Hang in there Matt! My daughters' child has gender dysphoria (age 6 and has been adamant about such for about two years). I have been reading a ton of stuff and trying to get up the curve. Actually just read the WPATH 8 yesterday (most of it). It is well reasoned and does not say thou shall do this, but instead indicates without huge amo…
Hang in there Matt! My daughters' child has gender dysphoria (age 6 and has been adamant about such for about two years). I have been reading a ton of stuff and trying to get up the curve. Actually just read the WPATH 8 yesterday (most of it). It is well reasoned and does not say thou shall do this, but instead indicates without huge amounts of scientific data that which is their best opinion. The many professionals behind it do NOT have an agenda IMO. There are many (even trained professionals) that will say their recommendations are hogwash, but I don't think so.
I am in my late 60's and remember too well playing "smear the queer" on the playground as a child. Sixty some years later I feel bad about that as I have numerous friends and other acquaintances that are gay, and I don't think it is an illness of some sort. And they deserve to be happy and loved. I wonder if 60 years from now we will have figured out the gender issue?
I remember playing that game, too. I remember how calling someone a fag was the worst thing you could say. You sound like a good man. I think we're on our way to figuring it out. I don't think it will take sixty years. The current young generation already understands.
Thanks Matt and M Hutcheson, it’s a pleasure to read your reactions. BTW I am a gay man who remembers the years of fag-bashing, although I rarely hear it now, thankfully. Much of the world has changed for the better, but in some places and conditions those old prejudices do recur and harm. While I appreciate your remarks, I DO want to point out that the transgender issue originally under discussion in not, strictly speaking, a gay issue. That is, sexual orientation (gays and lesbians) and gender identity (trans people) are separate issues and do not even overlap as much as you might think. Some gays, like me, have reservations about constantly being conflated with the trans community through that long acronym LGBTQ-whatever. Most of our major rights organizations have pretty much switched from gay issues, which are largely « solved » in many places (I’m in NYC), to transactivism as those issues are very much in play. I have mixed feelings about the latter. Anyway, keep on posting here and just ignore the haters —
I understand. I've had to adjust my priors quite often over the last few years. The thing that changed me is knowing trans and nonbinary people in person. I work in the arts, where it's rather common.
Sorry, didn’t finish — it’s complicated a deserves compassionate, thoughtful responses, not some of the vociferous hate I see here. I’m quite surprised that readers of FP have such a degree of intolerance. I myself have doubts about trans treatment for minors, but come on folks, these guys have family members dealing with difficult questions. Let’s show some respect.
Thank you, Peter. I'm new here. I'd heard about the comments section at The Free Press from people at The Dispatch. They have quite the reputation. But there are good people like you, too.
Yes it is. And I'm learning new things all the time. Gender affirming care can mean a lot of things. The people who oppose it want to make it seem as extreme and gruesome and reckless as possible. And it's become political. Conservatives think they can use this issue to scare people and drive them to the polls. That's when the professional propagandists come in and make everyone crazy and angry and afraid, because it gets the folks to the polls––eager to fight back against the depraved left.
Hang in there Matt! My daughters' child has gender dysphoria (age 6 and has been adamant about such for about two years). I have been reading a ton of stuff and trying to get up the curve. Actually just read the WPATH 8 yesterday (most of it). It is well reasoned and does not say thou shall do this, but instead indicates without huge amounts of scientific data that which is their best opinion. The many professionals behind it do NOT have an agenda IMO. There are many (even trained professionals) that will say their recommendations are hogwash, but I don't think so.
I am in my late 60's and remember too well playing "smear the queer" on the playground as a child. Sixty some years later I feel bad about that as I have numerous friends and other acquaintances that are gay, and I don't think it is an illness of some sort. And they deserve to be happy and loved. I wonder if 60 years from now we will have figured out the gender issue?
I remember playing that game, too. I remember how calling someone a fag was the worst thing you could say. You sound like a good man. I think we're on our way to figuring it out. I don't think it will take sixty years. The current young generation already understands.
Thanks Matt and M Hutcheson, it’s a pleasure to read your reactions. BTW I am a gay man who remembers the years of fag-bashing, although I rarely hear it now, thankfully. Much of the world has changed for the better, but in some places and conditions those old prejudices do recur and harm. While I appreciate your remarks, I DO want to point out that the transgender issue originally under discussion in not, strictly speaking, a gay issue. That is, sexual orientation (gays and lesbians) and gender identity (trans people) are separate issues and do not even overlap as much as you might think. Some gays, like me, have reservations about constantly being conflated with the trans community through that long acronym LGBTQ-whatever. Most of our major rights organizations have pretty much switched from gay issues, which are largely « solved » in many places (I’m in NYC), to transactivism as those issues are very much in play. I have mixed feelings about the latter. Anyway, keep on posting here and just ignore the haters —
I understand. I've had to adjust my priors quite often over the last few years. The thing that changed me is knowing trans and nonbinary people in person. I work in the arts, where it's rather common.
Sorry, didn’t finish — it’s complicated a deserves compassionate, thoughtful responses, not some of the vociferous hate I see here. I’m quite surprised that readers of FP have such a degree of intolerance. I myself have doubts about trans treatment for minors, but come on folks, these guys have family members dealing with difficult questions. Let’s show some respect.
Thank you, Peter. I'm new here. I'd heard about the comments section at The Free Press from people at The Dispatch. They have quite the reputation. But there are good people like you, too.
I just want to add my voice that this is a complicated issue
Yes it is. And I'm learning new things all the time. Gender affirming care can mean a lot of things. The people who oppose it want to make it seem as extreme and gruesome and reckless as possible. And it's become political. Conservatives think they can use this issue to scare people and drive them to the polls. That's when the professional propagandists come in and make everyone crazy and angry and afraid, because it gets the folks to the polls––eager to fight back against the depraved left.