This piece should be mandatory reading for the trans allies out there in the mainstream media and on podcasts with their reflexive disdain for J. K. Rowling and their oft professed concern for the welfare of "trans kids." I'm talking to you, Tim Miller, Rick Wilson, Rachel Maddow, Nicole Wallace, Molly Jong-Fast and all the rest whose smugness regarding gender identity ideology is exceeded only by their ignorance of the ugly realities of youth who've gotten their sex and gender wires badly crossed.
So very excellent. I heard it live in Lisbon, and I appreciated reading it here.
Some stand out lines:
"Trans communities actively discourage the consumption of outside information, particularly when it comes to the touchy subject of detransition."
"Recruitment matters because if you can convince newcomers to take up the same belief system, you can tell yourself there must be something there to believe in."
"A healthy, open, supportive trans community wouldn't seek to drive a wedge between gender-questioning youth and their family members or friends who sincerely want the best for them but question whether transition is the right answer."
And finally, "let us hope that these young people...will be able to leave these rigid beliefs behind, think freely, reconnect with their bodies and their families, and move forward."
Eliza, your work in this area is invaluable. I agree with everything here.
Whether we call it a cult or just a very unhealthy, destructive community, we know that this is a large group of otherwise unrelated people who share a common belief in an unfalsifiable notion.
We know this group encourages those who might believe the notion to believe it more and more strongly and to squash all doubts. We know this group is most unkind and unaccepting to the apostates, the detransitioners.
We know this notion is extreme. The notion is: that some people are born into bodies that they must chemically and/or surgically alter to appear as the opposite sex (or some previously unheard of sex with its own unique appearance requirements) in order to have any semblance of happiness and/or peace, and that these people must be referred to as such by those around them (and even thought of as such, to the extent they can actually force those around them to change their thoughts).
We know this group also encourages these extreme body modifications through chemical and/or surgical means, and downplays the very real consequences, some of which compromise overall health and daily functioning. The consequences to health that we know of include, but are not limited to: infections, incontinence, increased risk of cancer, stroke or heart attack, bone density problems, and the ever present infertility, loss of ability to breastfeed, and loss of sexual function. Other consequences of these chemical and/or surgical interventions "merely" affect appearance, often permanently (deepened voice, hairy body, missing body parts, etc.).
Maybe it's not a cult because there is no charismatic leader, or maybe the charismatic leader has been replaced with the society at large. After all, no other cult is pushed by all of the major institutions of society. Who needs a charismatic leader when you have the sweet, trustworthy President of the United States encouraging parents to "affirm" their "trans kids" for their health and safety? (President Biden did just this in a speech in 2022.) Doctors, teachers, entertainers, journalists, business leaders, friends and neighbors all pushing this unfalsifiable notion are perhaps much more effective than a single charismatic cult leader.
But, whether or not it's a cult, as you said, this is a very unhealthy community that is helping to spread an insane notion, and harming vulnerable young people and tearing apart families in the process. Some day that will be obvious to almost everyone. Until then, people like you have to keep on speaking out and informing the public of what's going on right on our computers, Ipads and phones.
This piece should be mandatory reading for the trans allies out there in the mainstream media and on podcasts with their reflexive disdain for J. K. Rowling and their oft professed concern for the welfare of "trans kids." I'm talking to you, Tim Miller, Rick Wilson, Rachel Maddow, Nicole Wallace, Molly Jong-Fast and all the rest whose smugness regarding gender identity ideology is exceeded only by their ignorance of the ugly realities of youth who've gotten their sex and gender wires badly crossed.
So very excellent. I heard it live in Lisbon, and I appreciated reading it here.
Some stand out lines:
"Trans communities actively discourage the consumption of outside information, particularly when it comes to the touchy subject of detransition."
"Recruitment matters because if you can convince newcomers to take up the same belief system, you can tell yourself there must be something there to believe in."
"A healthy, open, supportive trans community wouldn't seek to drive a wedge between gender-questioning youth and their family members or friends who sincerely want the best for them but question whether transition is the right answer."
And finally, "let us hope that these young people...will be able to leave these rigid beliefs behind, think freely, reconnect with their bodies and their families, and move forward."
Thank you!
Eliza, your work in this area is invaluable. I agree with everything here.
Whether we call it a cult or just a very unhealthy, destructive community, we know that this is a large group of otherwise unrelated people who share a common belief in an unfalsifiable notion.
We know this group encourages those who might believe the notion to believe it more and more strongly and to squash all doubts. We know this group is most unkind and unaccepting to the apostates, the detransitioners.
We know this notion is extreme. The notion is: that some people are born into bodies that they must chemically and/or surgically alter to appear as the opposite sex (or some previously unheard of sex with its own unique appearance requirements) in order to have any semblance of happiness and/or peace, and that these people must be referred to as such by those around them (and even thought of as such, to the extent they can actually force those around them to change their thoughts).
We know this group also encourages these extreme body modifications through chemical and/or surgical means, and downplays the very real consequences, some of which compromise overall health and daily functioning. The consequences to health that we know of include, but are not limited to: infections, incontinence, increased risk of cancer, stroke or heart attack, bone density problems, and the ever present infertility, loss of ability to breastfeed, and loss of sexual function. Other consequences of these chemical and/or surgical interventions "merely" affect appearance, often permanently (deepened voice, hairy body, missing body parts, etc.).
Maybe it's not a cult because there is no charismatic leader, or maybe the charismatic leader has been replaced with the society at large. After all, no other cult is pushed by all of the major institutions of society. Who needs a charismatic leader when you have the sweet, trustworthy President of the United States encouraging parents to "affirm" their "trans kids" for their health and safety? (President Biden did just this in a speech in 2022.) Doctors, teachers, entertainers, journalists, business leaders, friends and neighbors all pushing this unfalsifiable notion are perhaps much more effective than a single charismatic cult leader.
But, whether or not it's a cult, as you said, this is a very unhealthy community that is helping to spread an insane notion, and harming vulnerable young people and tearing apart families in the process. Some day that will be obvious to almost everyone. Until then, people like you have to keep on speaking out and informing the public of what's going on right on our computers, Ipads and phones.
Compassionate and full of insight. Thank you!
Bravo!
The fact that children are so open and unformed makes these books very dangerous. https://ourduty.group/canada/books-that-indoctrinate-young-children/