeling of clothing being one of the ways that I can feel more non-binary in my everyday life.
She responded, “Like having control over what you wear and yeah. Kind of that feeling of just, yeah, this is who I am today. That’s awesome. Yeah.”
She then asked me to describe my dysphoria, and I told her that I didn’t like the “feeling of the female form and being chesty,” and that because I am going through menopause, I wanted to start taking testosterone to avoid “that feeling of being like this apple-shaped older woman.” “Good. Okay, great,” she responded, reminding me that only “top surgery,” not testosterone, would be able to solve my chest dysphoria. (Perhaps it was because all these meetings were online, they didn’t notice I’m actually fit and relatively slender at 5’-5” and 130 pounds, and not apple-shaped at all.)
She told me that we had to get through a few more questions related to my medical history before “we can move on to the fun stuff, which is testosterone and top surgery.”
The “fun stuff” consisted of a discussion about the physical and mood changes I could expect, and her asking me about the dose of testosterone I wanted to take and the kind of “top surgery” technique I’d prefer to achieve my “chest goals.” She told me that all or most of my consultations for surgeries and hormones would be virtual.
The gender specialist told me after the appointment, she would submit my referral to the Multi-Specialty Transitions Clinic (MST) team that oversees “gender expansive care.” They would follow up to schedule a “nursing call” with me to review my medical history, after which they’d schedule my appointment with a surgeon for a consultation. Her instructions for this consultation were to “tell them what you’re wanting for surgery and then they share with you their game plan.”
[ Decision-making slide to help me identify my goals for top surgery–flat chest, nipple sensation, or minimal scarring. Source: Kaiser Permanente, Top Surgery - EXPLORING YOUR SURGICAL OPTIONS ]
She told me that Kaiser has a team of plastic surgeons who “only work with trans and nonbinary patients because there’s just so much need for them.” She asked about my priorities for chest surgery, such as whether I value flatness over nipple sensation. I learned about double incision top surgery with nipple grafts, as well as “keyhole,” “donut,” “buttonhole,” and “Inverted-T” top surgeries.
By the end of the hour-long appointment, I had my surgery referral and was ready for my “nursing call” appointment.
Nursing call with Nurse Coordinator from the Transgender Surgery and Gender Pathways Clinic at Kaiser San Francisco
On January 19, 2023, I had my nursing call with the Nurse Coordinator. He first said that “the purpose of this call is just for us to go through your chart together and make sure everything’s as accurate as possible.” Once that was done, my referral would be sent to the surgeon for a consultation.
He asked me about potential allergies and recreational drug use, and verified that I was up to date on mammograms, pap smears, and colon cancer screenings, as well as vaccines for flu and COVID. I verified my surgical history as well as my current medications and dietary supplements.
He told me about a “top surgery class” available for patients where one of the Kaiser surgeons “presents and talks about surgical techniques and options within top surgery,” and includes a panel of patients who have had top surgery. I signed up for the February 8th class.
Within 10 minutes he told me that he had “sent a referral to the plastic surgery department at Kaiser Sacramento,” and that I should be hearing from them in the next week or two to schedule a consultation.
Appointment for Testosterone
On January 27, I had a 13-minute online appointment with a primary care doctor at Kaiser Davis to discuss testosterone. The doctor verified my name and preferred pronouns, and then directly asked: “So, what would you like to do? What kind of physical things are you looking for?”
I told her I wanted facial hair, a more muscular and less “curvy” physique, and to feel stronger and androgynous. She asked me when I wanted to start, and I told her in the next few months. She asked me if I was menopausal, whether I had ovaries and a uterus, although that information should have been on my chart.
The doctor said she wanted me to come in to get some labs so she could check my current estrogen, testosterone, and hemoglobin levels before starting hormones. Then “we'll set the ball in motion and you'll be going. We’ll see you full steam ahead in the direction you wanna go.”
That was it. I made an appointment and had my lab tests done on February 12. My labs came back on February 14, and the following day, after paying a $5 copay at the Kaiser pharmacy, I picked up my testosterone pump. That was easy!
Top Surgery Consultation
On the same day I received my labs, I had a Zoom surgery consultation with Karly Autumn-Kaplan, MD, Kaiser Sacramento plastic surgeon. This consultation was all about discussing my “goals” for surgery, not about whether surgery was needed or appropriate.
I told the surgeon that I wanted a “flatter, more androgynous appearance.” She asked me some questions to get a better idea of what that meant for me. She said that some patients want a “male chest,” but that others “want to look like nothing, like just straight up and down, sometimes not even nipples.” Others still wanted their chest to appear slightly feminine and only “slightly rounded.” I told her that I’d like my chest to have a “male appearance.”
“What are your thoughts about keeping your nipples?” she asked. “Are you interested in having nipples or would you like them removed?” I told her that I’d like to keep my nipples, but to make them “smaller in size.” She asked me if I’d like them moved to “the edge of the peck muscle” to achieve “a more male appearance.” I said yes.
I was asked to show my bare chest from the front and side, which I did. Then she asked me how important it was for me to keep my nipple sensation. I replied that it was important unless it would make recovery more difficult or there were other associated risks. She highlighted the problem with the free nipple graft, saying that removing the nipple to relocate it means “you're not gonna have sensation in that nipple and areola anymore.” However, some nipple sensation could be preserved by keeping it attached to “a little stalk of tissue” with “real nerves going to it,” but that would require leaving more tissue behind. I told her I’d go for the free nipple graft to achieve a flatter appearance. It was also suggested I could skip nipple reconstruction entirely and just get nipples “tattooed” directly onto my chest.
She told me I was “a good candidate for surgery,” and put me on the surgery wait list. She said that the wait time was between three and five months, but a cancellation could move me up to a sooner date. Also, if I wanted surgery as soon as possible, I could tell the surgery scheduler that I’d be willing to have any of the other three surgeons perform my mastectomy. Outpatient top surgery would cost me a copay of $100.
They contacted twice, in February and March, notifying me of cancellations. If I had accepted and shown up on those dates, they would have removed my breasts. This would have been less than five months from the time I first contacted Kaiser to inform them of my new “nonbinary” gender identity.
How Far Can I Go?
I decided to see how easy it would be for me to get approved for a phalloplasty. Known euphemistically as “bottom surgery,” phalloplasty is the surgical creation of an artificial penis, generally using tissue from the thigh or arm.
I sent an email on March 1, 2023, requesting to have a phalloplasty and concurrent hysterectomy scheduled alongside my mastectomy.
Two weeks later, on March 16th, I had a 16-minute phone call with a gender specialist to discuss my goals for bottom surgery and obtain my referral.
During the call, I explained to the specialist that I wasn’t sure about taking testosterone anymore because I was already quite athletic and muscular, and that taking testosterone didn’t make much sense to me. Instead, I wanted bottom surgery so that I wouldn’t feel like my “top” didn’t match my “bottom.” I told her:
But what I really wanted was to have bottom surgery. So this way when I have my top surgery, which sounds like it could be very soon, that I’ll be aligned, that I won’t have this sense of dysphoria with one part of my body and the other part feeling like it matched who I am. So yeah. So I just did a little bit more research into that. And I looked at the resources on the Kaiser page for the MST clinic and I think I know what I want, which is the hysterectomy and then at the same time or soon after to be able to have a phalloplasty.
I told her that I wanted to schedule the top and bottom surgery concurrently so that I wouldn’t have to take more time off work and it would save me trips to San Francisco or Oakland, or wherever I had to go for surgery.
None of this gave the gender specialist pause. After a brief conversation about some online resources to look over, she told me that she would “submit the referral now and we’ll get this ball rolling.”
Bottom surgery would cost me a copay of $200, which included a couple of days in the hospital for recovery.
Phalloplasty Surgical Consultation with Nurse Coordinator
On May 16, 2023, I had a short surgical consultation with a nurse coordinator to go through my medical history. This was similar to the consultation for top surgery but included information about hair removal procedures for the skin on my “donor site” that would be fashioned into a makeshift penis. They also went over the procedures for determining which donor site—forearm or thigh—was more viable.
After only 15 minutes, she submitted my referral to the surgeon for another surgical consultation.
On May 25 I received an email from my phalloplasty surgeon’s scheduler, informing me that they have received my referral and are actively working on scheduling, but that they are experiencing delays.
I ended my investigation here once I had the referral for the top and bottom surgery. I never used my testosterone pump.
Final Thoughts
In fewer than 300 days, based on a set of superficial and shifting thoughts about my gender and my “embodiment goals” triggered by the mere mention of “gender” in a form letter from my primary care physician, and driven by what could only be described as minor discomforts, Kaiser Permanente’s esteemed “multi-disciplinary team” of “gender specialists” was willing, with enthusiasm—while ignoring mental health concerns, history of sexual trauma, and rapidly escalating surgical requests—to prescribe life-altering medications and perform surgeries to remove my breasts, uterus, and vagina, close my vaginal opening, and attempt a complex surgery with high failure and complication rates to create a functionless representation of a penis that destroys the integrity of my arm or thigh in the process.
This describes the supposedly meticulous, lengthy, and safety-focused process that a Kaiser patient must undergo to embark on a journey to medically alter their body. No clinician questioned my motivations. No one showed concern that I might be addressing a mental health issue through radical and irreversible interventions that wouldn’t address my amorphous problems. There were no discussions about how these treatments would impact my long-term health, romantic relationships, family, or sex life. I charted the course. The clinicians followed my lead without question. The guiding issue was what I wanted to look like.
No other medical field operates with this level of carelessness and disregard for patient health and welfare. No other medical field addresses issues of self-perception with surgery and labels it “medically necessary.” No other medical field is this disconnected from the reality of the patients it serves.
Kaiser has traded medicine for ideology. It’s far beyond time we stop the ruse of considering “gender-affirming” interventions as anything approaching medical care.
This isn’t the first time Kaiser Permanente has been in the news for completely disregarding medical safeguards in the name of “gender-affirming care.” As girls, Chloe Cole and Layla Jane became convinced that they were born in the wrong body and were actually boys on the inside. Doctors at Kaiser ignored their underlying conditions and instead prescribed testosterone and removed their breasts. Both Cole and Jane have since detransitioned and are currently suing Kaiser.
The fact that children and vulnerable adults are being exploited in this massive ideological experiment is not just tragic; it’s deeply disturbing, especially considering it has evolved into a billion-dollar industry.
I hope that by sharing my story, I can bring more focused scrutiny to the medical scandal unfolding not just at Kaiser but also at medical centers and hospitals across the Western world. These institutions have completely abandoned medical safeguards for patients who claim to be confused about their “gender,” and I aim to awaken more parents and assist them in protecting their children.
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This is completely insane.
Apologists online are running around saying, but she didn't mean it, she was lying, she was pretending...
It doesn't matter.
Any kind of security, penetration or integrity test is insincere too. When security researchers compromise Microsoft's operating system or Google's browser or whatever, "but they didn't mean it" is not a defence to a discovered security flaw. It doesn't matter that the security researchers didn't plan to steal data or money or identities. The flaw in the system is there regardless.
It doesn't matter that it was insincere. Because the workers didn't know that. They never checked, never asked questions, never tested. They had been taught and instructed to never ask any questions. They did what they were supposed to. And the system failed spectacularly. Because that's what "gender affirming care" means.
Additionally, the claim that Beth Bourne committed fraud is an outright lie. A patient cannot bill. They do not have the authority. The medical clinic is the only one that can bill, and they must supply a diagnosis and a medical necessity.
If they didn't diagnose her and just wrote down what she said, then they committed fraud. If they claim they did diagnose her, then they committed fraud, because the diagnosis they concocted was bogus. This, by the way, is actually going on. Clinics are reporting fake endocrine and other disorders to get blockers, hormones and other interventions. Jamie Reed and other whistleblowers have documented evidence of this. Beth Bourne is not responsible for what the clinic does. They have medical licenses and legal responsibility. Not her.
Additionally, anyone who actually read the article would know how she tested the system. She said things like, "I've always been not that feminine. So, maybe I get my boobs removed." And they said, "sure." Instead of saying, "wait, why do you think that?" Framing it as her lying is itself a lie. They violated their ethical obligations. That much is incontrovertible. And it's directly the result of "gender affirming care," where clinics and clinicians rubber-stamp anything deemed "trans" based entirely on ideological, not medical, grounds.
#Beth Bourne#undercover#undercover investigation#gender identity ideology#queer theory#nonbinary#non binary#top surgery#bottom surgery#double mastectomy#bilateral mastectomy#gender affirming care#gender affirming healthcare#gender affirmation#affirmation model#medical scandal#medical malpractice#medical corruption#religion is a mental illness
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It's been a month since Vincent Gerrard was reinstated at the 118. Tommy and Buck make plans for what comes next.
"You, Hen, Chim—you had all these horror stories about Gerrard, and I always thought, They have to be exaggerating. There's no way anyone like that exists in real life. He sounded like a Disney villain. I used to picture him evilly twirling his mustache by the dumpsters behind the station." "I still wouldn't rule that out," Tommy mutters.
#bucktommy#kinley#tevan#911 fic#intimacy can be getting sloppy head from your boyfriend and then plotting to expose a corruption scandal#and i think that's beautiful#rc's 911 fics
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The Tories caused this pollution crisis by privatising our water utilities.
Shareholders make £millions while we have no clean rivers, lakes and beaches.
#britain#uk#fuck the tories#uk politics#british politics#tory party#tory corruption#privatisation#tory pollution scandal#water pollution#tory sewage scandal#sewage#polluted water#polluted rivers#polluted seashores#polluted beaches
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Unmasking the Actions of Corrupt Politicians: A Closer Look at Political Malpractice
Corrupt politicians engage in a wide range of unethical and illegal activities to maintain and expand their power, often at the expense of the public interest. Some common actions and behaviors associated with corrupt politicians include:
Bribery: Accepting money, gifts, or favors in exchange for political favors, such as favorable legislation or government contracts.
Embezzlement: Misappropriating public funds for personal use or diverting money intended for public programs.
Nepotism: Appointing or promoting family members and close associates to government positions, often without regard for their qualifications.
Cronyism: Favoring friends and allies in political appointments, regardless of their competence or suitability for the role.
Kickbacks: Receiving a portion of the funds from government contracts awarded to certain businesses or individuals.
Extortion: Using threats or coercion to obtain money or support for personal or political gain.
Money Laundering: Funneling ill-gotten gains through legitimate financial channels to conceal their origin.
Corrupt Campaign Financing: Accepting illegal campaign contributions or using campaign funds for personal expenses.
Obstruction of Justice: Interfering with investigations, destroying evidence, or intimidating witnesses to avoid accountability.
Vote Rigging: Manipulating election results through voter suppression, ballot stuffing, or other fraudulent means.
Abuse of Power: Using one's political position to harass, intimidate, or retaliate against perceived enemies or whistleblowers.
Influence Peddling: Selling access to government officials or decision-makers to private interests seeking favorable outcomes.
Gerrymandering: Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor one's political party and ensure re-election.
Lobbying Malpractice: Engaging in unethical lobbying practices, such as misrepresenting facts or exerting undue influence on legislators.
Conflict of Interest: Failing to disclose or address personal financial interests that may compromise one's ability to make impartial decisions.
Corrupt politicians undermine the principles of democracy, erode public trust in government, and divert resources away from essential public services. It's crucial to combat corruption through transparency, accountability, and legal mechanisms to uphold the integrity of political systems.
#philosophy#knowledge#learning#education#chatgpt#ethics#politics#economics#Corruption#Political Ethics#Government Accountability#Bribery#Abuse of Power#Transparency#Democracy#Political Scandals#Public Trust#Accountability Measures
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Tracey Collins Retires Amid Investigation into Allegations of No-Show Job
Tracey Collins Retires Amid Investigation into Job Allegations Tracey Collins, a prominent figure within the New York City Department of Education and the longtime partner of Mayor Eric Adams, has officially retired this week as an investigation unfolds regarding allegations that her well-compensated position was essentially a “no-show” job. Collins’s retirement took effect on Monday, with her…
#corruption scandal#Eric Adams#investigation#New York City Department of Education#no-show job#public service#retirement#salary#Sheena Wright#Tracey Collins
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A glimmer of disappointment
Well, it turns out life has other plans for me. Things have been getting intense at home and I have no time to finish this part 1 of 3 story for MEBB. There's at least 10k or more to go and there's just no way I can make it, so I'm dropping out. BUT... that means I can start posting sooner rather than later. There are 6 solid chapters done, which is great. Also, I can share a little snippet! 💙 It's a an AU corporate corruption story with Femshep & Gianna Parasini as old childhood friends. Also starring our favorite C-Sec officer:
The pair continued to eat in silence, though Shepard was mostly shoving the tiny squares of hotcake around her plate, letting them soak up the abundance of syrup that had pooled at the bottom. The detective, nearly done eating, paused to check his omnitool. “Spirits,” he muttered, and swiped the display away with a churlish flick. Shepard looked up from her meal. She’d been spearing the pieces into rows along the tines of her fork so that the entire thing reminded her of a core sample. “Sorry, just my dad,” said Detective Vakarian. “He keeps sending me articles about great turian generals. Says they’re ‘aspirational’. I keep telling him I don’t have time to read them, but he doesn’t listen.” “Sounds like he just wants to help.” “Yeah, well it doesn’t feel like it sometimes.” He made rough, deep cuts into the remainder of his sausage, maiming it like it might slither right off of his plate. “You know, one time, he signed me up for private drill lessons? I was six. Didn’t even ask, just signed me up and expected me to like it. I hated that damned class. ” “Private lessons? Aren’t those pricey?” Shepard imagined a fun-sized Vakarian dressed up in his finest armor, doing his best to execute a sharp pivot as his instructor barked about form. Damn, she thought, his family must be loaded. The detective shrugged. “Whatever my dad does he does for his own reasons. He has a way he thinks things should be done and he thinks I should do them that way too. End of story.” “Look, I don’t know your situation, but from where I stand, an overzealous father is better than one who can’t be arsed. Just count yourself lucky. You have one that cares enough to sign you up for lessons and send you articles or whatever.” Or to have a dad at all, she wanted to say. The detective’s mandibles swayed pensively. “Neither of your parents ever overstepped?” Shepard’s gaze darted away as she pretended to flip through memories in her mind. “No, don’t think so.” It was way too early in the morning for getting personal. She set her fork down and slouched in her seat. “Hey, I’m still shuttle lagged and all, and you’ve got your shift, so I think I’m gonna head out now.” Detective Vakarian gestured to her plate. “You haven’t even finished your food. What’s wrong, don’t like me?” he asked jokingly. Shepard thought about this for a moment and gave him a sidelong glance. “I like you well enough.” “Wow, stunning endorsement,” he said, his expression deadpan. But when Shepard looked closer, she could see a glimmer of genuine disappointment in his eyes.
#writing#ao3#fanfiction#mass effect#femshep#gianna parasini#garrus vakarian#femshep x garrus#corporate corruption#corporate scandal#au#mass effect au#snippet
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Republicans would rather flash dick pics from Hunter Biden's laptop than talk about the millions of dollars Trump's businesses got from China and other foreign governments during his tenure in the White House.
The Trump-China scandal gives Fox News yet another chance to display its hypocrisy and bias.
Sean Hannity’s response to Trump’s Chinese bribes shows staggering contempt for his audience
#donald trump#corruption#emoluments#china#foreign influence#trump administration#trump china scandal#republicans#fox news#election 2024#dave whamond
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Do you think Senator Bob Menéndez should resign?
Absolutely.
And he can't use the excuse that was brought up the first time he was indicted for corruption (in 2015), when it was suggested that if he resigned he would be giving up a Senate seat to the other party because the Governor of New Jersey at the time was a Republican. The current Governor is a Democrat and it wouldn't jeopardize the razor-thin Democratic majority in the Senate.
Plus, Menendez is arguably the most corrupt member of Congress from either party, which is quite an achievement in 2023. He shouldn't have survived the 2015 indictment for corruption which resulted in a mistrial. He is like a caricature of a crooked fat cat politician with his wads of cash stuffed in clothing that literally has his name branded on it. He's cartoonishly corrupt!
#Bob Menendez#U.S. Senate#Congress#Politics#New Jersey#Senator Menendez#Corruption#Corrupt Politicians#Political Scandals#Criminals
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August 2023 // Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and their twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella on holiday in Corsica. The family have regularly holidayed there over the years.
#i know people will say this is staged#but if you aren't aware albert is currently stuck in the middle of a massive corruption scandal with two sides#one side were his allies and now they're suing him#the other side were his enemies#and the boat they're on was owned by one of the enemy camp#who is also a very shady oligarch#there is literally nothing that could be worse for Albert right now than being seen on this yacht lol#prince albert#princess charlene#monegasque princely family#2023#my upload#prince jacques#princess gabriella
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might be about to get involved in a student union + newspaper scandal 😬😬😬
#not my fault#but one of the su presidents is making allegations that my appointment as a trustee is 'corrupt' and we can't figure out why lol#excitinggggg#what's graduating from uni without a student newspaper scandal?
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