I was one of the transactivists on the channel 4 documentary, I regret what I did — this is why

bubonicpanic
To be fair this person transitioned in their early twenties which isn't exactly a "late" transitioner. Is your ideal transitioned person someone in their teens?
They speak about flirting with blokes. They are from what I decipher (from what was not said exactly) male-attracted. Not fully transitioned. On hormones. Not surgically enhanced.

AGPs tend to be mid-life-crisis fathers and have taken full advantage of male socialisation before deciding to inflict their "woman" identity on everyone.
Esther does seem to fall into the category of social misfit, possibly gay, possibly on the spectrum, who found the trans cult to provide a source of "family" and affirmation who gave them that raison d'être that they couldn't find in ordinary rural Scotland where they went to school.

Calling Esther an AGP is off the mark. It's could be more complex in this case.

I am agreeing with Bubonicpanic about everything.

I am certain that Betts is on the spectrum. Why has someone with neuro difficulties been prescribed cross sex hormones?

And yet is on hormones and has grown breasts already?

Self describes as a girl with a dick?

What is an AGP type profile? Late middle aged men transitioners all describe the early onset of cross dressing.

Are you suggesting that trans porn has played no part at all in the life of someone explaining they spent two years not leaving the house during the day?

Stretching my credulity somewhat.

Bubicpanic

I agree that for some transwomen there is a sexual motivation for transitioning but that certainly does not apply to them all and in my opinion Esther does not fit an AGP type profile.

WeRiseUp
Yes that was a Twitter banning offense right there. Esther is also on "Terf blocker" now too for lesser offenses.

You'd hope there is more of a "space" opening up now for trans people who will consider the idea that transwomen are transwomen, not women but an entity in their own right, and that we can move forward from there rather than the TWAW TWAW dictatorship who are running things right now.

Betts is at the bottom of the peak trans hill, but at least is considering whether to try to trek up it rather than listening to the TRAs who just scream that here be dragons it's too dangerous for them

So obviously you consider me pointing out that parodying woman on personal basis, not in a professional context like clowning or pantomime dameing is "mocking".

It's not "mocking". It is seeing through the self deception. Betts believes that putting on that lipstick is "being" a woman. An external representation of internal feelings. This is the transition AGPs make, they take their sexual arousal out of the bedroom and into the world.

Is Betts ever going to figure out and accept that it's a fetish, the thing Betts describes as dysphoria?

Phil Bunce denies it is sexual, and is colluded with. He's indulged in his lady brain days and costumes. He get's women awards. That's what this is all about. Sanitisation of fetish. How is this helpful?

Why tell me to not mention the parodic nature of the presentation? Betts mustn't be offended whilst performing his sexual arousal in public?

Also did you notice Betts 'misgender' Karen White when speaking about perpetrating assault? Definitely 'no true transwoman' thinking.

When the penny drops for Betts that there is no objective way of identifying who is 'true trans' in such a way that is practical for women's safety and self-preservation - that will be it I reckon.

I don't think mocking them is the way forward.

I agree. When I criticise Esther, I am not mocking Esther. I mean exactly what I say. I have neither the time nor the patience to indulge navel-gazing and I think Esther should do the woke thing and check Esther's solipsistic privilege because indulging Esther in any way will encourage social policy that damages actually marginalised people. Who, by the way, never get a platform.

But what is the dysphoria he's describing?
I read it as being spectrum-y discomfort and tension given a helpful handle.

I feel great sympathy for Esther. I don't think mocking them is the way forward. I genuinely feel they are on a journey to critical thinking and I'd like them to be helped, not mocked.

This

Betts did talk about the "not true trans theory" and made it clear they believed only those with true gender dysphoria are truly trans, then by extension males with dysphoria are truly women because they have "women's brains". Which puts Esther against other Transactivists who don't believe gender dysphoria is a requirement to being trans. Esther openly admitted some people who say they are trans are not actually trans.

Esther does not have the insight, yet, to see how a man saying they are trans but are basically a cross dressers or just making it up, is no different to a man with genuine gender dysphoria in any meaningful way.

Betts believes that if your mind convinces you that you really want to be a woman and the thought of being a man causes you great discomfort than this means you are a woman, because of your lady brain.

It was interesting for me to listen at length to what I usually only see as sound bites on Twitter or random comments BTL. How deeply these people really believe this stuff. I feel great sympathy for Esther. I don't think mocking them is the way forward. I genuinely feel they are on a journey to critical thinking and I'd like them to be helped, not mocked.

But what is the dysphoria he's describing? All Betts managed to describe in words is considering self to be an inadequate male in sexist terms therefore "wants" to "be" a woman.

This.

Qcng

Thank you for the summary, very kind.

So I'm gathering that Betts no longer comes across as violently evil, but uninformed, self obsessed, and enjoying the male entitlement that they are probably oblivious to.

Still, I guess it's an improvement.

But what is the dysphoria he's describing? All Betts managed to describe in words is considering self to be an inadequate male in sexist terms therefore "wants" to "be" a woman.

The felling of dysphoria was just described as "terrible". So what is terrible? Not being macho? Or is it the hard to admit and reconcile with sexual arousal at the sight of your own face in red lipstick?

It just jumps out at you here I'm afraid.

still failing to even get a glimmer of the sex-based, class-based social capital Esther is able to call in to even get this solipsism an audience.

Indeed.

But I think Betts has only just started down this road and I have a strong feeling that Betts is going to realise these things along the way.

If Betts succeeds in encouraging other 'trans' people into this kind of enquiry, exploration and dialogue it will be a positive thing.

Bett's current view is obviously sexism incubated in a trans bubble. But there were a few points Betts will straighten out to get a solid position.

It was interesting Esther seems to be of the so called 'truscum' thinking - where dysphoria and medical gatekeeping are necessary, but at the same time is open to being convinced by a trans person without dysphoria how that is possible. If that discussion actually happens it will only throw up 'trendy' or fetish territory. Which is of course pretty indefensible.

If Betts didn’t leave the house for two years and is now at university, Betts is not particularly young.

I'm not going to pander to Betts' youthful foolishness. This ideology is doing so much damage to women. Betts doesn't grasp that Betts is part of the problem here. Why can't you be an effeminate man? Betts doesn't even seem particularly convinced that Betts is a woman.

I agree with Lang.

No discernable difference in viewpoint, just embarrassed at being caught out being so male on camera.

Indeed. And still failing to even get a glimmer of the sex-based, class-based social capital Esther is able to call in to even get this solipsism an audience.

Not interested, Esther, sorry. The world does not revolve around you.

Not seeing much difference here;

www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/style/prada-issues-apology-after-accusations-over-blackface-imagery/ar-BBQZ6zN?ocid=spartandhp

Let's all like Betts, then, but let's not forget that Betts demands to be legally a woman on their own say so and insists that males such as Betts be treated exactly as women for all purposes, and their only objective of having a conversation is to convert the unbelievers who are wrong about ladybrain. All explanations are soaked in stereotypes.

No discernable difference in viewpoint, just embarrassed at being caught out being so male on camera.

The only female identity Betts can see is the one Betts is in a relationship with.

^ third identity as a woman (meant obvs their identity)

But that reminds me, there was a bit where Benjamin A B asked
"Would you be happy being perceived as a gender category of your own? Like the kathoey in Thailand or the (sorry can't remember) in Pakistan? Esther's reply was something like "we live in a gender binary, so no we don't have that third gender in the West so that's why I want to be a woman"

Forgetting that actually being a transwoman is or should be a recognised category in and of itself.

Vicious?

My facebook feed is full of men painted up as panto dames. They are panto dames. It's Christmas. They are advertising the local pantomime. Betts looks no different.