good stuff. these things need to be said and repeated. it's important to be reminded there is such a thing as a man and woman. and that it is not a big deal to say so.
Courage requires a few things to exist. Chief among them is some sort of perceived threat--something negative that is likely or definitely going to befall the person acting in bravery. If it’s considered brave to "come out" or to "transition," then that means there's a perceived threat to those who do so. That's not fake. Society is absolutely responsible for the way people treat those who are different. We've heard of "gay bashing." That's not something that should exist--not because homosexuality should be considered normal, but because there are more civilized ways of confronting sexual deviation. The threat of harm resulted in any "coming out" being considered bravery, which it was. That's not fake either. People like to be seen as brave. That's not the same as actually BEING brave. I believe that adds to children's confusion, particularly in this time of likes and follows. Therefore, LGBTQ =bravery, bravery = likes, and likes = happiness/success. That is fake.
Now it's considered brave to stand up for women, to even dare to define what a woman is, to prorest the mutilation of children's genitalia (except clitorectomies in 3rd-world nations--I think thats still considered appalling), and to say that sexually deviant behavior is actually deviant. If publicly pronouncing these beliefs is now "brave," that means there's a perceived threat to anyone who does so. Now we have "trans shootings" and it is absolutely society's fault for how we treat people who are different.
Yeah... it would be much easier for my life if I simply kept my mouth shut on most of the issues I'm vocal about—but that's just not who I am. I don't feel right inside my body when I don't speak up about the things that feel important to me. And I can't think of a more important issue than the actual erosion of language, truth—and what it means to be a fucking WOMAN.
This article perfectly sums up over a year’s worth of research - you could have saved me a lot of time if this came out 2 years ago (just kidding). As a coach of young females I took it upon myself to look into this issue because I figured it was only a matter of time before I had to deal with it. What I concluded was everything you summarized and yes I saw the pictures (regrettably) and will never get them out of my head.
The one thing I wanted to comment on is the role of gov’t. You state “they are either captured, cowardly, or clueless”. Maybe most of them are just towing the party line out of ignorance, fealty or corruption but I believe the true party power structure on the far left knows EXACTLY what they are doing and why.
Fifty years ago I took an elective course in high school called Understanding Media. It used McLuhan’s book of the same name as a textbook but we also read Subliminal Seduction by William Bryan Key. One of the main things I got from that book was his idea that “gender confusion provokes subconscious anxiety, uncertainty and unresolved tension”. THIS is exactly what they want. Because then they can say “hey we have the relief - just listen to us”. In other words Gov’t is the cure for what ails you - just listen to THEM. That, to me, is the ultimate goal in all this.
I also have incredible empathy for all the kids/young adults caught up in this because I know what is going to happen to them. They will be abandoned and discarded as the trans “fad” is eventually seen for what it is (and the lawsuits begin and insurance stops covering it) and THEY (aka the whole gov’t/psychiatry/pharma blob) move on to the next big thing. That is exactly what happened after the whole Satanic and Child Care panic of the 80’s/90’s where so many children (and parents) lives were damaged through hypnotic regression therapies and false memory implantation. At this point I’m not sure if this is a case of “we never learn” or a case that they never stop trying…or both.
All great points, Frank—I appreciate you taking the time to read and leave this comment. To clarify what I meant regarding the gov: I totally agree with your point that some of them, specifically on the left, know exactly what they’re doing. I was referring to the ones who won’t stand their ground, won’t say the truth out loud, or just tip toe around every question regarding these issues in some word salad type of response without ever saying anything of substance. Good on you for taking the time to actually dig deeper into this—I don’t think very many people do. They seem to be very vocal about something they don’t even have a surface level understanding of. It’s concerning to say the least.
I found you on X last year and have been consistently inspired by your thoughts and perspective on these topics! This is a wonderful piece that I can't wait to share with my teenage kids. Please keep going! I often struggle to articulate to my children what is happening in the world today, and it's important for them to know that it's okay to challenge ideas and to have a core value system based on specific beliefs and truths. Thank you!
Ohhh, you’re actually crazy. I came from your pro-AI pity party tantrum to see what other masterful work ChatGPT is helping you pump out of the assembly line. Yeah… this tracks!
You understand that the words “male,” “female,” “gender,” and “sex” are made up, right? Like people just made that stuff up in order to put words to a thought that they wanted to express. The concepts of male and female are exactly as contrived as the concepts of gender identity and being transgender. They are all equally fabricated ideas. Neither one is an “objective reality.”
this is exactly what transphobia means and you literally make no sense. you are being transphobic and it’s because ur playing dumb, read some history and read some of the stories of trans people and stop spreading this kind of discourse, especially now amidst everything that is happening to this community. your are deeply miseducated and completely ignorant. really disappointing!
I have a degree in "women's and gender studies" and biology — not sure how much more "educated" you'd like me to get. I choose to live in objective reality; I'm sorry you don't.
Basic human decency means not advocating for confused children to mutilate and sterilize themselves. I've read plenty, as I stated in my previous response to you.
I like how you write and articulate your thoughts. This is a very interesting piece. I don't agree on everything.
I'm from Italy, never been in the US so of course I can only speak about what it is like in my country. In Italy reaffirming medicine and surgery is quite limited compared to the US (as I understand from this article and other info and commentaries) and even changing your name is much harder (for anyone, not just in this kind of situation), and I must say the data you presented when it comes to children especially, is not at all encouraging. I agree a child in search of their identity, in their development age, might not be in the best conditions to make a choice of this stature and the parents should definitely make sure they are well informed and equipped to make the best interest of the child, bearing in mind that it is a huge change and could have a lot of consequences in the short and long term.
That being said, I have some transgender and non-binary friends, and a lot of friends in the LGBTQ+ community and I fully support them, and I don't think it's a stupid thing. Even when we're speaking about science and biology, the question of sex assigned at birth is not so simple either. The fact that a baby is assigned either M or F doesn't mean that it is so straightforward: there are visible sex characteristics (external genitalia) and invisible ones (internal genitalia, hormones etc) and the former aren't always a direct connection and confirmation to the latter and not all babies are born with clear external genitalia either (middlesex) and are often mutilated at birth based on which characteristics are more prominent (M or F) only to discover later in life that the opposite internal/invisible characteristics are the ones that actually develop during puberty. And sure, this is not the norm, but it is not a rare exception either.
So I don't agree that "it's just basic biology".
I agree however that the distinction, although, as I said, simplified, is important to hold in the medical field especially, as the male and the female body are built and work differently and it's important that the language allows to describe these distinctions.
Language is very important and it is absolutely not just symbolic. In fact, language shapes reality and it is important that we use it wisely. I won't really expound on this because I'm obviously more invested and better informed for what concerns my language.
At the end of the day, I think the main problem here, especially when it comes to children finding and building their identity, is that we attached a lot of rules and social characteristics to the M and F and it's really hard for a lot of people to come out of the idea that a girl will be sweet and gracious and will love flowers while a boy will be strong and aggressive and won't cry. I understand it's a difficult shift to make, I understand it's hard to reshape this fixed categories and I understand it's not easy to reeducate yourself and choose to educate your children in a different way. But I think if we let girls know that having a passion for motors doesn't make them boys and to boys that enjoying creative beadwork doesn't make them girls, than maybe it would be easier and more peaceful for everyone involved.
girls don’t have to be sweet and gracious and boys can definitely cry—none of that implies you’re born in the wrong body and aren’t female or male
it is basic biology because there are only 2 sexes
i grew up riding dirt bikes, fixing cars and playing sports with the boys. i was a tomboy through and through. i can’t imagine how different my life would be today if people captured by this twisted ideology would have gotten their grubby hands on me and convinced me i was actually a boy bc i did “boy things”
and regarding “middlesex” which you mention—i urge you to look up the stats on how few babies are actually born that way. that has almost nothing to do with trans discourse or the people who end up transitioning
trans is not real. children should be allowed to “search for their identity” without being pressured to recognize themselves as “gendered” and “sexual” beings
For the tastes and "gender norms" I was talking about, of course I'm not calling out anyone in particular, nor am I assuming anything about your personal experience. I'm just saying it is still a problem we have as a society. At least with regards to my country, there's still a lot of stereotyping around gender and some kids still get bullied in school if they show certain preferences and sometimes they get mean comments even from family.
What I meant to say there is if there was more awareness and reassurance that there's no "girls' things" and "boys' things" maybe kids at that age would feel much more comfortable in who they are and such instances that you describe would happen less often.
Sorry, I meant to say "intersex", not "middlesex" and fair enough on the data.
Still, there is a scientific consensus on gender dysphoria and as I said, I do have trans/non-binary friends, so I'm still convinced that trans people do exist.
Again, I agree on what you said about transitioning when it comes to kids and all the risks and consequences it brings (and the money interests around it). I understand that some people come to regret the transition, I don't find it hard to believe. But I also know that other people don't regret it at all and that they finally feel more like themselves in their new skin.
In both cases, I haven't personally found myself in the situation and I would never assume I can guess what it feels like.
Trans people do exist and the reason I strongly believe that is that I know trans people that say they don't feel comfortable in their body as it is and sure, I cannot understand that, I cannot put myself in their shoes, but that doesn't mean what their saying is not true; I can't know that.
I have no doubt you know people who believe they are trans. That doesn't make it real—and "affirming" those delusions is part of the problem. But that's just my opinion as someone with a background in both biology and women's and gender studies.
Great piece and I think it takes a fair bit of courage to maintain a nuance yet clear stance on this issue. I think the point of language as not neutral but shaping both the discourse and the real-world effects of policy, law, medical care, etc., is crucial here. The postmodern turn in thinking about truth/ language did a lot of good, as a historical remedy to master narratives, but at the same time I think we’ve reached, culturally, its outer limits. I do think a serious backlash is coming (and is necessary)—I just hope it doesn’t cost us all the progress we did make, since the 1960s. Personally I wouldn’t want to get back to an exclusively essentialist definition of woman, either, but the whole “woman is a feeling” thing is just as insane to me. Evidently finding a balance between the extremes is a matter of ongoing work.
Thank you. I think the pendulum always has to be swinging... and whenever we see it go too far in one direction, there will always be more oomph when it finally swings back the other way. It will be interesting to see what happens with all this over the course of the next 5-10 years, to say the least. I can't imagine a world where we don't look back on this and see it as absolute madness, but I guess time will tell.
Yes yes yes! Louder for the very confused woke people at the back! This always brings me close to tears. Why are simple things being complicated to the extent that we have to defend our claim to being fair, a feminist, an empathetic human, just because we think teens don’t need hormone blockers and there’s an actual definition for what a woman is?!
Girl, this is masterful. I’m amazed with how much top tier content you’ve been gracing us with lately!
Thanks, Kellie, I appreciate it. This one's been in my drafts for quite a while... took some time to find the balls to finally post it.
I second this! MASTERFUL and top of the top tier 👏🏼
Tysm, Jackie!
good stuff. these things need to be said and repeated. it's important to be reminded there is such a thing as a man and woman. and that it is not a big deal to say so.
I can’t believe it’s something that needs to be stated but here we are.
Wonderfully written, thank you!
Courage requires a few things to exist. Chief among them is some sort of perceived threat--something negative that is likely or definitely going to befall the person acting in bravery. If it’s considered brave to "come out" or to "transition," then that means there's a perceived threat to those who do so. That's not fake. Society is absolutely responsible for the way people treat those who are different. We've heard of "gay bashing." That's not something that should exist--not because homosexuality should be considered normal, but because there are more civilized ways of confronting sexual deviation. The threat of harm resulted in any "coming out" being considered bravery, which it was. That's not fake either. People like to be seen as brave. That's not the same as actually BEING brave. I believe that adds to children's confusion, particularly in this time of likes and follows. Therefore, LGBTQ =bravery, bravery = likes, and likes = happiness/success. That is fake.
Now it's considered brave to stand up for women, to even dare to define what a woman is, to prorest the mutilation of children's genitalia (except clitorectomies in 3rd-world nations--I think thats still considered appalling), and to say that sexually deviant behavior is actually deviant. If publicly pronouncing these beliefs is now "brave," that means there's a perceived threat to anyone who does so. Now we have "trans shootings" and it is absolutely society's fault for how we treat people who are different.
Just a little perspective.
Yeah... it would be much easier for my life if I simply kept my mouth shut on most of the issues I'm vocal about—but that's just not who I am. I don't feel right inside my body when I don't speak up about the things that feel important to me. And I can't think of a more important issue than the actual erosion of language, truth—and what it means to be a fucking WOMAN.
thank you!! this one is so important!!
🤍
This article perfectly sums up over a year’s worth of research - you could have saved me a lot of time if this came out 2 years ago (just kidding). As a coach of young females I took it upon myself to look into this issue because I figured it was only a matter of time before I had to deal with it. What I concluded was everything you summarized and yes I saw the pictures (regrettably) and will never get them out of my head.
The one thing I wanted to comment on is the role of gov’t. You state “they are either captured, cowardly, or clueless”. Maybe most of them are just towing the party line out of ignorance, fealty or corruption but I believe the true party power structure on the far left knows EXACTLY what they are doing and why.
Fifty years ago I took an elective course in high school called Understanding Media. It used McLuhan’s book of the same name as a textbook but we also read Subliminal Seduction by William Bryan Key. One of the main things I got from that book was his idea that “gender confusion provokes subconscious anxiety, uncertainty and unresolved tension”. THIS is exactly what they want. Because then they can say “hey we have the relief - just listen to us”. In other words Gov’t is the cure for what ails you - just listen to THEM. That, to me, is the ultimate goal in all this.
I also have incredible empathy for all the kids/young adults caught up in this because I know what is going to happen to them. They will be abandoned and discarded as the trans “fad” is eventually seen for what it is (and the lawsuits begin and insurance stops covering it) and THEY (aka the whole gov’t/psychiatry/pharma blob) move on to the next big thing. That is exactly what happened after the whole Satanic and Child Care panic of the 80’s/90’s where so many children (and parents) lives were damaged through hypnotic regression therapies and false memory implantation. At this point I’m not sure if this is a case of “we never learn” or a case that they never stop trying…or both.
All great points, Frank—I appreciate you taking the time to read and leave this comment. To clarify what I meant regarding the gov: I totally agree with your point that some of them, specifically on the left, know exactly what they’re doing. I was referring to the ones who won’t stand their ground, won’t say the truth out loud, or just tip toe around every question regarding these issues in some word salad type of response without ever saying anything of substance. Good on you for taking the time to actually dig deeper into this—I don’t think very many people do. They seem to be very vocal about something they don’t even have a surface level understanding of. It’s concerning to say the least.
I found you on X last year and have been consistently inspired by your thoughts and perspective on these topics! This is a wonderful piece that I can't wait to share with my teenage kids. Please keep going! I often struggle to articulate to my children what is happening in the world today, and it's important for them to know that it's okay to challenge ideas and to have a core value system based on specific beliefs and truths. Thank you!
Thank you for this kind note, I'm so glad you found me. I hope your kids enjoy the piece :)
Outstanding and so well articulated, thank you.
Thanks so much, Sarah-Jane.
Great bookend to The Midwit Industrial Complex
HAHA how did I not think of that!
This is extremely powerful. The Orwell quote is what everyone needs to remember. Like many, I am restacking this Stephanie.
Ohhh, you’re actually crazy. I came from your pro-AI pity party tantrum to see what other masterful work ChatGPT is helping you pump out of the assembly line. Yeah… this tracks!
Yes. People who believe in objective reality and use the tools of their era are crazy. You nailed it.
You understand that the words “male,” “female,” “gender,” and “sex” are made up, right? Like people just made that stuff up in order to put words to a thought that they wanted to express. The concepts of male and female are exactly as contrived as the concepts of gender identity and being transgender. They are all equally fabricated ideas. Neither one is an “objective reality.”
I have degrees in Women's and Gender Studies and biology. I can promise you, you will not out-mental gymnastics me with your MSNBC talking points.
Clearly no one is as good as you at mental gymnastics. You’re going for the gold!
this is exactly what transphobia means and you literally make no sense. you are being transphobic and it’s because ur playing dumb, read some history and read some of the stories of trans people and stop spreading this kind of discourse, especially now amidst everything that is happening to this community. your are deeply miseducated and completely ignorant. really disappointing!
I have a degree in "women's and gender studies" and biology — not sure how much more "educated" you'd like me to get. I choose to live in objective reality; I'm sorry you don't.
i want you to read about trans people and learn about basic human decency
Basic human decency means not advocating for confused children to mutilate and sterilize themselves. I've read plenty, as I stated in my previous response to you.
I like how you write and articulate your thoughts. This is a very interesting piece. I don't agree on everything.
I'm from Italy, never been in the US so of course I can only speak about what it is like in my country. In Italy reaffirming medicine and surgery is quite limited compared to the US (as I understand from this article and other info and commentaries) and even changing your name is much harder (for anyone, not just in this kind of situation), and I must say the data you presented when it comes to children especially, is not at all encouraging. I agree a child in search of their identity, in their development age, might not be in the best conditions to make a choice of this stature and the parents should definitely make sure they are well informed and equipped to make the best interest of the child, bearing in mind that it is a huge change and could have a lot of consequences in the short and long term.
That being said, I have some transgender and non-binary friends, and a lot of friends in the LGBTQ+ community and I fully support them, and I don't think it's a stupid thing. Even when we're speaking about science and biology, the question of sex assigned at birth is not so simple either. The fact that a baby is assigned either M or F doesn't mean that it is so straightforward: there are visible sex characteristics (external genitalia) and invisible ones (internal genitalia, hormones etc) and the former aren't always a direct connection and confirmation to the latter and not all babies are born with clear external genitalia either (middlesex) and are often mutilated at birth based on which characteristics are more prominent (M or F) only to discover later in life that the opposite internal/invisible characteristics are the ones that actually develop during puberty. And sure, this is not the norm, but it is not a rare exception either.
So I don't agree that "it's just basic biology".
I agree however that the distinction, although, as I said, simplified, is important to hold in the medical field especially, as the male and the female body are built and work differently and it's important that the language allows to describe these distinctions.
Language is very important and it is absolutely not just symbolic. In fact, language shapes reality and it is important that we use it wisely. I won't really expound on this because I'm obviously more invested and better informed for what concerns my language.
At the end of the day, I think the main problem here, especially when it comes to children finding and building their identity, is that we attached a lot of rules and social characteristics to the M and F and it's really hard for a lot of people to come out of the idea that a girl will be sweet and gracious and will love flowers while a boy will be strong and aggressive and won't cry. I understand it's a difficult shift to make, I understand it's hard to reshape this fixed categories and I understand it's not easy to reeducate yourself and choose to educate your children in a different way. But I think if we let girls know that having a passion for motors doesn't make them boys and to boys that enjoying creative beadwork doesn't make them girls, than maybe it would be easier and more peaceful for everyone involved.
girls don’t have to be sweet and gracious and boys can definitely cry—none of that implies you’re born in the wrong body and aren’t female or male
it is basic biology because there are only 2 sexes
i grew up riding dirt bikes, fixing cars and playing sports with the boys. i was a tomboy through and through. i can’t imagine how different my life would be today if people captured by this twisted ideology would have gotten their grubby hands on me and convinced me i was actually a boy bc i did “boy things”
and regarding “middlesex” which you mention—i urge you to look up the stats on how few babies are actually born that way. that has almost nothing to do with trans discourse or the people who end up transitioning
trans is not real. children should be allowed to “search for their identity” without being pressured to recognize themselves as “gendered” and “sexual” beings
For the tastes and "gender norms" I was talking about, of course I'm not calling out anyone in particular, nor am I assuming anything about your personal experience. I'm just saying it is still a problem we have as a society. At least with regards to my country, there's still a lot of stereotyping around gender and some kids still get bullied in school if they show certain preferences and sometimes they get mean comments even from family.
What I meant to say there is if there was more awareness and reassurance that there's no "girls' things" and "boys' things" maybe kids at that age would feel much more comfortable in who they are and such instances that you describe would happen less often.
Sorry, I meant to say "intersex", not "middlesex" and fair enough on the data.
Still, there is a scientific consensus on gender dysphoria and as I said, I do have trans/non-binary friends, so I'm still convinced that trans people do exist.
Again, I agree on what you said about transitioning when it comes to kids and all the risks and consequences it brings (and the money interests around it). I understand that some people come to regret the transition, I don't find it hard to believe. But I also know that other people don't regret it at all and that they finally feel more like themselves in their new skin.
In both cases, I haven't personally found myself in the situation and I would never assume I can guess what it feels like.
Trans people do exist and the reason I strongly believe that is that I know trans people that say they don't feel comfortable in their body as it is and sure, I cannot understand that, I cannot put myself in their shoes, but that doesn't mean what their saying is not true; I can't know that.
That's all I have to say
I have no doubt you know people who believe they are trans. That doesn't make it real—and "affirming" those delusions is part of the problem. But that's just my opinion as someone with a background in both biology and women's and gender studies.
Great piece and I think it takes a fair bit of courage to maintain a nuance yet clear stance on this issue. I think the point of language as not neutral but shaping both the discourse and the real-world effects of policy, law, medical care, etc., is crucial here. The postmodern turn in thinking about truth/ language did a lot of good, as a historical remedy to master narratives, but at the same time I think we’ve reached, culturally, its outer limits. I do think a serious backlash is coming (and is necessary)—I just hope it doesn’t cost us all the progress we did make, since the 1960s. Personally I wouldn’t want to get back to an exclusively essentialist definition of woman, either, but the whole “woman is a feeling” thing is just as insane to me. Evidently finding a balance between the extremes is a matter of ongoing work.
Thank you. I think the pendulum always has to be swinging... and whenever we see it go too far in one direction, there will always be more oomph when it finally swings back the other way. It will be interesting to see what happens with all this over the course of the next 5-10 years, to say the least. I can't imagine a world where we don't look back on this and see it as absolute madness, but I guess time will tell.
Yes yes yes! Louder for the very confused woke people at the back! This always brings me close to tears. Why are simple things being complicated to the extent that we have to defend our claim to being fair, a feminist, an empathetic human, just because we think teens don’t need hormone blockers and there’s an actual definition for what a woman is?!
Trans is fake and gay. You don't have to play along with any of it. Any. Of. It.
Everyone should strive to be transphobic. Just like everyone should avoid drinking poison.