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Ann Lowell's avatar

I first read Abigail’s book about 5 months ago which I was able to access through the Berkeley California public library system. My desire to educate myself about this topic became more urgent when my 11 year old daughter began asking questions about gender ideology. Frankly, I was almost as confused as she was. Her questions began after an episode that occurred at a friend’s house. Her friend’s 13 year old sister had a group of school friends over for a backyard picnic. The 8th grade girls all attend a local “very progressive” and very expensive private girls middle school nearby. My daughter came home confused because she said most of the 8th grade girls were dressed like boys and told my daughter that they wanted to be referred to as “they”. She heard some of them talking about wanting to “take medicine that would turn them into a boy”. My daughter simply didn’t know what to make of it all since her understanding was that her friend’s sister attended an all girl’s school. I realized that educating myself about the topic was a project that I needed to undertake immediately. My research led me to Abigail’s book along with “Trans” by the British journalist Helen Joyce. Many of my politically left leaning (actually most of them lean WAY left) friends and co workers who are raising daughters have very quietly confided in me that they are deeply disturbed and worried about the transgender craze moving through their daughters’ friend groups at schools throughout the Bay Area. Many told me that if their daughters don’t start referring to themselves as “bi” or “pan” or “trans” they will be completely socially ostracized. We are talking about girls as young as 9 years old who are being pressured to think and talk about these complex issues. I continue to recommend Abigail’s book to them and loan out my multiple copies. They have expressed gratitude and relief and finally feel like they are armed with straightforward, truthful, and rational information about this complex topic. Prior to reading Abigail’s book several of my friends were seriously considering sending their daughters to this very same nearby private girls middle school. They have now withdrawn their daughter’s application for admission because they are fearful about sending them into this type of environment where they may be pressured to proclaim themselves as something other than just a regular 12 year old girl who is just trying to grow up normally and figure things out in a reasonable sort of way. Through my own research on this topic I have learned so much and and feel so grateful to Abigail for helping me to begin my own journey of discovery. In a roundabout way she helped me find the work of Bari Weiss, Glenn Loury, John McWhorter, Helen Joyce, Coleman Hughes, Bonnie Snyder, and many others . I feel so much more prepared and able to not be silenced and to speak my truth. Most importantly for me, I feel more empowered in my role as a mother who wants to raise a daughter who can live and speak according to her own truth. Thanks to all of you who are bravely leading the fight to protect free speech, the right to a protected childhood, and the promotion of civilized and respectful open discussion of even the most controversial issues.

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Alexander Tyndall Kun's avatar

Greetings everyone,

This is my first contribution online in about a decade. I've had the luxury of lurking beneath the radar of the internet. This essay by Abigail Shrier was a lynchpin to committing to a subscription of this newsletter. It appears that the work in this medium lives up to its namesake. During the past decade, I've been writing. I wrote an essay three years ago titled, 'Reclaiming Common Sense'. I exhumed it recently, brushed off the dust, and edited it, again. I believe Abigail, Bari, and others here might enjoy reading it, and maybe providing feedback. Fair warning: it is a long, serious, dare I say disquisition on the definition of common sense and its relation to gender theory (and especially practice). Bari, Abigail, or anybody else, please advise me as to how I should proceed in presenting it to this readership. Thank you, Ty Kun

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