Thank you for this piece. I understand your concern about fleas. But broadly speaking, I believe conservatives (especially big-tent conservatives of 2025) want politics to convey their values -- and family is at the core. The culture has changed in the last 20 years, and a large majority of our nation, including conservatives, supports gay marriage. Of course, there will always be an element that wants to convince gay children that it's better not to be gay, and I don't mean to minimize that challenge. But the vast majority of conservatives, even religious ones, want children, gay, gender non-conforming, or not, to grow into solid, mature, responsible members of society.
I truly hope you’re right, because I live in Alabama, where I generally don’t have issues with anyone. But then you see states like Idaho starting to talk about banning gay marriage, and it’s hard not to feel uneasy. I do think the parties are in the middle of a major transformation, and many of the old terms and alliances no longer make sense. Sure, I can always take a flea dip if I’ve been in the wrong places, but first, we have to focus on stopping the harm being done to children and vulnerable adults. That, to me, is the real moral imperative.
I agree with this comment but I’d like to emphasize the moral imperative we face, which will require a “big tent” approach.
I’m a gender-critical lesbian who first encountered men demanding access to our lesbian social/political group in the late 1970s. Yes, almost 50 years ago. I’m no stranger to the issue. Attitudes towards lesbians and gays have improved a lot since I came out. Homophobia still exists here and there, but in the 1970s it was still a very hostile and dangerous world for us.
I don’t see the Right as a whole backtracking on gay rights, although there will always be people who reject it on religious grounds, which is their Constitutional right within their own faith communities, up to a point. But the courts have spoken and I don’t see that reversing.
In fact, I believe that the best way to combat homophobia is to form coalitions based on what we have on common; in this case, the inviolable reality of two sexes, a complete rejection of the medicalization and indoctrination of children, the sacred role of parents, not the state, as authorities and guardians of their offspring, and the protection of all women-only spaces, which has just been given a huge gift with the recent ruling cancelling Biden’s Final Rule that attempted to insert “gender identity” into Title IX.
Indeed, the best way to ensure that gender critical people on both sides of the aisle succeed in our goals is to make common cause, and demonstrate through working together that our aims align and that any misconceptions people on the Right may have about lesbians and gays are based on a lack of exposure to actual people with whom they share more values than they realize. Also, we have information that they don’t have, because we’re inside this issue, and they’re outside observers.
Finally, the sad fact remains that the Democrats as an entity are uncritically pro-trans on ideological and financial grounds, and they vote as a block. Our allies are on the Right, and it’s worth it to attempt to build a bridge specifically on the trans issue and its distinction from lesbian and gay rights.
Well said. That is pretty much where I am at. It’s why we had pride to begin with. Not to have a party sponsored by bud light but to be visible. And I agree completely about people’s religion being their own in this country. Bravo!
Exactly what I came to say. For many conservatives, the primary thing to conserve is the constitution and the individual rights that it guarantees. The majority of conservatives I know (and I put myself in that group too) believe gay marriage should be legal. Even for those who have a religious belief that homosexuality is wrong, many recognize that they themselves live in ways that violate other religions’ beliefs and that the best way to preserve religious freedom for all is to support it for those who have different beliefs.
Obviously not all conservatives share my view, but I think one of the lies and manipulations of our current media landscape is that the most extreme voices are amplified so that conservatives tend to think that all liberals are amoral Communists who literally want to tear down society, outlaw religion, and brainwash all kids, while most liberals tend to view conservatives as hateful bigots who want to eliminate minorities and roll back women’s rights.
In reality, I think the vast majority of us are far closer together than we think. There really should be nothing partisan about saying that kids should be encouraged to be how they are, no medical interventions needed.
"It’s also about creating a world where children can be themselves—whether that means being a tomboy, a feminine boy, or somewhere outside those labels entirely—without fear of judgment, coercion, or permanent medicalization."
Well, from this conservative, this is exactly how I feel. I do think there are millions of us, but I don't think your fear (maybe more like hesitancy, really) is unfounded. We do need vigilance.
I like these lines, "Puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries are being offered to children and adolescents with alarming speed, all while long-term research on the outcomes remains either incomplete or deeply flawed. The risks are enormous—ranging from irreversible sterility to loss of sexual function to lifelong dependency on medical interventions.
Gender-nonconforming kids deserve the freedom to explore who they are without being coerced into lifelong medical dependency."
I'm an independent, but why are you assuming that conservative values are negative? Perhaps spend time meeting as many conservatives as you can and sharing your concerns. Speak with the people who worry you. (I realize there are extremists on the right, but most have deep values for family, which you might be able to connect with.) Have conversations. Create alliances for a better future. Let's work together on this issue.
I know how you feel; as a long-time liberal, it's uncomfortable to find myself on the same side of an issue as, say, Matt Walsh. It's reminiscent of Dick Cheney's support of same-sex marriage in the aughts--back then, I kept thinking, "Maybe I should now oppose that?"
I try to remind myself that you don't make alliances with your friends, but with people who sometimes disagree with you. So I don't have to like Matt Walsh--and I don't--but if he's willing to help put an end to this gender madness, we might be able to work together. To an extent. On this issue.
When I listen to Matt Walsh talk his usual conservative talk, I don’t agree with him, especially on the abortion issue, but other things as well. And when he tries to take credit for being the first gender critical person on earth, I roll my eyes.
On the other hand, he made very good films on trans and DEI that reached millions of people. “Am I Racist?” was both hilarious and insightful, and not for nothing was it the number one box office draw in the documentary category for 2024.
I understand your perspective. It’s possible to disagree with Matt Walsh on various issues, such as abortion, and find his self-proclaimed status as the first gender-critical person overstated. However, his films, including “Am I Racist?”, have reached a wide audience and sparked important conversations so it is important to acknowledge that if we are to build this movement.
As far as I can tell, Matt Walsh seems to have two public modes: concerned father and shock-jock. He shifts back and forth freely. Everyone is supposed to roll their eyes at the shock-jock mode, it's not supposed to be taken literally. He makes absurd and outrageous claims all the time.
You are so tremendously thoughtful. I share your worries, particularly about the damage to gay rights that could result from this odious force-teaming. On the subject of “strange bedfellows,” however, at least we know who ours are and can navigate accordingly. In contrast, those who support gender identity ideology, out of a mistaken liberalitis (Lisa Selin Davis™️), have as bedfellows John Money, Martine Rothblatt, Richard/Rachel Levine, “Jennifer” Pritzker, Johanna Olsen-Kennedy, Blair Peters, the list goes on, and many have no idea with whom they have bedded down.
Great piece, this really resonated with me: "A future where children grow into healthy, whole adults without being pushed down paths that serve ideological or political ends." This happened in my tomboy daughter's elementary school, they were pushing the trans agenda for their own ends. I'm a born and bred liberal and I never predicted we'd switch her to Catholic school, but here we are. She is happy and thriving and being herself, without any pressure.
I like these lines, "Puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries are being offered to children and adolescents with alarming speed, all while long-term research on the outcomes remains either incomplete or deeply flawed. The risks are enormous—ranging from irreversible sterility to loss of sexual function to lifelong dependency on medical interventions.
Gender-nonconforming kids deserve the freedom to explore who they are without being coerced into lifelong medical dependency."
I'm an independent, but why are you assuming that conservative values are negative? Perhaps spend time meeting as many conservatives as you can and sharing your concerns. Speak with the people who worry you. (I realize there are extremists on the right, but most have deep values for family, which you might be able to connect with.) Have conversations. Create alliances for a better future. Let's work together on this issue.
I appreciate your thoughtful comment. I agree that the parties are changing in ways we don’t fully understand yet, and I’m trying to remain open to where these shifts might lead. By some standards of today’s radical left, I might even be considered conservative, though I’m not entirely comfortable with that label either.
I grew up in Alabama, so I’ve seen firsthand the ugliness that hate can bring. But I’ve also witnessed how much people can change. Even in a state as traditionally conservative as Alabama, I’ve found that most people are too busy living their lives to harbor the kind of hate that defined earlier eras.
What I’ve discovered is that when you’re open and honest about who you are, people tend to respond with respect, even if they don’t always agree with you. Building bridges through conversation—especially on contentious issues like this one—isn’t easy, but it’s essential if we want to create a better future.
This fight to protect kids from unnecessary medicalization demands a broad coalition, and I’m heartened by the possibility of alliances that go beyond political or ideological boundaries. After all, this issue isn’t about left or right—it’s about ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable children.
This version reinforces your openness while addressing the importance of dialogue and shared goals, aligning with your perspective.
“Many people think politics can be explained on a simple Left-Right spectrum, but I'm a liberal in my compassion for the vulnerable, a libertarian in my passion for freedom, and a conservative in my belief that you need a civilization to support them both.”
Somewhere, I'm heartened in all of this, that there is a coming together of really good people, who really do hold more similar values than the chosen groupings show.
I like seeing the coming together of good people with different cultures and paradigms seeking common understanding.
Despite fear of differences.
I see the courage you have in all of this.
Very seriously, the Courage Coalition has courage to speak with, to even embrace others, let alone to speak out ( which is what my understanding of what the title implies. )
Your courage, is for me, a step towards the 'Peace Train' that Cat Stevens sang about.
Another cause of the "strange bedfellows" is the variety of backgrounds represented in the families effected by the trans fad. Parents working on this are from all walks of life and all political stripes. Over represented though are parents in STEM/engineering and healthcare (the 2 most common jobs for parents of autistic kids).
“To achieve this, I must be vigilant. My temporary allies may share my immediate goal, but their broader agenda might conflict with the vision I have for the future.”
Indeed. We must always be vigilant when our goals include stamping out fascism wherever it flares up.
Thanks for all you do, and I’m truly sorry that your earnest work gets tarred as being right wing.
I love the honesty and heart in this piece. Frankly, I believe the medicalization of transgenderism across the board represents little more than a pernicious push for modern-medicine and big-pharma interventions. It just doesn't make sense.
While I also risk inadvertently siding with conservatives on this, my stance is that neither parents nor providers should be maiming children. I qualify it as a form of child sex trafficking through the medical-industrial complex. (And my anti-medicalization stance goes far beyond this topic.)
No person is born in the wrong body. There's no right way to be a girl or a boy. Those two statements shouldn't be controversial.
If you lie down with dogs, the fleas of doubt will certainly start to bite you. Many of us also discovered that if you lie down with dogs, you find loyal friends (but thankfully no full-face licks :))
Perhaps the movement is more like Heavens Gate, after all they want to castrate people and convince them of magic thinking, ie you’re going to heaven on a comet versus science can change your sex. Just know many do not realize they are in a cult. Like Doubting Thomas many of us can’t believe wo seeing the wounds that have been inflicted. Many of us LGB’s just want to live normal boring lives.
You're not doing yourself any favors by using passive voice and referring to yourself as a passive victim of circumstances ("never thought I'd find myself", "left me with little choice", "I'm forced to reckon", etc.), and pretending that allying with people on one issue but not others is somehow hugely difficult to comprehend or navigate. Sorry but it makes you look dumb and powerless, to the extent that the reader takes you at your word.
Maybe it's a habit of necessity for feminists in red states trying to appeal to unsympathetic antagonists or at least appear harmless and deflect negative attention, but that won't be effective in this particular fight.
The woke can't be soothed by the "don't mind little ol' me" dance the way angry sexists can. They are ideologues with a specific agenda, and will just relentlessly bully you until you completely capitulate.
I appreciate your candid feedback and your commitment to our shared cause. As a butch lesbian, I embody strength and resilience, challenging stereotypes that suggest otherwise. While I understand the importance of assertiveness in our advocacy, I also believe that a measured approach can be effective in building alliances and fostering understanding.
In our efforts to counter gender ideology, it’s crucial to employ a variety of strategies. While direct confrontation has its place, so does the “honey” approach—engaging others with empathy and understanding to build broader support. By combining our strengths and respecting diverse tactics, we can more effectively challenge the issues at hand.
What's striking about this is that implies there are only two choices. Conservatives or Liberals, Anti-trans or all-in-trans.
Gender dysphoria is real and I imagine having it sucks. Imagine your brain always projecting that your body is the wrong gender. You're a man, you need to take a pee, you see the men's and women's signs on the bathroom and are reminded of your dissonance. The war has reduced what in reality is a real disability that has some ability to be mitigated into a choice. As if being gay, lesbian, etc was a choice. Yes, acting our internal desires is a choice, but the presence of the desires is not.
With that said, to me the answer is obvious.
a. Parents should always be notified if their child requests changes to their official records in school. Yes I realize there are parents who would not support the child changing genders, but that doesn't mean they should not have authority over how the child is brought up and supported.
b. The same goes for laws against puberty blockers and surgery for minors. Parents, the doctors, the councilors, and the minor can make the decision on appropriate treatment. Will there be mistakes and ramifications. Yes. But having the government intervene is never a better choice. As Reagan said, the scariest thing you'll ever hear is "We're the government, we're here to help".
The bottom line is too much heavy power federal government and in many cases state governments. We need to get moral issues like how minors are treated for gender dysphoria out of the government and let parents with doctors and counselors decide.
I appreciate your thoughtful response and would like to share my personal perspective on this complex issue.
As someone who experienced gender dysphoria during childhood and was later diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), I understand firsthand the challenges and confusion that can arise from such experiences. PCOS, a condition affecting up to 1 in 5 individuals with ovaries worldwide, often leads to symptoms like irregular menstrual cycles and elevated androgen levels, which can exacerbate feelings of gender dysphoria.
Despite these challenges, like many gender-nonconforming children, I grew up to identify as gay. Research indicates that a significant number of gender-nonconforming children eventually identify as gay or lesbian in adulthood.
Given my experiences, I firmly believe that medical interventions such as puberty blockers and surgeries are not appropriate for minors. Children and adolescents are in a critical stage of development, both physically and psychologically. Introducing irreversible medical treatments during this period can have profound and lasting consequences.
Instead, I advocate for providing comprehensive psychological support to gender-nonconforming youth. This approach allows them to explore their identities in a safe and supportive environment without the pressure of making irreversible medical decisions. It’s essential to recognize that many children experiencing gender dysphoria may not continue to experience these feelings into adulthood.
Regarding the role of government and parental involvement, I believe that parents should be informed and involved in their children’s well-being. However, it’s also crucial to ensure that decisions are made based on comprehensive, evidence-based medical guidance rather than solely on parental discretion but no one should be mutilating the bodies of children chemically or surgically.
So while gender dysphoria is undeniably a real and challenging experience, especially for children and adolescents, I believe that non-invasive, supportive approaches are the most appropriate course of action during these formative years. This perspective is informed by both personal experience and a commitment to the well-being of all gender-nonconforming youth.
I understand the challenge. All of the causes for gender dysphoria and whether it will resolve to our sexuality (e.g. being gay) is still being researched. There is a graduate student at Harvard that has done much of the fundamental research into understanding how genetics and early nurture can affect whether the brain identifies as male or female. He has also pointed out that puberty can solidify brain structures that make it harder for a persons brain to accommodate the opposite gender.
Your experience makes you cautious on anything that would not be reversible. Yet going through puberty is not reversible. There isn't an answer that is scientifically proven at this point.
As far laws, the appropriate law is to make sure that parents and patients are informed by their doctor and counselor on all the possible benefits and especially the risk that are known at the time. What's interesting is that AI as a technology is ideal for summarizing everything know about gender dysphoria. The technology exists to inform patients, doctors, counselors and parents. The question is whether the politics can get out of the way.
I just got banned on Medium (for the second time). They stated it was because I made this statement in an article I wrote on "Am I transphobic. Thoughts about the divisive trans debate on Medium.". I made a comment to a trans-activist article: "The trans community started the war by declaring trans-woman are woman. No if ands or buts."
I made that statement as a suggestion to the trans-activist community that the best thing the vocal trans community can do is make peace with JK Rowling. I don't believe that statement is not true. But Medium is so far left today, that many readers will report my article as not meeting the Medium Trust and Safety statement because of it. The vocal trans community in trying to defend this statement is implicated in the demise of rational discussion on the trans issues. They are creating the backlash.
Medium is not longer a useful place to engage in discussion. Their report capability enables the far left to cancel authors based on opinions they don't want to see. Medium is dying a slow death as a result. I don't see how they can work their way out of the box they have created for the company.
"What's interesting is that AI as a technology is ideal for summarizing everything know about gender dysphoria. The technology exists to inform patients, doctors, counselors and parents. The question is whether the politics can get out of the way."
Alas, gender dysphoria is not a phenomenon that can be detected the way broken bones and tumors are. So much about it is subjective and incapable of being proven. Furthermore, gender dysphoria is heavily politicized. As a result, its definition and consequences are in flux. Politics can't be gotten out of the way because, for the moment at least, gender dysphoria is as much a political phenomenon as a phenomenon of the mind.
“He has also pointed out that puberty can solidify brain structures that make it harder for a persons brain to accommodate the opposite gender.”
Older studies - conducted before “gender affirming medical treatment” became the model of care - reported on “watchful waiting” for minors with “gender identity disorder”, as it used to be known. These studies found that going through puberty resulted in the majority of these kids coming to terms with their natal sex. Many of them came out as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
Wouldn't it be nice if all those trans allies who wail and gnash their teeth over perceived threats to "trans kids" would open their eyes and minds and wrap their heads around the fact that their support for trans kids (an imaginary category) is actually harming very real young people by suppressing their natural sexual orientation in favor of a fantasy rooted in nutty philosophy?
I think the key point in this debate, that all other points build on, is whether there is an inborn, immutable characteristic of the brain that gives us a sense of whether we are male or female. Although you don’t explicitly say so, it seems clear that you believe there is. I have, for unfortunate reasons, gotten a crash course on this topic over the past several years and have become convinced that there is no such thing.
From birth, we all absorb messages from society about what boys and girls are “supposed” to be like. Some of us find these a good fit, others less so. Many find them a good fit until puberty, when the expectations often change in horrifying and conflicting ways. Some are able to let those expectations roll off, others are highly sensitive to the sense that they have not met expectations and may feel a deep sense of shame that they then must find a way to relieve. This sense of shame seems to me to be the source of “gender dysphoria”. Think of it this way - if you’d grown up on a deserted island, and didn’t even know what the opposite sex’s body looked like, or what was expected of you as a member of your sex, you’d have the body you had, be however you are and do what you wanted, with no sense of it being wrong or wish for a different body.
We can also look at statistics for evidence that this is not an inborn characteristic. Over the past 10 years, there has been a 20-fold increase in the number of people seeking medical transition, the vast majority of them teens and young adults. If this was simply due to more acceptance, we’d expect to see this across age groups as there would be thousands of people of my generation who’ve been walking around their whole lives living as men or women when they were actually the other gender inside and they would be transitioning in droves now that it’s acceptable to do so. But that’s not happening. And over 10 years the demographics have gone from 90% natal males to over 70% natal females. Inborn characteristics don’t behave that way. But social phenomena do.
My last point is that society seems to instinctively know that if a child hates their body in any other way, the healthy solution is to encourage them to love and accept themselves as they are. If a kid hates their skin color, or their height, or their curly hair, or anything else, we understand it’s because they’ve gotten messages from society that the way they are is somehow inferior. But if a kid dislikes their body in this one very specific way, suddenly society forgets everything we’ve ever known and says “oh, then you should change your body and then you’ll be happy!”. This is nonsense.
I could go on but that’s enough for now. I hope this gives people something to think about on the topic of whether gender identity or gender dysphoria is an inborn, unchangeable characteristic. Because if you allow yourself to consider the possibility that it’s not, that it’s not actually any different psychologically than girls who feel shame over their weight and plunge themselves into deadly eating disorders in an attempt to escape that shame, then what’s being done to these kids becomes truly horrifying.
And you would be wrong. I was a very gender nonconforming kid. I believe that most gender non conforming kids are gay autistic or both. I do not believe in a gendered soul bc that is an inherently religious belief. I was gender nonconforming in the 70’s and a belief that they would have tried to transition me is part of what got me writing
The “you” in my comment wasn’t you, it was the other person whose comment I was replying to. I didn’t think from reading your article that you believed in a gendered soul. But the other commenter clearly did. Sorry for the confusion!
Being the opposite of the trans-activists is just as bad.
For the longest time, science believed being gay was a pathology. In the last 10 years, strong evidence points to being gay as genetics plus nurture that turns on the genetics. Science has also now speculated that there is an evolutionary advantage for why the gay gene persists for male gays.
You're welcome to your opinion but there is much history and emerging evidence that for some, gender dysphoria is partly genetic.
Going back to then what is the answer for what society refers to as "minors". I personally have the opinion that the "minor" designation is nothing but the "adults" exerting their power over young people. Even to the point that some "adults" suggest people shouldn't vote until they are 25 because thats the age at which the brain is "mature". The reality is anything but. What science shows is that young people are less risk averse. As they age they become more risk averse. This is easy to understand from an evolutionary perspective. That doesn't mean that young people and minors are not capable of making decisions, it just means they are going to be willing to tolerate more risk on those decision. Much of the conservative agenda is trying to force "adult sensibilities" on "minors." How convenient that "adults" have created laws that give them the sole power to make the decision. Its basically ageism in reverse. Its not like the "adults" have done a great job of getting us to where we are today.
Back then to how minors (i.e. 12-18 yos) should or should not be restricted from making their own decisions. I'm am absolute advocate of getting the government out of the decision. They along with the parent, doctor and counselors can make informed decisions. They don't need the government involved. Today, the government in many states is pushing a gender affirming position (e.g. CAs laws on schools not being required to inform parents). The government should not be requiring schools to withhold information from parents.
On the side of should parents and minors have access to puberty blockers or more advanced treatment? I acknowledge that the science is not definitive on the efficacy of puberty blockers and advanced treatment. There is data to suggest many just become "gay" or stay "str8". There is also data that indicates puberty blockers and even advance treatments mitigate gender dysphoria. Those are the facts.
Best answer is for the parents, minor, doctor and counselor to make an informed decision with all the data available at the time. NOT FOR THE GOVERNMENT DRIVEN BY "ADULTS" to make "adult" decisions.
I know of very few happy, healthy, successful adults who believe that they should have been allowed to make all their own decisions at age 12. Most of us recognize that we would have made decisions at that age that would have proven disastrous or fatal for our current selves.
Should minors between 12 & 18 be able to drop out of school? Use alcohol and drugs? Decline life-saving medical treatments? Stay out all night? Drive cars (for those under 16)? Get tattoos, or nose jobs, or liposuction? Consent to sex with adults? Should they be required to support themselves? Freedom to make all your own decisions doesn’t really work without also experiencing the consequences of those decisions, which doesn’t happen if you live with Mom and Dad and they support you.
In fact your entire response sounds a whole lot like it came out of the pedophilia apologist’s handbook. Although admittedly any age that is declared to be the onset of adulthood is somewhat arbitrary, the differences between 12 year olds and 18 year olds are fairly obvious to everyone. No, kids shouldn’t make their own decisions about permanent life-changing issues, and adults who don’t just live in the moment but actually want to protect the child’s future aren’t just being mean or overly risk-adverse.
In my experience anyone advocating for kids’ “rights” to make decisions that will be harmful to their future selves usually has a vested interest in exploiting those kids for their own ends. For some the motive is pedophilia. For trans activists, it’s affirmation that being born in the wrong body is a real thing and therefore they truly are a woman. Or for the activists who aren’t trans themselves, it’s protecting themselves by making themselves useful to aggressive and unstable males so that the aggression won’t be turned on them. And/or a financial stake in the trans medicalization industry.
Number 1. Pedophilia in a meaningful definition is attraction to pre-pubescent kids. We’re talking puberty here so please stay on topic!
As for what age should young people have government restrict their choices, in the divided states a young person is defined as under 18 including the age of consent. In Denmark (I’m of Danish heritage) the age of consent is 14. Who is right?
The Danes currently block gender affirming surgery until the age of 18. They require counseling and possibly puberty blockers and hormones based on the parents, person, doctors and counselors agreement. All very rationale after studying their previous approach for many years.
Both the radical pro trans and radical against trans in the divided states are a problem! Also many in the divided states are hung up on sex and sexuality. This is especially true of conservative religious people. I was in an evangelical Christian for many years. I started a group in my church for men to be transparent on their sexuality. What conservatives laud is very different than what they do in the closet. Get off your high horse!
Who hear is denying gender dysphoria exists? What I am saying is that all 11 long term studies say that most of these kids will desist at puberty and a large percentage of them are gay. I know plenty of women like me that were gender non conforming and gay as a goose from the get go, but I have also dated women who only dated women because of trauma or just the very fact that so many men can be pigs. 🐖
Medium is a completely compromised platform run by and for trannie proselytizers, groomers, perverts, and delusional psychotics. Reddit is much the same.
GD is a delusion. Delusions should be dealt with by psychiatric methods. With anorexia, the last delusional hysteria, there was no physician response to surgically alter the bodies of anorexics to conform to their psychotic delusion. Now we chop of breasts, and penises, and poison the bodies of children to cosset delusions. All of this should be completely disallowed, by law if necessary.
Thank you for this piece. I understand your concern about fleas. But broadly speaking, I believe conservatives (especially big-tent conservatives of 2025) want politics to convey their values -- and family is at the core. The culture has changed in the last 20 years, and a large majority of our nation, including conservatives, supports gay marriage. Of course, there will always be an element that wants to convince gay children that it's better not to be gay, and I don't mean to minimize that challenge. But the vast majority of conservatives, even religious ones, want children, gay, gender non-conforming, or not, to grow into solid, mature, responsible members of society.
I truly hope you’re right, because I live in Alabama, where I generally don’t have issues with anyone. But then you see states like Idaho starting to talk about banning gay marriage, and it’s hard not to feel uneasy. I do think the parties are in the middle of a major transformation, and many of the old terms and alliances no longer make sense. Sure, I can always take a flea dip if I’ve been in the wrong places, but first, we have to focus on stopping the harm being done to children and vulnerable adults. That, to me, is the real moral imperative.
I agree with this comment but I’d like to emphasize the moral imperative we face, which will require a “big tent” approach.
I’m a gender-critical lesbian who first encountered men demanding access to our lesbian social/political group in the late 1970s. Yes, almost 50 years ago. I’m no stranger to the issue. Attitudes towards lesbians and gays have improved a lot since I came out. Homophobia still exists here and there, but in the 1970s it was still a very hostile and dangerous world for us.
I don’t see the Right as a whole backtracking on gay rights, although there will always be people who reject it on religious grounds, which is their Constitutional right within their own faith communities, up to a point. But the courts have spoken and I don’t see that reversing.
In fact, I believe that the best way to combat homophobia is to form coalitions based on what we have on common; in this case, the inviolable reality of two sexes, a complete rejection of the medicalization and indoctrination of children, the sacred role of parents, not the state, as authorities and guardians of their offspring, and the protection of all women-only spaces, which has just been given a huge gift with the recent ruling cancelling Biden’s Final Rule that attempted to insert “gender identity” into Title IX.
Indeed, the best way to ensure that gender critical people on both sides of the aisle succeed in our goals is to make common cause, and demonstrate through working together that our aims align and that any misconceptions people on the Right may have about lesbians and gays are based on a lack of exposure to actual people with whom they share more values than they realize. Also, we have information that they don’t have, because we’re inside this issue, and they’re outside observers.
Finally, the sad fact remains that the Democrats as an entity are uncritically pro-trans on ideological and financial grounds, and they vote as a block. Our allies are on the Right, and it’s worth it to attempt to build a bridge specifically on the trans issue and its distinction from lesbian and gay rights.
Well said. That is pretty much where I am at. It’s why we had pride to begin with. Not to have a party sponsored by bud light but to be visible. And I agree completely about people’s religion being their own in this country. Bravo!
Exactly what I came to say. For many conservatives, the primary thing to conserve is the constitution and the individual rights that it guarantees. The majority of conservatives I know (and I put myself in that group too) believe gay marriage should be legal. Even for those who have a religious belief that homosexuality is wrong, many recognize that they themselves live in ways that violate other religions’ beliefs and that the best way to preserve religious freedom for all is to support it for those who have different beliefs.
Obviously not all conservatives share my view, but I think one of the lies and manipulations of our current media landscape is that the most extreme voices are amplified so that conservatives tend to think that all liberals are amoral Communists who literally want to tear down society, outlaw religion, and brainwash all kids, while most liberals tend to view conservatives as hateful bigots who want to eliminate minorities and roll back women’s rights.
In reality, I think the vast majority of us are far closer together than we think. There really should be nothing partisan about saying that kids should be encouraged to be how they are, no medical interventions needed.
"It’s also about creating a world where children can be themselves—whether that means being a tomboy, a feminine boy, or somewhere outside those labels entirely—without fear of judgment, coercion, or permanent medicalization."
Well, from this conservative, this is exactly how I feel. I do think there are millions of us, but I don't think your fear (maybe more like hesitancy, really) is unfounded. We do need vigilance.
I like these lines, "Puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries are being offered to children and adolescents with alarming speed, all while long-term research on the outcomes remains either incomplete or deeply flawed. The risks are enormous—ranging from irreversible sterility to loss of sexual function to lifelong dependency on medical interventions.
Gender-nonconforming kids deserve the freedom to explore who they are without being coerced into lifelong medical dependency."
I'm an independent, but why are you assuming that conservative values are negative? Perhaps spend time meeting as many conservatives as you can and sharing your concerns. Speak with the people who worry you. (I realize there are extremists on the right, but most have deep values for family, which you might be able to connect with.) Have conversations. Create alliances for a better future. Let's work together on this issue.
I know how you feel; as a long-time liberal, it's uncomfortable to find myself on the same side of an issue as, say, Matt Walsh. It's reminiscent of Dick Cheney's support of same-sex marriage in the aughts--back then, I kept thinking, "Maybe I should now oppose that?"
I try to remind myself that you don't make alliances with your friends, but with people who sometimes disagree with you. So I don't have to like Matt Walsh--and I don't--but if he's willing to help put an end to this gender madness, we might be able to work together. To an extent. On this issue.
A very good point about the nature of alliances. Thanks for your comment.
When I listen to Matt Walsh talk his usual conservative talk, I don’t agree with him, especially on the abortion issue, but other things as well. And when he tries to take credit for being the first gender critical person on earth, I roll my eyes.
On the other hand, he made very good films on trans and DEI that reached millions of people. “Am I Racist?” was both hilarious and insightful, and not for nothing was it the number one box office draw in the documentary category for 2024.
I understand your perspective. It’s possible to disagree with Matt Walsh on various issues, such as abortion, and find his self-proclaimed status as the first gender-critical person overstated. However, his films, including “Am I Racist?”, have reached a wide audience and sparked important conversations so it is important to acknowledge that if we are to build this movement.
As far as I can tell, Matt Walsh seems to have two public modes: concerned father and shock-jock. He shifts back and forth freely. Everyone is supposed to roll their eyes at the shock-jock mode, it's not supposed to be taken literally. He makes absurd and outrageous claims all the time.
You are so tremendously thoughtful. I share your worries, particularly about the damage to gay rights that could result from this odious force-teaming. On the subject of “strange bedfellows,” however, at least we know who ours are and can navigate accordingly. In contrast, those who support gender identity ideology, out of a mistaken liberalitis (Lisa Selin Davis™️), have as bedfellows John Money, Martine Rothblatt, Richard/Rachel Levine, “Jennifer” Pritzker, Johanna Olsen-Kennedy, Blair Peters, the list goes on, and many have no idea with whom they have bedded down.
Great piece, this really resonated with me: "A future where children grow into healthy, whole adults without being pushed down paths that serve ideological or political ends." This happened in my tomboy daughter's elementary school, they were pushing the trans agenda for their own ends. I'm a born and bred liberal and I never predicted we'd switch her to Catholic school, but here we are. She is happy and thriving and being herself, without any pressure.
Good for you protecting your child.
I like these lines, "Puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries are being offered to children and adolescents with alarming speed, all while long-term research on the outcomes remains either incomplete or deeply flawed. The risks are enormous—ranging from irreversible sterility to loss of sexual function to lifelong dependency on medical interventions.
Gender-nonconforming kids deserve the freedom to explore who they are without being coerced into lifelong medical dependency."
I'm an independent, but why are you assuming that conservative values are negative? Perhaps spend time meeting as many conservatives as you can and sharing your concerns. Speak with the people who worry you. (I realize there are extremists on the right, but most have deep values for family, which you might be able to connect with.) Have conversations. Create alliances for a better future. Let's work together on this issue.
I appreciate your thoughtful comment. I agree that the parties are changing in ways we don’t fully understand yet, and I’m trying to remain open to where these shifts might lead. By some standards of today’s radical left, I might even be considered conservative, though I’m not entirely comfortable with that label either.
I grew up in Alabama, so I’ve seen firsthand the ugliness that hate can bring. But I’ve also witnessed how much people can change. Even in a state as traditionally conservative as Alabama, I’ve found that most people are too busy living their lives to harbor the kind of hate that defined earlier eras.
What I’ve discovered is that when you’re open and honest about who you are, people tend to respond with respect, even if they don’t always agree with you. Building bridges through conversation—especially on contentious issues like this one—isn’t easy, but it’s essential if we want to create a better future.
This fight to protect kids from unnecessary medicalization demands a broad coalition, and I’m heartened by the possibility of alliances that go beyond political or ideological boundaries. After all, this issue isn’t about left or right—it’s about ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable children.
This version reinforces your openness while addressing the importance of dialogue and shared goals, aligning with your perspective.
“Many people think politics can be explained on a simple Left-Right spectrum, but I'm a liberal in my compassion for the vulnerable, a libertarian in my passion for freedom, and a conservative in my belief that you need a civilization to support them both.”
- Michael Shellenberger
Ooo I so understand.
Somewhere, I'm heartened in all of this, that there is a coming together of really good people, who really do hold more similar values than the chosen groupings show.
I like seeing the coming together of good people with different cultures and paradigms seeking common understanding.
Despite fear of differences.
I see the courage you have in all of this.
Very seriously, the Courage Coalition has courage to speak with, to even embrace others, let alone to speak out ( which is what my understanding of what the title implies. )
Your courage, is for me, a step towards the 'Peace Train' that Cat Stevens sang about.
I think it's huge.
I think what you're doing is huge.
I applaud your courage in all its depth,
levels and entirety.
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you, comments like yours charge my batteries.
Another cause of the "strange bedfellows" is the variety of backgrounds represented in the families effected by the trans fad. Parents working on this are from all walks of life and all political stripes. Over represented though are parents in STEM/engineering and healthcare (the 2 most common jobs for parents of autistic kids).
“To achieve this, I must be vigilant. My temporary allies may share my immediate goal, but their broader agenda might conflict with the vision I have for the future.”
Indeed. We must always be vigilant when our goals include stamping out fascism wherever it flares up.
Thanks for all you do, and I’m truly sorry that your earnest work gets tarred as being right wing.
I love the honesty and heart in this piece. Frankly, I believe the medicalization of transgenderism across the board represents little more than a pernicious push for modern-medicine and big-pharma interventions. It just doesn't make sense.
While I also risk inadvertently siding with conservatives on this, my stance is that neither parents nor providers should be maiming children. I qualify it as a form of child sex trafficking through the medical-industrial complex. (And my anti-medicalization stance goes far beyond this topic.)
No person is born in the wrong body. There's no right way to be a girl or a boy. Those two statements shouldn't be controversial.
If you lie down with dogs, the fleas of doubt will certainly start to bite you. Many of us also discovered that if you lie down with dogs, you find loyal friends (but thankfully no full-face licks :))
Perhaps the movement is more like Heavens Gate, after all they want to castrate people and convince them of magic thinking, ie you’re going to heaven on a comet versus science can change your sex. Just know many do not realize they are in a cult. Like Doubting Thomas many of us can’t believe wo seeing the wounds that have been inflicted. Many of us LGB’s just want to live normal boring lives.
TW: blunt honesty from an ally
You're not doing yourself any favors by using passive voice and referring to yourself as a passive victim of circumstances ("never thought I'd find myself", "left me with little choice", "I'm forced to reckon", etc.), and pretending that allying with people on one issue but not others is somehow hugely difficult to comprehend or navigate. Sorry but it makes you look dumb and powerless, to the extent that the reader takes you at your word.
Maybe it's a habit of necessity for feminists in red states trying to appeal to unsympathetic antagonists or at least appear harmless and deflect negative attention, but that won't be effective in this particular fight.
The woke can't be soothed by the "don't mind little ol' me" dance the way angry sexists can. They are ideologues with a specific agenda, and will just relentlessly bully you until you completely capitulate.
I appreciate your candid feedback and your commitment to our shared cause. As a butch lesbian, I embody strength and resilience, challenging stereotypes that suggest otherwise. While I understand the importance of assertiveness in our advocacy, I also believe that a measured approach can be effective in building alliances and fostering understanding.
In our efforts to counter gender ideology, it’s crucial to employ a variety of strategies. While direct confrontation has its place, so does the “honey” approach—engaging others with empathy and understanding to build broader support. By combining our strengths and respecting diverse tactics, we can more effectively challenge the issues at hand.
“Lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.”
What's striking about this is that implies there are only two choices. Conservatives or Liberals, Anti-trans or all-in-trans.
Gender dysphoria is real and I imagine having it sucks. Imagine your brain always projecting that your body is the wrong gender. You're a man, you need to take a pee, you see the men's and women's signs on the bathroom and are reminded of your dissonance. The war has reduced what in reality is a real disability that has some ability to be mitigated into a choice. As if being gay, lesbian, etc was a choice. Yes, acting our internal desires is a choice, but the presence of the desires is not.
With that said, to me the answer is obvious.
a. Parents should always be notified if their child requests changes to their official records in school. Yes I realize there are parents who would not support the child changing genders, but that doesn't mean they should not have authority over how the child is brought up and supported.
b. The same goes for laws against puberty blockers and surgery for minors. Parents, the doctors, the councilors, and the minor can make the decision on appropriate treatment. Will there be mistakes and ramifications. Yes. But having the government intervene is never a better choice. As Reagan said, the scariest thing you'll ever hear is "We're the government, we're here to help".
The bottom line is too much heavy power federal government and in many cases state governments. We need to get moral issues like how minors are treated for gender dysphoria out of the government and let parents with doctors and counselors decide.
I appreciate your thoughtful response and would like to share my personal perspective on this complex issue.
As someone who experienced gender dysphoria during childhood and was later diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), I understand firsthand the challenges and confusion that can arise from such experiences. PCOS, a condition affecting up to 1 in 5 individuals with ovaries worldwide, often leads to symptoms like irregular menstrual cycles and elevated androgen levels, which can exacerbate feelings of gender dysphoria.
Despite these challenges, like many gender-nonconforming children, I grew up to identify as gay. Research indicates that a significant number of gender-nonconforming children eventually identify as gay or lesbian in adulthood.
Given my experiences, I firmly believe that medical interventions such as puberty blockers and surgeries are not appropriate for minors. Children and adolescents are in a critical stage of development, both physically and psychologically. Introducing irreversible medical treatments during this period can have profound and lasting consequences.
Instead, I advocate for providing comprehensive psychological support to gender-nonconforming youth. This approach allows them to explore their identities in a safe and supportive environment without the pressure of making irreversible medical decisions. It’s essential to recognize that many children experiencing gender dysphoria may not continue to experience these feelings into adulthood.
Regarding the role of government and parental involvement, I believe that parents should be informed and involved in their children’s well-being. However, it’s also crucial to ensure that decisions are made based on comprehensive, evidence-based medical guidance rather than solely on parental discretion but no one should be mutilating the bodies of children chemically or surgically.
So while gender dysphoria is undeniably a real and challenging experience, especially for children and adolescents, I believe that non-invasive, supportive approaches are the most appropriate course of action during these formative years. This perspective is informed by both personal experience and a commitment to the well-being of all gender-nonconforming youth.
I understand the challenge. All of the causes for gender dysphoria and whether it will resolve to our sexuality (e.g. being gay) is still being researched. There is a graduate student at Harvard that has done much of the fundamental research into understanding how genetics and early nurture can affect whether the brain identifies as male or female. He has also pointed out that puberty can solidify brain structures that make it harder for a persons brain to accommodate the opposite gender.
Your experience makes you cautious on anything that would not be reversible. Yet going through puberty is not reversible. There isn't an answer that is scientifically proven at this point.
As far laws, the appropriate law is to make sure that parents and patients are informed by their doctor and counselor on all the possible benefits and especially the risk that are known at the time. What's interesting is that AI as a technology is ideal for summarizing everything know about gender dysphoria. The technology exists to inform patients, doctors, counselors and parents. The question is whether the politics can get out of the way.
I just got banned on Medium (for the second time). They stated it was because I made this statement in an article I wrote on "Am I transphobic. Thoughts about the divisive trans debate on Medium.". I made a comment to a trans-activist article: "The trans community started the war by declaring trans-woman are woman. No if ands or buts."
I made that statement as a suggestion to the trans-activist community that the best thing the vocal trans community can do is make peace with JK Rowling. I don't believe that statement is not true. But Medium is so far left today, that many readers will report my article as not meeting the Medium Trust and Safety statement because of it. The vocal trans community in trying to defend this statement is implicated in the demise of rational discussion on the trans issues. They are creating the backlash.
Medium is not longer a useful place to engage in discussion. Their report capability enables the far left to cancel authors based on opinions they don't want to see. Medium is dying a slow death as a result. I don't see how they can work their way out of the box they have created for the company.
"What's interesting is that AI as a technology is ideal for summarizing everything know about gender dysphoria. The technology exists to inform patients, doctors, counselors and parents. The question is whether the politics can get out of the way."
Alas, gender dysphoria is not a phenomenon that can be detected the way broken bones and tumors are. So much about it is subjective and incapable of being proven. Furthermore, gender dysphoria is heavily politicized. As a result, its definition and consequences are in flux. Politics can't be gotten out of the way because, for the moment at least, gender dysphoria is as much a political phenomenon as a phenomenon of the mind.
“He has also pointed out that puberty can solidify brain structures that make it harder for a persons brain to accommodate the opposite gender.”
Older studies - conducted before “gender affirming medical treatment” became the model of care - reported on “watchful waiting” for minors with “gender identity disorder”, as it used to be known. These studies found that going through puberty resulted in the majority of these kids coming to terms with their natal sex. Many of them came out as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
http://www.sexologytoday.org/2016/01/do-trans-kids-stay-trans-when-they-grow_99.html
They also managed to avoid lifelong medical care.
Wouldn't it be nice if all those trans allies who wail and gnash their teeth over perceived threats to "trans kids" would open their eyes and minds and wrap their heads around the fact that their support for trans kids (an imaginary category) is actually harming very real young people by suppressing their natural sexual orientation in favor of a fantasy rooted in nutty philosophy?
Once allies and trannies are enmeshed in the trannie cult and trannie glamour, they believe that trannie kids are helped by mutilation.
Exactly
I think the key point in this debate, that all other points build on, is whether there is an inborn, immutable characteristic of the brain that gives us a sense of whether we are male or female. Although you don’t explicitly say so, it seems clear that you believe there is. I have, for unfortunate reasons, gotten a crash course on this topic over the past several years and have become convinced that there is no such thing.
From birth, we all absorb messages from society about what boys and girls are “supposed” to be like. Some of us find these a good fit, others less so. Many find them a good fit until puberty, when the expectations often change in horrifying and conflicting ways. Some are able to let those expectations roll off, others are highly sensitive to the sense that they have not met expectations and may feel a deep sense of shame that they then must find a way to relieve. This sense of shame seems to me to be the source of “gender dysphoria”. Think of it this way - if you’d grown up on a deserted island, and didn’t even know what the opposite sex’s body looked like, or what was expected of you as a member of your sex, you’d have the body you had, be however you are and do what you wanted, with no sense of it being wrong or wish for a different body.
We can also look at statistics for evidence that this is not an inborn characteristic. Over the past 10 years, there has been a 20-fold increase in the number of people seeking medical transition, the vast majority of them teens and young adults. If this was simply due to more acceptance, we’d expect to see this across age groups as there would be thousands of people of my generation who’ve been walking around their whole lives living as men or women when they were actually the other gender inside and they would be transitioning in droves now that it’s acceptable to do so. But that’s not happening. And over 10 years the demographics have gone from 90% natal males to over 70% natal females. Inborn characteristics don’t behave that way. But social phenomena do.
My last point is that society seems to instinctively know that if a child hates their body in any other way, the healthy solution is to encourage them to love and accept themselves as they are. If a kid hates their skin color, or their height, or their curly hair, or anything else, we understand it’s because they’ve gotten messages from society that the way they are is somehow inferior. But if a kid dislikes their body in this one very specific way, suddenly society forgets everything we’ve ever known and says “oh, then you should change your body and then you’ll be happy!”. This is nonsense.
I could go on but that’s enough for now. I hope this gives people something to think about on the topic of whether gender identity or gender dysphoria is an inborn, unchangeable characteristic. Because if you allow yourself to consider the possibility that it’s not, that it’s not actually any different psychologically than girls who feel shame over their weight and plunge themselves into deadly eating disorders in an attempt to escape that shame, then what’s being done to these kids becomes truly horrifying.
And you would be wrong. I was a very gender nonconforming kid. I believe that most gender non conforming kids are gay autistic or both. I do not believe in a gendered soul bc that is an inherently religious belief. I was gender nonconforming in the 70’s and a belief that they would have tried to transition me is part of what got me writing
The “you” in my comment wasn’t you, it was the other person whose comment I was replying to. I didn’t think from reading your article that you believed in a gendered soul. But the other commenter clearly did. Sorry for the confusion!
The science is still out. If you're interested in the science, this podcast on the Harvard study was excellent. https://www.google.com/urlhttps://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DuzORctJpgPo&ved=2ahUKEwi99_LH-_qKAxXAEEQIHYTFAC8QtwJ6BAgMEAI&usg=AOvVaw0uKFSc46aZUg17_NHQ-dwx
Being the opposite of the trans-activists is just as bad.
For the longest time, science believed being gay was a pathology. In the last 10 years, strong evidence points to being gay as genetics plus nurture that turns on the genetics. Science has also now speculated that there is an evolutionary advantage for why the gay gene persists for male gays.
You're welcome to your opinion but there is much history and emerging evidence that for some, gender dysphoria is partly genetic.
Going back to then what is the answer for what society refers to as "minors". I personally have the opinion that the "minor" designation is nothing but the "adults" exerting their power over young people. Even to the point that some "adults" suggest people shouldn't vote until they are 25 because thats the age at which the brain is "mature". The reality is anything but. What science shows is that young people are less risk averse. As they age they become more risk averse. This is easy to understand from an evolutionary perspective. That doesn't mean that young people and minors are not capable of making decisions, it just means they are going to be willing to tolerate more risk on those decision. Much of the conservative agenda is trying to force "adult sensibilities" on "minors." How convenient that "adults" have created laws that give them the sole power to make the decision. Its basically ageism in reverse. Its not like the "adults" have done a great job of getting us to where we are today.
Back then to how minors (i.e. 12-18 yos) should or should not be restricted from making their own decisions. I'm am absolute advocate of getting the government out of the decision. They along with the parent, doctor and counselors can make informed decisions. They don't need the government involved. Today, the government in many states is pushing a gender affirming position (e.g. CAs laws on schools not being required to inform parents). The government should not be requiring schools to withhold information from parents.
On the side of should parents and minors have access to puberty blockers or more advanced treatment? I acknowledge that the science is not definitive on the efficacy of puberty blockers and advanced treatment. There is data to suggest many just become "gay" or stay "str8". There is also data that indicates puberty blockers and even advance treatments mitigate gender dysphoria. Those are the facts.
Best answer is for the parents, minor, doctor and counselor to make an informed decision with all the data available at the time. NOT FOR THE GOVERNMENT DRIVEN BY "ADULTS" to make "adult" decisions.
I know of very few happy, healthy, successful adults who believe that they should have been allowed to make all their own decisions at age 12. Most of us recognize that we would have made decisions at that age that would have proven disastrous or fatal for our current selves.
Should minors between 12 & 18 be able to drop out of school? Use alcohol and drugs? Decline life-saving medical treatments? Stay out all night? Drive cars (for those under 16)? Get tattoos, or nose jobs, or liposuction? Consent to sex with adults? Should they be required to support themselves? Freedom to make all your own decisions doesn’t really work without also experiencing the consequences of those decisions, which doesn’t happen if you live with Mom and Dad and they support you.
In fact your entire response sounds a whole lot like it came out of the pedophilia apologist’s handbook. Although admittedly any age that is declared to be the onset of adulthood is somewhat arbitrary, the differences between 12 year olds and 18 year olds are fairly obvious to everyone. No, kids shouldn’t make their own decisions about permanent life-changing issues, and adults who don’t just live in the moment but actually want to protect the child’s future aren’t just being mean or overly risk-adverse.
In my experience anyone advocating for kids’ “rights” to make decisions that will be harmful to their future selves usually has a vested interest in exploiting those kids for their own ends. For some the motive is pedophilia. For trans activists, it’s affirmation that being born in the wrong body is a real thing and therefore they truly are a woman. Or for the activists who aren’t trans themselves, it’s protecting themselves by making themselves useful to aggressive and unstable males so that the aggression won’t be turned on them. And/or a financial stake in the trans medicalization industry.
Well said!
Number 1. Pedophilia in a meaningful definition is attraction to pre-pubescent kids. We’re talking puberty here so please stay on topic!
As for what age should young people have government restrict their choices, in the divided states a young person is defined as under 18 including the age of consent. In Denmark (I’m of Danish heritage) the age of consent is 14. Who is right?
The Danes currently block gender affirming surgery until the age of 18. They require counseling and possibly puberty blockers and hormones based on the parents, person, doctors and counselors agreement. All very rationale after studying their previous approach for many years.
Both the radical pro trans and radical against trans in the divided states are a problem! Also many in the divided states are hung up on sex and sexuality. This is especially true of conservative religious people. I was in an evangelical Christian for many years. I started a group in my church for men to be transparent on their sexuality. What conservatives laud is very different than what they do in the closet. Get off your high horse!
Who hear is denying gender dysphoria exists? What I am saying is that all 11 long term studies say that most of these kids will desist at puberty and a large percentage of them are gay. I know plenty of women like me that were gender non conforming and gay as a goose from the get go, but I have also dated women who only dated women because of trauma or just the very fact that so many men can be pigs. 🐖
Medium is a completely compromised platform run by and for trannie proselytizers, groomers, perverts, and delusional psychotics. Reddit is much the same.
GD is a delusion. Delusions should be dealt with by psychiatric methods. With anorexia, the last delusional hysteria, there was no physician response to surgically alter the bodies of anorexics to conform to their psychotic delusion. Now we chop of breasts, and penises, and poison the bodies of children to cosset delusions. All of this should be completely disallowed, by law if necessary.
This comment is emotionally reactionary. No thoughtful thinking here!