My response to anyone who uses the above doublespeak is "So you're making money from amputating body parts off at-risk minors and attacking and messing up their endocrine systems."
IT’s abominable! Abhor rent! Amputations of any kind of healthy body parts should be outlawed.. no matter the age of the person! It’s against all ethics !
Not to get too pedantic because on principle I agree, but I wouldn't want to see vasectomies and salpingectomies outlawed. Technically these surgeries remove healthy body parts, but the difference is that desire for removal isn't stemming from a mental illness.
Thank you, Eliza. Great article with a very important conclusion:
"Every movement must decide what will best serve the cause: sunlight or censorship? Does free and open dialogue help the cause or hinder it? Does informing the public about an issue build support or demolish it? It’s telling that GLAAD has opted for censorship."
Thank you for continuing to shine a light on the madness and the upside-downness of "gender affirming care". I read your conclusion as a call to action. I encourage everyone to keep sharing, do the opposite of GLAAD's "no debate" campaign, keep talking, keep asking questions.
Yes, absolutely. I find it terrifying. As someone - maybe Kate Parker - asked on Lisa's Substack - I'm paraphrasing: when did the notion of a sex binary - and following on that the acceptance of one's boy or girl body - become a "right wing conservative" issue? At this point, my local and state politicians, my local library, the art museum where I work, my synagogue, my alma mater, my NPR station are all in sync in explicit unquestioning support of youth trans identification and medicalized "gender affirming care". It is rebellious and provocative in each of those places to push back.
I have come to despise GLAAD. They were, at one time, a good organization that focussed on accepting gay people, but now they are apologists for the worst of transgender ideology. In addition to trying to censor social media, they are trying to censor the New York Times, which has had some articles about detransitioners. It won't do any good, but here is a copy of the email I just sent them:
======================
(Note: Some of the all-caps text was actually bolded. I don't know how to do bold here in these comments.)
I am a gay man. I remember the time when GLAAD represented people like me. Now, however, you only seem to represent trans youth -- and you are not doing a very good job of that.
Your attempts to stifle a free and open discussion of transgender ideas are truly outrageous. Freedom of speech is what our country is built on.
Being trans has become a FAD FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS. What that means is that most of the girls who imagine themselves to be trans are not actually trans. They don't have gender dysphoria, which is what makes a person trans. They THINK they are trans because that is fashionable, or because they have some other psychological problem.
By trying to stifle the discussion in the New York Times and on social media, you are trying to set into stone the idea of "affirmative care" -- BUT A GIRL WHO DOES NOT HAVE GENDER DYSPHORIA DOES NOT NEED AFFIRMATIVE CARE. She needs a qualified therapist to help her understand why she thinks she is trans when she isn't.
You people at GLAAD have become purveyors of transgender lies. "If you are questioning your gender, you are trans" IS A LIE. Many children question their gender for whatever reason. That doesn't mean they are all trans.
You people at GLAAD won't be satisfied until every 14-year-old girl in the country has cut her breasts off. YOU ARE DOING A GREAT DEAL OF HARM TO CHILDREN. You people are the ones who need to be controlled and censored because your message is so wrong and so bizarre.
GLAAD NOW REPRESENTS THE WORST IDEAS IN TRANSGENDER IDEOLOGY. YOU ARE LIARS. YOU ARE DAMAGING CHILDREN.
Perry James
Rhode Island
======================
(I then sent this additional note:)
The bottom line that I left out of my email below is that CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE THE EMOTIONAL MATURITY TO CHOOSE TO CHANGE GENDERS ON BEHALF OF THE ADULT YET TO COME. Transgender activists have done a very good job of convincing foolish liberals that if a child is not allowed to change his or her gender as a child, the child will commit suicide. To the best of my knowledge, there is not any good evidence for that. Indeed, the suicide rate for young people who started the transitioning process and then decided they made a mistake, is undoubtedly higher.
Transgender activists on social media (and people like you) have given children the idea that they have a right to change genders AS CHILDREN. The truth, however, is different. Changing genders is not actually possible. Cosmetic surgeries do not amount to "changing genders". A person's gender is determined by his or her body, and that cannot be changed. A child who tries to change genders but not actually have gender dysphoria, is just adding a new layer to her problems.
The bottom line is this: CHANGING GENDERS IS AN ADULT DECISION. ONLY ADULTS HAVE THE MATURITY AND AGENCY TO MAKE THAT DECISION. IF YOU ARE ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO CHANGE GENDERS, YOU ARE DOING THEM A DISSERVICE BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WILL FEEL WHEN THEY GROW UP. CHILDREN WHO SAY THEY ARE TRANSGENDER MUST BE TOLD TO WAIT UNTIL THEY GROW UP BECAUSE A CHILD DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE SUCH A DECISION.
I think a "fad" is too mild and somewhat dismissive a way to describe the young people's suffering. A lot of these teen girls DO have "gender dysphoria" but it is not congenital and they would not have had it 20 years ago. When kids have lead poisoning they have many serious symptoms similar to other diseases but the symptoms will actually go away eventually if lead is removed from their environment and they receive proper treatment. The dysphoria these girls are feeling will go away if the lead poison called social media is removed from their environment (some may need additional psychological help).
Also, I don't think it's an issue of the age when one can start transitioning. The issue is medical transitioning as a life-saving treatment is a LIE , full stop. Until the medical establishment admits it's a lie, people will suffer. Both adults and children will suffer. As long as people are being fooled by the medical establishment and mass media that transitioning is lifesaving, the problem will not be solved. (Who wouldn't want to get a lifesaving treatment? It sure IS cruel to deny a life-saving treatment to anyone, kid or adult).
First of all, mastectomies are not being performed on minors, second of all after mastectomies they feel better, and finally these are not mastectomies! (Kind of like that old story about a woman borrowing her neighbor's plate and returning it with a large crack - first of all when I borrowed it it was already cracked, second when I returned there was no crack, and third - I never borrowed it in the first place).
It’s not “top surgery.” It’s not even a double mastectomy, which is an intervention for cancer. It should be called cosmetic elective double breast amputation.
At one point in my life, I seriously considered getting a breast reduction to alleviate back pain. The cost is upwards of 10k and most insurance companies won’t cover anything. How bizarre that I could declare myself “trans” and could get elective breast amputation, probably with just a copay. What mental gymnastics are these surgeons doing to get past “first do no harm “?
My response to anyone who uses the above doublespeak is "So you're making money from amputating body parts off at-risk minors and attacking and messing up their endocrine systems."
IT’s abominable! Abhor rent! Amputations of any kind of healthy body parts should be outlawed.. no matter the age of the person! It’s against all ethics !
Not to get too pedantic because on principle I agree, but I wouldn't want to see vasectomies and salpingectomies outlawed. Technically these surgeries remove healthy body parts, but the difference is that desire for removal isn't stemming from a mental illness.
Thank you, Eliza. Great article with a very important conclusion:
"Every movement must decide what will best serve the cause: sunlight or censorship? Does free and open dialogue help the cause or hinder it? Does informing the public about an issue build support or demolish it? It’s telling that GLAAD has opted for censorship."
Thank you for continuing to shine a light on the madness and the upside-downness of "gender affirming care". I read your conclusion as a call to action. I encourage everyone to keep sharing, do the opposite of GLAAD's "no debate" campaign, keep talking, keep asking questions.
Yes, absolutely. I find it terrifying. As someone - maybe Kate Parker - asked on Lisa's Substack - I'm paraphrasing: when did the notion of a sex binary - and following on that the acceptance of one's boy or girl body - become a "right wing conservative" issue? At this point, my local and state politicians, my local library, the art museum where I work, my synagogue, my alma mater, my NPR station are all in sync in explicit unquestioning support of youth trans identification and medicalized "gender affirming care". It is rebellious and provocative in each of those places to push back.
I have come to despise GLAAD. They were, at one time, a good organization that focussed on accepting gay people, but now they are apologists for the worst of transgender ideology. In addition to trying to censor social media, they are trying to censor the New York Times, which has had some articles about detransitioners. It won't do any good, but here is a copy of the email I just sent them:
======================
(Note: Some of the all-caps text was actually bolded. I don't know how to do bold here in these comments.)
I am a gay man. I remember the time when GLAAD represented people like me. Now, however, you only seem to represent trans youth -- and you are not doing a very good job of that.
Your attempts to stifle a free and open discussion of transgender ideas are truly outrageous. Freedom of speech is what our country is built on.
Being trans has become a FAD FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS. What that means is that most of the girls who imagine themselves to be trans are not actually trans. They don't have gender dysphoria, which is what makes a person trans. They THINK they are trans because that is fashionable, or because they have some other psychological problem.
By trying to stifle the discussion in the New York Times and on social media, you are trying to set into stone the idea of "affirmative care" -- BUT A GIRL WHO DOES NOT HAVE GENDER DYSPHORIA DOES NOT NEED AFFIRMATIVE CARE. She needs a qualified therapist to help her understand why she thinks she is trans when she isn't.
You people at GLAAD have become purveyors of transgender lies. "If you are questioning your gender, you are trans" IS A LIE. Many children question their gender for whatever reason. That doesn't mean they are all trans.
You people at GLAAD won't be satisfied until every 14-year-old girl in the country has cut her breasts off. YOU ARE DOING A GREAT DEAL OF HARM TO CHILDREN. You people are the ones who need to be controlled and censored because your message is so wrong and so bizarre.
GLAAD NOW REPRESENTS THE WORST IDEAS IN TRANSGENDER IDEOLOGY. YOU ARE LIARS. YOU ARE DAMAGING CHILDREN.
Perry James
Rhode Island
======================
(I then sent this additional note:)
The bottom line that I left out of my email below is that CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE THE EMOTIONAL MATURITY TO CHOOSE TO CHANGE GENDERS ON BEHALF OF THE ADULT YET TO COME. Transgender activists have done a very good job of convincing foolish liberals that if a child is not allowed to change his or her gender as a child, the child will commit suicide. To the best of my knowledge, there is not any good evidence for that. Indeed, the suicide rate for young people who started the transitioning process and then decided they made a mistake, is undoubtedly higher.
Transgender activists on social media (and people like you) have given children the idea that they have a right to change genders AS CHILDREN. The truth, however, is different. Changing genders is not actually possible. Cosmetic surgeries do not amount to "changing genders". A person's gender is determined by his or her body, and that cannot be changed. A child who tries to change genders but not actually have gender dysphoria, is just adding a new layer to her problems.
The bottom line is this: CHANGING GENDERS IS AN ADULT DECISION. ONLY ADULTS HAVE THE MATURITY AND AGENCY TO MAKE THAT DECISION. IF YOU ARE ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO CHANGE GENDERS, YOU ARE DOING THEM A DISSERVICE BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WILL FEEL WHEN THEY GROW UP. CHILDREN WHO SAY THEY ARE TRANSGENDER MUST BE TOLD TO WAIT UNTIL THEY GROW UP BECAUSE A CHILD DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE SUCH A DECISION.
And believe me, they will wait.
Perry James
I think a "fad" is too mild and somewhat dismissive a way to describe the young people's suffering. A lot of these teen girls DO have "gender dysphoria" but it is not congenital and they would not have had it 20 years ago. When kids have lead poisoning they have many serious symptoms similar to other diseases but the symptoms will actually go away eventually if lead is removed from their environment and they receive proper treatment. The dysphoria these girls are feeling will go away if the lead poison called social media is removed from their environment (some may need additional psychological help).
Also, I don't think it's an issue of the age when one can start transitioning. The issue is medical transitioning as a life-saving treatment is a LIE , full stop. Until the medical establishment admits it's a lie, people will suffer. Both adults and children will suffer. As long as people are being fooled by the medical establishment and mass media that transitioning is lifesaving, the problem will not be solved. (Who wouldn't want to get a lifesaving treatment? It sure IS cruel to deny a life-saving treatment to anyone, kid or adult).
First of all, mastectomies are not being performed on minors, second of all after mastectomies they feel better, and finally these are not mastectomies! (Kind of like that old story about a woman borrowing her neighbor's plate and returning it with a large crack - first of all when I borrowed it it was already cracked, second when I returned there was no crack, and third - I never borrowed it in the first place).
It’s not “top surgery.” It’s not even a double mastectomy, which is an intervention for cancer. It should be called cosmetic elective double breast amputation.
At one point in my life, I seriously considered getting a breast reduction to alleviate back pain. The cost is upwards of 10k and most insurance companies won’t cover anything. How bizarre that I could declare myself “trans” and could get elective breast amputation, probably with just a copay. What mental gymnastics are these surgeons doing to get past “first do no harm “?
Terrifying!!!