“If people are already more-or-less free to dress and act as femininely or masculinely as they please regardless of their sex, why do we need to build a whole new cultural concept to suppress all mention of some people’s sex?”
Indeed. A little remarked upon fact which you touch upon indirectly - “once was a rare medical condition” - is that hating one’s own primary and secondary sex features is not the same as believing you are the “opposite sex”. Genital dysphoria (and other body dysphories) tend to revolve around feeling that a leg or a penis is not part of the person, I have “the wrong leg or “should not have a penis” type feelings. That’s the rare condition.
Removing one’s genitals and possibly breasts does not even remotely make one into even a facsimile of the opposite sex. It mainly sterilizes or neuters some sex features you have. You are a man without a penis or a woman without breasts. Women with mastectomies are still women, simply ask breast cancer survivors.
Allowing one man in women’s locker rooms allows all men in. Allowing male trespass allows all men to trespass. There is no “gender identity” diagnostic, there is no material reality to the claims. Nobody benefits from affirming delusions, as psychiatry says.
Thanks.
[Years ago when I lost it reading the NYT there was an article discussing the dearth of exorcists in the Catholic Church. Then later one on training:
“Another priest asked how to tell the difference between bipolar and possessed personalities. “It’s important to differentiate between psychopathic illnesses, neurasthenia, pathologies,” the cardinal said. “Satan you can recognize.”
Last I was aware there were no medical school courses on recognizing demonic possession, with differential diagnoses. There don’t seem to be medical school courses in “real delusions” and “false delusions” either.]
It's a pity The Atlantic does not allow readers to comment on articles. If they could comment on Chait's piece, I think a majority of commenters would disagree that moderating Democrats' stance on "trans rights" is not the same as abandoning them. I haven't read his piece, but his divvying-up of a bundle of "trans rights" (trans locker room access - they get to keep it! Trans female participation in women's sports - sorry, gals!) alone would mark him as a transphobe on most college campuses and other elements of the trans-industrial establishment.
Might it be that Chait is bone headed not because he's a man but because he's a straight man? Gay people, especially seniors like me, may be better situated to perceive the fundamental differences that separate the gay rights movement and gay people, on the one hand, and gender identity ideology and trans people, on the other hand. I can't speak for all gay men, obviously, but as I was going through adolescence and my college years, I was frequently appalled by my straight peers' attitudes and thoughtless conduct towards women. I doubt I'm alone among gay men in this regard.
Chait is especially bone-headed for multiple reasons. A good place to start is because he didn't go through adolescence as a gay lad. I understand there's a lot of confusion, fear, and self-questioning involved, and I have it on good authority (A. Sullivan) that telling such a lad that his feelings might mean he's trans would not be helpful. But we can add to that source of his bone-headedness a great number of other factors: he's not autistic, he's not effeminate, he's not attracted to goth or emo subcultures, he's not even a nerd. He knows nothing about the kids who get sucked into gender ideology. A rich kid from the tony Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills, straight into UMich, now a mover and shaker in the world of elite liberal opinion. This conversation, for him, is all about other people, and how he gets to pass judgment on them. If he had a kid who was begging for permission to chemically castrate himself, he'd be singing a different tune.
Excellent bold simple facts, superbly woven together.
“If people are already more-or-less free to dress and act as femininely or masculinely as they please regardless of their sex, why do we need to build a whole new cultural concept to suppress all mention of some people’s sex?”
Indeed. A little remarked upon fact which you touch upon indirectly - “once was a rare medical condition” - is that hating one’s own primary and secondary sex features is not the same as believing you are the “opposite sex”. Genital dysphoria (and other body dysphories) tend to revolve around feeling that a leg or a penis is not part of the person, I have “the wrong leg or “should not have a penis” type feelings. That’s the rare condition.
Removing one’s genitals and possibly breasts does not even remotely make one into even a facsimile of the opposite sex. It mainly sterilizes or neuters some sex features you have. You are a man without a penis or a woman without breasts. Women with mastectomies are still women, simply ask breast cancer survivors.
Allowing one man in women’s locker rooms allows all men in. Allowing male trespass allows all men to trespass. There is no “gender identity” diagnostic, there is no material reality to the claims. Nobody benefits from affirming delusions, as psychiatry says.
Thanks.
[Years ago when I lost it reading the NYT there was an article discussing the dearth of exorcists in the Catholic Church. Then later one on training:
“Another priest asked how to tell the difference between bipolar and possessed personalities. “It’s important to differentiate between psychopathic illnesses, neurasthenia, pathologies,” the cardinal said. “Satan you can recognize.”
Last I was aware there were no medical school courses on recognizing demonic possession, with differential diagnoses. There don’t seem to be medical school courses in “real delusions” and “false delusions” either.]
It's a pity The Atlantic does not allow readers to comment on articles. If they could comment on Chait's piece, I think a majority of commenters would disagree that moderating Democrats' stance on "trans rights" is not the same as abandoning them. I haven't read his piece, but his divvying-up of a bundle of "trans rights" (trans locker room access - they get to keep it! Trans female participation in women's sports - sorry, gals!) alone would mark him as a transphobe on most college campuses and other elements of the trans-industrial establishment.
Might it be that Chait is bone headed not because he's a man but because he's a straight man? Gay people, especially seniors like me, may be better situated to perceive the fundamental differences that separate the gay rights movement and gay people, on the one hand, and gender identity ideology and trans people, on the other hand. I can't speak for all gay men, obviously, but as I was going through adolescence and my college years, I was frequently appalled by my straight peers' attitudes and thoughtless conduct towards women. I doubt I'm alone among gay men in this regard.
Chait is especially bone-headed for multiple reasons. A good place to start is because he didn't go through adolescence as a gay lad. I understand there's a lot of confusion, fear, and self-questioning involved, and I have it on good authority (A. Sullivan) that telling such a lad that his feelings might mean he's trans would not be helpful. But we can add to that source of his bone-headedness a great number of other factors: he's not autistic, he's not effeminate, he's not attracted to goth or emo subcultures, he's not even a nerd. He knows nothing about the kids who get sucked into gender ideology. A rich kid from the tony Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills, straight into UMich, now a mover and shaker in the world of elite liberal opinion. This conversation, for him, is all about other people, and how he gets to pass judgment on them. If he had a kid who was begging for permission to chemically castrate himself, he'd be singing a different tune.
Indeed. Consider this another like!
There's a reason The Atlantic does not allow comments, and it's not a good one
Spot on Arty, as per youje.
Great piece, Arty.
Mr Chait provided you with the perfect illustration of the accuracy of your previous essay.
Have cross posted.
https://dustymasterson.substack.com/p/the-long-distance-runner
Glad to see some pushback taking place in Alberta BTW!
Dusty