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Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard
Bath Spa University is conducting an internal inquiry into claims that it turned down an application for research on gender reassignment reversal because it was "potentially politically incorrect" and would attract criticism on social media.
James Caspian, a psychotherapist who specialises in working with transgender people, proposed the research about "detransitioning" to the university in south-west England, which, he said, initially approved the application.
When he went back with his preliminary findings that suggested growing numbers of young people, particularly women, were regretting gender reassignment, Bath Spa said his proposal would have to be resubmitted to the ethics committee, which rejected it.
Caspian, who enrolled on an MA course at the university, said he was "astonished" by the decision and had sought legal advice.
"The fundamental reason given was that it might cause criticism of the research on social media, and criticism of the research would be criticism of the university. They also added it's better not to offend people," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday.
I was going to add some snark here but they pretty well covered making a mockery of academia for me.
Source: The Guardian
Also at: The Times
(Score: 3, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday October 10 2017, @11:45AM (4 children)
I'm interested in how your idea would deal with bone structure. I mean we already have a surfeit of butt-ugly women; there's no need to go making things worse by letting Howard Stern swap for girl bits but keep the same face.
Fat distribution would also be an issue.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday October 10 2017, @01:18PM (2 children)
If you can persuade a male body to grow a functional female reproductive system, then getting it to tweak some bones & fat really shouldn't be an issue. In fact I would expect that to be a natural and automatic part of the process.
Hormone treatment can do wonders already. You should see some before & after gender reassignment photos - I'm sure there are plenty online - A masculine face & body can turn out very feminine indeed, and vice versa.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday October 10 2017, @01:27PM (1 child)
If I remember my puberty correctly, restructuring bones is fairly painful even when done very slowly.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday October 10 2017, @01:44PM
Yeah, that's why I said *relatively* painless. As in, relatively to reconstructive surgery.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 11 2017, @05:59AM
eh? Isn't that a solved problem already? When I last visited South Korea...