What I find incredible from Tatchell is the denial of homophobia.
The suggestion that a gay teenager would choose the extreme solution of gender reassignment because they could not cope with homophobia sounds far-fetched. Why would a young person seek to evade anti-gay prejudice by embracing a trans identity that attracts even greater prejudice?
and
The latter therapy is based on the moral presumption that being gay is wrong. Gender reassignment does not make this presumption about homosexuality.
Let me think about this. Perhaps because the very charity which is supposed to stand up for lesbians is institutionally homophobic, and has a 'definition' of homophobia which is homophobic? Of course gender reassignment makes a moral assumption that homosexuality is wrong if its erased the 'sex' part of homosexuality and replaces it with homogenderism. Which is what Stonewall are doing. And Homogenderism is a Men Sexual Rights Movement.
Because Gay Men can not understand that they have privilege over Lesbians? And prejudice against gay men and lesbians is not the same and never has been?
Because our society only values women based upon their looks in a way which men are not? Because we already know that social media is distorting self image in teenagers to a degree never before seen? This applies to all teenagers regardless of how they identify. There has been a huge rise in anorexia in recent years, which has been attributed to exposure to unrealistic celebrity bodies. A view which isn't generally considered controversial nor incorrect. Indeed quite the opposite. 'Born in the wrong body' is merely the ultimate conclusion of this tread and of the consumerism of the body that plastic surgery represents. Women have always been more under pressure to conform or undergo surgery than men.
Because the left wing media and BBC are pushing so many positive stories about trans people and young people are much less likely to come into contact with the ring wing media. Its not their social bubble. Thus they are never exposed to much of a negative image of trans people. Why if we do accept that exposure to celebrity bodies of heterosexual straight people is affecting body image don't we accept the same to be true of anyone who might happen to be trans? Why does the same effect suddenly become transphobic?
The denial of homophobia amongst the trans community and that of parents of children who are identifying as trans is something else.
He's jawdropping in his arrogance, ignorance and willful blindness. For an activist in this field with such a long history behind him its really and trully stunning that he misses all these factors so much.
Factors that ultimately have one thing in common; how women and girls come second. And expose Tatchell's own prejudices starkly.