Just a question re transgender

If there is a higher incidence of mental health conditions amongst autistic people is that surprising? I’m not autistic but I can only imagine being ND can be a real struggle especially if you don’t know you are ND. Chronic health issues (and probably many many other heath issues) also become more likely if someone is living in a stressful environment/situation long-term.

Hmm. But it’s well known that certain conditions-including POTs and ME/CFS/post viral illness like long covid, disproportionately impact women…so I’m not sure why this would be a surprise?

I’m happy to be corrected, but it sounds like there is some judgment here?

Unfortunately, many GPs are quite dismissive of the above-mentioned conditions, and it’s known that there’s a gender gap into research/treatment etc of conditions that mainly affect women.

Woe betide the scientist who tries to study this group and be honest with their findings.

Exactly!!!
Surely if they are women then I shouldn't need to specify lol.
One person had the balls (literally) to say it should be 'women and cis women'.

So trans 'women' are just women and actual women have to be cis women.

Mumsnet is one of the only places I have left where I dont feel like everyone has lost their minds.

It's really sad though, that a lot of online communities are going that way.

My 16 year old autistic daughter is a classic tomboy and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s a lesbian / turns out to be a lesbian which I am 100% fine with. The whole trans thing scares the living daylights out of me. She’s so impressionable, I can only imagine her taking irreversible medical steps then regressing it 5 minutes later having ruined her life. Trans awareness has no place in schools, and transing children is horrific. Keep these issues well out of the way until children are old enough to make these decisions by themselves, preferably from 25 years old onwards. If my daughter decides she’s trans when she’s old enough to fully understand the consequences, that fine by me.

As others have said there is strong evidence for increased incidence of anxiety and depression for autistic people. There is also growing evidence for a significant increase in girls being referred to gender services over the last decade and a large proportion of these girls have had undiagnosed autism. There is also prevalence of autism in those within eating disorders services is also beginning to be recognised.
(I don’t know the ADHD evidence so can’t comment on that but assume there’s a big overlap)
In short it is hard being autistic in a neurotypical world so it’s understandable when a less hard place is found some gravitate towards it and then can put up huge walls to defend that space. Unfortunately sometimes these defensive walls can also be unhelpful and push others away. I’m really hoping the pendulum might swing back away from the current polarisation of them-us to make room for uncertainty. But with current world dynamics I’m not hopeful.

Honestly I'm ND and have a chronic illness and as a teenager I think I would have identified as transgender because puberty for me was hell.

Turning into a woman is so weird like you start to get periods, boobs, your body shape changes and what not - it was really hard as a ND person (as it is for everyone)

I'm not saying everyone who's transgender is autistic but I can see how it happens.

Then staying out of all online communities and fandoms about it is the only way to go. I completely ignore them because I'm tired of people calling a movie or game or book I like shit and then wanting to have a big argument about it.

Trans can be another form of masking, even worse than 'normal' masking because it depends on others also adopting the mask.

I love this and its so true I've made note of this to use in future.

Social contagion, its very 'in' to be 'gender neutral' whatever that really means and 'trans' amongst young people.

If you have autism, mental health issues and feel differently to whatever they think a particular sex should look/behave like then an easy club to join.

I'm an ex member of the alternative scene and this is one of the reasons I fell out of love with it, everyone was suddenly queer in some form and it all started getting a bit box ticky

Yes it is linked.

Girls especially who are autistic lesbians are being transed as kids en masse.

Seems a lot of vulnerable and impressionable young people are thinking they are trans/ non binary etc. I makes me sad as down that path runs a harder life with possible surgery and harmful medication. I miss the old days when the oddbods like myself could bond over Nirvana or films, not medical conditions or gender issues.

Which is one reason why so many autistic people have poor mental health. Constantly masking harms people. Trans can be another form of masking, even worse than 'normal' masking because it depends on others also adopting the mask.

ditalini.
Some great points.👍

Hang on a sec, if transwmen ARE women, then surely it's transphobic to other them and list them separately to actual women?

You're well out of that group of mindless, groupspeak-spouting idiots. Idiots who believe that they're inclusive, supportive heroes if they bash someone when she's down.

Very true.

You don't need science/research to make a list of attention-seeking behaviours.

The only one missing is veganism.

I think this is partly a human in-group desire which isn't new. "Tribes" have always been there and there always have been people who have made membership of their "tribe" and the various markers thereof the core of their identity, with the majority just going along with it.

Online communities have given previously socially marginalised individuals the opportunity to form groups in ways they previously couldn't (good!) but come with the same behaviours as all other tribes (sometimes bad).

Examples of online tribe behaviour outside this particular community that I noticed when I was first pregnant nearly 20 years ago was the use of signature tickers which detailed children, baby/pregnancy losses, disabilities of children, disabilities of the parent. It did come across in some of the users as a way of displaying your "badges", with the more badges you had, the more respect you could expect on the forum.

What starts with a supportive community to help people through isolation and pain can morph into something less healthy fairly easily - possibly inevitably.

Edited to add, an as we well know, people on the internet (and in real life tbh) aren't always who they say they are. People who are lacking in some way in their own life can sometimes be attracted by any sort of attention hence made-up or exaggerated twins, triplets, terminal illness, chronic illness etc.

This is the one time I would have loved for you to say Trans women ARE women. Just to see them splutter in outrage. 😆

If your whole life is predicated on pretending you're something you're not, mental stability is not likely to be a predominant trait.

What kind of uniform are they wearing?

There is a very very strong link between girls who identify as trans and severe mental illness and past childhood sexual abuse or trauma. Also, according to one autism society report, up to two thirds of all people with autism claim to be trans. So there is a definite link mental illness and autism, which suggests its not actually 'trans' but mental illness and running away from trauma to something that gives them 'status'.