Your work here continues to be indispensable. From the title on (which is perfect), you do a superb job of demonstrating that E-L and O-K are far from opposites. Indeed, “smooth talker” E-L may well be the more dangerous of the two.
Fantastic article, Bev! Your analysis of this podcast series is something liberals can really benefit from, if they dare to consider something other than the tribal view.
Appreciate you linking to Malcolm Clark’s clip of Norman Spack, as I had not seen that before. And thank you for lifting up Glenna Goldis’ thorough examination of Laura “I am not a medical doctor” Edwards-Leeper (which I read last year, but it was good to read again).
I like that you included her "husband" is FTM. This seldom gets mentioned in stories about her and it is important to be aware they both have serious skin in the game and raise the issue of objectivity.
What I'm still not clear about is how the default assessment of being either gay or lesbian got replaced by being born in the wrong body. I'm missing how that leap of faith came about and what is it about those who moved to that diagnosis.. Why go there when there was a more basic explanation available? Occam's razor might not quite fit but it's close by.
I did join for a month to make a small contribution to your efforts and encourage others to do the same. You don't have to commit for a year if that's a financial push for you. And Thanx for the work you're doing.
So many factors combined to produce this result. The transvestite and transsexual movement decided in the 1990s to push for the adoption of “gender identity” to replace biological sex. Several major financiers (esp. the Arcus foundation) helped them take over the gay rights movement, most notably in the policy vacuum that arose in the wake of the legalization of gay marriage. Some activists gained access to the government and hugely influenced policy. (Rachel Levine, the Pritzker family, Sarah McBride). The activist organization WPATH radicalized the medical profession. On the demand side, a teenage craze on Tumblr spread to engulf youth across the fast-growing internet, and universities teaching “gender studies” and “inclusion” indoctrinated students. It’s a terrible mess - a global cult - that will take years to dismantle and decades to reverse the harm caused. Especially since in the US, it is politically polarized, making it really hard for Democrats who understand the issues to speak out. Sorry, that’s a bit rambling but it’s a huge topic!
This is a good question with a complex answer. I think PGM in its current iteration is the result of multiple shifts in medicine, psychology and culture that all happened nearly simultaneously. First you have the Dutch in the 1990’s, who are aware that the adult male transitioners have poor outcomes and decide that this can be ameliorated by getting to the boys before puberty. At the same time social media is getting off of the ground, creating the means by which an intense social contagion can spread. By 2015 in the US, the gay rights movement has won its fight and there are many organizations with nothing left to focus on but lots of donors. Trans then becomes their raison d’etre. Also, there is a shift in psychiatry and other affiliated mental health fields towards a biological model and away from a holistic psychological framework - the medicalization of psychic pain became extremely common and less context driven as the depth oriented analytic approach fell increasingly out of favor. Put all of these together in a pot and boil, add a pinch of the pandemic era social justice mania and viola, an epidemic of vulnerable children and young people who have a “biological” but still sort of psychiatric problem that can only be treated with aggressive medicalization. I would also admit that I underestimated just how much gender nonconformity in children makes adults uncomfortable. Even “liberal” adults are at least a little homophobic it seems.
I’m sorry but you would not let a child have gay sex with another child. Nor would you allow a child to have a full sleeve or a massive back tattoo - ‘protecting trans kids’ is chemically or physically altering their body akin to letting them decide on an 8hr tattoo of their favourite Harry Potter character.
Your work here continues to be indispensable. From the title on (which is perfect), you do a superb job of demonstrating that E-L and O-K are far from opposites. Indeed, “smooth talker” E-L may well be the more dangerous of the two.
That's Glenna's position too.
Fantastic article, Bev! Your analysis of this podcast series is something liberals can really benefit from, if they dare to consider something other than the tribal view.
Thank you for this, Bev. Excellent.
Appreciate you linking to Malcolm Clark’s clip of Norman Spack, as I had not seen that before. And thank you for lifting up Glenna Goldis’ thorough examination of Laura “I am not a medical doctor” Edwards-Leeper (which I read last year, but it was good to read again).
I appreciate your coverage of this, Bev. Glenna discusses it at length on the current episode of my podcast for anyone who wants more: https://jennypoyerackerman.substack.com/p/episode-38-featuring-glenna-goldis?r=l5fbr
Thank you!
I like that you included her "husband" is FTM. This seldom gets mentioned in stories about her and it is important to be aware they both have serious skin in the game and raise the issue of objectivity.
What I'm still not clear about is how the default assessment of being either gay or lesbian got replaced by being born in the wrong body. I'm missing how that leap of faith came about and what is it about those who moved to that diagnosis.. Why go there when there was a more basic explanation available? Occam's razor might not quite fit but it's close by.
I did join for a month to make a small contribution to your efforts and encourage others to do the same. You don't have to commit for a year if that's a financial push for you. And Thanx for the work you're doing.
So many factors combined to produce this result. The transvestite and transsexual movement decided in the 1990s to push for the adoption of “gender identity” to replace biological sex. Several major financiers (esp. the Arcus foundation) helped them take over the gay rights movement, most notably in the policy vacuum that arose in the wake of the legalization of gay marriage. Some activists gained access to the government and hugely influenced policy. (Rachel Levine, the Pritzker family, Sarah McBride). The activist organization WPATH radicalized the medical profession. On the demand side, a teenage craze on Tumblr spread to engulf youth across the fast-growing internet, and universities teaching “gender studies” and “inclusion” indoctrinated students. It’s a terrible mess - a global cult - that will take years to dismantle and decades to reverse the harm caused. Especially since in the US, it is politically polarized, making it really hard for Democrats who understand the issues to speak out. Sorry, that’s a bit rambling but it’s a huge topic!
Thank you for your contribution! Much appreciated.
This is a good question with a complex answer. I think PGM in its current iteration is the result of multiple shifts in medicine, psychology and culture that all happened nearly simultaneously. First you have the Dutch in the 1990’s, who are aware that the adult male transitioners have poor outcomes and decide that this can be ameliorated by getting to the boys before puberty. At the same time social media is getting off of the ground, creating the means by which an intense social contagion can spread. By 2015 in the US, the gay rights movement has won its fight and there are many organizations with nothing left to focus on but lots of donors. Trans then becomes their raison d’etre. Also, there is a shift in psychiatry and other affiliated mental health fields towards a biological model and away from a holistic psychological framework - the medicalization of psychic pain became extremely common and less context driven as the depth oriented analytic approach fell increasingly out of favor. Put all of these together in a pot and boil, add a pinch of the pandemic era social justice mania and viola, an epidemic of vulnerable children and young people who have a “biological” but still sort of psychiatric problem that can only be treated with aggressive medicalization. I would also admit that I underestimated just how much gender nonconformity in children makes adults uncomfortable. Even “liberal” adults are at least a little homophobic it seems.
I’m sorry but you would not let a child have gay sex with another child. Nor would you allow a child to have a full sleeve or a massive back tattoo - ‘protecting trans kids’ is chemically or physically altering their body akin to letting them decide on an 8hr tattoo of their favourite Harry Potter character.