A few years ago I was a typical liberal, edging towards full hippy (🌻side note: the hippies were right about almost everything 🌺 ;-) I read @kdrum and @joshmarshall. I studied #permaculture.
When I heard about “bathroom bills” in North Carolina, I thought “Oh those bigoted folks over there, they’re all worked up about nothing!” I casually conflated transgender rights with gay rights.
(I hadn’t checked in with my gay friends from college, to see what they thought about this. I should have.)
Then I started getting more transgender patients in my (pediatric) practice. This led me to write this piece, (kevinmd.com/blog/2019/10/a…)
I started reading more, and discovered detransitioners, like @detransing @cozybutches @dumbschism @sathananas @rebornbutch @julepparadox @HormoneHangover @SourPatches2077 @nekoomancer @dtrans_pride @calicocatbutch @catt_bear @s__kie @gnc_centric @psyiana @HabituallyFemme (+more)
I found reddit.com/r/detrans/, and heard more stories of young people reporting that their experience of transgender was perilously close to a cult experience. (obviously #notalltrans etc.)
I listened to gender critical feminists, and found their arguments compelling. I got into the literature, and found that in the past 42-87% of kids with gender dysphoria desisted, and were usually gay.
So, now I’m in a different place. I see a great difference between being gay and being trans. I don’t think gender identity is innate and immutable. I think gender identity is elastic and plastic, especially in children. This article explains a LOT:
thenewatlantis.com/publications/g…
thenewatlantis.com/publications/g…
