My thing is, even if a lot of teenagers are experimenting and trying on different identities, so what? Why not let them? I mean, my profession is a significant part of my identity, and I think many adults would agree… and yet, we actively encourage teenagers to explore many different career possibilities to find the one that fits them best. Experimenting with identity is not, itself, a problem. And if a kid feels the need to experiment and try out different gender identities to find the one that fits them best, let them do that, too. Maybe they’ll eventually decide on an identity that matches their chromosomes, maybe they’ll decide on the opposite, maybe they’ll decide not to settle on any one thing and remain genderfluid their whole life, or anywhere in between. What’s wrong with any of that?
Indeed! And in fact, the more we take such experimentation in our stride and resist the temptation to make a huge fearmongering fuss about it, the less appealing it becomes to the small minority of children who might be tempted to try it for genuinely unhealthy/disruptive reasons.
No fun making up a shattering melodramatic personal crisis to viscerally shock your family if your family just doesn’t happen to be shocked by it, after all.
I have a couple of trans women I’m close to IRL and the fact that they’re trans is the least interesting thing about them. Who cares? It’s not a big deal unless you’re a bigot.
It’s like getting bent out of shape because they have green eyes or something. Address real issues that matter, like healthcare and passing laws that protect democracy.
I guess hatred is easier than fixing real problems.
Anecdote:
I once attended a party where the theme was “wear pink”, and being considerably slimmer back then, I obtained a junior high school pink uniform (full on pinafore style) which was a tight squeeze but I fit it… just. I am a 6 foot man…
Even then, I managed to get flirted with and kissed a girl.
Agreed. I usually work the tent for my wife’s church at the local Pride fest. I saw a very familiar looking young man. I’d realized he was my son’s friend’s sibling, whom I’d know since he was a little girl. The GAHT had changed the shape of his face considerably, but the biggest change (and probably why I didn’t recognize him at first) was he was smiling. It was the first time in fourteen years that I’d seen him genuinely happy. I think the people who want to take that away are fucking monsters.
“The radical left wants to sharpen spoons. Do you want spoons competing against knives in your silverware drawer and using their slot in the dishwasher? Won’t someone please think of the cutlery?”
Everything Trump says boils down to one of two things:
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Make himself sound awesome
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Make the rubes angry