What planet are these people living on‚ anyway? The Planet Fitness gym chain has been in the news of late after a self-described “queer” man who says he identifies as a woman was allowed to use the women’s locker room at a Planet Fitness in Fairbanks‚ Alaska. When Patricia Silva‚ an actual XX-chromosome female member of the gym‚ understandably complained of the invasion of privacy‚ Planet Fitness didn’t ask the wannabe woman to use the men’s facilities. Instead‚ it canceled Silva’s membership for having the temerity to complain loudly and publicly. That’s because Planet Fitness’ gender-identity policy states: “All members will have access to restroom and locker room facilities that correspond to their self-reported gender identity to the extent permitted by applicable law.” Apparently‚ the locker room interloper and the honchos at Planet Fitness aren’t familiar with the truism “Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.” In this instance‚ it was a part of his anatomy other than his fist at issue. Suppose aliens from another galaxy were to come here and were made aware that Planet Fitness was not just indulging this transgender lunacy‚ but emphatically enforcing it. In that case‚ they’d quickly depart‚ declaring‚ “There’s no intelligent life on this Planet.” The suits at the Hampton‚ New Hampshire-based Planet Fitness chain apparently learned nothing from Bud Light’s “go woke‚ go broke” debacle‚ which exploded in the news a year ago this week—on April Fools’ Day 2023‚ aptly enough. Bud Light’s parent company‚ Anheuser-Busch InBev‚ paid a steep price for flirting with transgenderism in its marketing efforts. (Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images) After Anheuser-Busch’s then-vice president of marketing for Bud Light‚ Alissa Heinerscheid‚ decided it would be a good idea to hire transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney as a “brand ambassador” for Bud Light‚ the ensuing consumer boycott cost the beer giant not only $27 billion in market capitalization‚ but also Bud Light’s status as the bestselling beer brand in the U.S. One-upping New Coke as an epic fail caused Heinerscheid to lose her job and be banished to the obscurity she so richly deserved (although‚ according to her LinkedIn profile‚ she remained on Anheuser-Busch InBev’s payroll until last November). Whoever at Planet Fitness decided to give Silva—rather than the locker room interloper—the boot deserves to meet the same fate as Heinerscheid. I had a membership to Planet Fitness‚ but not anymore. I canceled it over the weekend in protest of its pro-transgender policies and in solidarity with Silva. It will cost Planet Fitness my $39 annual membership fee (auto-pay debited from my bank account on March 1‚ which I will insist on a prorated rebate of) and the ongoing $10 monthly fee‚ most recently debited on March 18‚ for which I will also ask for a partial refund. Canceling my membership won’t be much of a sacrifice on my part because I have been to my Planet Fitness in Springfield‚ Virginia‚ only twice in the past two years. If I ever get serious again about working out regularly‚ my employer has a full gym on-site. By itself‚ my $159 a year probably isn’t much of a loss to Planet Fitness‚ a corporate giant with 2‚400 locations. But if you multiply it by the countless others who are presumably doing likewise‚ it will cost the gym chain plenty for genuflecting to the LGBTQ lobby. Planet Fitness “saw a $400 million dive in valuation from $5.3 billion to $4.9 billion just days after revoking an Alaska woman’s membership‚” Fox Business reported March 21. In the bigger picture‚ how many Bud Lights‚ Targets‚ Rip Curls‚ and now Planet Fitnesses losing millions or even billions of dollars will it take for left-wing executives to get the message that they shouldn’t bend over backward and forward for a vanishingly small (an estimated 0.003 of 1% of the population) but vociferous minority? In Planet Fitness’ case‚ it risks alienating the vast majority of its female customers‚ who understandably don’t want to be forced to share private spaces with gender-confused men. (Just as an aside‚ where’s the left’s commitment to “safe spaces” in this case?) The Planet Fitness debacle came amid a March 21 House Judiciary Committee hearing on the subject of transgender females interloping in girls’ and women’s athletics. As tallied by the site SheWon.org‚ in close to 300 instances‚ they have deprived real girls and women of titles‚ medals‚ trophies‚ and opportunities to advance to next-level competition. Regrettably‚ but perhaps not surprisingly‚ Democrats on the committee defended the interlopers‚ and the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act barely passed out of committee on a party-line 16-15 vote. Planet Fitness aside‚ the broader issue here provides a big opening for conservatives to seize upon in this fall’s election campaigns to counteract the Left’s forthcoming pro-abortion onslaught in appealing for the suburban women’s (aka “soccer mom”) vote—assuming conservative candidates are smart enough to recognize it. Originally published at WashingtonTimes.com The post Planet Fitness’ Otherworldly Transgender Policy Warrants Bud Light-Style Boycott appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The National Council of Teachers of English‚ a professional development organization‚ hosted remote training to instruct K-12 teachers on how to teach the controversial book “Gender Queer” in their “classrooms‚ libraries‚ and communities.” The NCTE‚ which boasts 25‚000 members around the United States‚ hosted a panel including “Gender Queer” author Maia Kobabe and an “LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee” to discuss how to incorporate the pornographic book into school curriculum.  The National Council of Teachers of English described Kobabe and the other panelists for the Jan. 25 event as having “expertise in queer and trans pedagogies in schools and teacher education.” A notice posted on the National Council of Teachers of English website. Liberal and LGBTQ+ news outlets initially claimed that the book wasn’t taught in any classrooms‚ and many activists argued that “Gender Queer” was only a library book students could check out. Just two years later‚ it has become a celebrated necessity for gender-affirming teachers’ classroom instruction. “Gender Queer‚” published in the comic-book style of a graphic novel‚ is a memoir that depicts minors engaging in sexual acts as the author recalls exploring her sexuality— including her fantasy of a child giving oral sex to an elderly man. While public school libraries and classrooms around the country have refused to remove “Gender Queer” for its inappropriate content (and lack of educational value)‚ parents and activists have been cut off while reading excerpts aloud at school board meetings—with elected board members arguing that the content was inappropriate for such public reading.  Dozens of schools around the nation have banned the book from school grounds for its pornographic content. Several states have restricted lessons on sexuality and gender identity through the third grade. The National Council of Teachers of English claims on its website that “recent waves of censorship and book banning” targeting Kobabe’s memoir are a result of parents “taking the work out of context.” “Plenty of parents and journalists have found ‘Gender Queer’ in public school libraries‚” Daniel Buck‚ a fellow at the Fordham Institute‚ told The Daily Signal. “Here we see that many teachers are encouraged to go yet a step further and actively teach sexually explicit books as part of the approved curriculum.” Last September‚ Kobabe admitted that her book isn’t appropriate for children‚ but has since returned to advising teachers on how to incorporate the graphic novel into their classrooms. This isn’t the first time that the National Council of Teachers of English used its education platform as a bully pulpit for liberal activism.  In November‚ the NCTE began its annual convention with a nod to Hamas’ brutal terror attacks that killed over 1‚200 in Israel the previous Oct. 7. The organization seemed to allude to the attacks as expressing “Palestinians’ right to self-determination and their rights in Gaza and the West Bank.” The majority of the sessions at the convention weren’t about teaching English effectively‚ meeting state standards‚ or combating the crisis of illiteracy in the United States. Instead‚ the focus was on “using critical race theory” (which we were also told wasn’t used in schools)‚ supporting “decolonization‚” and calling for “an end to white mainstream English.” Joe Goodson‚ a veteran public high school English teacher in Texas‚ has concerns about the NCTE’s education agenda. In a letter to the Texas Scorecard news site‚ Goodson described it as “an unhelpful agenda [complicating] our already difficult task.” The National Council of Teachers of English didn’t respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by time of publication. The post National Council of Teachers of English Hosts Seminar on How to Teach ‘Gender Queer’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Cross-dressed by his grandmother as a child‚ abused by his uncle‚ confused and hurting‚ Walt Heyer sought to become a woman. As a young man‚ he underwent attempted gender-reassignment surgery‚ lived as a trans-identifying woman for eight years‚ and ultimately detransitioned. Heyer‚ now 83‚ has spent the past few decades offering support to men and women who also have been taught to believe they were born in the wrong body. As part of that effort‚ he told The Daily Signal‚ he’s written a number of books and answered “thousands” of letters from individuals‚ often men‚ who seek his help. Now‚ he’s partnering with Ascend Pictures Productions to produce a movie about his story‚ tentatively titled “Who Am I.” That documentary film will pose the question‚ Heyer says: “Who do we think we are?” “There’s been nothing like it‚” he said in a Tuesday telephone interview. “It is a powerful movie.” Heyer knows his story has inspired many people‚ and he believes it should be shared through documentary film. When he was only 4 years old‚ he has shared‚ his grandmother would secretly dress him in a purple chiffon dress. The attention and affirmation—which made Heyer feel very special as a child—“would be his mustard seed of torment.” His film’s website shares: “The dress also became a source of his turmoil once his parents found out about his secret. His father’s spankings became more intense and also led to his being sexually abused by his uncle. This manifested into Walt’s affliction—thoughts and feelings that maybe he should have been born a girl. Andrea and then Laura were born in his mind‚ and they wanted Walt gone.” Walt Heyer wants to share his experience with gender transitioning and detransitioning in a documentary film for the benefit of others who might be experiencing the same gender dysphoria he once did. (Photo: Walt Heyer) Heyer sought transgender treatments that “promised relief‚” but those treatments only “led to the destruction of his marriage‚ his family‚ and his career.” The documentary would explore Heyer’s journey‚ he said‚ which includes his ultimate discovery of his Christian faith and the “road back to redemption” and forgiveness. Heyer emphasized to The Daily Signal that he wants the film to focus on sharing his story‚ rather than being preachy: “We really want it to appeal to people who don’t know Jesus. And I think it will.” He wants viewers to understand that the issues he was dealing with‚ and the issues that other individuals who try to transition are experiencing‚ go much deeper than gender. And gender therapists are not going to be able to help individuals struggling in this way‚ Heyer maintains. But the documentary will need financial support to make it happen. Heyer encourages supporters to visit the prospective film’s website‚ where they can sign up for updates. “We need support‚” he noted. “We need the crowdfunding to get it off the ground. Crowdfunding is the most important part.” The post EXCLUSIVE: Documentary Film Would Share ‘Gut-Wrenching Story’ of Man Who Tried to Become a Trans Woman appeared first on The Daily Signal.

“How many more police officers and how many families need to make the ultimate sacrifice before we start protecting them?” Stephanie Diller asked in a moving eulogy to her slain NYPD officer husband. This past weekend a funeral was held for Officer Jonathan Diller‚ who was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Far Rockaway‚ Queens‚ in March. The event was attended by hundreds of police officers and a few politicians. Some of those politicians‚ among them New York Gov. Kathy Hochul‚ a Democrat‚ weren’t exactly warmly welcomed. That shouldn’t be a surprise‚ as the top officials in New York seem more consumed by their ideological‚ banana republic-style crusades against former President Donald Trump and his supporters than in dealing with escalating chaos in the city. One of Diller’s alleged assailants‚ Lindy Jones‚ a man who goes by the street name “Killa‚” according to the New York Post—yes‚ really—had at least 14 prior arrests and was out on bail on a gun-possession charge last year. The man who police say fired the gun‚ Guy Rivera‚ had more than 20 prior arrests‚ according to Mayor Eric Adams. That highlights a perverse problem that increasingly plagues New York and other big‚ Democrat-run cities: repeat offenders being released from jail‚ committing more crimes‚ and creating more victims. It’s no accident that Daniel Penny‚ who inadvertently killed a homeless man while trying to protect subway passengers‚ faces prosecution but countless‚ repeat criminals end up back on the streets.  That is leftist “social justice” in action. Oh‚ but our media gatekeepers of left-wing narratives say that the surge in crime is all fake news‚ a right-wing conspiracy. People with two eyes and common sense aren’t buying it. “New York City is in the midst of a surge of violent behavior‚” wrote City Journal editor Seth Barron on Wednesday. “An NYPD officer was murdered this week on the same day that a man was pushed to his death in front of a subway car. The same day saw multiple‚ unrelated stabbings in the subway system.” You have to be willfully blind not to notice that more brazen‚ violent incidents are taking place‚ often in broad daylight. Barron explained how New York‚ which became one of America’s safest big cities thanks to the adoption of anti-crime policies a few decades ago under then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani‚ is now sliding backward. The city is now seeing the “steady and methodical decomposition of the machinery of public order‚” Barron wrote. It’s worth quoting Barron at length on how New York is slowly disavowing the policies that allow it to maintain order: The City Council has passed legislation effectively legalizing public drinking‚ littering‚ graffiti‚ and urination. The Council has interposed itself between police and the public with a host of reporting requirements‚ the intent of which is to dissuade cops from interacting with people in the first place.  Stop-and-frisk‚ a constitutionally permitted practice‚ has been virtually eliminated‚ and the NYPD has been placed under federal monitorship. That’s not all. The city also has passed so-called bail reform and reduced penalties for shoplifting.  How is that working out? New York has had the largest increase in shoplifting of any city since 2019. And most of those crimes are being committed by the same small group of people. “According to NYC Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell‚ nearly one-third of the city’s shoplifting arrests last year involved just 327 people‚” Outkick reported last April. “Collectively‚ those same 327 people were arrested‚ released and rearrested more than 6‚000 times. That’s more than 18 arrests per person. In a single year.” The problem is not just that crime is increasing in the aggregate sense. It’s the general feeling of anarchy and lawlessness that people now feel because of wrongheaded policies. The crime that perhaps most symbolizes the rapid disintegration of public safety is women getting randomly punched in the face‚ often while they’re looking down at their cellphones. “I was literally just walking‚ and a man came up and punched me in the face. Oh‚ my god‚ it hurts so bad‚ I can’t even talk‚” said 23-year-old Halley Kate in recent video that went viral. She had a massive lump on her head. Now‚ I must admit that I secretly harbor fantasies of shoving young people slowly ambling along the sidewalk‚ looking down at their phones in a state of obliviousness. But as a civilized man‚ I keep my heart of darkness under control. Not so with a growing number of men who have decided to just unleash haymakers on defenseless‚ unsuspecting women. Incredibly‚ it seems that some of the men who have committed these violent assaults have been released without bail‚ despite prior arrests for violent assault. New York City is becoming sucker punch city‚ where illegal aliens and criminals come first‚ and law-abiding citizens and police officers come last. This issue isn’t going to be fixed by having National Guardsmen rifle through women’s purses in the subway system. It gets solved when the people committing crimes are seriously punished for committing crimes. It gets solved when the district attorney holds people responsible for their actions. Unless and until that change happens‚ New York and plenty of other cities that have been at the forefront of the “progressive” justice movement will suffer increasing anarchy‚ fear‚ and violence. The post NYC: Sucker Punch City appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Most people know that bees help pollinate flowers. However‚ few are aware of what exactly makes bees so spectacular. For one‚ bees have sight and vision that far exceed the limited abilities of humans. Various species of bee also help produce as much as 90% of the agriculture we eat. For thousands of years‚ humans have worked with bees‚ primarily the popular honey bee‚ to reap the benefits of... Source

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