Harvey Weinstein must be kicking himself now for not identifying as trans. Because based on one federal judge’s decision, apparently it’s just fine to force women to see your penis, as long as you say you’re a woman, too.
Forget #MeToo—we’re now in an era where not wanting to be around a naked person of the opposite sex makes you a bigot breaking the law, not a victim of sexual harassment.
Amazingly, it gets even worse: You can’t be a woman and refuse to touch a naked man, as long as he identifies as female. How sad that the suffragettes aren’t alive to witness our new glorious era.
In Washington state, a brave Korean spa dared to stand up for women-only spaces—and got shot down by a district court judge this week.
In 2020, Haven Wilvich, a man who identifies as female, filed a complaint with the Washington State Human Rights Commission saying that Olympus Spa would not allow him to enter. Olympus Spa, which has two locations in the Seattle area, is a women’s spa that has nude female patrons in several areas.
In fact, the spa requires women to be nude: “Nor is nudity optional. It is allegedly ‘required for certain procedures called ‘Seshin’’ pursuant to Korean tradition,” writes U.S. District Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein, of the Western District of Washington, in her decision.
The spa does not allow men to enter. Why? Well, these spa employees have religious beliefs about modesty. According to Rothstein’s decision, the plaintiffs in the case—the owner of the spa, four of its employees, and a regular customer—don’t think, because of their Christian beliefs, that men and women should see each other naked outside of marriage.
The plaintiffs also have a religious conviction that women’s privacy deserves to be respected.
“Women are in a vulnerable position when they are unclothed and/or having treatment while unclothed and we seek to ensure that they feel their privacy and rights are respected,” the plaintiffs stated, according to Rothstein’s decision. “This is a biblical principle from 1 Peter 3:7, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Timothy 5:2, Phillipians 4:3, Genesis 1:27, Proverbs 31:17, Phillipians 2:3 and more.”
But when it’s religious liberty vs. an aggressive transgender agenda, apparently the transgender agenda wins in Washington state.
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And to be clear, Olympus Spa even had this accommodation: Men could enter the spa if they had “gone through post-operative sex confirmation surgery.”
But in 2023, demanding that penises be kept out of a woman’s spa is oh, so retro—and illegal.
Olympus Spa President Sun Lee told the Washington State Human Rights Commission in early 2021, after it had asked the spa about Wilvich’s complaint, that the female-only rule was important because of Korean cultural traditions and a desire to avoid sexual harassment.
“Mr. Lee … detailed the ‘cultural underpinnings’ of the services offered at Olympus Spa—services ‘closely tied to the Korean tradition known as jjimjilbang[.]’ In Olympus Spa’s view, ‘nudity and females-only … cannot be segregated from the cultural requirements for ‘seshin’ services[.]’” wrote Rothstein.
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Furthermore, the spa noted in its 2021 response that it was concerned about sexual harassment.
Rothstein continued in her ruling: “Citing Washington’s laws on lewd conduct, facilitating lewd conduct, and public indecency, Mr. Lee conveyed his fear that exposing female customers (especially minors) to male genitalia could subject Olympus Spa to criminal penalties.”
The Washington State Human Rights Commission, which upholds the state’s antidiscrimination laws, was not swayed, finding that Olympus Spa’s policy discriminated based on gender identity.
So let’s take a moment to digest this. Staying true to cultural traditions and practices? Illegal. Violating cultural norms and traditions? Legal.
Preventing underage girls from being in the same area as a naked man? Illegal. Allowing adult naked men visual access to underage naked girls? Legal.
Olympus Spa ultimately settled with the ironically named Washington State Human Rights Commission, but in 2022, brought forward a lawsuit saying that the enforcement of state antidiscrimination laws violated their First Amendment rights.
Rothstein dismissed that lawsuit with her Monday decision upholding the commission’s finding that Olympus Spa’s women-only rules violate state law.
It’s not the first time that aggressive men have tried to invade women’s spaces.
In Canada, Jessica Yaniv—a man who identifies as female—filed discrimination complaints against women estheticians who wouldn’t wax his genitals. In 2019, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal found that “human rights legislation does not require a service provider to wax a type of genitals they are not trained for and have not consented to wax,” reported CBC News. What a win for common sense—and women.
Or let’s take the 2021 case of the Wi Spa incident in Los Angeles. Women complained to staff that they saw a man, penis visible, in their spa. Employees said they couldn’t do anything because of local laws.
Later, Darren Merager, a man who identifies as female, was charged with “exposing an erect penis to four women and a minor girl,” reported the New York Post. Merager told the Post that he was innocent and didn’t have an erection.
The Post also detailed other times Merager was suspected of or charged with indecent exposure—all of which Merager maintains were misunderstandings or incidents of transphobia.
The case appears to be ongoing. In February, Los Angeles magazine reported a judge held a pretrial hearing and said the case could move forward. But in the meantime … what about women?
Well, in Washington state, they’re hardly of importance, clearly. Perhaps one day we’ll view “Let them see penises” as being as out of touch as the phrase attributed to Marie Antoinette.
But for now, the revolution marches on. Penises are here to stay in women’s spaces—and the full force of state law is here to ensure that.
Article cross-posted from Daily Signal.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
