"We recognize, too, that this spike in gender-distressed youth is taking place alongside spiking child mental health problems of all kinds. We must consider what has changed for children to prompt so much unhappiness to arise in recent years. Evaluative, open-ended mental health care must never be withheld from any child distressed enough to contemplate self harm."
good letter - the comment about linking it to the larger mental health problems, post lockdown is a good one. We need a coordianted letter campaign to these irresponsible organizations. Hell, I don't know what we need.
Thank you, Lisa! Your research will benefit not only your faithful readers (like me!), but the people we will share with. I hope that the more we share, the more parents will start speaking up! As the mother of a daughter who has been on this trans brainwashing journey, I am a witness that we must never medically transition a child. Never ever no matter what society’s opinion is. It is not anyone’s right to mutilate these young bodies. It is the individual’s right when they become adults. Not sooner. My personal opinion is that it never become an option. My hope is that every individual can identify as their choice of gender without being shunned, bullied or surgically changed. We are all unique. We all deserve to be happy.
The first two sentences of the last paragraph SAY IT ALL. How in the world have we gotten so far from that common sense, "Free to Be...You and Me" enlightenment????
I think reaching the medical community and doctors causing harm is vital but I think reaching regular people is even more important. As someone who lives and works among the “woke” I can tell you that most people have no idea what’s really going on out there, whether it’s surgeries on minors, men in drag competing (and winning) against women in sports (or beauty contests for that matter), university scientists and teachers being told not to teach about a sex binary, men in women’s prisons... I believe that the average person does not know these things are happening and the extent to which gender ideology has pervaded our society and the havoc it is wreaking. And if they do know they are too scared to speak against it.
I love this! I wish something like this could be released.
I honestly think maybe it could, but it would definitely need to be modified. Here's how I think your critics would attack this missive, and how you might be able to placate them:
(2nd paragraph) You refer to "cosmetic gender surgeries". I don't think the people in favor of these surgeries see them as cosmetic. They're "lifesaving" and "essential". I think just "surgeries" would be a safer word choice.
(3rd paragraph) You cite the controversial Littman paper on ROGD. People have worked hard to discredit that work, including by publishing a follow-up:
I imagine a lot of people would dismiss you outright for even mentioning ROGD - I'd consider leaving it out. If you think it's necessary for this argument, it's probably worth addressing criticisms and/or debunking the follow-up (their data covered only a two year range).
(5th paragraph) I think a lot of proponents see secretly transitioning kids an saving them from their intolerant parents. Rather than arguing that schools cede more control to parents, which would anger these people, I'd consider coming at it from the angle that any school-based support shouldn't be done in secret. Your critics will say that "disrupting families" is a small price to pay when doing so can "save trans kids".
(7th paragraph) I love the way you de-euphemize "gender-affirming care", but this is also a risky move. I could easily see someone dismissing the whole work because it includes the phrase "sex change". I don't think this turn of phrase is necessary to your argument. Also, it would be great if you could include a citation for the negative surgical outcomes you list afterwards.
(8th paragraph) You've written this paragraph from the perspective that all of this is based on a misunderstanding, which, again, is accurate, but risky to articulate. I'd come at it from a tolerance angle instead. Not "we need to understand these differences are acceptable", but "we need to learn to accept these differences".
I hope you don't mind me tearing your piece apart here - it made me smile so much to imagine it being real that I wanted to try my best to maybe help it become real.
Absolutely fantastic edits, thank you. You're right that this is written as if these people have gone through the same revelations as I have, not as if it's trying to reach people who accept certain presumptions as truth. Please feel free to send suggestions any time.
Also: maybe I should try to write a letter that people really can send to docs and therapists...
It's your idea! I thought I saw a comment on it but I think you deleted it. But I like it. Send me any suggestions (you can write to me privately if you prefer), anything you'd particularly like to be included.
The paper by Littman has not been disproven. The one by Turban that you reference seems to have made up a definition of ROGD and then tried to counteract it. It is not actually even clear in his paper whether the people asked about their sex replied with their gender or sex!
Littman also buttressed her work with a study in 2021 about detransitioners, first hand accounts. There is no reason to avoid talking about it even though people keep attacking it (apparently without even knowing what it contains!). The rise is quoted in several countries as one of the main reasons to be even more cautious (French National Academy of Medicine, Sweden, UK Cass Review).
It's weird about the schools, the kids often think they are being subject to abuse if they aren't given drugs/social transition/whatever on demand. And the schools think it is lifesaving. Schools should not be making major decisions about a kid's future without involving the parents. And social transition is a big decision.
Totally! When I read it, I thought Turban paper was kind of a joke, but people seem to be taking it seriously - NBC News reported on it completely uncritically. Hence why I think it bears mention, if only to be debunked. I think I probably went too far in suggesting that the ROGD stuff be completely removed though.
And yeah, I agree that it's inappropriate for schools to making decisions for kids w/o their parents. Personally, I'd advocate for the complete removal of gender ideology from schools, but given the current political climate, I thought that at least looping the parents in would be a good start.
Wow, that's nuts! I don't think anyone would argue that the operations you're mentioning are anything other than cosmetic surgery. But I remember reading an account from a detransitioner who had been led to believe that a vaginoplasty would literally turn a penis into a vagina, rather than just make it look like one. Hence, my suggestion was meant as a concession to the true believers out there in hopes of maybe reaching some of them.
I'd add
"We recognize, too, that this spike in gender-distressed youth is taking place alongside spiking child mental health problems of all kinds. We must consider what has changed for children to prompt so much unhappiness to arise in recent years. Evaluative, open-ended mental health care must never be withheld from any child distressed enough to contemplate self harm."
good letter - the comment about linking it to the larger mental health problems, post lockdown is a good one. We need a coordianted letter campaign to these irresponsible organizations. Hell, I don't know what we need.
If even one Democratic governor did this, it would make the results impossible to ignore.
Lol, your headline scared me! I thought "NOW what?" lolol! Love it. Wish it was real.
Thank you, Lisa! Your research will benefit not only your faithful readers (like me!), but the people we will share with. I hope that the more we share, the more parents will start speaking up! As the mother of a daughter who has been on this trans brainwashing journey, I am a witness that we must never medically transition a child. Never ever no matter what society’s opinion is. It is not anyone’s right to mutilate these young bodies. It is the individual’s right when they become adults. Not sooner. My personal opinion is that it never become an option. My hope is that every individual can identify as their choice of gender without being shunned, bullied or surgically changed. We are all unique. We all deserve to be happy.
The first two sentences of the last paragraph SAY IT ALL. How in the world have we gotten so far from that common sense, "Free to Be...You and Me" enlightenment????
I think reaching the medical community and doctors causing harm is vital but I think reaching regular people is even more important. As someone who lives and works among the “woke” I can tell you that most people have no idea what’s really going on out there, whether it’s surgeries on minors, men in drag competing (and winning) against women in sports (or beauty contests for that matter), university scientists and teachers being told not to teach about a sex binary, men in women’s prisons... I believe that the average person does not know these things are happening and the extent to which gender ideology has pervaded our society and the havoc it is wreaking. And if they do know they are too scared to speak against it.
If only..... thank you for allowing us to dream Lisa!
I love this! I wish something like this could be released.
I honestly think maybe it could, but it would definitely need to be modified. Here's how I think your critics would attack this missive, and how you might be able to placate them:
(2nd paragraph) You refer to "cosmetic gender surgeries". I don't think the people in favor of these surgeries see them as cosmetic. They're "lifesaving" and "essential". I think just "surgeries" would be a safer word choice.
(3rd paragraph) You cite the controversial Littman paper on ROGD. People have worked hard to discredit that work, including by publishing a follow-up:
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/3/e2022056567/188709/Sex-Assigned-at-Birth-Ratio-Among-Transgender-and?autologincheck=redirected
I imagine a lot of people would dismiss you outright for even mentioning ROGD - I'd consider leaving it out. If you think it's necessary for this argument, it's probably worth addressing criticisms and/or debunking the follow-up (their data covered only a two year range).
(5th paragraph) I think a lot of proponents see secretly transitioning kids an saving them from their intolerant parents. Rather than arguing that schools cede more control to parents, which would anger these people, I'd consider coming at it from the angle that any school-based support shouldn't be done in secret. Your critics will say that "disrupting families" is a small price to pay when doing so can "save trans kids".
(7th paragraph) I love the way you de-euphemize "gender-affirming care", but this is also a risky move. I could easily see someone dismissing the whole work because it includes the phrase "sex change". I don't think this turn of phrase is necessary to your argument. Also, it would be great if you could include a citation for the negative surgical outcomes you list afterwards.
(8th paragraph) You've written this paragraph from the perspective that all of this is based on a misunderstanding, which, again, is accurate, but risky to articulate. I'd come at it from a tolerance angle instead. Not "we need to understand these differences are acceptable", but "we need to learn to accept these differences".
I hope you don't mind me tearing your piece apart here - it made me smile so much to imagine it being real that I wanted to try my best to maybe help it become real.
Absolutely fantastic edits, thank you. You're right that this is written as if these people have gone through the same revelations as I have, not as if it's trying to reach people who accept certain presumptions as truth. Please feel free to send suggestions any time.
Also: maybe I should try to write a letter that people really can send to docs and therapists...
Please!! And to school boards
Why not send this one to representatives? It's quite constructive.
It's your idea! I thought I saw a comment on it but I think you deleted it. But I like it. Send me any suggestions (you can write to me privately if you prefer), anything you'd particularly like to be included.
Can you send me an email?
The paper by Littman has not been disproven. The one by Turban that you reference seems to have made up a definition of ROGD and then tried to counteract it. It is not actually even clear in his paper whether the people asked about their sex replied with their gender or sex!
Littman also buttressed her work with a study in 2021 about detransitioners, first hand accounts. There is no reason to avoid talking about it even though people keep attacking it (apparently without even knowing what it contains!). The rise is quoted in several countries as one of the main reasons to be even more cautious (French National Academy of Medicine, Sweden, UK Cass Review).
It's weird about the schools, the kids often think they are being subject to abuse if they aren't given drugs/social transition/whatever on demand. And the schools think it is lifesaving. Schools should not be making major decisions about a kid's future without involving the parents. And social transition is a big decision.
Totally! When I read it, I thought Turban paper was kind of a joke, but people seem to be taking it seriously - NBC News reported on it completely uncritically. Hence why I think it bears mention, if only to be debunked. I think I probably went too far in suggesting that the ROGD stuff be completely removed though.
And yeah, I agree that it's inappropriate for schools to making decisions for kids w/o their parents. Personally, I'd advocate for the complete removal of gender ideology from schools, but given the current political climate, I thought that at least looping the parents in would be a good start.
Wow, that's nuts! I don't think anyone would argue that the operations you're mentioning are anything other than cosmetic surgery. But I remember reading an account from a detransitioner who had been led to believe that a vaginoplasty would literally turn a penis into a vagina, rather than just make it look like one. Hence, my suggestion was meant as a concession to the true believers out there in hopes of maybe reaching some of them.
Great idea!
You're on a roll!
There's also a training program by O'Malley and I think Ayad and I think one in the UK, which is going to have to ramp up anyhow!