Scarleteen: Trans Summer School

[InvisibleDragon]

Scarleteen have a multi-part series on trans issues for teens. It's quite hair-raising...

In part 2 you are encouraged to join online groups, so that older trans people can mentor you:
www.scarleteen.com/trans_summer_school_so_i_think_i_might_be_trans_now_what
But eventually, you’re going to have to get into the nitty gritty and find some trans mentors. Mentors can talk to you about their own gender journeys and experiences, point you in the direction of resources, offer survival tips specific to your situation, and act as useful sounding boards while you think things out. Think of them like big siblings — they’re been where you are, and they’re happy to share knowledge with you.

These networks are incredibly valuable, and while it can be scary at first to reach out to the trans and otherwise gender nonconforming community, it’s so worth it. Many communities are very welcoming, and some explicitly create space for people who are starting to rethink their relationship to gender.

Part 5 is called "The magic of hormones"
www.scarleteen.com/trans_summer_school_the_magic_of_hormones
And features such pseudo-scientific gems as:

• blockers are "a developmental time-out"
• you go through puberty when you take cross-sex hormones

Part 6 is on exciting surgical options:
www.scarleteen.com/trans_summer_school_the_wide_world_of_surgical_transition

Apparently:

• surgery is useful so that you don't need to take such high doses
• if you have painful periods you can get a hysterectomy
• Also

your vagina has its grand opening, you’ll be directed in the use of dilators (also called stents), which look and work rather a lot like dildos — you’ll be gently inserting them, with plenty of lube, to keep your shiny new vagina open for business.

Part 7 is dating while trans:
www.scarleteen.com/trans_summer_school_dating_while_trans_yes_you_can
Which features sex toys, strap-ons and safe words:
If you and your partner have sex where “no” and “stop” are meant to be disregarded (such as pretending that you’re resisting more than you are) make sure you have a safe word clearly defined ahead of time. That will make it so your partner knows when they need to actually, seriously stop.

There's more of it, but I've lost the will to live. The combination of the faux-friendly tone, the simple language for kids, the minimisation of major surgery and, of course, the gazillions of safeguarding red flags - rape play? BDSM for teens?? Online mentoring networks??? - what the holy fuck is this? I cannot believe that it is for real. And yet it is.

Groomers' paradise.

gosh. somebody really does not like trans kids much at all... off licence drugs, lifelong sideeffects, surgery that has limited success and long term maintenance...

and the safeguarding aspect..

summed up in the first reply

EishetChayil precisely.

I was also really struck by the constant amping up of threat from innocuous places - your family might deadname you, your colleague might harass you by using the wrong pronoun, you might get assaulted if you come out to your date ...

It seems like the narrative is continually pushing the idea that normal society is not safe, whilst simultaneously pushing "trans youth" towards some extremely risky ideas and practices. At the same time as that, they are creating a parallel vocabulary that makes trans youth less mutually intelligible to wider society. (If I think you're talking about being misgendered but this time you actually were referring to literal violence it all gets a bit boy who cried wolf)

your description is chilling ID, right back to that first reply...

And then there's this:
www.scarleteen.com/trans_summer_school_when_things_go_wrong
Which includes the gem of wisdom that if you can't stay with your parents, you may be able to find a safe place to stay via the Trans Housing Network "an informal organization that tries to connect trans and otherwise gender nonconforming people in need with other queer folks and allies who have a couch or a bed to spare."

I am just stunned that any of this is being promoted openly to children as a way of looking after themselves?

The parallels with the stories of grooming and exploitation in Glinner's interview with Anita and Angus are really striking:
grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/grooming-its-different-for-boys?

That's a scary read. So many organisations completely failing on the safeguarding front.

Several of the trans lobby groups in the UK have offered "mentoring" to schools for children confused about their identity. One disappeared quite quickly after complaints but I'm sure I saw it offered relatively recently by another group. It's a repeated theme - that children are mini adults with no need for safeguarding.

This is horrendous.

But what I find even more appalling is that the Guardian today is trying to give Scarleteen a veil of respectability by interviewing the ‘powerhouse’ behind it:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jun/21/menopause-conversation-people-want-to-capitalize-on-us-ageing-

How is this even legal. If as a teacher I was suggesting these things I think I'd be struck off

Shiny new vagina..."open for business'. Ew.

Hazycoffeek I had no idea that was the same person.

There’s so much femme shaming in the world and the older women get, the worse that becomes. Particularly in mid life, when some women want to remain femme and feminine, it gets really teasy and shamey and gross. Instead of acknowledging in an empathetic way, oh my gosh, I’m so sorry that you’re having this painful gender crisis, what can we do to help affirm your gender identity? it becomes oh let go of that, you’ve aged out of that, or whatever.

This bit really makes my skin crawl.

@hedgehogger1

How is this even legal. If as a teacher I was suggesting these things I think I'd be struck off

Quite - how on earth is this stuff allowed? It is closer to grooming vulnerable children than support.

[quote InvisibleDragon]And then there's this:
www.scarleteen.com/trans_summer_school_when_things_go_wrong
Which includes the gem of wisdom that if you can't stay with your parents, you may be able to find a safe place to stay via the Trans Housing Network "an informal organization that tries to connect trans and otherwise gender nonconforming people in need with other queer folks and allies who have a couch or a bed to spare."

I am just stunned that any of this is being promoted openly to children as a way of looking after themselves?

The parallels with the stories of grooming and exploitation in Glinner's interview with Anita and Angus are really striking:
grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/grooming-its-different-for-boys?[/quote]
Part of me wonders if some of this stuff is an attempt to scare parents - 'look what might happen if you don't indulge your child in this.'