biologicalalchemist

[biologicalalchemist]

INFORMATION ABOUT QUEER/ADULT CONTENT BEING DELISTED

Hey, I'm sure you've heard by now that several online retailers have blanket delisted queer/adult content. Information seems sporadic, so I want to create a masterpost of what happened, why it matters, and what you can do about it.

WHAT HAPPENED

You've probably heard that Steam and Itch.io have removed all of their adult/queer content from listings. Itch has even gone so far as to prevent creators from being able to get their payouts.

This is not Steam/Itch's fault. Mastercard and Visa have pressured them to remove their adult content. Visa and Mastercard collectively hold over 90% of the market share in payment processing. Unfortunately, if they cut you off, you pretty much lose over 90% of your gross income, which is a death sentence for basically any company.

This is also not just localized to Steam and Itch. Several anime/manga retailers have also been affected, and more companies are likely to follow. I would not be surprised if Patreon cracked down again soon, so if you have adult/queer content on there, I suggest you prepare accordingly.

The reason for this happening is not a response to the current US political climate, or these payment processors randomly deciding to force their puritanical views. It is a concerted effort by a group called Collective Shout, an anti-porn group masquerading as a feminist liberation org. (Look up the meaning of the word SWERF.)

Collective Shout has, allegedly, sent over 1,000 letters to Visa and Mastercard urging them to take action against certain digital retailers selling adult content. Which, thankfully gives us an avenue to respond. More on that in the third section.

WHY THIS MATTERS

For some of you, I don't need to explain why you should care. For others, let me explain to you why this is a massive cocern for everyone, not just adult content creators.

First of all, we've already seen perfectly sfw queer content catching strays from this. You should already be well aware that adult content and queer content are often conflated, and the two are pretty inextricably linked to each other. If you try to ban one, you will, inevitably, end up banning the other as well.

Secondly, this sets a precedent for "concerned citizens" to be able to pressure payment processors into removing whatever content they don't like from the internet. Even if you don't partake in adult content. Even if you're not queer. Even if this doesn't currently affect you or anyone you know right now, it will. They managed to do this with only 1,000 letters. If they get away with it, it'll only be the beginning.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Remember when I said they sent 1,000 letters to make this happen? I bet we can get more.

I wrote a form letter for Mastercard and for Visa. Fill in your name. Print them. Sign them. Mail them out. The addresses for the respective companies are at the top. It shouldn't cost much. Even international postage shouldn't be prohibitively expensive for most people.

Some people are sharing phone numbers and emails. That's fine, but I prefer a physical footprint. You can't see 1,000 phone calls. 1,000 emails don't take up physical volume. If you get 1,000 letters about something, you can see how much people care about it. That means something in this day and age.

IF YOU LIVE IN THE US there is a bill being introduced right now that stops payment processors from being able to control what people can and cannot purchase. Call your representatives. Right now. Even if you don't think they'll support it. Here's a script I wrote. And trust me when I say it'll help. I used to talk to politicians for a living. I know what I'm talking about.

SHARE THIS POST. Reblog it. Reblog it multiple times a day. Send it to everyone you know. Seriously. Everyone. Even if they're not on Tumblr. Get the word out. The most successful advertising is word of mouth. So use your voice and make sure people hear it. We've beaten this shit in the past and we'll do it again, but we still need to put in the work.

[biologicalalchemist]

[biologicalalchemist]

Education could adapt to this anyways by changing essays to more in person testing methods like presentations, where you will also be judged by how you answer questions. An AI generated presentation will present questions you will need to handle. Adapting AI generated content to make sense in itself also requires skill.

In general, encouraging original ideas is something that should've been done before AI and moreso after.

i completely understand & agree with the backlash against students using chatgpt to get degrees but some of you are out here saying "getting a degree in xyz means pulling multiple consecutive all-nighters and writing essays through debilitating migraines and having severe back pain from constantly studying at your desk and chugging energy drinks until you get a kidney stone and waking up wishing you were dead every day, and that's just part of the natural process of learning!!!" and like. umm. i don't think that any of us should have had to endure that either. like maybe the solution for stopping students from using anti-learning software depends on college institutions making the process of learning actually sustainable on the human body & mind rather than a grueling health-destroying soul-crushing endeavor

[biologicalalchemist]

[biologicalalchemist]

[biologicalalchemist]

THEY MIGHT HAVE FIGURED OUT WHATS CAUSING LONG COVID?!?!???

[biologicalalchemist]

[biologicalalchemist]

studied up

[biologicalalchemist]

Five Things I Wish I Knew Before Attending College

Have you ever seen a flavor of ice cream and thought, “that looks good, I want that,” but when you bite into it, it’s not exactly what you expected? Now, let’s shift that application to college majors. Not all college majors are the same, with some ranging from too sweet to too tart and others downright unpleasant. Understand, I am not here to bash on any major, and I truly believe in following your passions. However, here are five things I wish I had known before attending college.

One is the realization that going to college is to help get a job. That should have been obvious, but because I lived in a bubble, it never occurred to me. I was, and sometimes am, one of those people who can be utterly oblivious to my surroundings, so picking a major never connected to a job until my senior year.

Two, follow your passion intelligently. It is okay to follow your passions and dreams, but it is also good to guide that passion with intelligence. Planning out each step and creating short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals separates blind passion from stable passion. It is incredibly easy to dream big, but much harder to apply without a plan. I jumped into English without a plan and am still trying to figure everything out. I am speaking from experience; you must have a plan in place.

Three, understand that the road you choose will not always be sunshine and rainbows. As with everything in life, there will always be some adversity that will try to drive you away from your passions. When choosing any path, one needs to weigh and consider the risks involved and develop strategies to handle such difficulties. I’ve read that the most successful people will intentionally find ways to fail so that they can learn.

Fourth, find ways to minimize your debt ratio. When I attended college, my understanding of money was minimal. I’m almost forty and have a mountain of debt to pay off. Understand that Pell Grants are usually the better method for college expenses, but if one needs to take out a loan, please understand that it is money you must pay back. For example, suppose you borrow money from a friend. In that case, you will eventually repay that person unless you don’t want a good credit score and be labeled a mooch. Okay, that last part is subjective, but your credit score will take a hit if the loan is not paid back on time. Many resources can help you minimize your debt, such as the FAFSA, which is government money designed to help students pay for college.

Five, the most important tip of all is while in college, find a job in your field and work there to gain hands-on experience. In 2025, education alone is not enough to secure you a job or a career. Gaining real-world experience is crucial to landing that killer job you want upon graduating from college. This was something I wished I had focused more on. Still, thankfully, through practice, I am gaining the experience necessary to compete. It is essential to acquire the skills while still in school.

Source: Five Things I Wish I Knew Before Attending College

[biologicalalchemist]

[biologicalalchemist]

here I drew this

[biologicalalchemist]

things that happened to me when i was a woman in STEM:

an advisor humiliated me in front of an entire lab group because of a call I made in his place when he wouldn't reply to my e-mails for months

he later delegated part of my master's thesis work to a 19-year old male undergrad without my approval

a male scientist at a NASA conference looked me up and down and asked when i was graduating and if i was open to a job at his company. right before inquiring what my ethnicity was because i "looked exotic"

a random male member of the public began talking over me and my female advisor, an oceanographer with a pHD and decades of experience, saying he knew more about oceanography than us

things that have happened to me since becoming a man in STEM:

being asked consistently for advice on projects despite being completely new to a position

male colleagues approaching me to drop candid information regarding our partners / higher ups that I was not privy to before

lenience toward my work in a way I haven't experienced before. incredible understanding when I need to take time off to care for my family.

conference rooms go silent when I start talking. no side chatter. I get a baseline level of attention and focus from people that's very unfamiliar and genuinely difficult for me to wrap my head around.

like. yes some PI's will still be assholes regardless of the gender of their subordinates but, I've lived this transition. misogyny in STEM is killing women's careers, and trans men can and do experience male privilege.

[biologicalalchemist]

@staff our identities aren’t nsfw and we will not stand for them to be treated as such

[biologicalalchemist]

Hi,

You're probably here because I liked one of your posts.

This isn't actually my main blog. It is my first blog. Because I didn't know how tumblr worked I made a themed blog first and I'm too far gone to switch it all around.

This one is for science and STEM related subjects and since I'm not in uni anymore, I barely post here. For all of my usual stuff, come follow me on @pipotato. Follow me at @cutedex for pokemon stuff and @hairthingies for trans and gender stuff.

[biologicalalchemist]

Also, scihub.

https://www.sci-hub.se/

[biologicalalchemist]

for you and your warped reflection

[biologicalalchemist]

if you don’t believe adult privilege is a real thing, that’s fine. go ahead and believe that. but please, don’t ever have children. or work with children. or spend time around children. or take a job that puts you in a position to discriminate against children. really, to be safe, just don’t go outside. you wouldn’t like it anyway, there are children out there.