Regarding teenage girls and social contagion - it's worth remembering the 2021 LeRoy High School story, a psychogenic illness that swept through a group of 18 teens (mostly but not exclusively girls) who developed identical, tourette's like tic disorders. The national media became involved, and all sorts of hypotheses were offered for its etiology - Lyme disease, environmental toxins, etc. Eventually Erin Brockovich launched an investigation, determined to "uncover" the hidden source of the disease. Of course, after a few months the symptoms entirely went away, and nothing further was written about it, out of politeness and respect for the girls' privacy. Had there been an activist social media at the time magnifying and giving a platform to the issue they might never have had the chance to desist with their symptoms.
And of course no amount of medical intervention can "transition" any person from one sex to the other.Sex isn’t “assigned at birth” any more than we are “assigned” a height or weight at birth. “Primary sex determination in humans occurs at fertilization and is dependent upon the zygote’s two sex chromosomes. Sex differences manifest...in bodily systems and organs...to the molecular level.” It is why forensic scientists can determine sex when all that remains of a human body is a single tooth or bone. “Interventions that alter a person’s sexual appearance do not alter the person’s genetic code. Therefore, sex does not change."
I am sick of this discussion and the media and all our institutions on bended knee before this insanity. Former Yale professor Bandy X. Lee has written excellent articles about Trumpism & shared psychosis/contagious mental illness in the general population (and was fired from Yale for it); I never thought that I'd see the phenomenon in my own liberal backyard. I highly recommend her articles for an understanding of this public mental health menace. I'm a journalist, and I've never been so ashamed of my profession. British writer Dave Hewitt writes today: "The Guardian has found itself defending a sex-offender’s right to expose themselves to children, because to concede that this is wrong is to fatally undermine the certainty and fervour with which they have been pursuing the gender identity cause, and the viciousness with which anyone with a dissenting or nuanced opinion has been demonised."
This sentence, believe it or not, is from a Guardian NEWS story: "Calls to defend 'female spaces' and 'women’s shelters' have become rallying cries of anti-trans groups, who have falsely suggested that trans-inclusive policies endanger cis women." Excuse me, "falsely" suggested? This is what passes for news in the mainstream media. https://voidifremoved.substack.com/p/the-guardians-ideological-dead-end
It should surprise no one that the Guardian has swallowed the language gobbledygook whole, calling women "cis women." WTF does that even mean? I am not a "cis" woman. I am a woman. Trans women who've not "transitioned" physically are not women. Period. I don't give a fu_ _ how they "identify" or how people "identify" in their sick little heads. You can identify as a helicopter or a cat (and people do - next thing we know lycanthrope or "otherkin" mobs will demand public urination on streetlight posts and trees be deemed acceptable), but you are either a woman or a man. And, in fact, the bullying and the VIOLENCE with which trans activists behave underscores why it is important not to cave into their demands. Gender dysphoria is not a mental illness - it's a mental disorder. It is a "brain target location error," and people with this disorder or dysphoria have - or used to have - my sympathy and support. Now I am just outrageous and sick of the trans activist mob (transphobia: fear of the trans mob) spreading their anti-reality shared psychosis in the general population. If I have to read another inflated trans-(or race) victimhood story, I'm going to break something. (If I hadn't left the NYT for Bari Weiss and given Jesse and Katie @ Blocked & Reported my MPR money - I'd be out of dinner plates. Btw, NPR should be grateful to Katie for pointing out that public radio still has practical uses - getting out of bed in the morning (set your alarm - place it somewhere away from your bed - to NPR and you'll be forced to get up to turn off whatever insufferable race/trans story that is a standard feature of every NPR newscast).
Unfortunately it won't be reasonable people like Bari and Abigail's supporters that wipe out the woke/trans activism. It will be the Rethuglican Party after enough voters choose the MAGA mental candidates over Democratic politicians, whose pandering to the insufferable anti-science, anti-reality trans/woke mob, lose the House, Senate, and the White House to the American fascist movement and a type of illiberalism that won't have much sympathy for trans people. Roger Stone couldn't have done it better.
I'm so sad that I won't be able to attend this event! I hope that there's a video recording available for those of us who have schedule conflicts. And it will be a terrific excuse to tip a martini at 8 a.m. ; )
It's beyond time for nice people to start offending. My goal is not to win conversations, but I've made a vow to myself to never pass up the opportunity to plant a seed (even at the risk of offending) that might offer perspective. I realize there are very few minds I will change on the spot, but I'm hopefully that over time it'll make a difference.
Bari, I am dropping my subscription, and I thought I should tell you why.
The reason is your one-sidedness: your otherwise admirable defense of free speech and individual rights is completely undermined, IMO, by your (willful?) inaction in confronting authoritarianism in the US from the right.
Authoritarianism is NOT OK no matter which side does it. By focusing on one side only, you are only helping the other side's authoritarian moves.
I will not give my monetary support to any writer/commenter/journalist who cannot (or refuses to) see this bigger picture.
Also, the left has control of government, the media, academia, Hollywood and corporate America. So where exactly is the right having an impact in our society ?
Bari is a voice in the void that is mainstream media. If you want a counter-opinion, you need only visit virtually any of the large newspapers or turn on your nightly news. The problem is that there is little to counter THEIR one-sidedness - except for Bari and those like her. We discontinued our subscription to the NYT and directed those funds to reporters like Bari. I'm sure the NYT or WaPo will happily invite you back into their echo-chambers, Mark. (Karla, Chris's wife)
I am center left but I'm gonna call BS here. I challenge you to provide a single, concrete example of creeping authoritarianism on the right, and not some fringe exception to the rule.
I suspect Bari would ruthlessly call it out if it were present, too. She is no fan of the Right.
Conversely, rampant authoritarianism from the Left is self-evident. This story is but one example.
I don’t have a sense of her avoiding criticizing the right. Each issue is a new topic. Perhaps she will cover one of your concerns one day. I don’t see her as right wing or left. Just speaking truth to power. And from my standpoint the right by and large are more than adequately called out. It is the left who need to be challenged by progressive and educated peers who are not right wing Trumpists.
Mark, I'm guessing that during the McCarthy era, you would have been screaming about the New York Times not writing about censorship and blacklisting from the left and overly focusing on the threat from the right. Utterly ridiculous ...
Please describe where or how right wing authoritarianism is having an impact on our society. Since ABC, NBC, CBS, NYTimes and WaPo spew left wing cancel culture everyday, it is refreshing to see Bari, a self pro seed liberal, taking on the loons on the far left.
" authoritarianism in the US from the right." - Such as? I think 30-40 years ago, you saw evangelicals trying to control what's taught in rural schools and put on the airwaves...that's pretty much disappeared. Most rural conservatives just want to be left alone, not sure how that's authoritarian?
I often wish for 90's democrats who chanted "more welfare, higher taxes." Now they're chanting "kill whitey," or worse, "kill jews/israelis" and they loathe America.
I see Substack writers (such as Weiss, Greenwald, Singal, Taibbi) as filling in a deficit left by mainstream media. Major outlets focus almost completely on criticism of the right, but ignore legitimate criticisms of the left. This wouldn’t be a problem if right wing media were more credible. Instead, that leaves the only criticism of left wing politics/culture coming from dubious sources at best. Substack writers bring credible and professional attention to the left without having it come from journalists (like Rush Limbaugh & co.) who do not share my values.
I hope more people see these Substack writers as just filling in this hole rather than providing complete coverage to way mainstream outlets (are supposed to) do.
If you want to read criticism of the right, just subscribe to the NYTimes or WaPo. They do it 24/7. I pay to subscribe to Bari's substack because I need to balance the woke nonsense I'm bombarded with each day by the mainstream media.
I bought Shrier’s book IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE and it was excellent but very hard to read. I purchased one for both my sister in law’s who may have young women who could be in danger. Both have read it. My daughter is starting to take her godchild on a bimonthly outing because the godchild could also be at risk. We are strengthening the relationship safety net around the preteen girls that we know. My own granddaughter is only 6 but already her parents and I are strategizing how to keep her safe not just from this social contagion but from the next. I thank ms Shrier again and again for this brave book.
Two of my favorites, together at last! Incidentally, I'm now reading Helen Joyce's wonderful new book, Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality. If we ever do a book club, it would be an excellent choice.
My husband and I read “Trans” right after finishing “Irreversible Damage”. Both books are excellent. I have loaned them out to MANY friends who are raising young daughters. It is absolutely essential that parents arm themselves with the vital information in these books. I feel so much better prepared to protect my daughter. All of my friends in my mom squad have now read both books. We are ready! If any of these trans activist try coming after our daughters….watch out!
I love the name change to FREE PRESS from HONESTLY.
Regarding teenage girls and social contagion - it's worth remembering the 2021 LeRoy High School story, a psychogenic illness that swept through a group of 18 teens (mostly but not exclusively girls) who developed identical, tourette's like tic disorders. The national media became involved, and all sorts of hypotheses were offered for its etiology - Lyme disease, environmental toxins, etc. Eventually Erin Brockovich launched an investigation, determined to "uncover" the hidden source of the disease. Of course, after a few months the symptoms entirely went away, and nothing further was written about it, out of politeness and respect for the girls' privacy. Had there been an activist social media at the time magnifying and giving a platform to the issue they might never have had the chance to desist with their symptoms.
How do we get the link to listen after the live event?
And of course no amount of medical intervention can "transition" any person from one sex to the other.Sex isn’t “assigned at birth” any more than we are “assigned” a height or weight at birth. “Primary sex determination in humans occurs at fertilization and is dependent upon the zygote’s two sex chromosomes. Sex differences manifest...in bodily systems and organs...to the molecular level.” It is why forensic scientists can determine sex when all that remains of a human body is a single tooth or bone. “Interventions that alter a person’s sexual appearance do not alter the person’s genetic code. Therefore, sex does not change."
I am sick of this discussion and the media and all our institutions on bended knee before this insanity. Former Yale professor Bandy X. Lee has written excellent articles about Trumpism & shared psychosis/contagious mental illness in the general population (and was fired from Yale for it); I never thought that I'd see the phenomenon in my own liberal backyard. I highly recommend her articles for an understanding of this public mental health menace. I'm a journalist, and I've never been so ashamed of my profession. British writer Dave Hewitt writes today: "The Guardian has found itself defending a sex-offender’s right to expose themselves to children, because to concede that this is wrong is to fatally undermine the certainty and fervour with which they have been pursuing the gender identity cause, and the viciousness with which anyone with a dissenting or nuanced opinion has been demonised."
This sentence, believe it or not, is from a Guardian NEWS story: "Calls to defend 'female spaces' and 'women’s shelters' have become rallying cries of anti-trans groups, who have falsely suggested that trans-inclusive policies endanger cis women." Excuse me, "falsely" suggested? This is what passes for news in the mainstream media. https://voidifremoved.substack.com/p/the-guardians-ideological-dead-end
It should surprise no one that the Guardian has swallowed the language gobbledygook whole, calling women "cis women." WTF does that even mean? I am not a "cis" woman. I am a woman. Trans women who've not "transitioned" physically are not women. Period. I don't give a fu_ _ how they "identify" or how people "identify" in their sick little heads. You can identify as a helicopter or a cat (and people do - next thing we know lycanthrope or "otherkin" mobs will demand public urination on streetlight posts and trees be deemed acceptable), but you are either a woman or a man. And, in fact, the bullying and the VIOLENCE with which trans activists behave underscores why it is important not to cave into their demands. Gender dysphoria is not a mental illness - it's a mental disorder. It is a "brain target location error," and people with this disorder or dysphoria have - or used to have - my sympathy and support. Now I am just outrageous and sick of the trans activist mob (transphobia: fear of the trans mob) spreading their anti-reality shared psychosis in the general population. If I have to read another inflated trans-(or race) victimhood story, I'm going to break something. (If I hadn't left the NYT for Bari Weiss and given Jesse and Katie @ Blocked & Reported my MPR money - I'd be out of dinner plates. Btw, NPR should be grateful to Katie for pointing out that public radio still has practical uses - getting out of bed in the morning (set your alarm - place it somewhere away from your bed - to NPR and you'll be forced to get up to turn off whatever insufferable race/trans story that is a standard feature of every NPR newscast).
Unfortunately it won't be reasonable people like Bari and Abigail's supporters that wipe out the woke/trans activism. It will be the Rethuglican Party after enough voters choose the MAGA mental candidates over Democratic politicians, whose pandering to the insufferable anti-science, anti-reality trans/woke mob, lose the House, Senate, and the White House to the American fascist movement and a type of illiberalism that won't have much sympathy for trans people. Roger Stone couldn't have done it better.
I just activated my subscription, so I'm not sure if I didn't receive the email with the Zoom info.
I'm so sad that I won't be able to attend this event! I hope that there's a video recording available for those of us who have schedule conflicts. And it will be a terrific excuse to tip a martini at 8 a.m. ; )
It's beyond time for nice people to start offending. My goal is not to win conversations, but I've made a vow to myself to never pass up the opportunity to plant a seed (even at the risk of offending) that might offer perspective. I realize there are very few minds I will change on the spot, but I'm hopefully that over time it'll make a difference.
I don't care if I offend them. If they're offended, that's their problem, not mine.
I do care if they try to get me fired the job I rely on to provide for my family..
Please send link for this !
you guys are awesome, keep it up.
Bari, I am dropping my subscription, and I thought I should tell you why.
The reason is your one-sidedness: your otherwise admirable defense of free speech and individual rights is completely undermined, IMO, by your (willful?) inaction in confronting authoritarianism in the US from the right.
Authoritarianism is NOT OK no matter which side does it. By focusing on one side only, you are only helping the other side's authoritarian moves.
I will not give my monetary support to any writer/commenter/journalist who cannot (or refuses to) see this bigger picture.
Also, the left has control of government, the media, academia, Hollywood and corporate America. So where exactly is the right having an impact in our society ?
Bari is a voice in the void that is mainstream media. If you want a counter-opinion, you need only visit virtually any of the large newspapers or turn on your nightly news. The problem is that there is little to counter THEIR one-sidedness - except for Bari and those like her. We discontinued our subscription to the NYT and directed those funds to reporters like Bari. I'm sure the NYT or WaPo will happily invite you back into their echo-chambers, Mark. (Karla, Chris's wife)
same...I have the utmost respect for Abigail Shrier as well. Irreversible Damage is likely the most important book I've read all year.
I am center left but I'm gonna call BS here. I challenge you to provide a single, concrete example of creeping authoritarianism on the right, and not some fringe exception to the rule.
I suspect Bari would ruthlessly call it out if it were present, too. She is no fan of the Right.
Conversely, rampant authoritarianism from the Left is self-evident. This story is but one example.
I don’t have a sense of her avoiding criticizing the right. Each issue is a new topic. Perhaps she will cover one of your concerns one day. I don’t see her as right wing or left. Just speaking truth to power. And from my standpoint the right by and large are more than adequately called out. It is the left who need to be challenged by progressive and educated peers who are not right wing Trumpists.
Mark, I'm guessing that during the McCarthy era, you would have been screaming about the New York Times not writing about censorship and blacklisting from the left and overly focusing on the threat from the right. Utterly ridiculous ...
MarkS, your comment finally pushed me to SUBSCRIBE to Bari. Thanks! So she's Even Steven, at least for today. HaHa!!
I think Bari is a terrific journalist, and even though she leans left and I to the right, I am willing to pay to support her work and hear her voice.
Rock on, Bari. Looking forward to your interview with Abigail, who is a real warrior.
Please describe where or how right wing authoritarianism is having an impact on our society. Since ABC, NBC, CBS, NYTimes and WaPo spew left wing cancel culture everyday, it is refreshing to see Bari, a self pro seed liberal, taking on the loons on the far left.
" authoritarianism in the US from the right." - Such as? I think 30-40 years ago, you saw evangelicals trying to control what's taught in rural schools and put on the airwaves...that's pretty much disappeared. Most rural conservatives just want to be left alone, not sure how that's authoritarian?
I often wish for 90's democrats who chanted "more welfare, higher taxes." Now they're chanting "kill whitey," or worse, "kill jews/israelis" and they loathe America.
I see Substack writers (such as Weiss, Greenwald, Singal, Taibbi) as filling in a deficit left by mainstream media. Major outlets focus almost completely on criticism of the right, but ignore legitimate criticisms of the left. This wouldn’t be a problem if right wing media were more credible. Instead, that leaves the only criticism of left wing politics/culture coming from dubious sources at best. Substack writers bring credible and professional attention to the left without having it come from journalists (like Rush Limbaugh & co.) who do not share my values.
I hope more people see these Substack writers as just filling in this hole rather than providing complete coverage to way mainstream outlets (are supposed to) do.
If you want to read criticism of the right, just subscribe to the NYTimes or WaPo. They do it 24/7. I pay to subscribe to Bari's substack because I need to balance the woke nonsense I'm bombarded with each day by the mainstream media.
I bought Shrier’s book IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE and it was excellent but very hard to read. I purchased one for both my sister in law’s who may have young women who could be in danger. Both have read it. My daughter is starting to take her godchild on a bimonthly outing because the godchild could also be at risk. We are strengthening the relationship safety net around the preteen girls that we know. My own granddaughter is only 6 but already her parents and I are strategizing how to keep her safe not just from this social contagion but from the next. I thank ms Shrier again and again for this brave book.
Two of my favorites, together at last! Incidentally, I'm now reading Helen Joyce's wonderful new book, Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality. If we ever do a book club, it would be an excellent choice.
https://smile.amazon.com/Trans-When-Ideology-Meets-Reality/dp/0861540492/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22SK3P9ZM9QBB&dchild=1&keywords=helen+joyce+trans+book&qid=1630434004&sprefix=helen+joyce%2Caps%2C252&sr=8-1
My husband and I read “Trans” right after finishing “Irreversible Damage”. Both books are excellent. I have loaned them out to MANY friends who are raising young daughters. It is absolutely essential that parents arm themselves with the vital information in these books. I feel so much better prepared to protect my daughter. All of my friends in my mom squad have now read both books. We are ready! If any of these trans activist try coming after our daughters….watch out!
What Jon and Suzy said -- it will be quite late here in Prague at 8pm, so I'd love to be able to access a recording when I get up on Friday morning!
Me too! In Warsaw...
I will be ready, although my physical location at scheduled time will dictate my pre-martini status.