‘Canceled’ radical feminists and the Catholic Church: These unlikely allies believe women are female By Mary Farrow
This article is the first part of a two-part series on the Church, gender-critical feminists, and transgender ideology. Part two will be published on Feb. 12.
Mary Kate Fain doesn't agree with the Catholic Church about anything. Or, nearly anything, at least. But she does agree with the Catholic take on gender and identity. And that's cost her. A lot.
Last July, Fain wrote a piece critiquing non-binary gender identities. She questioned why so many of her female friends felt the need to shed their identities as women and to instead identify as "non-binary" - neither male nor female.
Fain published the piece on Medium, an online social publishing platform.
Not long after the article published, Fain was fired from her job as a software engineer. She claims her viewpoints are the reason she was let go.
"I guess one of my coworkers complained about the article and I was fired. And since then it just started the slew of cancellation," Fain told CNA.
"I was canceled from conferences, and canceled for multiple groups that I was a volunteer in, et cetera. And it just really highlighted to me that they all wanted to shut me up, but what it proved was that there really is a need for a place for women to be able to say this."
Since her firing, Fain, a millennial and freelance writer living just outside of Houston, founded 4W, an online publication that publishes articles analyzing radical feminist issues such as gender, male violence, sex positivity, and the portrayal of women in media. She is also co-founder of the feminist social media platform Spinster.xyz, and a volunteer with the Women's Human Rights Campaign.
And she is just one of many "canceled" women.
Why women are being "canceled"
Fain, along with several other women writers, intellectuals, and activists, have been "canceled" for their conviction that women are adult human females, whose sex-based rights, such as the right to female-only spaces like bathrooms or sports teams or therapy groups, deserve protection.
This view is no longer seen as politically correct by some tastemakers and gatekeepers, because it is "trans-exclusionary" - to hold this view means to hold that a man cannot "become" a woman because he identifies as one, and vice versa.
"...this is not something that you're supposed to say," Fain said. "We're supposed to just blindly accept what anyone says about their own identity, without any critical analysis, without any feminist analysis even. We're supposed to ignore that sex-based oppression exists and just admit, 'Oh yes, we are what we say we are and that defines our reality.'"
"But I think for any feminist, any real feminist, we know that that just simply isn't true," she added.
"Our sex does define certain aspects of our reality, and people are not allowed to say that in today's day and age."
Many women who hold this view refer to themselves as radical feminists, trans-exclusionary radical feminists or gender critical feminists, or even "canceled women."
"Cancel culture" is a relatively new term, used to describe the phenomenon that happens when someone, usually a famous person or one with some kind of platform, experiences a kind of shunning, harassment, or social banishment for doing or saying something with which a lot of people disagree.
Being "canceled" can take many forms: being trolled or doxxed on social media, being banned from Twitter or other platforms, or finding that events featuring the canceled person are quickly, well, canceled.
In January, an event entitled "Evening with Canceled Women" was canceled by the New York Public Library, where the event was to be hosted.
The canceled event was organized by Women's Liberation Front (WoLF), a group that advocates for the "rights, privacy and safety of women and girls, by which we mean human females," Kara Dansky, a board member with WoLF, told CNA.
"We were being told over the course of a week that the contract was being processed (for the event), and then the day before the deposit was due, we were told that we could not proceed with the event and we were not given a reason," Dansky said.
The event would have included the voices of women "who have, in one way or another, been silenced or canceled as a result of their outspoken views on behalf of women and girls," she added.
For example, the event would have featured Canadian feminist Megan Murphy, an advocate against pornography and prostitution whose insistence that women are female got her banned from Twitter, Dansky said.
It would also have included Posie Parker, a UK feminist known "for her insistence that the word woman means adult human female, which is simply the dictionary definition of the word," Dansky said. Parker has also been banned from Twitter for her views.
The event also would have featured Linda Bellows, a Briton "who speaks on behalf of lesbian rights. And she has been told that it is transphobic to insist that lesbians are women who are attracted to women," Dansky said.
These canceled women join a slew of others, with particularly high numbers in the UK, where the 2004 Gender Recognition Act lets adults register their gender as something other than the biological sex with which they were born.
Common ground with the Catholic Church
While trans-exclusionary radical feminist women typically hold many views with which the Catholic Church disagrees, such as approval of abortion and gay marriage, they share common ground in the belief that women are female and men are male - and they are born that way.
"It has been a tremendous plus to have radical feminists speaking out so strongly about the reality of sexual difference and against the new tyranny of gender," Mary Rice Hasson, the Kate O'Beirne Fellow in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. and director of the Catholic Women's Forum, told CNA.
"Although we disagree about many things – most significantly about abortion-– we agree on some important truths about women," she said, such as opposing violence and exploitation against women, as well as "the importance of acknowledging the reality of sexual difference and the dangers of the transgender agenda."
"Specifically, we agree that sexual difference is real, that males and females are different in significant ways, and that a person's sex cannot change," Hasson said.
"The Church's vision of the human person differs radically from gender ideology," Hasson noted. "Christian anthropology teaches that the person is a unity of body and soul, that we are created male or female, forever."
"Gender ideology, in contrast, imagines the person as a bundle of assorted dimensions," she said, such as gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and biological sex, none of which "needs to align – the person is self-determining. God is really not in the driver's seat."
Fain said she agrees that gender identity, "this idea that we have an internal sense of being male, female or neither, and that this has any effect on our material reality, is nonsense."
Dansky, whose group's primary goals are to fight violence against and exploitation of women in rape, sexual and domestic assault, and pornography and prostitution, said that her work is made nearly impossible in the context of broad social disagreement about what makes someone a woman in the first place.
"It's very difficult to solve all of those problems when we're not permitted to name the category of women," she said.
"It's very interesting to me that when our society talks about domestic violence and rape and sexual assault, and we talk about the rampant rates of these crimes being perpetrated against women and girls, everybody knows what the words 'women' and 'girls' mean."
In light of increasing acceptance of transgender ideology, the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education's issued a document entitled "Male and Female He Created Them" last June, explaining the Church's teaching on transgender issues and encouraging dialogue with those experiencing gender dysphoria.
The document cited the need to reaffirm "the metaphysical roots of sexual difference" to help refute "attempts to negate the male-female duality of human nature, from which the family is generated."
Such a negation "erases the vision of human beings as the fruit of an act of creation" and "creates the idea of the human person as a sort of abstraction who 'chooses for himself what his nature is to be.'"
Theories of gender, whether moderate or radical, agree that "one's gender ends up being viewed as more important than being of male or female sex," according to the document, which also reflects on the role of gender theory in education and speaks of a "crisis" in any alliance between the school and the family.
"Although ideologically-driven approaches to the delicate questions around gender proclaim their respect for diversity, they actually run the risk of viewing such differences as static realities and end up leaving them isolated and disconnected from each other," it said.
The document called for dialogue, and the protection of human and family rights. It also decried unjust discrimination and noted points of unity among people with different perspectives on gender ideology.
"Key allies"
Looking for concrete examples of common ground, Fain told CNA that she thinks that protecting the freedom of speech of those who oppose transgenderism will be one of the most important things that radical feminists and Christians can work together for.
"(W)e need to deal with this freedom of speech issue that's happening and cancel culture, which is making most people terrified to speak out on the issue," she said.
Fain noted that when she wrote the controversial article that got her fired, she had anticipated the backlash and had been saving for months to protect herself from the blow. She recognized that most people cannot afford to lose their jobs for speaking up on this issue.
"Most people can't, and especially women who are already at a financial disadvantage are more likely to be caring for kids," she said.
"And people are terrified to speak out on this issue because of the serious economic consequences that are happening."
"And although I have many issues with the right in general, I will say that I think religious freedom and freedom of speech do go hand in hand," Faid added.
"And so the Church's work on that is probably relevant here."
Hasson identified women like Fain as "key allies" in the fight against transgenderism going forward, and said she looks forward to working with them despite differences on other issues.
"Radical feminists have been fearless in speaking the truth about sexual difference - over social media, at universities, and in public hearings. They have refused to be silenced - even after being ridiculed, 'de-platformed' at public universities, or having their Twitter accounts shut down," Hasson said.
"We differ greatly about abortion and our views of men, but I am hopeful that our work together and personal regard for each other will open up some opportunities in the future for discussions about those areas where we disagree. But for now, I'm grateful for their commitment to speak the truth, even at great personal cost."

Source https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/43530/canceled-radical-feminists-and-the-catholic-church-these-unlikely-allies-believe-women-are-female

The short of it: my husband broke his phone in January so we shared my phone meaning his social media account logins were accessible. I respected his privacy and thought I had deleted all of them off my phone but realized I still had access to his Insta last month when I was trying to see if I still had access to an old account we had made for our pets. Since it was nearing Valentine's day, I decided to login to his account just to see if there was anything he was liking in terms of gifts since he's absolutely notorious to shop for. Instead, I found flirty messages between him and his half-sister's sister AND suggestive conversations with one of his friends who is happily married and proudly gay (at least I thought so).
For context: During this timeframe, we've had lots of shit happen such as me losing my job and finding out his dad has stage 3 cancer. He has a history of processing heavy news in not the best of ways and finding unhealthy outlets but he has made tremendous progress in the 10yrs we've been together. But I completely understand that he had the potential to regress with all the shit we've been going through.
With that being said, I have no clue how to confront him about this. My reasoning in confronting him is so he can acknowledge that he's not handling all this shit well and that if he doesn't want to talk to me about it (when I ask, he says "it is what it is."), that he needs to find a professional. The glaring issue is that me even finding out about this information violated his trust...but should I just disregard that since his behavior is just not okay?

I wanna reveal that I'm the one who sent the letters and chocolates but I'm the weird quiet girl in class.
No one gets near me and I'm the only one who has no friends. Will he even like me with that?

I consider myself pretty scam-saavy. That said, I am taking care of my father full-time (he's currently in the hospital) and am unemployed while I take care of him.
I got an email today about an application for a "financial hardship program" that I had sent in, and they wanted to talk to me.
I thought my brother, who had come to visit after our father was hospitalized, signed me up.
But I read the email several times and a couple read flags popped up.
1) "received the application you filled out". Nope, I didn't and I KNOW my brother would have told me if he did (and he would have sent me the link, not signed up for me.)
2) This person was HONORED to work with me and my application (I think this is the new "kindly"!)
3) Email address wasn't exactly the usual gibberish, but it definitely wasn't lastname_first name or any variation thereof.
4) Googled the phone number, can't find any place it ties back to, legit business or otherwise.
Reported as phishing. No free fake money for me!

Another night nearly over.
I've been doing this for 8 years and even know I still sometimes can fall asleep when I get home.
Anyone any tips ?
It's like feel tired and then I go to bed and as soon my head hits the pillow my brain wakes up and I start thinking about the most random things.
And it keeps me awake.
I've tried sleeping tables relaxation music mediation and none of it works.

I’m looking for honest advice and honest opinions. I’m feeling very lost and confused right now. My husband and I have been together for about 7 1/2 years and been married for 3.
I want to start by saying, that he has been the most giving, gentle, consistent and overall wholesome person I could’ve ever dreamed to have ended up with. But of course no one is perfect…
As time has moved through our relationship, I find myself becoming somewhat invisible to him. For example, he rarely strikes up conversation with me, or when I try to talk to him he gives me one word responses that do not continue conversation. Sometimes it’s like he sees right through me and doesn’t even look me in the eye. He doesn’t take a lot of initiative when it comes to planning things with me or any other social gatherings. All of this being said he goes out of his way for me in someway almost every day whether that be taking me to and from work or surprising me with treats here and there. Etc. But I can’t help feeling like a piece of furniture collecting dust in his life beyond these things. I even worry if I am the one that’s just completely uninspiring to him in the first place.
Recently, we got into a huge argument.This happened after having sex. (Which he also never initiates, only I do). He went through the motions, but wasn’t engaged, and then couldn’t finish and rolled over without even looking at me. The being completely disengaged has been something that has been happening for a few months now. I asked him for attention, and that I felt like I was being overlooked. He got defensive and told me that all he’s the only one to ever do anything in this relationship, and that our relationship was one-sided. And that even during sex, I was a selfish person, and that I couldn’t even make him orgasm.
This is the first time he has said anything like this about our sex life in particular, but throughout our relationship here and there he has called me things like, “dependent” “lazy” “I’m the only one who works in this household” “I’m the only one who earns money between us” etc. The thing is I do have a job and I do earn money, but I can’t help but feeling that may be he is right about me and I don’t do enough for him. Maybe I’m just not good enough, but this is all I am and I’m doing my best every day and I just feel like a loser. I definitely haven’t been perfect at times I I know I’ve been downright mean to him too.
He has since taken it all back and apologized, like he always does. But for some reason, I just can’t shake it anymore. The “me being selfish/not enough” has now reached out sex life too. I swing between hating myself and believing that I’m not good enough for him even at best or feeling the complete opposite and feeling like it’s him that doesn’t deserve me.
All of this happened a couple months ago. We’re going to couples therapy, but honestly it doesn’t feel like it’s going much of anywhere. My feelings for him have changed, I love him deeply, but I don’t feel romantic towards him anymore, I am too insecure to have sex with him either he’s heartbroken and wishes he could take it all back and he tells me he loves me. He tells me he wants to make me fall in love with him again and that he thinks it’s all fixable. What I truly want is to just be in love, but every time I look at him, I see all of my failures or all of his transgressions towards me. And I’m scared to make any rash decisions.
I am open to advice and opinions or similar stories, if you have them.

If you don’t want a read a damn essay then skip this post💀.
With the cynicism and overt criticism surrounding this film a part of me was a little scared that the criticism for this movie was deserved because I liked the first Shazam and I really wanted to like the 2nd one. I just came out of the theatre a few hours and I can honestly say that I actually had a blast watching this and really enjoyed it. It’s a fun popcorn flick. While this move isn’t a masterpiece by any means, it delivered on what it was sold to be; a family friendly fun action packed very funny superhero film, I enjoyed it heavily! Hot take but it’s actually now one of my favourite DCEU Films now.
It sucks that WB is pretty much sending this out to die right now because I really liked getting to know these characters more in this film and seeing their dynamics play out more.
The movie definitely would’ve been received better if it came last year like it was supposed to before all the string of more mediocre superhero content came out to really taint people’s opinion on superhero films that don’t push the envelope or try newer things. Also would’ve probably benefitted from having Black Adam show up and be the villain (but we all know why that never happened) or at least have a Sivana and Mr Mind payoff.
I definitely feel like the criticism for this movie was overblown. Is this story a little generic? Yes! But not every movie needs to be some revolutionary thing like TDK or Endgame. Some people are just setting high standards because they want to be disappointed and have a reason to be pissed at something. I really wouldn’t say this is mediocre? A little generic and silly? Sure but not mediocre at least in my opinion. Though I don’t believe in superhero fatigue as a whole, I do feel like a vocal group of people are dealing with personal fatigue with the superhero genre and just want more from superhero movies since the market is oversaturated and overexposed. The over-saturation is definitely a major factor with as to why movie is getting so much shit (obviously their are other factors including valid criticisms) because simply it’s not pushing the envelope but not every superhero movie needs to do that! Some of these movies like action films are just meant to be fun and an escape from reality. But also considering where DC is right now I think some people had a little hope that despite the Shazam franchise being mainly known for it’s fun nature hoped it could help ease some sort of fatigue and give hope for the DCU going forward by bringing something more innovative (it left me hopeful anyway even though it won’t be an important player moving forward).
I’m also not saying Shazam can’t try different things and push the envelope but just because it doesn’t do that necessarily, doesn’t mean it’s a bad film. In addition to some people saw no point in watching or enjoying this film because of the likely chance that it’ll go nowhere in the overall DCU story moving forward. Sorry to be a broken record but while some of the criticism and amount of people disliking the movie are completely valid in how they’ feel (as some people just want more from Shazam and superhero movies in general). I do think some people are just being cynical and want it to fail because of the unsure state of the DCU and their own personal fatigue with superhero genre as I said before
I personally look at the superhero genre more expansively than Westerns as they’re often compared to, I really don’t think superhero genre will ever die out. It’s been nearly a century of constant superhero content in various medias being promoted and it hasn’t completely died out yet so I don’t see it ever dying any time soon especially as long as kids exist. The genre is diverse enough to keep going, sometimes not as strong as other periods it has done well in but it’ll do fine no matter what as a whole.
(Continued Below):

I have shared on here previously that my DB lasted over a decade and a half. Yes that does sound crazy doesn't? Feel free to call me stupid for staying. Anyway we have been in recovery now since July 2021 and things continue to improve but of course I still have my doubts. I think that the longer your DB continues, the more damage it causes to your psyche and of course the longer it takes to recover. It is funny how the little things can make you spiral. I had a photo pop up on my phone from July 2019 that was taken on an in-state car trip to visit a historic site and our favorite restaurant in a nearby town. Anyway, the photo reminded me of how unpleasant the first part of the trip was. I had made the mistake of bringing up our relationship while driving to our first stop. My wife's response was pretty ugly. I thought the timing would be good to bring it up since she had had time to recover from the prior school year. I was wrong.
Anyway, her reaction was full of the usual anger, deflection, blame shifting, etc.. After I thought about it later I decided that she didn't even want to be there with me. The good news is that trip made me realize that there was an expiration date on the marriage and that it was approaching quickly.
Fast forward to today and she is a completely different person. She started to change near the end of 2020. Why? Was there something else going on during the DB like an emotional affair? After seeing the old photos I just couldn't let it go and ruminated on it for a couple of weeks. It led to a big argument and of course I had no real evidence of anything like an EA. I realized that after all this time I wanted there to be something more than the stressful job and some resentments that she held onto for too long. How can someone be that way for so long and then change so completely?
Those of you who have left a DB or fixed the DB, did those doubts and fears ever go away?
To those of you who are still in a long term DB, I just want to say that the longer it goes on the worse it will screw up your head!

After a near lifetime of constant over eating. I’ve come to a conclusion that I have a problem. I 22(F) have realized that food and the feeling of comfort it gives me is all I have. Everyday the only thing I look forward to is eating. That is the first and last thing I think about when I fall or walk up in the morning. I do not have any hobbies, my room is bare with only my bare essentials decorating it. My walls are a depressing gray color and so is my floor. I only have one friend. I am not currently in school as I have to wait until the next nursing application period is open since my previous one was denied. All I look forward to is eating. It’s been like that for years but with the added time I’ve had just sitting at home alone my problem has only worsened due to my increased access to the kitchen. The comfort food has given me is addictive and after I finish my meal I feel extreme guilty due to the ginormous meal I just had. Before anyone ask I do have family but they are not easy to talk to emotionally. My dad would just not understand more so due to the language barrier we have. I have not relied on him emotionally since I was 10. He was a angry person growing up that I had learned to just give him good news that would please him. He has gotten better due to a huge fight we had. It’s still hard for me to separate the past him to the present. I cannot talk to my mom about this as she can easily cry over the smallest thing. This has made me also only communicate to her good news, any bad ones and her crying will make me feel intense guilt that I cannot deal with. I cannot communicate with my brother as I have a deep sense of an inferiority complex towards him due to an event that happened years ago, which lead 9 year old me to promise myself that I would never rely on him ever again. Even still in these past few years there has been times where I would ask for his help and he would either belittle me or flat out refused to help me. I cannot ask for my little sisters help due to how much I love her thus making me not want to burden her with my problems. But also because of my jealousy of her. She got too have the perfect family that I painstakingly made due to all the arguments and interventions I’ve had with them. She is my brother’s favorite, he would do anything for her. And guess that it’s because of all this that my personality in the family is the confrontation voice of reason. I have not one to turn to. It took me so long to realize that food is my only comfort in life. If I’m being honest I don’t have a personality not a real one. The only consistent thing I have is food, I love food. But that food is hurting me now. And if I can’t binge eat, if I can’t love food then I don’t really know who I am anymore. I guess I never really did know who I was. Thank you for reading I just needed to vent and come to terms with this.

Check out u/se05239 for his amazing fanart of Tarho!
Anyway, I hope you haven’t gotten too depressed.
Expect some intensity coming up.
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Memory Transcription Subject: Tarho, venlil civilian and former predator disease facility patient
Date[standardized human time]: November 7, 2136
Blank.
That’s the only thing describing my afterlife so far.
Bleak emptiness, without any meaning.
That is, until I opened my eyes to bright lights over my head.
At first, I was confused. Did I survive the fall? Did the drugs finally-
Wait.
I called them drugs, not medicine.
Did… did I finally regain control?
I bolted myself into an upright position. I was in a hospital room. Things still felt a little disproportional, probably because there was still a small amount of drugs in my system, but aside from that, it was just… a hospital room.
I felt myself over. My fleece felt… clean. I could no longer feel the sticky texture of mold and mildew coating me. I moved to my mouth. It seemed that all of my remaining teeth had been pulled, probably because they were too rotten to save. Thankfully, my gums didn’t seem to ache anymore.
I…
I’VE DONE IT! I FINALLY HAVE CONTROL OVER MY LIFE!
Morning time, time for medicine.
…
Oh no.
“You’re shtill here.” I said out loud. I took notice of the lisp caused by my missing teeth.
Of course I am, I live here.
“You… you aren’t alive. You’re jusht a trace mixchure of drugs shtill in my body.” I said out loud, hoping that volume would make it easier for me to banish the false identity.
So long as I am in your mind, I’m real, because reality is subjective.
I stared into space. What kind of philosophical bullshit was that supposed to be?
The kind that a healthy mind can come up with.
I became quite angry. I grabbed the nearest reflective surface, which turned out to be a glass of water. I drank the fresh water, savoring the taste, before starring at the barely visible face in the clear reflection of the glass.
The reflection’s eyes were clouded, and the fleece and mouth were still infected by mold and disease. It was most definitely him.
“Listhen here you little shit. Thish ish MY body, controlled by MY brain. YOU are jusht a stowaway in my life, keeping yourshelf alive with the ushe of dangerous chemicals. I shwear that when my syshtem is finally fully flushed of those drugs, both you and that shentient fight or flight response are going to FUCKING DIE! YOU HEAR ME! YOU ARE GOING TO CEASE TO EXIST-“
“Sir?” I heard a feminine voice speak.
I screamed like a little girl and nearly leapt full out of my bed at the interruption.
Predator?
SHUT UP, YOU SURVIVALIST PSYCHOPATH!
“Yesh?” I asked simply, as though there was absolutely nothing wrong with anything that I had probably just done right in front of the nurse.
“Are you alright?” She asked.
“No.” I answered with 100% honesty. “No I am not alright.”
“I assume that it’s related to the drugs?” She asked.
“They aren’t drugs. They are medicine.*
“They are not medichine you fucking retard.” I spoke, almost on reflex, straight at a wall.
“… medicine?” She asked.
“Those drugsh were preshcribed by ‘doctors’ from the ‘predator disease’ fachility.” I made sure to stress my words to focus of how ridiculously cruel my situation was.
The nurses confusion increased as it mixed with shock.
I looked down at the floor in pain of my memories. I was finally able to tell my story, but I needed to keep myself from sobbing as well.
“It was only a couple of yearsh ago when I was dragged away. I didn’t do anything wrong. I was jusht having a bad day. The outbursht I had out on the shtreet was jusht me letting out my anger. Nobody even got hurt. Of course, the exterminatorsh immediately mishtook my anger for a shign of predatory behavior, and dragged me to the fachility. They put me in the chair. I hated that fucking chair. I begged for a way out, and they offered a way out. ‘Tesht out this batch of medichine’ they shaid. ‘If you shurvive, you can leave with shome preshcription’ they explained. I took the drugs, and I jusht happened to not die, and the effects that the drugs had were what they conshidered acceptable. Now, they require that I take the preshcribed doshes every day. As I took the medicine, I began to hear voices. As the voices got louder and louder I realized something.” I explained, my voice growing more cracked as I spoke.
I felt my stress cloud my mind. I could feel my sentient fight or flight response wanting to lash out. To add to the description. I honestly didn’t have the will to stop it.
”I hate them. I fucking hate them. They just like the predatorsh. They inflict shuffering for their own pershonal gain. They desherve to die horrible deaths.” I turned my head at the ‘nurse’. “You desherve to die ash well. All of you shtood by and watched as my body washted away! How could you do that?! You’re shupposed to be empathetic you shick fucks! WHY THE FUCK DOESHN’T ANYONE SHARE THAT WITH ME!?!”
I continued to stare at the nurse as she started back with…
…sympathetic horror in her eyes.
I regained control over myself as I broke into sobs. “I jusht want to go back. Back to the way thingsh once were. Ish that sho much?” I said, trying not to choke between sobs.
I felt a pair of comforting arms wrap around me. With some hesitation, I returned the embrace.
“Sir… I’m sorry to inform you…” What? Sorry to inform me what?
Am I going to die?
I hope you die, in all honesty.
“We took scans of your brain. We compared them to scans from the last time you were screened. I’m sorry to inform you that… the drugs have permanently altered your brain chemistry. In other words. You now have a mental illness.” The nurse explained.
Yay! I’m not dying!
My blood ran cold. I was too shocked by the revelation to have any meaningful reaction. That means that I now have to deal with these horrible voices forever.
Heh.
The irony isn’t lost on me.
The facility meant to cure predator disease actually afflicted me with it instead.
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So, last week I was going to lose my virginity to the most amazing guy I've ever met in my life. After class we went on a nature walk and he took me to my favorite lake area. After a couple hours he took me out to eat and let me order whatever I wanted, I tried to not get too much but I couldn't help myself (He even let me get desert). After dinner we took a walk near his house and watched the sunset while laying on a blanket, he lives near a park with this massive hill and it was so beautiful.
Then we went to his house and I started feeling uncomfortable. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to be rude, but he kissed me on my lips and I kissed him back. He picked me up, which was incredible because he's a fairly short and shrimpy guy but it was so romantic. We went to his room and that's when I knew that I didn't want to go through with it. He stripped his clothes but before he removed underwear I asked him to stop. He asked if I was okay and I told him that I wasn't ready and that I wanted to go home. He sighed and told me okay and that he needed to use the bathroom. He took a while but when he came back out he put his clothes back on and asked if I was ready to go and I said yes. When he drove me home it was a silent drive but he stopped at an ice cream place and bought me some ice cream. I said thanks but he didn't say anything still so I just kept quiet and ate my ice cream. When I got home I tried giving him a side hug but he took a few seconds before hugging me back. When I got in the house, luckily my father wasn't there, I took a shower and finished the ice cream while watching netflix then fell asleep. I still felt really bad and texted him the next day, he didn't respond, but later that night he apologized and said he was just frustrated but it wasn't my fault. He asked if I wanted to come over the following week, this week, and I told him yes and that we can try again. He got really excited and called me babe. So idk what I'm going to do, idk if I'm going to go through with it because it's just so crazy lol. I do appreciate that he treated me nicely though :)

We all go out into the world and do life things, like going shopping and eating at restaurants and waiting in lines. Nearly every stranger you interact with on the daily is going to keep to themselves, mostly not because they don't want to talk to people, but they've lost or haven't developed the social skills we all exercised prior to smartphones.
Awkward situations feel... awkward. And to pay attention to your social interactions to identify the roots of awkwardness leaves you able to deal with them in subversive ways, preventing that awful awkward feeling, both for you and the person you end up talking to.
I personally see this often with those who work cashier jobs. They feel the need to fill the silence. Don't worry about trying to make yourself interesting or fill up the empty space. Nothing wrong with silence! Be confident about that silence; it feels a whole lot better that way.
Personally, as someone with abundant social awkwardness, thinking in this manner has been very liberating, and has made me appear charismatic, so I thought it best to share this mindset with others.

I'm doing shrooms again soon, it's legal where I am, so there are legal sources for shroom chocolate bars near me. I'm thinking it'd be an easier more comfortable way to go about it. I've never liked eating them raw, lemon Tek ect. And I'm worried about messing them up if I try a smoothie or anything more complicated.
Will a chocolate bar work as well as anything else, are there any drawbacks you guys have experienced? I don't do this too often, so I really don't want to jeopardize the trip by experimenting too much.
Thanks in advance.

My husband and I are in our 30s, with a house and a son. We've got a good life.
About ten years ago he dated a girl. It wasn't really a "first love" thing, but he had just become an adult so it was the first person he really planned his life with, picked out names for future kids etc.. They broke up because he got a job offer for life-changing amounts of money across the country (where he met me) and she needed to stay home to look after some sick family members, or something like that.
He doesn't talk about her much because I think he doesn't want me to feel less wanted, but from what little he says they were perfect for each other and if that job offer hadn't happened they'd have a picture perfect life right now. Regardless, he's assured me he doesn't have feelings for her anymore, they stay in only sporadic contact, and she's been nothing but supportive of our relationship.
Recently, she died, of some sudden unexpected medical thing or another, one of those that you just never expect. This wasn't actually very recent, it was a few months ago but he's just found out. And since then he's been absolutely torn up. He's still a fantastic parent, but when our son is out of he house he hasn't been doing much but looking at old photos of them (which he said he got rid of) and crying. He's even taken a few sick days from work to grieve.
If it was a single day I get it, it must've been a shock, but it's nearing two weeks now and he's still completely inconsolable. He won't open up to me and I'm not sure if it's because he doesn't want to upset me by telling me at length how much he loved his ex-girlfriend or because he doesn't have any put-together thoughts besides sadness.
I got a little upset at him two days ago for not doing anything around the house (he's basically paralysed in bed sobbing when it comes to anything besides playing with our son) and I told him it was a little ridiculous he was this sad because he didn't even really know her anymore and that he told me she didn't matter to him anymore. I'm also a little pissed he kept the photos of them and I told him that. He started crying harder and I didn't apologize because I didn't feel like I was in the wrong. I honestly feel a little insulted, I've been with him for years longer than she was, I'm literally the mother of his child. I've never seen him this upset about anything, ever, not even when his grandmother (who he loved very much) died. It feels like he can't let go of her, especially looking at old photos of them together.
Since then he hasn't said a single word to me. I'm just not sure what to think, AITA?

Please read the whole post.
Hopeless romantic here looking to hopefully find the one! Looking to find the one. I'm hoping to find someone I can stay at home with and go out to the beach, go out to places with, learn to ballroom dance, have a picnic date, stay in during a rainy night and watch movies/ tv shows together. Looking for the cliche moments from rom-coms but also more 😊. I'm also willing to chat/ hangout to be friends before we start a relationship. We can watch a movie, tv show, anime together online if you don't live near by.
Looking for someone who is open minded. 18-35 (might be open to anyone older if we vibe). Someone who is willing to meet up later in the future. I'm fine with someone who smokes Marijuana but no other drugs or cigarettes. Can be from anywhere.
https://imgur.com/a/raBNEpX
A little about me:
My name is Felipe. I'm Hispanic, male, age 27, 5'9". I have photos on my profile. I'm chubby. I'm introverted at first but the longer you get to know me then I become more extroverted. I love fall/autumn weather. Currently studying architecture design. I hope to construct buildings for families in need of a home in the future. I have big ambitious goal for my career. I speak Spanish.
I'm into the arts: I love to draw, paint and create all sorts of art.
I love to play video games: All time favorite game is Skyrim, but I like to play games like BF2042, Minecraft, Smash Bros, Zelda, etc.
I also, really love to watch movies, anime, tv shows, etc: some of my favorite movies are Trick r Treat, The Dark Night, Interstellar, The Exorcist, 5 year engagement, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Harry Potter series, lord of the rings series, 10 things I hate about you, the office, the Addams family, Wednesday and many more.
My favorite type of music is all genres of rock and electronic music, classical, movie music, game music, culture based music, anime music. I rarely hear rap, hip-hop, and country. Some artist I listen to is Avenged Sevenfold, Apashe, Mozart, El tri, Queen, Hans Zimmer.
My favorite holiday is Halloween. 🎃
I live in the Washington, United States. I dont smoke cigarettes. I smoke cannabis only socially (maybe like 3 or 4 times a year). I'm fine if you smoke but occasionally like me. I casually drink socially but I'm not dependent on it to have a fun time. I actually prefer having fun without the need of drinks. I love all animals 🙂. I'm vaccinated. PLEASE add "ghost" in your response so I know that you read my whole post. Also please show me that you're a real person looking for a relationship and not someone looking to scam.
This is a little bit about myself but the more we talk then the more you'll get to know me. Send me a chat if interested! I'm usually respond quickly if I'm not doing anything at that time.

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First time posting here, TLDR at the bottom.
​
So yeah, I'm about 95% sure both my parents (mostly my mom) are in a religious cult. (This has all been happening sine last year). It's practically a guy from my home country who claims he's a 'man of God', and tries to rid people from their financial troubles and demons. He send out water and oil he claims will 'heal' you, and spouts homophobic, misogynistic, and semi-radical ethnic radicalism. He has a pretty large following, but his cult is still unknown cause it's based in a third world country. Still, it's pretty concerning how they were able to buy into this shit, but it isn't at all suprising.
For more background on what he does, nearly every time he preaches, he blatantly says that gay ppl and lesbians are 'demons' and says that you should cut off friends that 'make you follow homosexuality'. He makes it clear that if you don't do things the way he and the bible says, you will die. He see's women solely as wives and baby makers. I know this cause he only 'prophesizes' about how women will find a husband or make babies, and he blatantly talks about how 'spoiled' they are, how they steer men away from God, and how their genitals are the 'mouths of the serpent'. He promises that by using his water, candle, and oil, you will be set free from financial troubles and health problems. He loves to talk abt how he saved men (and only men!!) from poverty and death by simply visiting their home. He also does this 'deliverance' thing on youtube and facebook where he will set you free from these 'demons' that possesses you. It's honestly similar to how some American televangelists do their thing.
My parents had already believed some of this shit, so I'm not at all worried for them since at this point I see myself cutting myself off from them as soon as I turn 18/19. Who I'm worried for is my younger siblings. They aren't even teenagers, yet they have to sit through these exorcisms and the man talking in graphic detail abt how exactly sex will send you to hell. I personally have been atheist for most of my life, but my siblings are not, and I'm honestly worried about how they will develop through this. I don't even care about whether or not they believe this shit at this point, I just need to know how the hell to make sure they aren't permanently traumatized by this. I also don't want them going to school talking about it, since I know that it will only make them be bullied. Another thing is that cause I'm already on thin ice with my parents and stuff like this, I need to do this in a way that will make sure I don't get kicked out, physically abused, or both. This honestly stresses me out, and I need some advice.
TL;DR: My family (minus me, who is semi-physically in, mentally out) are involved in this cult in my home country, and the leader is this extremely homophobic, misogynistic dick who does violent exorcisms and talks in detail about how sex sends men to hell. I need help with preventing my younger siblings (most of whom are too young for this) from getting traumatized, especially with the exorcisms/nsfw about this.

Hi all — my husband and I are visiting Ireland in May. We are juggling quite a few travel priorities. First, we plan to see extended family that I have in the North. Second, we have friends who will be with us for the first half of the trip — they are happy to tag along but just need to be near a airport by 5/24. Lastly, I haven’t seen a lot of the South so I’d like to fit it in if possible.
Here’s the itinerary I’ve come up with but I’d love feedback! Is it too ambitious to do it all? I hate that Day 2 is practically all non-coastal driving but I’m not sure if there’s any way around that. The first portion of the trip with friends is also very maleable — it could be somewhere other than Galway! Let me know your thoughts.
(5/21 Sun) Day 1 — 9:45 AM Land in Dublin and rent car; Pick up friends; Drive to Cliffs of Moher (3.5 hr driving); Stay in Galway.
(5/22 Mon) Day 2 — Morning in Galway; Rent a car and drive to Belfast (4.5 hr driving); Stay in Belfast.
(5/23 Tue) Day 3 — Morning in Belfast; Afternoon drive: Dark Hedges > Giant’s Causeway > Carrick-a-Redge Bridge; Evening in Belfast; stay overnight.
(5/24 Wed) Day 4 — Friends Fly to Frankfurt; Visit Family (Donaghmore)
(5/25 Thu) Day 5 — Visit Family (Draperstown)
(5/26 Fri) Day 6 — Morning explore in Derry; Visit Family (Letterkenny)
(5/27 Sat) Day 7 — Explore Dublin
(5/28 Sun) Day 8 — 10:45 AM Departure from Dublin

A very small tech company headhunted me from my account executive position at a very large tech company and promised me significantly better pay than the role I was in at the time, which was already high six figures. Now last week I finally started this new job, and when I get in there they tell me that instead of doing account exec (upper level sales) work, I will instead be cold calling for a minimum of a month on their most dead, cold lead source to "prove myself" while being paid nothing more than my state's minimum wage.
I feel like an absolute moron. I gave up a fantastic job to become just another space filling body for this company m. When I left my old job they said I could come back if I ever wanted to, but I am feeling too ashamed to even reach back out to them. And I am very angry about the recruiter lying to me. I had many long phone conversations with this recruiter about the projected commission pay, going over all the numbers and metrics and lead sources to try and vet the hell out of this company before taking this risk - and in the end it's just as simple as they lied through their teeth to me.
This is a 100% commission job and so the only pay it talks about on my signed job offer is just the "base" which is my states minimum wage, which come to find out is all I will be making for at least a month, before they will apparently even consider me for the job they promised me in the first place.
It is also a very toxic workplace and I am treated very disrespectfully by management. It's clear that it is a good old boys club and I am not in the club, nor are the 50 other people they lied to the exact same way they lied to me. At this point I'm considering quitting despite having nothing else lined up, considering the fact that I could make the same money literally working at McDonald's. Not to mention with the economy, it is feeling much more difficult to get interviews than it did last year.
Does anyone have some wisdom for me? Or feel free just tell me I'm an idiot. Just could use something aside from being alone in this, I am in a near constant state of mild anxiety attack ever since realizing how badly I've been duped and have no significant income source now.