This was the question Roger Rosenblatt asked in The New York Times in 1994 regarding the tobacco industry executives who lied to Congress about what they knew to be true.
It is now a question we must ask of the leaders of major medical organizations, such as the AAP, AMA, and Endocrine Society, as well as leaders of advocacy groups in the charity sector that support the medicalization of non-conforming youth—particularly those that once fought for the rights of LGB individuals, including HRC, GLSEN, GLAAD, the Trevor Project, Stonewall UK, and others.
Big Tobacco, Big Medicine, Lies, Silence, and Betrayal
Thank you for linking your article, which is excellent. (Do you publish on Substack?). I especially appreciate your use of the term “non-conforming” youth- I find it preferable to confused or even dysphoric as it points out the underlying problem of “gender” (stereotypes) with all of this, not to mention that many of these kids will be gay if allowed to grow up whole. To me, the stakes now are even higher than with tobacco for a few reasons: (1) as someone else has already mentioned, gender has an (insidious) ideology, (2) children are targeted (although the Camel ad featuring kids is horrifying), (3) different media environment (still waiting for today’s NYT to publish anything truly critical of “gender affirming care” - not to mention social media’s influence, and (4) it’s not just medical organizations and charities promoting “GAC” but our governments and schools, too.
I have often thought of the gender industry as being similar to the “pain industry” that led to the opiate epidemic, but hadn’t considered the similarities with Big Tobacco. Great analysis. I think a big difference is gender has an ideology (postmodernism, queer theory) behind it along with transhumanism. I do believe, however, that the majority of people will see it for what it is as more evidence comes to light about the flimsiness of the “science” of “gender affirmative care” and prior “converts” (detransitioners) speak up more.
This article provides some creative parallels in the trajectories found in the rise and fall of these two social contagions. The practice of infant circumcision in the US offers similar parallels.
Brilliant post that I will share widely! Thank you for writing the comparison of the gender industry and the tobacco industry. I have wanted to write about this myself, but this article nailed it better than I could have done!
How do they live with themselves?
This was the question Roger Rosenblatt asked in The New York Times in 1994 regarding the tobacco industry executives who lied to Congress about what they knew to be true.
It is now a question we must ask of the leaders of major medical organizations, such as the AAP, AMA, and Endocrine Society, as well as leaders of advocacy groups in the charity sector that support the medicalization of non-conforming youth—particularly those that once fought for the rights of LGB individuals, including HRC, GLSEN, GLAAD, the Trevor Project, Stonewall UK, and others.
Big Tobacco, Big Medicine, Lies, Silence, and Betrayal
https://www.josieholford.com/how-do-they-live-with-themselves/
Thank you for linking your article, which is excellent. (Do you publish on Substack?). I especially appreciate your use of the term “non-conforming” youth- I find it preferable to confused or even dysphoric as it points out the underlying problem of “gender” (stereotypes) with all of this, not to mention that many of these kids will be gay if allowed to grow up whole. To me, the stakes now are even higher than with tobacco for a few reasons: (1) as someone else has already mentioned, gender has an (insidious) ideology, (2) children are targeted (although the Camel ad featuring kids is horrifying), (3) different media environment (still waiting for today’s NYT to publish anything truly critical of “gender affirming care” - not to mention social media’s influence, and (4) it’s not just medical organizations and charities promoting “GAC” but our governments and schools, too.
I have often thought of the gender industry as being similar to the “pain industry” that led to the opiate epidemic, but hadn’t considered the similarities with Big Tobacco. Great analysis. I think a big difference is gender has an ideology (postmodernism, queer theory) behind it along with transhumanism. I do believe, however, that the majority of people will see it for what it is as more evidence comes to light about the flimsiness of the “science” of “gender affirmative care” and prior “converts” (detransitioners) speak up more.
Excellent analogy that I hadn’t considered. Thank you for this.
Thank you! Again, we are at the toxic intersection of pop-culture, profit and "health."
This article provides some creative parallels in the trajectories found in the rise and fall of these two social contagions. The practice of infant circumcision in the US offers similar parallels.
Brilliant post that I will share widely! Thank you for writing the comparison of the gender industry and the tobacco industry. I have wanted to write about this myself, but this article nailed it better than I could have done!