Reading recommendations: Ray Blanchard's Reasesrch

[Femisaurus]

I'm currently reading Trans and have Material Girls in my tbr pile.

I found the chapter on Blanchard and Bailey (around autogynephilia) really interesting and I understand they got a lot of abuse for it. What I'd like to do is understand the opinions of those who oppose Blanchard's theories. I know this may not be something that will go down well in FWR but whilst I'm most definitely GC I feel a need to understand the counter arguments (and I'm intrigued by them). I feel having balanced information is key to being able to speak confidently on a subject.

So, are there any books that cover this subject or the "other side" of the debate?

I have of course looked on Amazon but can see some reviews warning of incorrect stats. Whilst I want to understand the other side, I also want to make sure what I'm reading is factual.

Also any GC book recommendations would be most welcome.

@barleybadminton

Are transwomen more likely than other males to be sex offenders or are some male sex offenders in prison just pretending to be trans?

I once again refer you to the answer to your question I gave in my post just before this one.

The post in which you didn't answer my question?

The post in which you didn't answer my question?

I did answer your question, I just didn't get drawn into choosing between the two scenarios you gave both of which I thought were false. It's a very childish way of debating, and either reveals deliberate disingenuousness or a very poor intellect.

I said:
Nobody has said that all transwomen are sexual predators. But it has been observed that sexual predators appear to be over-represented in the (male) trans population, since half of the males in prison who identify as transwomen are sex offenders.

Why do you think this is? Is it because a large proportion of transwomen are sex offenders or is it because some male prisoners are pretending to be transwomen?

Your reply to this was:
Or perhaps it's because just like black men and lesbians along with many other marginalised groups trans people are over represented in prisons because of living in a society which is prejudiced towards them.

This doesn't answer my question. But I should have offered you a third option. Is there some other reason for the disproportionate number of sex offenders amongst the male transgender population in prisons?

@VeryLongBeeeeep

How can something be "largely behind us" and "getting worse" at the same time?

Answer: it can't. You just make it up as you go along, scrambling to backtrack when you realise you've let slip something that exposes the complete illogicality of this whole ideology.

Absolute Jibberjabber. Barley is the master/mistress of contradiction. One post after the other saying the complete opposite to each other. 🤣

Over 100 posts on this thread, and no recognition of the paramount importance of trans widows to this debate

@TinselAngel

Over 100 posts on this thread, and no recognition of the paramount importance of trans widows to this debate

Sincere question. Do you support creating a less hostile society for trans women so people no longer feel they have to repress who they are and are able to transition younger?

Because it seems to me the more trans identities are stigmatised the more likely people are to attempt to deny who they are and get married and try to live in the social role of a man and a husband without ever feeling able to even tell their potential spouse how they truly feel. I think that's a tragedy for both parties that will only ever be addressed by combating the prejudice towards trans people that leads to some people trying to lead closeted lives.

I'm not going to be phallic drifted into a conversation about how we should make trans widow's abuser's lives easier by facilitating them more.

The point I am making on this thread is solely that if you want to know the truth about AGP, the only reliable witnesses are the women who are the victims of it.

@TinselAngel

I'm not going to be phallic drifted into a conversation about how we should make trans widow's abuser's lives easier by facilitating them more.

The point I am making on this thread is solely that if you want to know the truth about AGP, the only reliable witnesses are the women who are the victims of it.

Well you're under no obligation to answer I was just interested. I can see paralells with the marrages that broke up in the 80s and 90s as more people who were lesbians and gay felt able to come out. I don't think the answer to help those left behind would have been to create a more society that was more hostle to lesbians and gays.

And I'm not sure the dozen or so stories on your website are really that representative, or tell the truth about 'AGP'. More they reveal some genuine cases of abuse which should absolutely be condemned, as well as partnerships which turn out to be sexually incompatible. There are thousands of women (and men) in relationships with trans people who do not share those experiences, and I think their views are just as valid. We wouldn't base our opinions on gays and lesbians on the experiences of heterosexual partners they may have broken up with so I don't really see why this should apply to trans people.

I'm confident women here can decide who to believe.

@TinselAngel

I'm confident women here can decide who to believe.

It's really not hard.

And I would recommend anyone wondering, to read them.

There are plenty of men who have seen their own experience accurately described by Blanchard, not least the men he actually studied, but others as well.

It's certainly possible there are other types of sex dysphoric men, and arguably under the new expansion of gender ideology there may be new types. Someone with a situation like Jazz Jennings doesn't seem to fit into either of Blanchard's categories, and I can easily imagine in a culture with a different approach there could be other possibilities - we know that how people experience personality disorders and mental health disorders is highly socially constructed.

But trying to deny the existence of AGP is kind of like trying to deny the phases of the moon.

I really think medically we've screwed over some of these men, leading them, in some cases at young ages, into the idea that their issue is they are somehow women in a man's body, and that the first solution is transition. That's not a great solution, and once someone has really gone down that road, it isn't something that can be backed away from very easily.

Culturally we also don't think much about whether we could prevent or minimize the development of all kinds of sexual targeting disorders which negatively affect people's lives, because we accept them as inevitable and not a problem. Instead we set up conditions that make them more likely and also that mean they will tend to gain a foothold and become impossible to deal with early on.

It's really not hard.
I'll bet it is...

@barleybadminton

Why do you think this is? Is it because a large proportion of transwomen are sex offenders or is it because some male prisoners are pretending to be transwomen?

Or perhaps it's because just like black men and lesbians along with many other marginalised groups trans people are over represented in prisons because of living in a society which is prejudiced towards them.

That hardly explains the ones who transition after arrest or sentencing. They were convicted as John, and now seem to be Helen and have applied to transfer prisons.

It is noteworthy when posters seem very invested in discrediting trans widows' testimonies.

@TinselAngel

It is noteworthy when posters seem very invested in discrediting trans widows' testimonies.

I'm not discrediting them, the stories deserve to be told and I have condemned the abuse where it is alleged. I just pointed out there don't seem to be that many of them, and so they should be contrasted with the thousands of people happily in relationships with trans women and not be presumed to be the only voices that can tell 'the truth' about those you call AGP males.

barley, women who suffer coercive relationships and abuse are not known for their capacity to address the issues, resolve them, and then go public about them. Hence the many support groups, organisations and charities set up to help them.

Perhaps you didn't know that.

Although you can't be entirely unaware about what happens to women who speak about the trans ideology. The deliberate targeting with threats of rape, violence and doxxing.

barley, women who suffer coercive relationships and abuse are not known for their capacity to address the issues, resolve them, and then go public about them. Hence the many support groups, organisations and charities set up to help them.

I'm well aware of that but that does not mean we should presume that thousands of relationships are abusive simply because they involve someone with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment. That would be quite transphobic wouldn't you say?

Don't say it then Barley.

just like black men and lesbians along with many other marginalised groups trans people are over represented in prisons because of living in a society which is prejudiced towards them.
Why would they be more likely to commit sex offences than the average prisoner? Your explanation only tells us why more trans people are in prison than would be expected from the general population.
Are lesbians and black men also over-represented in sex offences?

I just pointed out there don't seem to be that many of them,

Well we've hardly been encouraged to speak out until recently, when we have begun to provide platforms for ourselves.

Fortunately more and more women are finding themselves able to, on our website and elsewhere.

Our exes will of course continue to minimise this, as is happening here.

Bloody hell, I've been deleted for pointing out that one person has attempted to monopolise this thread