Today's Guardian - the trans kids helped by a pioneering project

[pachyderm]

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/15/trans-transgender-children-gender-family-project

Children of seven and twelve years old, just heartbreaking.

I would get banned for saying what I want to say about the writer of this piece.

My DD is 3, children at this age just copy exactly what they’ve heard their parents say, they don’t even know what the differences are between girls and boys yet.

Yesterday DD was helping me sort out some books and toys to go to the charity shop when DH came downstairs wearing a t-shirt he’s had for about 15 years and is faded beyond belief, I said to him “I hate that t-shirt, you should chuck it out, it’s manky”. 10 minutes later my dd came downstairs with her favourite t-shirt and said “I hate this t-shirt, it’s manky, let’s put it with the books for the charity shop”, today she is wearing that t-shirt 🙄

I mean testosterone from 14. The permanent hair growth, permanent voice deepening, vaginal atrophy, hair thinning on head, affect on libido, impact on ageing of the body etc etc. All at 14 years of age.

Who can consent to that?

I refused to wear dresses at 3. Spent my life in trousers and t-shirts and sulked if I had to wear a dress for a wedding or some other do.
But because it was the 70s my parents just ignored it and saw it as a phase. Which it was.

But it's what the child is going to experience. Because the child's mother is going to communicate that message "other people hate you and wish you didn't exist." sadHow can people not see that this is abusive

The whole business is a really strange form of narcissism - formed out of various strands of late stage American post modernism and consumer culture...plus a society which is heavily dependent on pharmaceuticals to function.

I have a friend ( British. We did A-levels together) but who has been living in the U.s for decades now. She works in clinical psychology and has three children. Two out of the three have been on 'meds' since they were about 19 years old - for various 'personality disorders'.

Christ that article unwashedanddazed

Who can consent to that?

It gets hard to keep up. One.minute kids know their gender at 2 and should be believed , the next they are being lead by bigot parents at 13/14 when they want to sue for their right to single sex spaces . Seems one is possible and the other isnt. The capability to consent exists merely In the mind of adults who have lived their lives, had kids and gotten to where they are with the full mental maturation afforded by puberty and life experience.

since they weer about 10 years old ( not 19)

His mom looked at him. “Maybe you will solve global warming, Seph,” she suggested. “You could change the world.”
“No, Mom! That’s not it at all!” he said, rolling his eyes.
I smile at the retort. He shouldn’t have to aspire to change the world. He already has.

This is what I find really sad. Every child should be encouraged to make the most of their talents and aim as high as possible. Yet trans kids are told that transition will be their greatest achievement in life; their abilities and skills, what they can do for others, the actual changes they could make in the world aren't important. No, what really matters is getting their bodies altered.

The author of this article, let's not forget, felt the need to tell the world at great length about a sofa that 'saved' them after their ex kicked them out for transitioning.

Reading through the article you can work out that they then invited someone they barely knew to sleep on that sofa. And also had their kids come over and stay with them.

If I was the transwidow I would have some serious concerns about this.

www.glamour.com/story/after-my-marriage-ended-the-too-expensive-couch-saved-my-sanity

We are very lucky that we can send our children to independent schools and they go to single sex schools (I initially found this weird, but my husband was for it)

I do think single sex schools tend to be better for girls, that could be because that was my own experience of secondary school. It was an academic school too, which was important.

I also used to teach, and do have to say that sports are far stronger for girls at single sex ( all girls) schools, than at mixed schools, and the concept of 'boy' and 'girl' subjects and topics is not so reinforced.

Instead of snatching opportunities for unsupervised conversations with other people's children, this writer might have faired better to pay attention to the distress of their own very young children. Particularly when it comes during displays of 'femininity'.archive.is/tGj2u

Transgender women have to strike a delicate balance with their appearances: if we skew toward skirts and dresses, we're perpetuating gender stereotypes, but if we're too androgynous, we have our genders questioned, as if we aren't woman enough. Striking that balance is a perpetual and exhausting struggle I wanted to be seen as a woman, but I didn't realize that wearing so much makeup and short skirts only made me more visible and out-of-place

Yet trans kids are told that transition will be their greatest achievement in life; their abilities and skills, what they can do for others, the actual changes they could make in the world aren't important.

I don’t watch I Am Jazz too often but the last time I did, I was struck by the fact Jazz is trying to find a place in the world - a college of Jazz’s choice, not the parents, go when ready etc. Jazz’s independent life should only just beginning, but Jazz’s life has been predetermined to be a beacon for trans kids everywhere, and will be obligated to fulfill that role forever. It’s sad.

My 4 year old girl likes to be owlet from pj masks, doesn’t mean I let her jump from her bedroom window because she thinks she has wings.

That article is disturbing, can’t think why they don’t have comments on.

@Justhadathought it wasn’t to I spoke to female work colleagues about our school days that I appreciate Going to a single sex school and my daughters primary was chosen because it’s a feeder for the ones in my city.

All the women in my work life who I consider outspoken went to single sex, obviously anecdotal but I would love to see a research paper on the type of employment for girls from mixed and same sex schools.

I smile at the retort. He shouldn’t have to aspire to change the world. He already has.

Adult smiles because girl has already taken steps that have radically altered her physical state and changed her 'world' permanently - such that if she decides at any point that this is not what she wants, some aspects are already unalterable.

Why are so many trans adults (and some other adults) so keen for children to alter their bodies?

I know. It's led to a stereotyped belief that "soccer" is for girls. That's the point.

They say it's the kid's inner 'gender identity' pulling them towards interests that are coded to match in their culture.

I say that's ridiculously overcomplicated. They probably just like football.

I've been trying to work out which department at the Guardian published that article so that I could send an email of complaint. This is the promotion of child abuse. It's that simple.

It's in the 'society' section, so from the list here I think it would be: [email protected]

There's also the readers' editor:
www.theguardian.com/info/2014/sep/12/-sp-how-to-make-a-complaint-about-guardian-or-observer-content

But there's a long list of what sort of complaints the readers' editor won't look at.

Whyare so many trans adults (and some other adults) so keen for children to alter their bodies?

And why their desire to be something that would have meant their kids never existed and that their wishes are labelled lesbians against their will is still lauded as brave and stunning.

It infuriates me how so many of them claim it would have been so much better for them. But how would they know. JJ isnt exactly the success story is she. We all wish them all the happiness in the world but early transition has come at a cost we should not ignore. Their mental health is not any better really. They had to take a year out when they got their college place to focus on self care. Not forgetting the complications of the surgery. How do you create a vagina when they never developed? JJ was nothing but a guinea pig for experimental surgery. How can people who have had children and successful careers and wives who loved them say any of that was a better option and would have made them happier. How is the affect on the family ignored.

They have all the benefits of growing up and developing mentally. They had the chance figure stuff out . How is that possible when IQ drops when blockers are taken.

How is removing the choice of a family a better option?

How is college and study etc compatible with the dilation schedules of post op care? Wheres the freedom there to live learn and grow there?

Wives.

Not wishes. Stupid phone

"So she kept (his) hair long". Last time I checked boys could have long hair.

And girls can have short hair. (Eating lunch so not explaining myself well.)

Why are so many trans adults (and some other adults) so keen for children to alter their bodies?

In order to perpetuate the myth that all trans adults were 'born trans' and none of them are motivated in any way by sexual fetishism, it was essential to create the idea of 'trans children' in order to de-couple 'sex' from transgenderism.

This was made clear in a discussion in a now-deleted youtube video, in which a TRA said:
“I’ve always said there are two groups that are going to make change in transgender legislation and the “gender identity and expression” related language in legislation. It’s going to be trans youth because … they demystify it and take the sex right out of the trans experience.”

The other person responds:
“Right. And it’s hard to say no to kids, and the needs of kids and “keeping kids safe”. And you know, “being respected in schools” and things like that. It’s really hard for people to say no to that.”

More background to that quote here:
mirandayardley.com/en/this-is-an-all-out-political-war-the-gender-recognition-act-and-beyond/

If these 'trans children' were left to grow up naturally and grow out of their trans identification at puberty (as nearly all of them do if left alone), then the lie would quickly be exposed. So the trans identity has to be made permanent by the use of puberty blockers/hormones/surgery.

Since trans adults are (according to this narrative), just the adult versions of 'trans kids', it makes it harder to criticise the adults without implicitly also criticising 'trans children'.

Why are so many trans adults (and some other adults) so keen for children to alter their bodies?

It’ll be the same reason religious leaders encourage their followers not to use contraception, the more people you’ve got in your gang the more power and influence you have.

As to why the parents go along with it, they’re probably the sort of people who feed off drama and need to find something to make them feel ‘special’ or have a cause. If it wasn’t having a trans child it would be extreme veganism or pushing their child to the top of some sort of sport or claiming they’re a genius and trying to get them into university at 12 years old.

I don't know if anyuone else has googled the author's name, but Katelyn Burns is the first ever openly trans Capitol Hill reporter. She grew up in New England and covers politics, LGBTQ issues, and reproductive health. She calls herself (sorry) a "feminist".

twitter.com/transscribe?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

This is heart breaking. As a mother, the thought of actively encouraging my child to alter their body rather than embrace who they are is so upsetting.

I understand the bucking the trend of gender norms can be a difficult path to tread, especially for young people. So I understand why the offer of magically being able to change one's own sex is an attractive prospect. But that is not the problem at all, is it? Why can't the same energy be put into tearing down gender stereotypes and eradicating gender rather than irrevocably damaging our children's bodies?