In addition to the many lesbian and gay kids getting netted by this ideology, part of what's going on here—for a certain stripe of young trans-identified boy or girl—is a deep, deep discomfort with heterosexuality and what it entails and implies. Take
These young people are completely destabilized — and the destabilization is supported and reinforced by their peers and by enabling adults. Heartbreaking. At some point I would like to hope that they will figure out that there is more to life than this, but I don't think that's a given. I know drug addicts who convinced themselves it was perfectly reasonable to careen aimlessly through life into their 50s only to find themselves alone and lost. At a certain point, I think it becomes too painful to reassess. What a complete and total waste of this short life to spend a serious chunk of it tilting at windmills and navel-gazing on something as inconsequential as what gender they're perceived as.
Enough there to keep a raft of psychiatrists gainfully employed until the next millennium.
But unbelievable - and unbelievably sad and profoundly depressing. Though I lay part of the blame at the doorsteps of various so-called biologists and philosophers who've so muddied the concepts of both sex and gender - the former in particular - that it's no wonder the kids are confused.
Maybe we adults need to be proactive and talk to our kids about porn versus reality, just accepting that we can't prevent them from seeing it. I recently read that most boys have seen it by age 8. It's interesting that the aesthetic that this trans generation prefers is so innocent and babyish, with its pink and blue and cartoons of cute, anime-inspired animals. Perhaps these kids are longing to go back to a time before they knew about sex, or feel ashamed of their nascent sexuality, or both.
Eliza, thanks for finding and sharing their earnest, if delusional words. I agree that these young straight women, these "gay trans men" are seeking refuge with their best intelligence. Like women throughout the ages, they are trying to survive in a culture increasingly hostile to women. They do not want to be defined by men. Given their foundational belief in the lies about sex from the trans cult ("authentic gender identity" is defined by that self, sex is a spectrum, people can change the sex recorded at birth) they have absorbed into psyches, into their very bodies, the choices they are making seem reasonable, even brave. This is so sad, so tragic. They are young and do not know how their choices based on such foundational lies will play out over the decades of their lives. No, none of us know either, but we see so much regret and pain being far more likely than happiness. Of course, being young in an ageist society, they cannot hear most of us older women in this fight. The sound barrier is nearly impenetrable. May a few of these young women be a bit smarter than the others and see through this bullshit. They will make a tiny fire of truth that can grow, at least for the next generation if not this one.
What a tragedy that so many young people have been dragged down the crazy "rabbit-hole" of gender-identity. The best explanation may lie in what they have been led to believe about their future role as men and women. That reminds me, I must look for the link I saw recently about the Dentons "play book" which seems to have been followed by the folk who have enabled this dreadful situation.
Thank you for this very interesting essay. As a Biological Psychologist, I'm concerned about this retreat into make-believe worlds. I agree that adults need to take a stronger hand in shepherding and mentoring their children back into reality. It's a difficult — perhaps even impossible — job now that we're faced with the ubiquity of social media, but worth the effort, nonetheless. Ironically, of course, it is impossible for a person of one sex to imagine what it's like to be a different sex; every individual can only see the world from their unique perspective, and no one can know what's in the mind of — or what it's like to be — another organism (or person). This long-standing truism is taught in every introductory Psychology and Philosophy course....
This fundamental principle is, I think, the reason that so many young people end up creating unrealistic, inaccurate caricatures of the people they try to be. It would be better just to be one's self whatever that is.
I can't help but to notice that the thing which allows these young women to have such crazy ideas is the concept of gender identity (GI). If you have a female body, GI allows you to pretend that you are really rightfully a male, and that your body should be ignored. And they speak as if their GI is a palpable, real thing, when it is only a feeling. True, our feelings are important, but we can't pretend that our bodies are insignificant. We are physical creatures after all.
Why can't these trans men just be tomboys or butch women? Why try to erase their womanhood? If they are heterosexual, you can be sure that there are plenty of heterosexual men who like a non-feminine woman. There is a fundamental dishonesty in the convoluted logic of transgender ideology.
What gets under my skin and mitigates my sympathy for TIFs is their militant attitude. They'll aggressively defend their personal freakshow, but fail to see the irony of positioning GC feminists as their sworn enemy and the cause of their problems. If you were really that tough, you'd be FIGHTING the patriarchy, instead of sacrificing womanhood to men.
Ugh. It's so disheartening reading how mixed up a lot of these young women are. Though it does make me remember being in my teens and twenties and being VERY confused. We're spoon-fed unrealistic imagery about romance and sex and our bodies from the time we're babies so it makes sense that we have some sort of a crisis at some point that causes us to question what we've been taught. It's just sad that so many seem to be making decisions now that might reduce their options (sterilization, mastectomies, etc.) and saddle them with health complications as they age.
Also, I just have to say the commenter who seemed to be saying she was going to "surprise" her male sex partners with telling them to "get on their knees" etc. sounded like an extremely disturbed individual. I have no doubt she's experienced sexual abuse but her words and implied actions are deeply disturbing.
Understandably, if you know that to many men, a woman is a blow-up doll (blank eyes, mouth, asshole per Chu), you will not want to be seen as or treated as one in a sexual context. That is hardly complicated! If being a woman means being subjected to sexual violence (spoiler, it does), it's the least surprising thing in the world that young women are rejecting womanhood. Unfortunately, as they've discovered, you can't opt out of being a woman or being subjected to the usual dynamics and abuse of heterosexuality. I wish for them they could escape it, but we won't get rid of patriarchy by pretending some women aren't women but the rest of us are.
"My whole reason for medically transitioning was so I could be as feminine as I wanted while still being perceived as a man or male-adjacent person."
WTAF. This is like medicalizing not giving two f**ks what someone else thinks. Much safer/cheaper/saner to skip right to the second part and leave your body be.
I'm having one of my brain-fog days, and I really shouldn't have tried to read that! I'm sure it is up to your usual standards, Eliza, but it's gone completely over my head! I'll try again on a couple of days when I have some cognitive function back (I hope!)
These young people are completely destabilized — and the destabilization is supported and reinforced by their peers and by enabling adults. Heartbreaking. At some point I would like to hope that they will figure out that there is more to life than this, but I don't think that's a given. I know drug addicts who convinced themselves it was perfectly reasonable to careen aimlessly through life into their 50s only to find themselves alone and lost. At a certain point, I think it becomes too painful to reassess. What a complete and total waste of this short life to spend a serious chunk of it tilting at windmills and navel-gazing on something as inconsequential as what gender they're perceived as.
Enough there to keep a raft of psychiatrists gainfully employed until the next millennium.
But unbelievable - and unbelievably sad and profoundly depressing. Though I lay part of the blame at the doorsteps of various so-called biologists and philosophers who've so muddied the concepts of both sex and gender - the former in particular - that it's no wonder the kids are confused.
Maybe we adults need to be proactive and talk to our kids about porn versus reality, just accepting that we can't prevent them from seeing it. I recently read that most boys have seen it by age 8. It's interesting that the aesthetic that this trans generation prefers is so innocent and babyish, with its pink and blue and cartoons of cute, anime-inspired animals. Perhaps these kids are longing to go back to a time before they knew about sex, or feel ashamed of their nascent sexuality, or both.
Eliza, thanks for finding and sharing their earnest, if delusional words. I agree that these young straight women, these "gay trans men" are seeking refuge with their best intelligence. Like women throughout the ages, they are trying to survive in a culture increasingly hostile to women. They do not want to be defined by men. Given their foundational belief in the lies about sex from the trans cult ("authentic gender identity" is defined by that self, sex is a spectrum, people can change the sex recorded at birth) they have absorbed into psyches, into their very bodies, the choices they are making seem reasonable, even brave. This is so sad, so tragic. They are young and do not know how their choices based on such foundational lies will play out over the decades of their lives. No, none of us know either, but we see so much regret and pain being far more likely than happiness. Of course, being young in an ageist society, they cannot hear most of us older women in this fight. The sound barrier is nearly impenetrable. May a few of these young women be a bit smarter than the others and see through this bullshit. They will make a tiny fire of truth that can grow, at least for the next generation if not this one.
What a tragedy that so many young people have been dragged down the crazy "rabbit-hole" of gender-identity. The best explanation may lie in what they have been led to believe about their future role as men and women. That reminds me, I must look for the link I saw recently about the Dentons "play book" which seems to have been followed by the folk who have enabled this dreadful situation.
Thank you for this very interesting essay. As a Biological Psychologist, I'm concerned about this retreat into make-believe worlds. I agree that adults need to take a stronger hand in shepherding and mentoring their children back into reality. It's a difficult — perhaps even impossible — job now that we're faced with the ubiquity of social media, but worth the effort, nonetheless. Ironically, of course, it is impossible for a person of one sex to imagine what it's like to be a different sex; every individual can only see the world from their unique perspective, and no one can know what's in the mind of — or what it's like to be — another organism (or person). This long-standing truism is taught in every introductory Psychology and Philosophy course....
https://everythingisbiology.substack.com/p/if-elephants-are-people-and-bees
This fundamental principle is, I think, the reason that so many young people end up creating unrealistic, inaccurate caricatures of the people they try to be. It would be better just to be one's self whatever that is.
https://everythingisbiology.substack.com/p/whats-a-woman-whats-a-man-whats-an
I certainly hope this trend subsides soon. Thank you again for this interesting piece, Frederick
I can't help but to notice that the thing which allows these young women to have such crazy ideas is the concept of gender identity (GI). If you have a female body, GI allows you to pretend that you are really rightfully a male, and that your body should be ignored. And they speak as if their GI is a palpable, real thing, when it is only a feeling. True, our feelings are important, but we can't pretend that our bodies are insignificant. We are physical creatures after all.
Why can't these trans men just be tomboys or butch women? Why try to erase their womanhood? If they are heterosexual, you can be sure that there are plenty of heterosexual men who like a non-feminine woman. There is a fundamental dishonesty in the convoluted logic of transgender ideology.
What gets under my skin and mitigates my sympathy for TIFs is their militant attitude. They'll aggressively defend their personal freakshow, but fail to see the irony of positioning GC feminists as their sworn enemy and the cause of their problems. If you were really that tough, you'd be FIGHTING the patriarchy, instead of sacrificing womanhood to men.
A flowchart/guide would be useful in helping to keep tabs on these different amalgamations of identity and the underlying sex for each.
It’s so insane that I just can’t think of anything to say!
What a crazy crazy world these kids inhabit!!
Ugh. It's so disheartening reading how mixed up a lot of these young women are. Though it does make me remember being in my teens and twenties and being VERY confused. We're spoon-fed unrealistic imagery about romance and sex and our bodies from the time we're babies so it makes sense that we have some sort of a crisis at some point that causes us to question what we've been taught. It's just sad that so many seem to be making decisions now that might reduce their options (sterilization, mastectomies, etc.) and saddle them with health complications as they age.
Also, I just have to say the commenter who seemed to be saying she was going to "surprise" her male sex partners with telling them to "get on their knees" etc. sounded like an extremely disturbed individual. I have no doubt she's experienced sexual abuse but her words and implied actions are deeply disturbing.
Yes, thanks for sharing this window into the obsessive thinking that characterizes this social contagion. Wow. I just have no other words. ☮️❤️👣
Oh god, where do you even start with this...
Understandably, if you know that to many men, a woman is a blow-up doll (blank eyes, mouth, asshole per Chu), you will not want to be seen as or treated as one in a sexual context. That is hardly complicated! If being a woman means being subjected to sexual violence (spoiler, it does), it's the least surprising thing in the world that young women are rejecting womanhood. Unfortunately, as they've discovered, you can't opt out of being a woman or being subjected to the usual dynamics and abuse of heterosexuality. I wish for them they could escape it, but we won't get rid of patriarchy by pretending some women aren't women but the rest of us are.
"My whole reason for medically transitioning was so I could be as feminine as I wanted while still being perceived as a man or male-adjacent person."
WTAF. This is like medicalizing not giving two f**ks what someone else thinks. Much safer/cheaper/saner to skip right to the second part and leave your body be.
I'm having one of my brain-fog days, and I really shouldn't have tried to read that! I'm sure it is up to your usual standards, Eliza, but it's gone completely over my head! I'll try again on a couple of days when I have some cognitive function back (I hope!)