Push and pull factors in transitioning

[GCScot]

People's motivations in making a change can be categorised into 'push' and 'pull' factors. 'Push' factors are your dissatisfaction with your current state. 'Pull' factors are the perceived advantages of another state.

I started thinking about the possible push and pull factors for people transitioning their gender. It made me realise that there are two distinct groups:

Group 1 = mainly motivated by push factors. i.e. they are unhappy with their sexed body. They include:

• Women/girls with internalised misogyny

• Gay people with internalised homophobia

• Non-genderconforming autistic people who have internalised sexist stereotypes as fact

• Survivors of abuse/trauma who are trying to protect themselves from future abuse/trauma

Group 2 = mainly motivated by pull factors. i.e. they are attracted to being/being perceived to be the opposite sex. They include:

• People who are sexually aroused by the idea of themselves being the opposite sex (AGP/AAP)

• People who think they can gain a personal advantage (sporting/competitive/sexual access) by claiming to be the opposite sex

Group 1 are mainly children and young adults, especially girls. They have gender dysphoria. Because they are trying to permanently and convincingly escape their sexed bodies, they are more likely to undergo medical modifications (surgery, artificial hormones). They have a diverse range of vulnerabilities as a result of their own personal life experiences and the prejudices of society

Group 2 are mainly adult men. We might say they have gender euphoria. Because they aren't trying to escape their sexed bodies they are unlikely to undergo medical modification, preferring temporary and superficial modifications such as clothes, make up, prosthetics, names and pronouns. The majority of the aggressive vocal TRAs come from this group

TRAs deliberately merge the two groups

They know they can utilise the sincerity, vulnerability and innocence of Group 1:
Trans appears in childhood - it must be innate!
Trans appears in childhood - it can't be sexually motivated!
Trans people have gender dysphoria - they're vulnerable!
Look at the lengths they'll go to (surgery, hormones) - they must be genuine!

But when it comes to the motivations of trans people, the TRAs suddenly switch track. They emphasise the pull factor acting on Group 2 ("wanting to be a wo/man") rather than the push factor acting on Group 1 (trying to escape your sexed body). Because any detailed discussion of just why someone might want to escape their body would raise awkward questions about whether wanting to transition is really a cause for celebration and affirmation.

I think it's very important we distinguish between the two groups when discussing objections to gender ideology. They are very different groups with different motivations and consequences. I think part of the reason so many trans allies are resistant to changing their opinions or even discussing the issue is because most of the trans people they know are Group 1s. They recognise these people's sincerity and vulnerability and have been duped by Group 2 TRAs into not examining the underlying push and pull factors of transition

See it's not even worth responding to your wider post because your position starts from a lie in the very beginning. That the difference between male and female is "behaviours".

The difference between male and female is sex.

We can't deconstruct the rest of what you wrote until somehow we get you to figure out that sex is a real thing.

Let's start with some basic test questions to help you along. Multi-choice:

Which sex menstruates?
(a) Male
(b) Female
(c) Both
(d) Sex is irrelevant, menstruation is a behaviour that some people choose to conform to

Let me know if you need any help.

'Cis' means nothing outside of transgender ideology. Biology is not a psychological trait is is a physical reality. Having what you call 'gendered inclinations' doesn't change your sex; and having what you call 'female gendered inclinations' does not make turn a man into a woman.

What you seem to be describing is performances of 'gender' - Judith Butler style.

Multiple TRAs do this all the time though, including on this thread

He's got a real point, though.

When I go to sleep, my behaviour disappears. Then my husband has a right wobble and can't figure out what sex I am.

He shakes me awake and says "What sex are you?" and I respond "Hold on, I'll have a check in the wardrobe. Can you pass me my bra and knickers?"

Then we both remember that only women wear bras and knickers, and he settles down for a good snooze.

This is exactly what I was saying earlier. That the young trans identifying people I know (and their allies) acknowledge men are males and don’t deny the material reality of sex, but they do believe in the primacy of this nebulous concept of gender over sex. Including believing that a female gender gives or ought to give permission to enter the single sex spaces of women. Because gender trumps sex.

Then it’s not externally observable is it?

If someone can have “typically female “ interests but still be a trans man in your eyes, and as you say, it is all a matter for the individual to declare, then it is only inside the trans person’s head and not externally verifiable in any consistent way at all.

Exactly. We are back to “being trans” not being externally verifiable, but only existing in someone’s head. Is this person a cross dresser, or are they magically “trans”? We can’t tell by observation.

So being trans is not externally or independently verifiable. Only down to the magic words that the person says.

Therefore we shouldn’t allow self ID into women’s spaces/services/associations.

That's as ignorant as saying Candace Owens can never be corrected on black issues or Phyllis Schlafly on women's issues by someone who isn't black or female.

Those are odd examples for someone who claims to be in Liverpool.

The Big 5 Personality Traits are estimated between 30 to 60% biological.

If a psychological trait is only 30-60% biological then it's not a biological psychological trait as by definition it's 40-70% non-biological.

Please can you provide a list of biological psychological traits along with a list of non-biological psychological traits?

Human beings are 100% biological.

Unless you're not a robot, but a 100% not-robot-biological-woman, which, I think I remember correctly, means you are a biological FemaleNotRobot, or something.

How did we get into this stupid mess, and where did all these stupid people come from? (don't answer that!)

God be with the days when the only timewasting personality analysis we did was Myers-Briggs tests.