Times News Review article - Sex Change Sorrow

[BessyK]

From an article originally published in The New York magazine by Andrew Sullivan. Great news that increasing numbers of de transitioners are speaking out. Sorry I don't know how to add a share token.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sex-change-sorrow-j3nm9hkzw

Here’s one. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sex-change-sorrow-j3nm9hkzw?shareToken=37447ec3f1497db0bfa543e7fa581497

I can’t believe the Times is covering it. Who would have thought the Times would help lead the way on lesbian erasure.

At no point in the article does Andrew Sullivan question gender stereotypes, or have I missed it?

Who would have thought the Times would help lead the way on lesbian erasure.

The Times have been supporting feminists all the way. Janice Turner was at Speakers Corner when TRAs beat Maria Mac up. They were also the only paper to cover butch lesbians during Pride Week.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-butch-lesbians-are-still-battling-societys-gender-stereotypes-nf9js9k6c?shareToken=8d7821d4504295820544ab612526aef3

Why does this article support lesbian erasure? It reads the opposite way to me. The article raises several good points about the physical impacts of transitioning including breast binding, stats on female and male transitioning and what may be causing this. He also states that many of those he spoke to who destransitioned are lesbians and that even discussing this issue is seen by some as transphobic. He doesn’t cover gender stereotypes but there is a lot in there.

Why does this article support lesbian erasure? It reads the opposite way to me.

Exactly, me too.

I typed that reply on my phone so it was too short. I mean that the Times helping lead the way in giving coverage to lesbian erasure.

If anything, the article is arguing for caution and a wait-and-see approach, noting that if it's just a case of sexual orientation rather than gender dysphoria, those concerned will figure it out when they are ready. I thought it was a very clear-sighted article. Which is probably why it will be slated.

That makes much more sense.

I found the details about the permanent harm caused by breast binding shocking as this is always promoted as a harmless pursuit by transactivists often to very young girls.

That’s an excellent and compassionate article, but I dare say there will still be screams of horror and accusations of transphobia.

It became part of my identity to be suicidal.

Unsurprising. What a desperately sad article. My lesbian daughter left Tumblr as a teen as she couldn’t bear the competitive angst. I’m so lucky.

I think teenagers do competitive angst. I loved writing miserable (bad) poetry and obsessing about boys I had little in common with and couldn't talk to as a teenager. I think I was in my early 20s before I got over my tendency to overcomplicate and screw up my life for no good reason.

I think teenagers do competitive angst.

Absolutely, it can be extremely satisfying to wallow. There are a good number of adults who don't grow out of it, too, they usually become a little more subtle though.

By their own accounts, they had been adamantly trans in their teens. One said: “I was the student trying to get a professor fired because he wouldn’t allow ‘they’ and ‘them’ to be used for a singular person in my papers . . . I threatened my parents and friends with suicide. It became part of my identity to be suicidal. I screamed at my parents about this, even though I knew I wasn’t going to kill myself.”

Another went by the pronouns “xe” and “xer” and flew into a rage if she was misgendered. Once they had transitioned, and felt miserable nonetheless, they felt this, too, was just part of being transgender. One talked of “the hunger to suffer”. Another spoke of “using your pain to validate your own destruction”.

So much to unpick here.