I’m not crazy about public shaming punishments, so I expected to be annoyed by this, but in this case, it seems like the point was really to help the daughter understand why it’s wrong to make fun of people’s clothes. It seems like an appropriate consequence. Not sure why they had to do an interview, though. I think it’s better not to broadcast this stuff to the world. But at least the mother had the good judgement to keep the girl somewhat anonymous.

I kind of agree. I do think that publicly complaining about gifts is tacky, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being disappointed that someone didn’t honor your request, especially with something like this. For that type of money, you don’t want to get someone something that they’re not going to be happy with.

2 is why I try to get frames that come with clip-ons. It limits my choices a bit, but it means I don’t have to worry about ordering prescription sunglasses. 11-12 and my two main annoyances. They go together, too, because whenever I try to dry my glasses, they always end up smudged or streaked.

I don’t think there’s anything depressing about turning a band tee into a baby outfit! I assume most people wouldn’t destroy an irreplaceable tee that they still liked to wear, and dressing your baby up in outfits you think are cool is the opposite of losing your interests and taste when you become a parent.

First of all, it’s highly unlikely that a trans woman who hasn’t had surgery would be comfortable showering openly in a locker room, anyway. Most trans people want to blend in when they use restrooms or locker rooms. Secondly, once trans people do begin to transition, using the bathroom or locker room associated with their assigned gender can be extremely dangerous and uncomfortable for them. A trans woman who presents as a woman will probably stand out much more in a men’s bathroom than a woman’s bathroom. People usually don’t see your genitals when you use a restroom (at least not up close), but they do notice if you look like a man or a woman. Finally, I think the idea that men will pretend to be trans women in order to harass women is a bit of a strawman argument. First of all, you can’t guarantee that anyone in a restroom or locker room has innocent motives. If someone is behaving inappropriately, then kick them out or prosecute them for that. And if someone isn’t making any effort whatsoever to present as a woman, but insists on using the women’s restroom, then yes, that’s going to look suspicious. Considering the discrimination trans people, especially trans women, face, I really doubt that many male predators would be willing to live as trans women just to have access to women’s bathrooms.

It sounds like mental illness could have contributed to the decision to get the tattoos in the first place, and it’s a shame if that’s the case. It’s good he’s doing better now, regardless.

Also, I always hear advice that if you’re looking for an artist, asking someone who has a tattoo in a style you like can be a good way of getting a referral. I wouldn’t bug a random stranger, but I might politely ask someone I know if they got their tattoo done locally.

I don’t think the main problem is individual men telling women that they’re beautiful without makeup or sexy clothes. The problem is that it can reinforce the idea that women should dress and groom themselves according to what men want. Stressing that men like “natural” women, curvy women, modest women, or casual women isn’t that much more progressive than saying that men like women who wear makeup and show skin, because either way it emphasizes what the men like. It can carry an implication of permission—“It’s okay not to wear makeup, because these guys don’t think makeup is all that attractive, anyway.” Like I said, I think a lot of individual men who say things like this mean well, and aren’t necessarily saying anything wrong. But taken as a whole, messages like these can reinforce the idea that women should be concerned with how men want them to look, and look to them for permission.