Elective Mastectomies for the Non Binary

[OhHolyJesus]

I'm sharing this as I found it interesting that there isn't a single supportive comment in the post. Not one.

Dr Gallagher is known to some here already so it will come as no surprise that this woman is attempting comedy with "Teetus Deletus".

www.facebook.com/1914451722102925/posts/2846599405554814/?d=n

Also I don't support, but I do sort of see the point of elective mastectomies for trans men (if you think you're male you not go by to want to appear female in any way) but why is this required, or even preferred, for women who identify as neither male nor female.

I'm not being flippant but they don't just remove one breast, to sort of demonstrate that you are in between male and female, both both breast are removed to appear more male but you're non binary? I don't get it. Why can't you be non binary with breasts?

Doctors for the $$$ obviously.

Weirdly, I just went to FB and found the pic had popped up in one of my groups.
I’m now bringing the (literally) ugly reality of a double mastectomy to the ‘celebratory’ comments section... 😁

When people are talking about binding as a normal or positive choice for 'non-binary' young women, do none of them ever stop to think:

• foot binding - recognised as awful abusive practice done to women historically

• breast ironing - recognised as awful abusive practice done to women in other parts of the world.

Do supporters of breast binding really think think 'Hmm, combining both of the above. That sounds like a great idea for female liberty'??!

I couldn't afford a good bra when I was a teenager, and hated my breasts being noticeable, especially in school shirts, and in PE. Boys would often comment on being able to see girls bra straps through the material.

I think a good supportive bra and time away from boys would be less harmful than binding.

And I think it might help if these operations were described as cosmetic surgery i.e. elective surgery for changing appearance - might help people consider whether children should be considering it.

time away from boys would be less harmful than binding

Yes - which is why girls do better in single sex schools than mixed. Sadly, boys tend to do better in mixed so guess who wins...

Absolutely horrified that what I wrote warranted being deleted. What the hell is happening to the world?!

Am I allowed to still call fgm mutilation?

What about breast ironing? Or foot binding?

I'm guessing yes. But a Western surgeon literally cutting vulnerable woman's breasts off with a knife, that's a no is it? Right oh.

@TheAdventuresoftheWishingChair

Absolutely horrified that what I wrote warranted being deleted. What the hell is happening to the world?!

Am I allowed to still call fgm mutilation?

What about breast ironing? Or foot binding?

I'm guessing yes. But a Western surgeon literally cutting vulnerable woman's breasts off with a knife, that's a no is it? Right oh.

This happens quite often. TRAs who monitor this forum absolutely detest posts about surgery because they starkly highlight the damage done by medical staff which we now know offers no improvement to the mental health of trans people (American Journal of Psychiatry retraction) and has lifelong side effects. The posts are then removed because there’s a general lack of comprehension that we are actually criticising the doctors involved.

If, generally speaking, one was to say a person has been mutilated, it’s an indictment of the person who did the mutilating, not a criticism of the person has been mutilated. Generally speaking of course. Some examples of how the term “mutilated” are used to criticise surgeons:

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/30/emil-gayed-surgeon-who-left-women-mutilated-says-patients-are-misinformed

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/ian-paterson-inquiry-breast-surgeon-cancer-private-safety-nhs-a9316296.html

Note that Paterson was punished for performing mastectomies on women with perfectly healthy breast tissue.

The recipients of such surgeries are victims.

This, to my mind, also exemplifies (yet again) how deeply sexist the whole movement is.

Male non binary? Bit of mascara, dress with a bit of swish and you're good to go.

Female non-binary? Prove your commitment by undergoing major surgery to remove perfectly healthy and functional tissue.

There are several things going on I think, which may or may not be related.

There is dysphoria about certain body parts and how you choose to label those feelings. In many ways it seems more honest to id as NB if you feel dysphoria - it acknowledges that you can't in any real way be the opposite sex but feel extreme discomfort with your own.

There is earnest introspection - because the trans movement says your sex is what you feel it is, and young people like most of us have no feeling on the matter, so in accordance with what they have been told they declare themselves NB. Then look around and try to figure out how to signal their new identity.

And signalling is very significant. Both dysphoria and definition triggered NB identities are only real in so far as they are acknowledged by others. There's not really any difference between signalling trans and signalling NB so this applies to both.

For boys it's so easy to signal - any of heels, long hair, lipstick, skirts - still socially unexpected in men. The trans movement has been hostile to any further breaking down of these stereotype barriers for example the unis who were trying to ban cross dressing as a form of fancy dress. It threatens the power of stereotypes as signals.

How are girls to signal gender change though? I go about with short hair and men's clothes and shoes more often than not. It's perfectly socially accepted as women already fought that battle. Presenting as a man is actually seen as gender neutral, and people then clock frame/face shape/boobs to log whether you're male or female.

So both from a dysphoria perspective and a signalling perspective (which I do think may be heavily linked) boobs are a problem.

but why is this required, or even preferred, for women who identify as neither male nor female

Because male/masculine/male secondary sexual characteristics are the default. The female body is the "aberration" the difference the "Other."

And it's the male reaction to the breasts that are the real problem and cause of the discomfort.

Of course, the real solution would be to remove the problem i.e. the male attitude but that would be too much to expect.