You've certainly covered the types of people who should consider these questions to avoid harming the minds and bodies of young, vulnerable individuals, to avoid destroying families, and to avoid violating women's and girls' rights.
I have asked myself those questions in connection with my own strong belief that:
Nobody is born with the necessity to be treated and referred to as if they are the opposite sex and chemically and/or surgically altered to appear the opposite sex in order to have any semblance of happiness or to avoid torment and/or suicide.
Let me answer:
Is it true?
I see no evidence that anyone has such needs, and no logic to it. While such bizarre needs could theoretically exist for someone, I cannot reasonably or rationally consider acting on this allegation any more than I could throw my child off a roof because she insists that she needs to fly and just needs a head start by being thrown from a great height. In a theoretical sense, my daughter could have the ability to fly and just need a head start - but that does go against everything we know about the human body and I see no evidence of it. I see this as a good analogy.
Can I absolutely know that it is true?
Again, no, because it is unprovable (and falsifiable). Thus, if there were no possible harm that could come from catering to these false needs, or if the harm was tiny and insignificant, I could let people believe the needs exist. However, because of the potential for such great harm if I am right but people act upon this fallacy anyway (harm to bodies, minds and women's rights), I must insist that either what I believe (that no such needs exist) is true or that we need to act as if it is true.
How do I react, what happens when I believe that thought?
When I believe there are no such needs, for most of my life, nothing happened because most everyone agreed and all was well. Nowadays, believing there are no such needs has made me delay my daughter's medicalization as much as possible and it has made me keep her at least slightly tethered to reality. It makes me angry at those who insist both that such needs exist and that we must act on such needs immediately, without thought and without any weighing of pros and cons. It makes me speak out as much as possible in the hopes that less harm will be done.
Who would I be without that thought?
I would be someone who goes along with an illogical, harmful ideology. I would be someone who cannot protect my daughter at all and who participates in harming her. I would be less angry, but also less aware.
Those same professionals illogically put the cart before the horse and believe that the mental health issues are the result of being a poor misunderstood trans individual in a hateful unsupportive transphobic world. This despite all evidence to the contrary in which so many systems have bought into and promote the delusion.
You've certainly covered the types of people who should consider these questions to avoid harming the minds and bodies of young, vulnerable individuals, to avoid destroying families, and to avoid violating women's and girls' rights.
I have asked myself those questions in connection with my own strong belief that:
Nobody is born with the necessity to be treated and referred to as if they are the opposite sex and chemically and/or surgically altered to appear the opposite sex in order to have any semblance of happiness or to avoid torment and/or suicide.
Let me answer:
Is it true?
I see no evidence that anyone has such needs, and no logic to it. While such bizarre needs could theoretically exist for someone, I cannot reasonably or rationally consider acting on this allegation any more than I could throw my child off a roof because she insists that she needs to fly and just needs a head start by being thrown from a great height. In a theoretical sense, my daughter could have the ability to fly and just need a head start - but that does go against everything we know about the human body and I see no evidence of it. I see this as a good analogy.
Can I absolutely know that it is true?
Again, no, because it is unprovable (and falsifiable). Thus, if there were no possible harm that could come from catering to these false needs, or if the harm was tiny and insignificant, I could let people believe the needs exist. However, because of the potential for such great harm if I am right but people act upon this fallacy anyway (harm to bodies, minds and women's rights), I must insist that either what I believe (that no such needs exist) is true or that we need to act as if it is true.
How do I react, what happens when I believe that thought?
When I believe there are no such needs, for most of my life, nothing happened because most everyone agreed and all was well. Nowadays, believing there are no such needs has made me delay my daughter's medicalization as much as possible and it has made me keep her at least slightly tethered to reality. It makes me angry at those who insist both that such needs exist and that we must act on such needs immediately, without thought and without any weighing of pros and cons. It makes me speak out as much as possible in the hopes that less harm will be done.
Who would I be without that thought?
I would be someone who goes along with an illogical, harmful ideology. I would be someone who cannot protect my daughter at all and who participates in harming her. I would be less angry, but also less aware.
- After inquiry, I'll stick with my belief.
Hippiesq,
It's ok to be angry, maybe some of that anger fueled your protection of your daughter.
Agreed. Justifiable anger is a good thing!
We literally have all the facts on our side!
Those same professionals illogically put the cart before the horse and believe that the mental health issues are the result of being a poor misunderstood trans individual in a hateful unsupportive transphobic world. This despite all evidence to the contrary in which so many systems have bought into and promote the delusion.
Yes, the questions can be applied to almost everything. It might behoove all of us to use the questions with all of our assumptions.