What bothers me about the trandsgender dispute is that both takes could be true: that inter-sex and gender disphoria are real as a heart attack AND that there is a bit of a fad regarding them. I hope we can trust the doctors to sort things out.
What bothers me about the trandsgender dispute is that both takes could be true: that inter-sex and gender disphoria are real as a heart attack AND that there is a bit of a fad regarding them. I hope we can trust the doctors to sort things out.
Realistically, we can't trust doctors to sort it out. I'm not saying this is doctors' fault. Or mainstream medicine's fault. By all means, bet on mainstream medicine over the alternatives!
It's still betting, though, and there will be losers. Especially among people who don't socially fit the profile of "good patient".
I think this is essentially correct. I believe that it is real in a relatively small number of cases (relative in proportion to 7 billion people). The absolute number would be fairly large. I also believe there is something of a fad thing going on as well--based upon what I see at the high school I teach at.
It is cool to be otherly gendered and it is a statement of individuality and identity that sets you apart. For some people it is real and for other people it is simply a phase they are going through.
The problem is in telling the difference, because the people going through it don't know--how am I supposed to know? The reality is that only time will tell.
Just from speaking to my trans friends--It takes a TEAM of doctors and therapists to approve surgery. Even getting hormones is extremely challenging.
And the trans community approves of this. Nobody moves forward with transition on a whim. They're doing fine taking responsibility for their lives; the rest of us should leave them the hell alone.
I agree there's a faddish component, but those people already grow out of it without harm.
It's going to be a very rare case where minors are allowed to have gender reassignment surgery, if it ever happens at all. Again, there's a huge amount of oversight in the process, even for adults. I have a friend that spent the better part of a decade working towards surgical transition, saved up for it, and paid for it out of pocket. Nobody goes through that process on a whim--it's quite arduous. (She's much happier now, BTW.)
There are folks who derive money and power from selling you alarming and outrageous myths about things.
The whole trans phenomenon was really uncomfortable and weird to me at first, and like you, I had a lot of concerns. Since then, I've seen conclusively how real the need to transition can be, how careful and serious the medical professionals are, and that it improves lives.
Exactly. If freedom and liberty are supposedly your watchwords--why are you unwilling to give people the freedom and liberty to live their lives because YOU don't approve of what they want. It isn't and shouldn't be up to you but to the person whose life it is.
Understood--the thing is that it isn't actually easy to get that surgery. You don't walk into a clinic and get it done.
It is also hideously expensive, like most medical procedures in this country.
Doctors aren't chomping at the bit to do these surgeries and aren't usually (AFAIK) pressuring people into them unlike, say, a lot of various plastic surgeries or hair transplants or surgical eye correction.
What bothers me about the trandsgender dispute is that both takes could be true: that inter-sex and gender disphoria are real as a heart attack AND that there is a bit of a fad regarding them. I hope we can trust the doctors to sort things out.
The doctors have no vote in the question.
Doctors have no say in what they prescribe or in what procedures they perform?
Hi. I wasn't clear. I meant that doctors won't the ones who make political decisions.
Realistically, we can't trust doctors to sort it out. I'm not saying this is doctors' fault. Or mainstream medicine's fault. By all means, bet on mainstream medicine over the alternatives!
It's still betting, though, and there will be losers. Especially among people who don't socially fit the profile of "good patient".
I think this is essentially correct. I believe that it is real in a relatively small number of cases (relative in proportion to 7 billion people). The absolute number would be fairly large. I also believe there is something of a fad thing going on as well--based upon what I see at the high school I teach at.
It is cool to be otherly gendered and it is a statement of individuality and identity that sets you apart. For some people it is real and for other people it is simply a phase they are going through.
The problem is in telling the difference, because the people going through it don't know--how am I supposed to know? The reality is that only time will tell.
And NOT talking about is is NOT helpful.
Right, best to talk--but perhaps not to begin surgical adaptations.
Just from speaking to my trans friends--It takes a TEAM of doctors and therapists to approve surgery. Even getting hormones is extremely challenging.
And the trans community approves of this. Nobody moves forward with transition on a whim. They're doing fine taking responsibility for their lives; the rest of us should leave them the hell alone.
I agree there's a faddish component, but those people already grow out of it without harm.
I was thinking of the issue around minors and surgery.
It's going to be a very rare case where minors are allowed to have gender reassignment surgery, if it ever happens at all. Again, there's a huge amount of oversight in the process, even for adults. I have a friend that spent the better part of a decade working towards surgical transition, saved up for it, and paid for it out of pocket. Nobody goes through that process on a whim--it's quite arduous. (She's much happier now, BTW.)
There are folks who derive money and power from selling you alarming and outrageous myths about things.
The whole trans phenomenon was really uncomfortable and weird to me at first, and like you, I had a lot of concerns. Since then, I've seen conclusively how real the need to transition can be, how careful and serious the medical professionals are, and that it improves lives.
Exactly. If freedom and liberty are supposedly your watchwords--why are you unwilling to give people the freedom and liberty to live their lives because YOU don't approve of what they want. It isn't and shouldn't be up to you but to the person whose life it is.
I was thinking of the minors and surgery issue.
Understood--the thing is that it isn't actually easy to get that surgery. You don't walk into a clinic and get it done.
It is also hideously expensive, like most medical procedures in this country.
Doctors aren't chomping at the bit to do these surgeries and aren't usually (AFAIK) pressuring people into them unlike, say, a lot of various plastic surgeries or hair transplants or surgical eye correction.