All right, I see these very solid objections: Newsom isn't waking up, he's just shifting to get votes. EVEN SO! Great! As he should! Represent the majority! I think we can be bitter but also strategic...
if you'd like an actual new voice, instead of these same old vacillators, get me on a podcast or whatever...you can get my deets from matt yglesias, but if he pretends not to know me, send me a dm. i have a lot to say on this subject on account of having been an observer of its internet nucleation for a very long time, and that was before it touched my family. i'm anonymous because there could be consequences for the company i own for talking about this subject.
i'm working on becoming a person of note from the other end -- grassroots if you will -- but it's a lot of work while running a business, so any legs up would be a real help. i'll take it to the hilt with anybody. i think it's really important to keep this rank business in the spotlight -- if we can excise it from the democratic party before 2028 then the blue team might actually have a chance.
As a parent in this, I am torn. I definitely agree that we have to welcome anyone to "our side" who has seen the light, who recognizes the insanity and utter destruction of transgender ideology. I also feel the pain, resentment and, frankly, the judgment against those who are only starting to admit the truth (at least in part) because it is politically expedient.
I guess I lean toward being gracious toward someone who is now saying things that may help prevent harm - to vulnerable children and teens, to women's rights, to the general sense of reality. Later, when this horror is over, we can parse out who did what, who was a hero and who was a weakling, but this needs to stop, sooner rather than later.
I say this with a very selfish motive, because I want my own daughter to realize she is harming her body with toxic chemicals and harming her mind with a daily lie, to stop before she does more permanent harm, and to embrace her female body and reality while she is still young and still able to do so. I also (really selfishly) want her to realize I was always on her side as I totally disagreed with everything she is doing in connection with transition and did not support those actions, although I continued to support her (although she seems to have an inkling of that).
Let's keep the historical records, which are important to prevent this type of societal insanity from happening again, but let's stop the harm NOW.
Even though I agree with the likes of AK Rowling in this situation. I also believe that we should encourage and embrace those who are becoming gender critical instead of criticizing them. We don’t want to create “you’re late to the party or you’re only doing it for your own gain.” People see the truth at different stages in life. We can’t penalize them for that. Let’s use his celebrity status to speak up more and bring more light to horrible ideology that’s destroying families and our kids.
I am utterly dismayed by the people attacking Gladwell. People I usually deeply respect. I am grateful for their bravery. But if the only people they won't viciously attack are people as brave as they are, it's over.
The activists who went after Rowling and Murray? They can just sit on the sidelines while Rowling and Murray savage the reinforcements rather than remembering where the real problem lies- in those people still attacking anyone who dares point out the problems. To others who dare to speak up, take note, both those who spoke up first and the activists who attacked them will savage you!
Gee, great. Not.
How about, yes, they were part of the problem, now they've gotten better informed, we need all the help we can get, please keep speaking up, thank you!
It's about the kids, and not I don't think it helps the kids to savage everyone who speaks up now rather than earlier. Please let's not destroy people who are coming around, the entire country needs to come around.
Gladwell spoke about his actions very negatively. I was glad to see it. Most people will not be critical publicly of their former actions. But either way I want them doing the right thing now. Instead of, oh, I didn't speak up, guess I'll let someone else do it now, look what happened to Gladwell.
Let's please keep our eyes on the ball, new kids are falling into this daily and desperate parents still mostly have no recourse.
The problem is those who attacked Rowling and Murray and everyone else, if any of them see the light, help them get to work stopping the attacks!
it seems very clear to me that people are trying to backpedal on the sports thing due to its unpopularity while at the same time continuing to defend the underlying framework of genderist theory and "trans medicine."
forgive if you like, but no one who let that beast walk in through the door should be trusted with anything serious ever again.
Thanks for this Lisa, and to everyone for their thoughtful comments. I enjoyed Gladwell-gate more than I'd like to admit. Digital pile-ons = instant dopamine. But being strategic is the only way forward. Influencers/clinics target youth 24/7. If an MSM print guy says he was cowed into going along and can inspire even one sheeple (as I used to be), bravo.
"now they've gotten better informed". I disagree. It had nothing to do with lack of information. It had to do with allowing oneself to be captured by a blatantly false, despicable ideology out of fear of standing up for the truth. That's cowardice in my book. That said, I am glad he stood up at last but he should take his licks like a man, if you'll pardon the sexist reference. As to those who still hold to those beliefs today, they are beyond hope or recovery.
Yes, let's reinforce those who've finally got the gumption to tell the truth. But No, it's not all for the kids! It's also for the women victims of male violence whose shelters and rape crises centers they can no longer go to for fear of encountering a man there; women who will stay with an abuser instead and be subjected to more violence and may be killed. Ripping the curtain of lies is also about the women who've trained and worked for decades at a sport or legislation to give women and girls a chance to succeed only to see it slip out of their grasp, expropriated by vile, self-centered sexual fetishists. It's also for the woman locked in a cell with a male rapist or wife-killer. Yes, we sacrifice ourselves for our children, but don't forget this all started out to defraud women of their identity, to erase women from language, to invade out intimate spaces. It's not just about the kids. Far from it. If this war on women had been stopped earlier it never would have reached the children. This is just another example of how little we care about the fate of women.
I also see it from your perspective. How so much of this ideology is rooted in misogyny. I tried to explain this perspective to my daughter who fully supports trans ideology. I challenged her on sports (she said that was a "myth" but I have since proved it's not), language ("front hole" instead of cervix), men in women's prison who have gone on to rape some of those women (those women have come from trauma already), and the exaggeration of what a trans woman thinks a woman is. Ridiculous. (she said it's just a "performance"). Needless to say, I think I made somewhat of a dent by getting her to think in terms of women (of which she is a huge champion) and our place in society and how hard we had to work for it and how we are now being asked to step aside for a MAN. As I like to say F' That!!
I can imagine how heartbreaking it is to have your daughter caught up in this web of lies. It might have also happened to my daughter if she had been born later. I've spent most of my adult life advocating for my disabled daughter, but often I couldn't protect her from external circumstances. I hope and believe that your daughter will come to her senses as this trans fever will eventually break.
Newsom is a liar! I don’t believe he’s changed at all! He says it’s unfair but he refuses to actually take any action to stop it.
Just a few months ago, republicans in the California legislature tried to pass a ban on trans in women’s sports and Newsom refused to support it.
Also, whenever Newsom admits trans in women’s sports is unfair, he always follows it up by sympathizing with trans people and calling them a vulnerable minority that’s at higher risk of suicide etc., which makes it seem more like he’s still on the fence at best.
Yes Newsom is a lizard person, but it’s still important to encourage politicians and academics on the left, whenever they speak publicly against the excesses and untruths of trans. Do I trust that Newsom will put his words into action? No. But he has influence and will signal to others that it’s ok to speak out.
I think the headline here is that, if Gavin freakin' Newsome feels it's safe to repudiate the Church of Gender, then it's REALLY safe for, say, Abigail Spanberger or Josh Shapiro. That's good news by any measure.
If the gender critical took your attitude broadly and publicly, would that lead to faster, or slower, rejection of gender ideology. I say slower. Sometimes people see the light through baby steps. And also through self-interest. We want to imagine that we are all brave truth tellers who had no such considerations, but we probably aren't giving an accurate account of ourselves. If one is truly an issue oriented activist and not in it for tribal cred, the only thing that matters is "does this thing get us closer or further from the policies we want around ou issue". I don't need people to share my philosophical skepticism about trans as a material fact, I just want sex realist policies and if we can get those while people still compartmentalize the other stuff, that is fine with me. Like I don't want to talk Christians out of their dubious empirical faith claims - I just want them to stop thinking the can legislate them. Compartmentalization is exactly what we want when people want to pass laws without good evidence. They can keep the vibes if we get the policies.
Take a look at the Beyond Gender channel interview Stella O'Malley and Mia Hughes endured with Dr. Gordon Guyatt, supposedly the Emperor of Evidence-Based Medicine and how to judge it through careful analysis of research structures. This Quisling basically retracted the analysis which he authored and established as standards, accused Stella and Mia of using anecdotes as evidence, while going off on a tangent completely irrelevant to the matter at hand, as if his anecdote, on the other hand, meant something. The ever echoing refrain, "but some are helped and live full lives after" --that is after having body parts sliced off, rearranged and typically requiring numerous repeat surgeries due to the resulting incontinence, ie, pee-pee leaks, as well as the risks of stroke, pulmonary embolism necrosis etc. "Patient autonomy" for 14 year olds suddenly became his percussion section. Mia Hughes is the pre-eminent researcher able to challenge hypocrite emperors like Guyatt. Mia refuses to "see" royal accoutrements. I plan to transcribe sections of Guyatt's mealy mouth blather, bit by bit, on my channel. He's just demeaned himself to the level Gladwell, only more so. Welcome them back when they recognize the damage their carelessness has done to children, women and detransitioners.
I get the indignation many feel toward Gladwell at this point. Very warranted. And, I am very happy he has publicly admitted to being wrong and now he is sharing his common sense views. I am a therapist and every day, am shocked by how captured my profession is by this ideology, while also hopeful due to one-on-one conversations I have with people, where I start to sprinkle the truth on them. I have often heard therapists and others respond with, "wow, I had no idea!" They really did think they were on the kinder side by supporting "trans rights" and "gender affirmation." So I guess I actually have a lot of grace for people, and give them the benefit of the doubt. Unless they happen to be given a certain book on the topic or sent a link to Gender Wider Lens and similar awesome podcasts, or have a conversation like the ones I have had, they really do not know what they don't know. Where I take issue is with people's lack of curiosity once they have been invited to learn about it from a perspective that differs from what the counseling organizations are pushing, or mainstream media for that matter. But even then, if they eventually come around - I am happy to welcome them to our side of this issue. I think Gladwell is being authentic (unlike Newsome).
What could be easier than saying men don't belong in women's sports?
Looking forward to a sudden shift in the weathervane that points in this direction: no "affirmative gender care", no to medicalizing youth gender distress.
There is no point in criticizing the baby steps that Gladwell took.
Newsom’s words are just words. He isn’t DOING anything to roll back the horrific legislation and policies he spearheaded and/or supported in California that have men in women’s prisons, girls required to undress in front of males, boys and men playing on teams intended for females, schools hiding important information about children from parents, courts using trans-affirmation as part of custody determination, and on and on and on. Who cares if he says that it is unfair for males to be on girls’ teams? Unless he DOES something about it, he deserves all condemnation and scorn for his hypocrisy. He knows it’s wrong, he says it’s wrong, but his actions are clear - suck it girls.
I can’t give Gladwell mad props. He’s a tool. He always has been: He always will be. His admission is as Rowling put it, completely self-serving, just as his previous capitulation to trans ideology was. Why are people giving the guy so much attention? We should use this tipping point to push to prominence those he helped sideline, not by giving him anything, be it boos or applause.
If Gladwell truly wants to redeem himself, then he should follow the model of contrition, confession and penance. His penance would be to actively and vocally advocate for sexual reality; there are two sexes and no one is born in the wrong body. He could play a major role in this, but if he passes , then I am not likely to grant him absolution. He would still be carrying an unforgiven mortal sin. We have yet to see if he is serious and does the right thing. To be continued.
There are lots and lots of people who were and are cowed like Gladwell, and by far the more common tack from them in the years to come is going to be keeping quiet and pretending they never believed what they did, or that they believed a much milder version of it. Few will admit they were wrong or cowed. Those who cop to it as Gladwell has are sadly rare and deserve credit for their honesty. Not overblown praise, just credit for doing a small but decent thing that most wouldn't.
All right, I see these very solid objections: Newsom isn't waking up, he's just shifting to get votes. EVEN SO! Great! As he should! Represent the majority! I think we can be bitter but also strategic...
if you'd like an actual new voice, instead of these same old vacillators, get me on a podcast or whatever...you can get my deets from matt yglesias, but if he pretends not to know me, send me a dm. i have a lot to say on this subject on account of having been an observer of its internet nucleation for a very long time, and that was before it touched my family. i'm anonymous because there could be consequences for the company i own for talking about this subject.
i'm working on becoming a person of note from the other end -- grassroots if you will -- but it's a lot of work while running a business, so any legs up would be a real help. i'll take it to the hilt with anybody. i think it's really important to keep this rank business in the spotlight -- if we can excise it from the democratic party before 2028 then the blue team might actually have a chance.
As a parent in this, I am torn. I definitely agree that we have to welcome anyone to "our side" who has seen the light, who recognizes the insanity and utter destruction of transgender ideology. I also feel the pain, resentment and, frankly, the judgment against those who are only starting to admit the truth (at least in part) because it is politically expedient.
I guess I lean toward being gracious toward someone who is now saying things that may help prevent harm - to vulnerable children and teens, to women's rights, to the general sense of reality. Later, when this horror is over, we can parse out who did what, who was a hero and who was a weakling, but this needs to stop, sooner rather than later.
I say this with a very selfish motive, because I want my own daughter to realize she is harming her body with toxic chemicals and harming her mind with a daily lie, to stop before she does more permanent harm, and to embrace her female body and reality while she is still young and still able to do so. I also (really selfishly) want her to realize I was always on her side as I totally disagreed with everything she is doing in connection with transition and did not support those actions, although I continued to support her (although she seems to have an inkling of that).
Let's keep the historical records, which are important to prevent this type of societal insanity from happening again, but let's stop the harm NOW.
Keep the records, stop the harm. Yep!
Gladwell looks like he is trying to think through problems. It isn't just that he changed his mind, it's that he admitted he was cowed.
Even though I agree with the likes of AK Rowling in this situation. I also believe that we should encourage and embrace those who are becoming gender critical instead of criticizing them. We don’t want to create “you’re late to the party or you’re only doing it for your own gain.” People see the truth at different stages in life. We can’t penalize them for that. Let’s use his celebrity status to speak up more and bring more light to horrible ideology that’s destroying families and our kids.
I assume "AK Rowling" is a typo, but honestly that would make a great t-shirt.
Hahaha yes you are correct. Auto correct. I need to proof read more. Good thing I don’t post that often.
I am utterly dismayed by the people attacking Gladwell. People I usually deeply respect. I am grateful for their bravery. But if the only people they won't viciously attack are people as brave as they are, it's over.
The activists who went after Rowling and Murray? They can just sit on the sidelines while Rowling and Murray savage the reinforcements rather than remembering where the real problem lies- in those people still attacking anyone who dares point out the problems. To others who dare to speak up, take note, both those who spoke up first and the activists who attacked them will savage you!
Gee, great. Not.
How about, yes, they were part of the problem, now they've gotten better informed, we need all the help we can get, please keep speaking up, thank you!
It's about the kids, and not I don't think it helps the kids to savage everyone who speaks up now rather than earlier. Please let's not destroy people who are coming around, the entire country needs to come around.
Gladwell spoke about his actions very negatively. I was glad to see it. Most people will not be critical publicly of their former actions. But either way I want them doing the right thing now. Instead of, oh, I didn't speak up, guess I'll let someone else do it now, look what happened to Gladwell.
Let's please keep our eyes on the ball, new kids are falling into this daily and desperate parents still mostly have no recourse.
The problem is those who attacked Rowling and Murray and everyone else, if any of them see the light, help them get to work stopping the attacks!
it seems very clear to me that people are trying to backpedal on the sports thing due to its unpopularity while at the same time continuing to defend the underlying framework of genderist theory and "trans medicine."
forgive if you like, but no one who let that beast walk in through the door should be trusted with anything serious ever again.
Thanks for this Lisa, and to everyone for their thoughtful comments. I enjoyed Gladwell-gate more than I'd like to admit. Digital pile-ons = instant dopamine. But being strategic is the only way forward. Influencers/clinics target youth 24/7. If an MSM print guy says he was cowed into going along and can inspire even one sheeple (as I used to be), bravo.
"now they've gotten better informed". I disagree. It had nothing to do with lack of information. It had to do with allowing oneself to be captured by a blatantly false, despicable ideology out of fear of standing up for the truth. That's cowardice in my book. That said, I am glad he stood up at last but he should take his licks like a man, if you'll pardon the sexist reference. As to those who still hold to those beliefs today, they are beyond hope or recovery.
Yes, let's reinforce those who've finally got the gumption to tell the truth. But No, it's not all for the kids! It's also for the women victims of male violence whose shelters and rape crises centers they can no longer go to for fear of encountering a man there; women who will stay with an abuser instead and be subjected to more violence and may be killed. Ripping the curtain of lies is also about the women who've trained and worked for decades at a sport or legislation to give women and girls a chance to succeed only to see it slip out of their grasp, expropriated by vile, self-centered sexual fetishists. It's also for the woman locked in a cell with a male rapist or wife-killer. Yes, we sacrifice ourselves for our children, but don't forget this all started out to defraud women of their identity, to erase women from language, to invade out intimate spaces. It's not just about the kids. Far from it. If this war on women had been stopped earlier it never would have reached the children. This is just another example of how little we care about the fate of women.
I also see it from your perspective. How so much of this ideology is rooted in misogyny. I tried to explain this perspective to my daughter who fully supports trans ideology. I challenged her on sports (she said that was a "myth" but I have since proved it's not), language ("front hole" instead of cervix), men in women's prison who have gone on to rape some of those women (those women have come from trauma already), and the exaggeration of what a trans woman thinks a woman is. Ridiculous. (she said it's just a "performance"). Needless to say, I think I made somewhat of a dent by getting her to think in terms of women (of which she is a huge champion) and our place in society and how hard we had to work for it and how we are now being asked to step aside for a MAN. As I like to say F' That!!
I can imagine how heartbreaking it is to have your daughter caught up in this web of lies. It might have also happened to my daughter if she had been born later. I've spent most of my adult life advocating for my disabled daughter, but often I couldn't protect her from external circumstances. I hope and believe that your daughter will come to her senses as this trans fever will eventually break.
I have to tread lightly so as not to ruin our relationship. And I agree, some day she'll see that her mom wasn't too off base.
Gladwell is a great example of a weak, very clever, useful idiot.
Newsom is a liar! I don’t believe he’s changed at all! He says it’s unfair but he refuses to actually take any action to stop it.
Just a few months ago, republicans in the California legislature tried to pass a ban on trans in women’s sports and Newsom refused to support it.
Also, whenever Newsom admits trans in women’s sports is unfair, he always follows it up by sympathizing with trans people and calling them a vulnerable minority that’s at higher risk of suicide etc., which makes it seem more like he’s still on the fence at best.
Right. Who knows what he actually thinks? He's a weathervane. But communicate to him that he's now pointing in the right direction, right?
With Newsom it’s words, words, words. He has done nothing to pressure CA to abide by Title IX.
Yes Newsom is a lizard person, but it’s still important to encourage politicians and academics on the left, whenever they speak publicly against the excesses and untruths of trans. Do I trust that Newsom will put his words into action? No. But he has influence and will signal to others that it’s ok to speak out.
I think the headline here is that, if Gavin freakin' Newsome feels it's safe to repudiate the Church of Gender, then it's REALLY safe for, say, Abigail Spanberger or Josh Shapiro. That's good news by any measure.
If the gender critical took your attitude broadly and publicly, would that lead to faster, or slower, rejection of gender ideology. I say slower. Sometimes people see the light through baby steps. And also through self-interest. We want to imagine that we are all brave truth tellers who had no such considerations, but we probably aren't giving an accurate account of ourselves. If one is truly an issue oriented activist and not in it for tribal cred, the only thing that matters is "does this thing get us closer or further from the policies we want around ou issue". I don't need people to share my philosophical skepticism about trans as a material fact, I just want sex realist policies and if we can get those while people still compartmentalize the other stuff, that is fine with me. Like I don't want to talk Christians out of their dubious empirical faith claims - I just want them to stop thinking the can legislate them. Compartmentalization is exactly what we want when people want to pass laws without good evidence. They can keep the vibes if we get the policies.
Take a look at the Beyond Gender channel interview Stella O'Malley and Mia Hughes endured with Dr. Gordon Guyatt, supposedly the Emperor of Evidence-Based Medicine and how to judge it through careful analysis of research structures. This Quisling basically retracted the analysis which he authored and established as standards, accused Stella and Mia of using anecdotes as evidence, while going off on a tangent completely irrelevant to the matter at hand, as if his anecdote, on the other hand, meant something. The ever echoing refrain, "but some are helped and live full lives after" --that is after having body parts sliced off, rearranged and typically requiring numerous repeat surgeries due to the resulting incontinence, ie, pee-pee leaks, as well as the risks of stroke, pulmonary embolism necrosis etc. "Patient autonomy" for 14 year olds suddenly became his percussion section. Mia Hughes is the pre-eminent researcher able to challenge hypocrite emperors like Guyatt. Mia refuses to "see" royal accoutrements. I plan to transcribe sections of Guyatt's mealy mouth blather, bit by bit, on my channel. He's just demeaned himself to the level Gladwell, only more so. Welcome them back when they recognize the damage their carelessness has done to children, women and detransitioners.
Pity the poor parents who every day even now find that their adolescent or e
college-age son or daughters has caught the trans mind virus.
Better late than never.
I get the indignation many feel toward Gladwell at this point. Very warranted. And, I am very happy he has publicly admitted to being wrong and now he is sharing his common sense views. I am a therapist and every day, am shocked by how captured my profession is by this ideology, while also hopeful due to one-on-one conversations I have with people, where I start to sprinkle the truth on them. I have often heard therapists and others respond with, "wow, I had no idea!" They really did think they were on the kinder side by supporting "trans rights" and "gender affirmation." So I guess I actually have a lot of grace for people, and give them the benefit of the doubt. Unless they happen to be given a certain book on the topic or sent a link to Gender Wider Lens and similar awesome podcasts, or have a conversation like the ones I have had, they really do not know what they don't know. Where I take issue is with people's lack of curiosity once they have been invited to learn about it from a perspective that differs from what the counseling organizations are pushing, or mainstream media for that matter. But even then, if they eventually come around - I am happy to welcome them to our side of this issue. I think Gladwell is being authentic (unlike Newsome).
Yes, he's a weathervane.
What could be easier than saying men don't belong in women's sports?
Looking forward to a sudden shift in the weathervane that points in this direction: no "affirmative gender care", no to medicalizing youth gender distress.
There is no point in criticizing the baby steps that Gladwell took.
Newsom’s words are just words. He isn’t DOING anything to roll back the horrific legislation and policies he spearheaded and/or supported in California that have men in women’s prisons, girls required to undress in front of males, boys and men playing on teams intended for females, schools hiding important information about children from parents, courts using trans-affirmation as part of custody determination, and on and on and on. Who cares if he says that it is unfair for males to be on girls’ teams? Unless he DOES something about it, he deserves all condemnation and scorn for his hypocrisy. He knows it’s wrong, he says it’s wrong, but his actions are clear - suck it girls.
I can’t give Gladwell mad props. He’s a tool. He always has been: He always will be. His admission is as Rowling put it, completely self-serving, just as his previous capitulation to trans ideology was. Why are people giving the guy so much attention? We should use this tipping point to push to prominence those he helped sideline, not by giving him anything, be it boos or applause.
If Gladwell truly wants to redeem himself, then he should follow the model of contrition, confession and penance. His penance would be to actively and vocally advocate for sexual reality; there are two sexes and no one is born in the wrong body. He could play a major role in this, but if he passes , then I am not likely to grant him absolution. He would still be carrying an unforgiven mortal sin. We have yet to see if he is serious and does the right thing. To be continued.
There are lots and lots of people who were and are cowed like Gladwell, and by far the more common tack from them in the years to come is going to be keeping quiet and pretending they never believed what they did, or that they believed a much milder version of it. Few will admit they were wrong or cowed. Those who cop to it as Gladwell has are sadly rare and deserve credit for their honesty. Not overblown praise, just credit for doing a small but decent thing that most wouldn't.
Gladwell is a coward. He has spent 10,000 hours lying and spewing propaganda. You are the outlier for speaking truth to power.
Right, well, the 10,000 hours is all you need, he says, to become the best. So maybe he'll put in 10,000 hours on this side...maybe. Unlikely.