Random observations from a naturist who's been a rare Denny Blaine beach attendee:

Entrenched zealots and dummies both, on all sides. Sloan is a prudish Johnny-come-lately who just recently built his home on the edge of the park and now wants his surroundings beyond his property to be how he wants them (remind you of another businessman-on-a-pedestal with a home in the immediate area, an erstwhile self-inflated presidential candidate, no less?), and a pushy moneyed man trying to throw his weight around with the City, and started to succeed with his Trojan-horse "park facility donation" tactic, about which the complicit City (likely pushed by Harrell) is looking really dumb and is now engaged in CYA since things blew up in their faces.

The over-hysterical, pushy, self-assigned supposedly "community"-representing (thanks, myopic Stranger) activists are risking ruining everything, including a good vibe. Typical. Pushing to make this a cause célèbre is an ego-indulgence. As is trying to make it a proprietary oppressed-LGBTQ thing politically. Yawn. A naturist beach belongs to everyone. Stop the steal. Relax.

The mayor seems to lose cred at every turn. "I didn't talk to him, I swear." Right....

The A and B plan - as a consensus practice that already seemed to be the case - seems reasonable and courteous to me; engraving it in stone, however, seems a political figleaf (sorry) as a sop to objecting neighbors. And it will likely create a leverageable enforcement pretext exploited by some neighbors, resulting in a nightmare and further controversy. In approaching a beach myself, I've warned textiles walking in the same direction unknowingly intending to access it, obviously for the first time and with kids, that it was by practice a clothing-optional beach, and that information was much appreciated. It's the courteous thing to do. Let that consideration be a guide.

Courtesy, civility, mutual respect, live and let live all the way around, find common ground. Can't we all get along?

I must say, when I first read the “historically queer” line, I snorted out loud and my eyes rolled far back in my head. I thought to myself “oh, so the 70’s are history now?”

And then I remembered that was fifty years ago, and I feel very old.

Everything from the panic about trans kids to the panic about drag queens performing for kids is rooted in a general hatred of queer people that conservatives weaponize for political gain. From Weimar to MAGA, gay and trans people make for easy targets, especially when couched as concern for the children.

There is nothing new or radical about trans identity in adults or kids. Doctors have been helping kids transition since the 1980s and all the studies of gender affirming care for kids find improvement in quality of life and exceedingly low rates of detransition. There is simply no evidence that this is a problem, let alone anything politicians need to fix.

Trans healthcare only became a political wedge issue around the same time the supreme court affirmed marriage equality. Republicans know that if you mention children in the context of LGBTQ people, it will get a reaction. Whether its due to latent phobia or the simple association of kids with sexuality of any kind, lots of people freak out when you speak of gender or sexuality in proximity to children and now this approach is being weaponized on this beach. It’s the same cycle over and over again and sadly people keep falling for it.

Transphobia spans political boundaries, which is exactly why republicans weaponize it. Sadly there are also queer people who see an opportunity to cash in on queerphobia as podcast activists. I can only assume they don’t read the comments because they won’t be spared from the gulags if their audience gets their way. I’m sure the money is worth it for them, but as a listener you should always be wary of an activist whose paycheck depends on the preferences of their audience. They’re just telling you what you want to hear.

We can see the effectiveness of this strategy right here in your comments. This post only mentioned youth transition in passing but that’s what triggered you to respond, because you have been inoculated to be outraged over a phenomenon that has existed for decades without controversy or even your awareness. Propagandization achieved.

For what it’s worth, doctors still require people to socially transition before escalating to medical intervention, adults and kids alike, because this is how all medical care works. You start with the cheapest, least invasive treatment and only advance if it’s indicated. This is why the argument that doctors are rushing kids into irreversible care is wholly unfounded. It’s based on pure ignorance of how the entire medical system operates.

I’m not surprised you don’t know doctors have been medically transitioning kids for decades. You don’t understand the most basic principles of the healthcare system, and using outdated terms like transvestism tells me you are especially ignorant about this topic in particular. The way you mindlessly zeroed in on it in a post about a nude beach only underscores the political value of such ignorance.

If you’re getting your facts from a propagandist like Blaire White that confirms everything I already knew.

Anyone who pushes a political narrative irrespective of the actual facts is the definition of a propagandist and that’s Ms. White to a T.

Everything I’ve stated is supported by medical research and I won’t lose any sleep tonight knowing you can’t refute any of it.

@10
"For what it’s worth, doctors still require people to socially transition before escalating to medical intervention, adults and kids alike, because this is how all medical care works."

Don't be to sure about that.

Hormone Therapy, Mental Health, and Quality of Life Among Transgender People: A Systematic Review
"Some clinicians require a minimum period of psychological counseling before hormone therapy can be initiated, while others provide hormone therapy on the basis of informed consent"
https://academic.oup.com/jes/article/5/4/bvab011/6126016?login=false

@8 - why is Pride Month the "month of cringe?" As a straight guy I think it's been great for society in general and for the straight community's arc towards acceptance, as you put it. I can't speak for the gay perspective but obviously a lot of gay people think it is a good idea. It also seems like people are just having fun.

@17 agree 100% (as a straight white female). I've been to June Pride events and they've very much been all-are-welcome, fun in the sun ideas. Somewhere that gay people of all stripes can be openly gay, and straight people can get a buzz from the good vibes. If people don't want to have fun, they don't have to go to a Pride event. They can stay at home and sit on a parsnip.