Ok, I find the premise of the question "changing one's gender" inherently flawed. Trans people are not "changing our gender." Many trans people undergo HRT in order to develop secondary/primary sex characteristics associated with the gender they already are and alleviate distress caused by dysphoria. We are not whimsically choosing our gender of the shelf at Walmart. Language really matters, and this is a consistent problem with mainstream news articles discussing trans people (to say nothing of right-wing propaganda). As long as they control the language, they control the narrative. That needs to change.
Me to. My gender is biological -- everyone's is -- and can not be changed by any known or anticipatable technology . . . and if it could be it would be death of personality.
I am transgender because my biological gender has always been more to the female side of things than male, and, I was born with a male sex.
To resolve that physical circumstance, I have changed my apparent gender and sex with medical technology and by learning many feminine behaviors, roles, expectations -- what is actually socially constructed. Gender is not social constructed, it's significance is.
EDIT: I should add I am not especially "gender conforming", but I do want to be seen to be a gender nonconforming woman . . . don't know if that clears anything up to anyone.
So well written. I am an ally and appreciate you taking the time to post your comment. At my 76 years it is challenging to stay educated and aware. I especially liked "As long as they control the language, they control the narrative. That needs to change."
Thanks so much Shirley for the kind comment. And thank you as well for being an ally and continuing to learn and lend you support. You are very much appreciated!
My own view on the topic (I have many more journal references than the ones given; still working on that book!).
The mainstream view (of which the Gallup pollsters apparently are a part) is toxic, but unfortunately one sees some inconsistency in the trans-centric press (and social media) as well. We should attempt at every opportunity to settle in on preferred language.
THANK YOU. My rainbow family includes a T. I am been deeply troubled and upset by those among my domestic community, including a young friend who i.d.s as B and is married to a G, who believe they can ignore the pressure on the T because they're "safe." This young friend suggested that I and others might step back so that he, his brother could win back the goodwill of a straight white guy in, oh, let's say, a red state. So Ezra Klein of him.
The constant stream of attacks from Donald Trump, Republican politicians, and many red-state legislatures against the LGBTQ+ community is not accidental—it is a deliberate campaign of repetition designed to shape public opinion. By continually introducing restrictive legislation, spreading misinformation, and portraying LGBTQ+ individuals as a threat, they seek to wear down public resistance and normalize discrimination.
One lesson Trump has demonstrated is that repetition is a powerful political tool. When a message is repeated often enough, it can influence perceptions regardless of the facts. Unfortunately, many LGBTQ+ organizations and advocates do not have access to media platforms with comparable reach, leaving them at a significant disadvantage in the battle for public opinion.
The LGBTQ+ community and its allies cannot afford to remain on the defensive. They must continue to organize, educate, vote, challenge harmful policies in the courts, and make their voices heard in every available forum. History has shown that rights can be won, but they can also be eroded when prejudice goes unchallenged. If these attacks are allowed to continue unanswered, the community risks losing hard-fought ground that generations worked to secure.
Something between 4 - 9% of American "heterosexual" men have sustained periods of intrusive inappropriate sexual thoughts and fantasies involving children.
The psychiatric definition of pedophilia. That's a lot of people who really want to see their vile sexual preference normalized through the scapegoating and targeting of innocent people who are somehow noticeably different in terms of sexuality or gender.
An enormous number of them are very active in right wing religious and political circles.
Anything to deflect suspicion of who the real and very serious danger to children is, keep their hard drives unexamined, and force as many unwanted unaborted unfed disposable children into sex work as possible.
In his 1925 manifesto Mein Kampf, Hitler proposed that a lie told often enough would eventually become "the truth" for most people. We are seeing this born out (yet AGAIN!!). The average citizen has no clear opinion of us, because so few of them actually knows one of us. Thus, a constant drumbeat of "They are evil" begins to sway them. They're still not violently opposed, but arguments that (on the surface) seem to sound logical (e.g. boys in girls bathrooms, big strapping men playing on girls teams) are not a hard concept for them to accept. Our attempts to provide actual scientific evidence to refute those claims get drowned out by people who lay claim to superior knowledge (evangelical ministers, Erica Kirk, J.K. Rowling, etc.). Again, the listener has so little first-hand knowledge that they are easily swayed by people who speak in their vernacular, rather than the strongly scientific pronouncements of psychologists, psychiatrists, endocrinologists, etc. Remember, it wasn't too long ago that left-handed people were deemed spawns of the devil. In MY opinion, we need to be more visible (while simultaneously watching our own security). It's much harder to actually hate someone you know personally. You saw it in Germany. Antisemitism was ubiquitous, but even some NAZI party members would go to some (not all, but some) lengths to help the jewish neighbor, or the jewish employee that they had formed a bond with. Oh, and by the way, respect (not acceptance, but at least respect) for the jews went up after the Warsaw ghetto uprising. Be careful out there, and be prepared.
The Republicans path re the LGBTQ community is vile.
Yet they have adopted a clear (largely even public) strategy. As a puppet organization they are led by a well established, and perhaps well oiled, machine. Their significant religious right funding and a central campaign group count for an awful lot. How to counter that?
I sense our (LGBTQ) communities do not stand as a single voice. There many “interest” groups, and sometimes some of these, are more exclusive than inclusive of our bigger body of beautiful people.
In Julia Serrano’s book “Whipping Girl” and in Joy Ladin’s book “Out of Nature” this story of division within our communities groups is laid bare. The resultant unfolding story (phobia, hate, divisive laws), means that we are a community at risk.
A “Together we stand, divided we fall?” scenario perhaps?
I am new in this community, so please forgive me if I have misread what is out there for our group(s). Any suggestions on moving forward as a group?
Thank you for what you do Erin, you are a remarkable woman.
Ok, I find the premise of the question "changing one's gender" inherently flawed. Trans people are not "changing our gender." Many trans people undergo HRT in order to develop secondary/primary sex characteristics associated with the gender they already are and alleviate distress caused by dysphoria. We are not whimsically choosing our gender of the shelf at Walmart. Language really matters, and this is a consistent problem with mainstream news articles discussing trans people (to say nothing of right-wing propaganda). As long as they control the language, they control the narrative. That needs to change.
Me to. My gender is biological -- everyone's is -- and can not be changed by any known or anticipatable technology . . . and if it could be it would be death of personality.
I am transgender because my biological gender has always been more to the female side of things than male, and, I was born with a male sex.
To resolve that physical circumstance, I have changed my apparent gender and sex with medical technology and by learning many feminine behaviors, roles, expectations -- what is actually socially constructed. Gender is not social constructed, it's significance is.
EDIT: I should add I am not especially "gender conforming", but I do want to be seen to be a gender nonconforming woman . . . don't know if that clears anything up to anyone.
So well written. I am an ally and appreciate you taking the time to post your comment. At my 76 years it is challenging to stay educated and aware. I especially liked "As long as they control the language, they control the narrative. That needs to change."
Thanks so much Shirley for the kind comment. And thank you as well for being an ally and continuing to learn and lend you support. You are very much appreciated!
I agree. I didn’t change my gender. I changed my body to more closely match my actual gender.
My own view on the topic (I have many more journal references than the ones given; still working on that book!).
The mainstream view (of which the Gallup pollsters apparently are a part) is toxic, but unfortunately one sees some inconsistency in the trans-centric press (and social media) as well. We should attempt at every opportunity to settle in on preferred language.
https://jaynasheats.substack.com/p/language-is-important-even-in-the
Great article, thank you,
This is an excellent and much needed article Jayna. Thank you for sharing. You make so many crucial points.
First they came …
Yeah the "drop the T" folks had to admit they were all cisgender and heterosexual males . . .
The Social Conservative neo-Confederates have murdered the GOP and are wearing it as a skin suit. I hope they have the November they deserve . . .
. . . I hope we have the November we deserve.
To hell with Eugene Vindeman.
Thank you Erin
Nazi didn't stop with just the Jews.
I'm betting all the "independents" that are against LGBT people are really Republicans trying to hide who they are.
All "independent voters" are people who just aren't willing to wear their swastika pins to work yet. There is no "middle ground".
THANK YOU. My rainbow family includes a T. I am been deeply troubled and upset by those among my domestic community, including a young friend who i.d.s as B and is married to a G, who believe they can ignore the pressure on the T because they're "safe." This young friend suggested that I and others might step back so that he, his brother could win back the goodwill of a straight white guy in, oh, let's say, a red state. So Ezra Klein of him.
The constant stream of attacks from Donald Trump, Republican politicians, and many red-state legislatures against the LGBTQ+ community is not accidental—it is a deliberate campaign of repetition designed to shape public opinion. By continually introducing restrictive legislation, spreading misinformation, and portraying LGBTQ+ individuals as a threat, they seek to wear down public resistance and normalize discrimination.
One lesson Trump has demonstrated is that repetition is a powerful political tool. When a message is repeated often enough, it can influence perceptions regardless of the facts. Unfortunately, many LGBTQ+ organizations and advocates do not have access to media platforms with comparable reach, leaving them at a significant disadvantage in the battle for public opinion.
The LGBTQ+ community and its allies cannot afford to remain on the defensive. They must continue to organize, educate, vote, challenge harmful policies in the courts, and make their voices heard in every available forum. History has shown that rights can be won, but they can also be eroded when prejudice goes unchallenged. If these attacks are allowed to continue unanswered, the community risks losing hard-fought ground that generations worked to secure.
The Nazis started by burning down the Institute of Sexual Science. Republicans are LITERALLY following the Nazi playbook. We know how this goes.
THANK YOU for your reporting, we appreciate your incredible work!
These sick f**ks are so obsessed with genitals and sex.
Something between 4 - 9% of American "heterosexual" men have sustained periods of intrusive inappropriate sexual thoughts and fantasies involving children.
The psychiatric definition of pedophilia. That's a lot of people who really want to see their vile sexual preference normalized through the scapegoating and targeting of innocent people who are somehow noticeably different in terms of sexuality or gender.
An enormous number of them are very active in right wing religious and political circles.
Anything to deflect suspicion of who the real and very serious danger to children is, keep their hard drives unexamined, and force as many unwanted unaborted unfed disposable children into sex work as possible.
In his 1925 manifesto Mein Kampf, Hitler proposed that a lie told often enough would eventually become "the truth" for most people. We are seeing this born out (yet AGAIN!!). The average citizen has no clear opinion of us, because so few of them actually knows one of us. Thus, a constant drumbeat of "They are evil" begins to sway them. They're still not violently opposed, but arguments that (on the surface) seem to sound logical (e.g. boys in girls bathrooms, big strapping men playing on girls teams) are not a hard concept for them to accept. Our attempts to provide actual scientific evidence to refute those claims get drowned out by people who lay claim to superior knowledge (evangelical ministers, Erica Kirk, J.K. Rowling, etc.). Again, the listener has so little first-hand knowledge that they are easily swayed by people who speak in their vernacular, rather than the strongly scientific pronouncements of psychologists, psychiatrists, endocrinologists, etc. Remember, it wasn't too long ago that left-handed people were deemed spawns of the devil. In MY opinion, we need to be more visible (while simultaneously watching our own security). It's much harder to actually hate someone you know personally. You saw it in Germany. Antisemitism was ubiquitous, but even some NAZI party members would go to some (not all, but some) lengths to help the jewish neighbor, or the jewish employee that they had formed a bond with. Oh, and by the way, respect (not acceptance, but at least respect) for the jews went up after the Warsaw ghetto uprising. Be careful out there, and be prepared.
Note for Erin
The Republicans path re the LGBTQ community is vile.
Yet they have adopted a clear (largely even public) strategy. As a puppet organization they are led by a well established, and perhaps well oiled, machine. Their significant religious right funding and a central campaign group count for an awful lot. How to counter that?
I sense our (LGBTQ) communities do not stand as a single voice. There many “interest” groups, and sometimes some of these, are more exclusive than inclusive of our bigger body of beautiful people.
In Julia Serrano’s book “Whipping Girl” and in Joy Ladin’s book “Out of Nature” this story of division within our communities groups is laid bare. The resultant unfolding story (phobia, hate, divisive laws), means that we are a community at risk.
A “Together we stand, divided we fall?” scenario perhaps?
I am new in this community, so please forgive me if I have misread what is out there for our group(s). Any suggestions on moving forward as a group?
Thank you for what you do Erin, you are a remarkable woman.
What can we even do at this point? It’s just so hard not to feel hopeless.
Hmmm…. I wonder if this avalanche of hate is why AWOL GOP congressman Tom Kean hasn’t been seen or returned to work. Perhaps he transitioned gender.