We’ve just had another suicide in our county of a young person who identified as trans. Heartbreaking. Their trans friend died the same way ( under a train) last year. Devastating pain for these families and communities.
And of course they are teaching these ideas in the Palo Alto high school where these kids went to school and they are blaming transphobia for the deaths instead of the very complex mental health issues around all of this. It is very upsetting. Very disturbing.
Incredibly disturbing and infuriating. I truly wonder about the instincts of those educators, they must be suppressed/hijacked by the ideology itself or their own circumstances.
I imagine that their instincts are to help these young people, but in fact, it is as if they have gone down the wrong road and they cannot see the other side of what is going on. They are confusing the children. And when you are confusing the very vulnerable children bad things can happen.
Right, their 'helping' instincts, but I mean their ethical or common sense instincts- a boy cant be a girl and vice versa, body dysmorphia cant be cured by hormones and surgeries, etc. People soundly in reality know that, and they must do incredible mental gymnastics to not access that knowledge in themselves.
It is not known at this point whether the "trans identity" of violent young anarchists and demonstrators preceded their decisions to engage in political violence. "Identifying as trans" has become an extremely popular type of negative identity, like "goth" and "stoner" used to be. Also, a third of left-leaning college students believe that political violence and other forms of authoritarian aggression are justified "in some situations," according to polls taken over the past several years.
Yes, I believe that gender ideology generally has destabilized Gen Z, whether trans or not, and encouraged losing grip on grounded reality, future consequences, and life values.
Add to the whole identity crisis, disorientation, lack of trust and doubt about everything, AI. The answer to it all: disembodied, undemanding, non-judgmental, purely nothing, and AI's grip on the disenfranchised will be an easy conquest. And there will be legions in the wings eager to profit. Where's the army going to come from that seeks to defeat this?
Re Nihilism and its connection with gender identity confusion: I've noticed a connection with parental divorce and separation. I've heard people say, "when my parents divorced, my identity shattered."
It's interesting that you say that, it reminds me that when my parents divorced my brother, 12 at the time, said he didn't believe in the world anymore
I just noticed in today's WSJ, an article "What I Suffered Being 'Transgender'":
"I come from a broken home. While my mother and stepfather always loved me, my stepfather became severely disabled when I was 3, leaving me feeling as though I had to raise myself. I eventually reached out to my biological father around a decade later. When he and my stepmother saw my distress—and were told by a psychiatrist that this distress was related to my transgender identity—they began to consider the benefits of affirming me in my transition."
I think this is dangerous to the very people whose mental health is supposedly being centered, and I was looking for something to share back, so this is helpful and I appreciate your thorough analysis in connecting all the dots--this is so much bigger than just the issue of medical harm that can last a lifetime with unanticipated consequences of gender medicine as the wrong solution to psychosocial and existential concerns that may only be intensified
Hi Lisa, thank you for your comment. I agree it's bigger, as the ideology has destabilized much of a generation of kids. The genoicide-suicide-trans narrative is unsubstantiated, as you know, and flipped as to the actual events. Meaning, often a trans identity comes first, then suicidal/homicidal behavior.
Agreed - I was pointing out that the Lemkin Insitute has been pushing the trans genocide narrative for a few years now. Asserting the reality that there are only 2 sexes and humans can't change sex is genocidal according to them! One has to wonder what this framing does to those trans identified people who swallow this line. Any attempt to point reality out becomes viewed as a precursor to genocide!
Ah right, great point. It destabilizes their foundation of Self and reality, setting up for a very fragile existence. This is also a part of the ‘Words are violence’ rhetoric that started in college campuses, mass producing young adults who now say they are ‘unsafe’ when there is no actual danger
Thank you, this is so good. I'm a pediatrician in your back yard, so we serve the same community in different ways. I sense the nihilism in some non-trans kids too, and try to bring up these issues the best I can as just an MD in relatively brief encounters. I'm so sorry that your point seems to have been made again this week.
I find it odd that an essay about recent political violence doesn't mention January 6, 2021. Personally, I cannot remember a more momentous occasion of political violence in my lifetime, and I'm closing in on sixty.
It’s a good point, we can’t do a thorough examination of extremist violence without considering the insurrection but for this piece I was focused on gender nihilism, which didn’t apply to that event. Thanks.
Incredibly, another event that fits directly into this tragic pattern occurred yesterday: https://www.ktsa.com/10-dead-in-canadian-school-massacre-and-police-are-calling-the-killer-a-gunperson/
Thank you for this deep dive.
We’ve just had another suicide in our county of a young person who identified as trans. Heartbreaking. Their trans friend died the same way ( under a train) last year. Devastating pain for these families and communities.
It's an incredibly destabilized identity, often on the edge of life and death
And of course they are teaching these ideas in the Palo Alto high school where these kids went to school and they are blaming transphobia for the deaths instead of the very complex mental health issues around all of this. It is very upsetting. Very disturbing.
Incredibly disturbing and infuriating. I truly wonder about the instincts of those educators, they must be suppressed/hijacked by the ideology itself or their own circumstances.
I imagine that their instincts are to help these young people, but in fact, it is as if they have gone down the wrong road and they cannot see the other side of what is going on. They are confusing the children. And when you are confusing the very vulnerable children bad things can happen.
Right, their 'helping' instincts, but I mean their ethical or common sense instincts- a boy cant be a girl and vice versa, body dysmorphia cant be cured by hormones and surgeries, etc. People soundly in reality know that, and they must do incredible mental gymnastics to not access that knowledge in themselves.
Agree.
This is great: very insightful. Colin, where do you find these cool people to write for you?
I am very fortunate in that they find me!
It is not known at this point whether the "trans identity" of violent young anarchists and demonstrators preceded their decisions to engage in political violence. "Identifying as trans" has become an extremely popular type of negative identity, like "goth" and "stoner" used to be. Also, a third of left-leaning college students believe that political violence and other forms of authoritarian aggression are justified "in some situations," according to polls taken over the past several years.
Yes, I believe that gender ideology generally has destabilized Gen Z, whether trans or not, and encouraged losing grip on grounded reality, future consequences, and life values.
I have renewed hope for Gen Z, given that the young men at least are becoming more conservative. The Millennials are another matter!
Add to the whole identity crisis, disorientation, lack of trust and doubt about everything, AI. The answer to it all: disembodied, undemanding, non-judgmental, purely nothing, and AI's grip on the disenfranchised will be an easy conquest. And there will be legions in the wings eager to profit. Where's the army going to come from that seeks to defeat this?
It's true, AI adds so much fuel to this fire.
Re Nihilism and its connection with gender identity confusion: I've noticed a connection with parental divorce and separation. I've heard people say, "when my parents divorced, my identity shattered."
It's interesting that you say that, it reminds me that when my parents divorced my brother, 12 at the time, said he didn't believe in the world anymore
Dear Dear Dark Mother,
I just noticed in today's WSJ, an article "What I Suffered Being 'Transgender'":
"I come from a broken home. While my mother and stepfather always loved me, my stepfather became severely disabled when I was 3, leaving me feeling as though I had to raise myself. I eventually reached out to my biological father around a decade later. When he and my stepmother saw my distress—and were told by a psychiatrist that this distress was related to my transgender identity—they began to consider the benefits of affirming me in my transition."
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/what-i-suffered-being-transgender-3d0c891d?st=6sGNuD&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Thanks for sharing this Jennifer. I hope to see more and more stories like this published, ideally from CNN and NBC with apologies attached.
I'd love to see that as well. But I'm not holding my breath.
Powerful and timely, Thank you Brooke
A colleague recently shared a document speaking to trans genocide narrative (see https://www.lemkininstitute.com/single-post/experts-warn-u-s-in-early-stages-of-genocide-against-trans-americans)
I think this is dangerous to the very people whose mental health is supposedly being centered, and I was looking for something to share back, so this is helpful and I appreciate your thorough analysis in connecting all the dots--this is so much bigger than just the issue of medical harm that can last a lifetime with unanticipated consequences of gender medicine as the wrong solution to psychosocial and existential concerns that may only be intensified
Hi Lisa, thank you for your comment. I agree it's bigger, as the ideology has destabilized much of a generation of kids. The genoicide-suicide-trans narrative is unsubstantiated, as you know, and flipped as to the actual events. Meaning, often a trans identity comes first, then suicidal/homicidal behavior.
The Lemkin Institute have been claiming that the gender critical movement is genocidal against trans people for some years now, e.g. this statement (pure assertion, no citations or quotations) from 2022: https://www.lemkininstitute.com/statements-new-page/statement-on-the-genocidal-nature-of-the-gender-critical-movement%E2%80%99s-ideology-and-practice
It has become clear in the studies, and even to trans activists like Chase Strangio, that suicide is not a risk for youth who can’t transition.
Agreed - I was pointing out that the Lemkin Insitute has been pushing the trans genocide narrative for a few years now. Asserting the reality that there are only 2 sexes and humans can't change sex is genocidal according to them! One has to wonder what this framing does to those trans identified people who swallow this line. Any attempt to point reality out becomes viewed as a precursor to genocide!
Ah right, great point. It destabilizes their foundation of Self and reality, setting up for a very fragile existence. This is also a part of the ‘Words are violence’ rhetoric that started in college campuses, mass producing young adults who now say they are ‘unsafe’ when there is no actual danger
This is the best written, cogently argued article I have read in a long time. Thank you.
Thank you, this is so good. I'm a pediatrician in your back yard, so we serve the same community in different ways. I sense the nihilism in some non-trans kids too, and try to bring up these issues the best I can as just an MD in relatively brief encounters. I'm so sorry that your point seems to have been made again this week.
I find it odd that an essay about recent political violence doesn't mention January 6, 2021. Personally, I cannot remember a more momentous occasion of political violence in my lifetime, and I'm closing in on sixty.
It’s a good point, we can’t do a thorough examination of extremist violence without considering the insurrection but for this piece I was focused on gender nihilism, which didn’t apply to that event. Thanks.