And yes, white gloves can be a symbol of racism.
Please see below:
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What does the USA and these countries (Russia, Saudi, Egypt, Oman, Hungary, Belarus, Turkey) have in common?
There’s a travel advisory for Canadian LGBTQ folks to be wary and educated when visiting the USA 
(religious nutjob country)
Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ [two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning, intersex, and more] persons.”
The advisory did not specify which states it meant, but recommended that travelers “check relevant state and local laws” when planning trips.
This year alone, 22 U.S. states have passed over 100 bills limiting or banning LGBTQ+ rights,
One of my boys is part of the 
community.
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Wow! And I thought my own reasons for not visiting the US were bad enough. Sorry about anything your kid has had to suffer.
UK Atheist
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Only visited the US once, went to Jacksonville through work, and was there for a week. On the whole I found the people just fine, but after work a colleague and I would go out drinking each night, and in one bar a man struck up a conversation with us that went like this:
First he heard our accents, then asked where we were from, then he asked how we found the US, we replied it was great, then he asked how it compared to the UK, so all the usual kind of curiosity. He said it was a great country, but then looking at us as if he was about to share a secret he pulled a note from his pocket, he pointed to it and said do you see what it says/ It said “In god we trust”, and he said some people are trying to remove this, be careful he said there are a lot of of atheists in this country.
My colleague and I thanked him politely, and as soon as we were out of earshot I said “lucky he didn’t know I am an atheist” and colleague laughed and said “yeah me too”.
This was aout 26 years ago, and if anything the UK has become more secular in that time, now while there are probably more atheists in the US now, I doubt the remaining theists have become more accepting of it.
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I’m intensely sorry that LGBTQ Canadians have to be concerned when traveling to the U.S…
There is a widespread belief that being LGBTQ automatically means that such a person is a paedophile. Please see below:
Many of the Christian churches in our country preach this on a regular basis.
Even the Roman Catholic Church teaches this, as they claim that the paedophilia crisis is the result of ordaining gay priests. See below:
After all, it’s “common sense” that gay people are sexual deviants and–therefore–dangerous to children. Uganda has even gone so far as to institute the death penalty for homosexuality.
Some churches have even gone so far as to create an underground drug distribution network of supplying dexamethasone to pregnant women to keep their daughters from becoming lesbians. See below:
Dexamethasone is a very useful–but dangerous–drug, and use during pregnancy can cause birth defects.
In any case, the risk of catastrophic birth defects is outweighed by the “danger” that a daughter may be born a “dyke,” so these religious women take this drug without proper medical supervision.
Our government is complicit in this, because they expend all of these resources going after marijuana without devoting any legal attention to the dexamethasone traffic.
I find it difficult to even write about such things, as I get very angry when I even think about it. Please see below:
The article shows some risk of birth defects, but I believe that the risk is much higher as the pregnant women who are taking this drug are doing so without medical supervision, and are using the drug in higher doses than would normally be prescribed.
These women are also not getting tests and/or bloodwork that would normally be used with this drug (depending upon the circumstances).
So yes, I sometimes get very angry with my country and culture. Below, see article from L.A. Times:
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As a Canadian, we often have to endure fellow Canadians who think they live in the USA under their Constitution and culture. Fortunately they are a very small fringe minority with very big mouths.
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He hasn’t except for online - which he gives better then they can. 
I’ve always allowed my boys to explore and experience who they are, emphasizing that they as a person is what matters. Their expression of who they are is only that - an expression. He went through a makeup phase and wore it publicly in the city… but, it didn’t stick for him.
He’s in his later teens now and settling in more as to who he is and how he feels and his expression of who he is. Did lots of listening, encouraging, supporting and reassuring.
Parents often (especially those who are bigots or black/white thinkers) panic if their kids step outside their preassumed “roles”. I always viewed their adolescence as an extension of their “play time” discovering for themselves what is going to make them happy.
Mind you I was an 80s kid and many of our “male” role models in music were very expressive (Platinum Blonde, Boy George, Prince, Queen etc)
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When out travelling, I have met canadians that made it unambiguously clear that they were Canadians, because they did not want to be confused with USians. One of them even handed out pins with the canadian flag. Nice lady. I talked all night with her on a night train somewhere in Europe.
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$25,000 each for less than 3 months at this religitard’s plumbing & heating company. Not bad.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/06/29/north-carolina-prayer-lawsuit/
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I absolutely love reading about stuff like this. The company deserved what it got.
There were similar pressures in EMS, although one wouldn’t get fired for refusing to pray.
This is because firefighters and paramedics often have a prayer circle before going into a fire (or other hazardous situation).
For me, prayer distracted me from examining blue prints, reviewing protocols, and checking equipment . . . which (in my mind) made more sense than prayer.
Or to look at it in another way . . . how many “thoughts and prayers” prevented any mass shootings?
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“Only God knows.”
“Think about how much more mass shootings there would be without the T&P!”
“Since they never happened, you cannot count the mass shootings God prevented because of the T&P.”
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I have been watching one of those Netflix documentary series on high profile murderers, and by the end I lost count of the number of officers thanking a deity for helping them catch a multiple murderer, and all without a hint of irony. I guess being a good detective doesn’t involve spotting selection bias or sharp shooter fallacies.
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Thank you both very much for seeing my side of it.
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I’ve always hated those back and fourth arguments… it does seem though that we’re being pushed to be more tribalistic.
I mean without naming which side you are, if you defend the right to own a gun in the US, think abortions are wrong… its fair easy to guess how you’ll vote… likewise, if you think a 6"2 person with cock and balls should be allowed to compete in women’s sporting events (I’m kidding here, relax) and believe one’s language ought to be controlled or compelled, again its obvious to whom you’ll likely vote for.
Myself personally, if I was American if hate the bi partisan nature of politics… I don’t agree with censorship of speech, equally I don’t agree with guns and would prefer women to choose if they should carry a baby (equally, a man ought to have the right if they want to support that child or not).
And I’m halfway on things like trans rights… 100% believe they should have every right we all do and we should support them and be kind, but I don’t agree with some aspects of the movement, like being in women’s sports and safe spaces.
But to call a Liberal stance, such as pro choice as Marxist, is daft… and climate change being a hoax? Well, it comes from the sort of idiots that believe in flat earth and chem trails, so ill leave them to it… maybe one day they’ll forgot to breath in.
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Yep, also if you’d vote for a man caught on tape trying to overthrow an election, whose businesses, and even charities, are often out right scams, then you know how they’ll vote. Oh, and if you think it’s a good idea to be loyal to someone who repeatedly throws people who helped him under the bus, then you know how they’ll vote. I particularly like that Trump has racked in millions by claiming he’s being rail roaded but refuses to help his co-conspirators with legal cost. I’m sincerely hoping that one will bite him in the ass.
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True, but equally if you think any politician from either side of the aisle is squeaky clean and norally just, then you’re in for a shock… that goes for all countries.
Just on general principle of Trump is an asshole, if I was American I wouldn’t vote for him… equally though, you have the Democrats who are mostly lunatics too and have a leader who’s stock investments is at best, bloody questionable.
But it’s no different here in the UK, Tories have destroyed the country and the economy, but Labour offer nothing that actually really helps the normal average man.
Russell Brand said it best, we should stop voting until there is something worth voting for.
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Not stop voting… assuming you have a system like us Brits, make a mess of your voting slip and post that in the box. If enough people do it then they have to start taking notice; unfortunately most who don’t like the choices or think it’s pointless just don’t vote.
UK Atheist
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It’s frustrating. My choice comes down to the lesser of two evils. The party that isn’t for regulating women’s bodies gets my vote, and it’s vice versa for others. The republican party claims it wants smaller government and less regulations, but it makes an exception when it comes to controlling women.
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(This is a U.S.-centric post but may apply elsewhere.)
I frequently hear folks say that there is little, if any, difference between the two major political parties. I hear people say all politicians are corrupt. I hear a ton of apathy about voting. I hear the fear about different proposed policies from a wide spectrum of people. I hear rumors. And conspiracy theories. And grandiosity.
What I don’t hear, IME, is very much actual data. It’s available. It sure seems to me that most people are just too fucking lazy to access and review it in their decision-making process. Yep, go with the appealing words cuz we all know how well that works out.
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Fair enough. Despite being a clear beneficiary of it, I’m not pro-patriarchy either. I’m also known [and criticised] for being something of a single-issue voter. Right now that’s climate on account of everyone’s rights are all well and good but if we wipe ourselves out rights don’t mean a damn!
UK Atheist
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