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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Stephanie Davies-Arai and Benjamin Boyce

32 replies

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 28/12/2020 11:55

Very long interview (1hr 45 mins). I'm about halfway through. Some extremely interesting ideas here. I was very struck by her statement that some parents believe that their child is born with a fully formed personality and their job is to facilitate the child's passage through life. She feels this is why some go down the affirmation route when the child does what so many children do, for all sorts of reasons, ie claim to be the opposite sex. A healthier approach would be to accept that in a child's mind fantasy and reality are not clearly separated, but in the material world we all have to live in there are certain things you just can't identify out of, and biological sex is one of them.

She also said very clearly that in her view there's a progression that starts with the narrow gender stereotypes which are now everywhere in a way that wasn't nearly so true when her children (and mine) were born in the early 90s. She feels that parents are bombarded with images that reinforce the idea that boys are rough, tough, physical creatures who love making noise and getting dirty, and girls are fragile creatures whose main focus is looking pretty and keeping clean to protect their delicate, fragile clothes.

From that it's a short step to believing that a child who doesn't fit those stereotypes has something wrong with them, and unforgivably all the professionals who could step in and say 'Nope, perfectly normal child, let her/him just get on with being a child' have instead said 'Oh yes, children have an innate gender identity, listen to your child, they know best, so yes, of course, go ahead and socially transition your child'.

And having done that, once puberty hits, of course the child is absolutely stunned to find out that they haven't changed sex, as everybody has been telling them for years. So it's on to puberty blockers, and then on to cross-hormones, and then surgery.

Another excellent point I was pleased to her getting across was that there is a huge focus on accepting adults who transition as valid regardless of what changes they make to their body or way of dressing, all in marked contrast to the big push to get children's bodies medically altered to make them look more like the opposite sex.

OP posts:
Melroses · 28/12/2020 20:45

There is so much to come out of the Keira Bell & Mrs A case, yet the BBC produce that Ben Hunte article Hmm

Melroses · 28/12/2020 20:41

I tend to skip through a lot of stuff these days - heard it over and over.

But I have listened to all 1h 45 minutes of this.

She is very knowledgeable and compelling.

Awning10 · 28/12/2020 17:27

This is great. I'm dipping in and out whilst cooking pizzas. Fascinating and brilliant. I've also forwarded it to a couple of friends. Thanks for the link.

HecatesCats · 28/12/2020 12:40

She is such an inspiration and my number one Shero.

Mine too. The woman who opened my eyes to all of this many moons ago.

Thingybob · 28/12/2020 12:35

Thank-you for linking to that interview Gasp.

I often think that Stephanie gets overlooked and doesn't get the recognition she deserves when we discuss the main GC players but she has worked tirelessly for years and been a crucial and central figure in the fight to protect children from this ideology.

She is such an inspiration and my number one Shero.

HecatesCats · 28/12/2020 12:18

Thanks for sharing! Bookmarking to watch later. Nothing but respect for Stephanie, a woman of good sense and compassion.

OhHolyJesus · 28/12/2020 12:15

This looks brilliant, will definitely watch, maybe over the course of the next few days.

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