Authenticity

They're not using the word 'authentic' authentically.

I see two different paths to approach authenticity in this context. Firstly the ‘heroes quest’ in myths when in order to solve an existencial challenge, one has to go out in the big wild world and find a path that makes sense to them. This will appeal to teens as it is part of their human development to find their place in the world, etc. Secondly, the linguistic and cognitive twist that is particular of the queer/trans ideology: to be one’s authentic/truer self, one needs to falsified reality to match oneself idea of a just and fitting narrative. This will also appeal to teens as they are on the shifting coats period, exploring is exciting and normal while growing up plus the rebellion aspect. Thats why its very important to provide safe challenges to teens, nature activities, sports, etc

the whole 'find yourself / be your true self' motto pops up throughout popular culture (disney / TV etc) as if that is a cure to everything. the main character is miserable and then when they 'find themself' they become happy (see Moana, Frozen etc).

it is also an easy slogan to sell on notebooks and t-shirts etc. trite and meaningless.

the problem is, people don't really have a 'true self'. there simply isn't a magically nugget inside you that will make you happy when you find it. Most people have multiple different types of self (mother, daughter, friend, boss etc) and throughout a lifetime can grow into new roles in new ways. So the myth of 'find yourself' is just trying to sell a quick solution to a unhappiness that bears no relation to what really makes people content.

Surely, living authentically would be something like:
“I wish I was a woman, but I’m not. That makes me sad. Ah, well.”

I suspect it’s a watered down, PoMo mishmash of Authenticity in philosophy/ psychology: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authenticity_(philosophy)
and Expressive Authenticity in art, filtered through about ten sentences worth of Judith Butler (no one can stomach any more than that), only rather than make art, they make social media presence which is why they have to wang on about themselves all the time, they are the medium, message and material.

Unfortunately there is very little originality left so they talk about how authentic they are whilst looking like rubbish copies of stuff from Gen X.

James Lindsey did one of his podcasts on authenticity.
I'll try to find it.

To genuinely live authentically, those who hate their sexed body would learn to live with it and, even if they couldn’t overcome that hate, learn to accept that their body is healthy and functional and can’t change in the way they want it to.

I was reading a comment today about the Cass report and the fact that she had noted that the evidence that existed regarding psychological treatment (as opposed to physical transition) was just as poor as the evidence for medication, but of course that was inevitable. Nobody was allowed to assess, for example, cognitive behavioural therapy in these patients, because that wasn’t affirmation. There are various, relatively recent treatments that have been introduced for other mental health problems, but as it was imperative to pretend this wasn’t a mental health problem, they couldn’t be assessed.

Living authentically is about coming to terms with who you actually are. It might be that you are a deeply feminine man who loves women’s clothing, and if you are, that’s okay. That would be authenticity. Cos-playing womanhood, claiming that you are one, when you know you’re not is the opposite, which is why it hurts so much when reality is pointed out. If you read men writing about how it feels to be misgendered, it’s obvious they are constantly on edge, hoping it doesn’t happen. There is nothing authentic at all about their experience.

Authentic is unfalsifiable.

Authentic, but fully dependent on the validation of others?

Surely living authentically is living the life we would lead if no-one was there to comment?

That's the only one of her books I haven't read.

I must get round to it.

JK Rowling has a very perceptive treatment of teenage "authenticity" in "The Casual Vacancy". It comes across as a form of vanity.

In order to live as your authentic self it is necessary to change everything about yourself, including your name, pronouns and clothes, your hormones, and in extreme cases, your reproductive organs.

Nope, me neither.

Living authentically is fully accepting who you are including all the good bits and bad bits. Constantly living a performance of Priscilla Queen of the Desert is not being authentic.

Ironic isn't it? Claiming to have changed sex is the very definition of inauthenticity!