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Culture War Roundup for the week of October 6, 2025

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Oh, so then people definitely shouldn't say that it's a decision between a child, their parent, and the doctor, when the doctor is making statements that aren't backed by evidence. Like when a doctor says something like "puberty blockers are fully reversible", or "would you rather have a happy daughter or a dead son (/the other way around)" something should happen to them, right?

Yes, that is the law in Tennessee and about half the rest of states.

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-477_2cp3.pdf

Yeah, I know. My original question was about the grounds for the negative to reaction to such laws, if we assume the statement in your comment was true.

I imagine they differ from you about what the evidence backs.

Ultimately the government does get to decide what the line is between permissible and impermissible medical advice. This is viewpoint discrimination, no matter where the government decides to draw that line.

I imagine they differ from you about what the evidence backs.

You imagine wrong. See for example the recent drama with Gordon Guyatt, the father of Evidence Based Medicine, who's own studies show the lack of evidence. He's still pretty freaked out about these laws being passed.

Uh, sure? I don't think any proponent of gender affirming care seriously believes that there is dispositive evidence that it is harmful but that we should support it anyway for reasons of autonomy. Guyatt doesn't.

Then again, one can frame it about the difference between conclusions the data permit as compared to conclusions the data compel. I'm sure this plays into it.

In what way is the belief "disease is caused by bad humors" dispositively proven to be harmful in a way that gender affirming care isn't?

Guyatt doesn't.

Sure he does, unless you think he doesn't believe that inducing infertility, wrecking the endocrine system, etc., isn't hamrful.

Come on man. It's fine to say "I'm right about it", it's just silly to say "I'm so right about it that the other side is like phlogiston".

Get off it.

unless you think he doesn't believe that inducing infertility, wrecking the endocrine system, etc., isn't hamrful.

I'm not sure "inducing infertility" is a problem -- consenting adults can get their tubes tied.

As for the rest, I'd assume it's balanced against the putative mental health issues that come with untreated dysphoria. Just like many treatments have negative aspects, you have to assess the entire thing.

FWIW, I don't even disagree with you here, if you want to fight someone over it online I'm sure you can find someone on reddit to take the other side.

Come on man. It's fine to say "I'm right about it", it's just silly to say "I'm so right about it that the other side is like phlogiston".

Get off it.

Isn't that literally what you did when you dimissed hydroacetylene point about viewpoint discrimination in therapy by pointing out that medical professionals discriminate against viewpoints like "disease is caused by bad humors" and "disease is caused by spiritual rot"?

I'm not sure "inducing infertility" is a problem -- consenting adults can get their tubes tied.

The restrictions medical professionals put on adults wanting to do this are much stricter than the ones placed on children wanting to do it as part of gender affirming care.

As for the rest, I'd assume it's balanced against the putative mental health issues that come with untreated dysphoria

Except Guyatt's own research shows that there isn't really evidence that treating gender dysphoria helps anyone.

FWIW, I don't even disagree with you here, if you want to fight someone over it online I'm sure you can find someone on reddit to take the other side.

It's just an example. My argument is that your view of the medical profession is rather rosy.

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