Page 5 | Kent council remove trans childrens books from libraries

WomenShouldStillWinWomensSportsIsBack · 2025-07-04T12:12:09+00:00

Just heard this on the radio. Can't see another thread on it. R2 had a delightful quote from a random outraged American-sounding TRA but nothing for balance from the other side, just a secondhand statement from the council. Article slightly more balanced. Hope this becomes more widespread. [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6257p2vry3o https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6257p2vry3o]]

DameMaud · 14/07/2025 14:07

RovingPublicEnquiry · 14/07/2025 11:01

This just blew my mind. Such an insightful take on the "trans people have existed forever" argument. Imagine if we had books called "Sheldon The Shaman!" or "Maisie is a Medium!" telling the stories of kids who can talk to dead people as if that was established fact and suggesting that anyone might be able to talk to dead people. "Do you have an imaginary friend? Maybe that's Grandma and you're a Medium too!"

Children's books like I Am Jazz, and all the others mentioned in this thread, do exactly that but with the idea of gendered souls and being born in the wrong body. At least telling kids they might be shamans wouldn't lead to blocking their puberty and preventing them from growing into healthy adults. Although we all know kids are better at seeing dead people than adults (hello Bruce Willis), so I suppose puberty blockers might be "life-saving!" by keeping them from unaliving themselves when they hit 16 and lose their super special shamaning abilities. 🙄

In all seriousness though, the perception that all these types of things are actually expressions of human curiosity about the fundamental aspects of life that we can't experience is brilliant.

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I absolutely agree.

This is the best response to 'these people have existed in all cultures at all times, so it must be true' that I've ever read!

Merrymouse · 14/07/2025 15:24

RovingPublicEnquiry · 14/07/2025 11:01

This just blew my mind. Such an insightful take on the "trans people have existed forever" argument. Imagine if we had books called "Sheldon The Shaman!" or "Maisie is a Medium!" telling the stories of kids who can talk to dead people as if that was established fact and suggesting that anyone might be able to talk to dead people. "Do you have an imaginary friend? Maybe that's Grandma and you're a Medium too!"

Children's books like I Am Jazz, and all the others mentioned in this thread, do exactly that but with the idea of gendered souls and being born in the wrong body. At least telling kids they might be shamans wouldn't lead to blocking their puberty and preventing them from growing into healthy adults. Although we all know kids are better at seeing dead people than adults (hello Bruce Willis), so I suppose puberty blockers might be "life-saving!" by keeping them from unaliving themselves when they hit 16 and lose their super special shamaning abilities. 🙄

In all seriousness though, the perception that all these types of things are actually expressions of human curiosity about the fundamental aspects of life that we can't experience is brilliant.

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Spiritualism was very popular after the First World War, and I think many believed there was a scientific basis for it

I wonder if there are parallels?

SerendipityJane · 14/07/2025 15:56

Spiritualism was very popular after the First World War, and I think many believed there was a scientific basis for it

If your five sons and husband and brother all came back from France in matchboxes, you might find yourself searching for truth in odd places.

RedToothBrush · 15/07/2025 06:37

Merrymouse · 14/07/2025 15:24

Spiritualism was very popular after the First World War, and I think many believed there was a scientific basis for it

I wonder if there are parallels?

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My great grandfather got really into spiritualism.

He fought in WWI. He joined up age 18 in 1918. He landed in April and saw active service on the front lines before he got flu in July 1918 and was hospitalised. This probably saved his life in two ways - it was likely the first less deadly wave of Spanish flu and it meant he missed a number of key battles before rejoining the war in October after the Germans had begun to collapse.

Then in the early 1930s his youngest child, his only daughter, died aged 5. And that's when he turned to spiritualism.

He quit a really important volunteer role during WWII for reasons unknown - we have a letter that states that they understood his difficult 'personal issues' at the time.

I think there might be a bucket load of trauma in there somehow.