Just a quick note to say that comments are turned back on for today’s and subsequent posts. Yes, we sometimes (strategically) turn off comments. And that’s all I will say about that. JMM
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Wondering whether this was a good strategic move to say it was strategic :)
For those who want to take a deep dive on the "Rapid Onset Dysphoria" controversy, I highly recommend listening to this 2-part podcast (links #1 and #2; also on Spotify and Apple podcasts). Also, the links provided by the podcast are a gold mine. The third link below is one example; it's a very nuanced look at the issue of detransitioning. We don't know for sure how many trans people transition back, but it appears to be an extremely small number, and sometimes it's done for medical reasons, and/or because they find they are even less socially accepted than before transition. There are obviously still things to be learned about selection for transitioning, and I don't think the community or those who work with them want to go back to the old "gatekeeper" method. Here is what I found most disturbing in this article: "Right-wing groups and media outlets use detrans people to further a transphobic agenda, arguing that their existence invalidates all trans people. It's much like the narrative of the 'ex-gay,' which has been used by the right to argue that being gay is a choice. If it's a choice, the thinking goes, gay people don't need the right to marry, adopt, or serve in the military—they just need to cut it out. The same goes for trans folks..." Let's not go back to those days, please. Just keep learning what the best predictors are of a successful transition, while recognizing there is unlikely to be a perfect predictor, since there is no such thing in any other area of psychology or biology. That is not a reason to go backwards.
https://maintenancephase.buzzsprout.com/1411126/episodes/15036559-rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria-part-1-the-cooties-theory-of-transgender-identity
https://maintenancephase.buzzsprout.com/1411126/episodes/15267093-rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria-part-2-panic-at-the-endocrinologist
https://www.thestranger.com/features/2017/06/28/25252342/the-detransitioners-they-were-transgender-until-they-werent