The Trans Debate: When Ideology *Distorts* Reality | Helen Joyce (All your questions answered!)
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- Опубліковано 29 лют 2024
- In today's episode, I spoke with Helen Joyce, journalist and author of 'Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality'. We dove into the transgender debate, uncovering key elements of the trans ideology and the harmful effects of gender affirmative care.
Here are some key points we discussed:
1. Gender identity vs. biological sex: What each means and why they're not the same.
2. Origin of the term 'gender': Exploring where the term came from, why it's useful, and where it allows us to distort our biological reality.
3. Paradox of gender stereotypes: How trans individuals embody stereotypes while claiming gender isn't binary.
4. Abstract vs. concrete: The Jungian idea that it is dangerous to turn what is symbolic into the concrete.
5. Gender clinics: The harmful practices of gender specialists and the slippery slope of puberty blockers, hormones, and invasive surgeries.
6. Parents are terrorized: Parents are told that their child will commit suicide if the parent does not affirm their child's preferred genders.
7. Types of transgender: Exploring androphilia and autogynephilia among men, and rapid-onset gender dysphoria and social contagion among teenage girls.
8. Social media's effect on girls: Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Tumblr are spreading trans ideology to vulnerable teenage girls.
9: Fan Fiction Trend: The new trend of erotic fan fiction written by teenage girls for teenage girls, with romantic love stories between male characters from popular books (think a romance story between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter!)
10. Trans rights vs. women's rights: Men identifying as trans women are impinging on women's sports and endangering women in prisons.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below 💭
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This episode was recorded on February 22nd, 2024.
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‘Would you rather have a dead son, or a living daughter?’ isn’t a diagnosis, it’s a sales pitch.
It's a threat and emotional blackmail. Any doctor who would use that against a concerned parent should have their licence revoked.
That isn't a sales pitch or a diagnosis. Stop using terms that have nothing to do with the subject.
I’m trans . There is no problem x
@@Cheesesteakfreak It is exactly what is happening to support the huge medical investment in the trans industry.
@@beatatz Yep. These are six figure treatments and the providers were making bank off them. Only now that detransitioners are suing, are they backing off.
Joyce really is one of the great public intellects of our time. Always precise. Always clear. Always lucid. She always manages to bring something new to her interviews and tailor her response to the concerns of the interviewer.
Every time I hear Joyce speak I think this. She is one of our times great minds and has such a gift for communicating truths of reality.
How do you know she is a woman?
We even smile differently, look up front teeth smile
@@americasmomloveeveryonenoe7517 So a smile test for public loos?
Yet she doesn't know what conversion therapy really is.
I never thought it would be a revolutionary act when I told my daughter’s school principal that my daughters are too young to consent to being in states of undress with males and that I would never allow it. The middle management pushing this are terrified of normal fathers.
👏👏👏
Bravo 👏🏻
That's why we desperately need as many Dads out there standing up. It's hard to believe that there are grown men going along with this stuff.
Yes! Let's play the 'Why We Don't Aprove' game.
Q) Why don't we approve of children having sexual contact with adults?
A) Because they're not old enough to consent to sex.
Q) Why don't we approve of children having "Trans Afemarive" drugs and surgeries?
A) Because they're not old enough to consent to gender.
Q) Why don't we consent to adults with a penis, sharing toilets with our little girls?
A) Because little girls are not old enough to consent to being raped by a predatory pedo pervert in a dress.
Someone as brilliant & eloquent as Helen Joyce will always give a good interview. But it takes someone special to elicit a great interview. And that is what you did here.
Thank you 🙏🏻♥️
😅😅😮😮😮
Helen Joyce is a total STAR..an absolute brilliant human being...and a woman.
This video should be called "Saying "I win" without talking to the other side".
@@Cheesesteakfreak oh...is that a counter-argument? LOL!
@@Cheesesteakfreak The 'other side' won't talk to her because they have no argument and are blown away.
@@Cheesesteakfreak do you not understand what a conversation is? There are many forms and modes of public discourse-- not everything MUST be a debate. That is not the purpose of this particular video. Not to mention NO TRANS ACTIVIST will have a debate with Joyce, so talk to them not her.
And an attractive woman I have to say. With her long shiny hair now, she looks even better than two years ago. Helen Joyce is a strong modern lady in the best sense.
Helen Joyce is my fave and she’s just fantastic. My hero! Also being a gay man it’s just really nice to see family members get it completely- mine do too. She thinks clearly and can communicate far more concisely than I seem to be able to. I am very grateful that she exists.
I completely agree. She has a very analytical and reasoned approach to the subject and puts her opinion across in a very clear way. There are a couple of other high profile commentators on this issue who I find are actually quite nasty and intolerant people but Helen is absolutely not in this category.
Absolutely. She's a hugely intelligent person who is very good at critical thinking. She would have made a very good barrister.
She’d be a great mum to have raise you. I bet her sons are well adjusted.
Gay man here too. The entire "LGBT movement" was on it's political deathbed after American gay marriage - most orgs LITERALLY heading to bankruptcy. The tragedy is that the "movement" got completely overtaken by postmodernist leftists and Queer Theory. Let's not fool ourselves, it's all "TQ+" ... LGB is in the rear view mirror. We are seen as just as 'phobic' as heterosexuals now. It's either you bow down to the complete ideological absurdity of the Queer Theory faith, or you are cast out. There is no middle ground, it seems. I don't think TQ+ Activists realize a) how significantly split the "LGBT community" is on this ideology b) how this is not a 'human rights' issue - it's completely an ideological one since 2010. Either you are a true believer in the Queer Theory faith and it's mission to abolish "normativity", or you are atheist to it. That is the split, society-wide, including LGB.
It's unfortunate for the rare permanent-dysphoric transsexuals (pre-2010 and present) who never wanted any of this ideology. They never claimed to LITERALLY be another sex, or bust through sex-segregation by ideological decree. TQ+ Activism has utterly and completely jumped the shark, and their attempt at societal revolution (by decree & forced belief) was a total failure. It slippery-sloped all the way to trying to normalize babies suckling on drug-induced male nipples, otherwise hate & bigotry are allegedly afoot. Our "community" is now completely shattered and divided into many camps now. For the first time in its history. That's how corrosive this TQ+ narrative shift was.
I agree. Her clarity and wisdom enable her to crystallise her stance without equal.
Straight Irish guy here so proud of WOMEN like Helen and Stella O'Malley fighting back against this nonsense. Enough is enough.
Exactly well said
@@paulcasini4759 really…this is just so one sided, fear based exaggerations meant to create a barrier between women’s rights and trans women’s rights.
@@tracygeddes5867 you mean women's rights and men's rights...because "trans women" are men. They will never be women and will never be entitled to access women only spaces. End of.
Well, yes. There should be a barrier between women and TIMs, because TIMs are men. You put a man in women's spaces, they are no longer women's spaces. Decent men don't want to force themselves into women's spaces where they are not welcome and not wanted, and those that do are the exact type of men that should be kept out of those spaces. Ergo - barrier. It's not that complicated.
Er..
I really like Helen Joyce. I can listen to her whenever I come across her talking. She's a badass.
"We've had to regain ground that should never have been lost." In a nutshell. I think the wormhole that took us into the alternate universe was postmodernism.
is that really ground that can be lost? considering it's the same ground for everyone in the society, is it really the mindset that contains people? or is it the people that conjure up the shared mindset which then constrain people, and if there were people unleashing the mindset, then so would there be people that follow and be constrained by it, only thing to blame is for the ones who dont like the trendy mindset while not imposing their own, and afterall, we can always slice the mindset off like how you slice of half the cake, and the half side of the cake would now still look like a complete cake. However I'm not suggesting we all just group people with the trendy mindset in one and the opposite in the other, putting each in separate countries, then the problem would suddenly go from being a societal issue to a societal issue of another country which people on the other would not need to be concerned about, just as you would all not care about how Chinese dating market is as it in no way affects your life
You got that right .
Actually 😅
So does Helen Joyce and I agree. Nearly all terrible ideologies come from France.
@@mr.mayhem7402 and Italy , Germany and the U.S.
Helen is the most important speaker on this topic. Thoughtful, kind and reality based.
Awesome video.
This is a lazy video for lazy people. Most people never listen to an actual trans person explain their view and experience. It's important to listen to those you disagree with, but hardly anyone is trying on this issue.
Her background is mother, wife, mathematics doctorate, journalist across several countries. I'll take her authority over activists
My jaw also dropped at that whole fan fiction talk. I, myself, have read a bit of fan fiction, but nothing like what was discussed. I had never heard of slash fiction and the connection it has to the gender issue. I certainly learned a lot today. Such a great conversation.
Slash fanfic is the majority of romantic fics in most fandoms (on AO3, the largest archive, you can filter by relationship type, so this is empirically true). Which I've found bizarre, given most fanfic is written by and read by females, and concerns fandoms where there are no major gay male characters (and those that there aren't necessarily the ones that get the attention).
I've heard people suggest its for the same reason straight men like lesbian porn, but that explanation never made much sense to me. Even if the content is all smut, the written medium is very different from the visual one. There is a lot more emphasis on the dynamics of the relationships and people's emotions. Which is why I find it really weird, and possibly a bit depressing, that so many women seem to prefer projecting their romantic and sexual desires through male characters.
I’ve realised that this may be the reason an UA-camr I used to follow decided she was now a trans gay man. She used to talk about all the trans fiction she had read and I would think wonder where she was accessing it (this was during the depths of the pandemic).
What I’ve read is that the male/male dynamic is enticing because there is no fear of pregnancy
... are you SERIOUSLY connecting slash fiction to people being trans, as if it's a source of it?
I find it beautiful how Helen and Kellie-Jay say the same things by using different words. This is wonderful as they are able to inspire potentially most of us ordinary woman ❤
i am proud to say that kellie-jay ran away from my country with her tail between her legs, hopefully never to return. she then returned home via the very woman-friendly middle east. nonsense can sound like the most beautiful of songs, yet in the end it is meaningless drivel. their words serve only to fearmonger and dehumanize.
Imagine we started affirming body dysmorphia in people with anorexia.
"You think you need to lose more weight? Of course, here are some diet pills which will let you achieve the body you believe you should have."
Or giving them liposuction so they can achieve the body they were "meant to have"
Drawing an equivalence between gender dysphoria and anorexia nervosa based solely on the presence of body dysmorphia would be oversimplifying and potentially misleading. While both conditions involve dissatisfaction with one's body, they are distinct and complex mental health conditions with different underlying causes, experiences, and treatments.
Gender dysphoria is related to a deeply held sense of one's gender identity that may be incongruent with the gender assigned at birth, while anorexia nervosa is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight and distorted body image. Each condition has its own unique features and complexities that require individualized approaches to diagnosis and treatment.
There are many different corrective procedures and treatments available for various symptoms or diagnoses, and these procedures may be used for different purposes depending on the specific needs of the individual. For example, while botox injections may be used for cosmetic purposes to reduce wrinkles, they may also be used for medical purposes to treat conditions such as chronic migraines or muscle spasms.
It's important to approach each individual and each condition with nuance, empathy, and respect for their unique experiences and needs. Making blanket comparisons or assumptions about different mental health conditions can perpetuate misunderstandings and stigma, and it's crucial to consider the complexities and diversity within the realm of mental health and medical care.
@@alzaresh Your assertion that gender is "assigned at birth" immediately betrays your distorted view of reality. Gender is not assigned, it is recognised and noted.
We are pandering to a social contagion, and allowing often young, mentally confused people to make horrific, life-changing decisions with no thought to the tragic, long-term consequences. At some point in the future, I hope we look back at these times as the Madness Years, and the doctors who facilitate this irrational behaviour are seen as the unethical criminals that they are.
And, on top of that, to then force otherwise rational people to go along with the fiction that biology is mutable is equally outrageous, and a frightening symptom of attempted thought control by the extremely vocal minority.
Inane cliché and inappropriate comparison. First of all, this isn't your "body dysmorphia" and its not anorexia. The too-thin anorexic is not given black beauties to lose another 20 lbs.
In your analogy, the doctors are medicalizing children (they don't medicalize children btw) who are ALREADY very female or very male, same way the anorexic is already very very thin. In your fantasy the doctor is saying, "Oh you're already very very female, here let me give you some injections to make you even more female."
Do you really think THAT is what is going on? You really think that's how it works?
@@AlbertPaysonTerhuneI quite enjoy some healthy online debate, but opening your reply with "inane cliché" immediately shuts down dialogue, because I see that, and immediately assume you're an angry, narrow-minded know-it-all who sees comments they don't agree with as some kind of personal affront. As a result, any response is a waste of time.
People always comment -correctly- that Helen always brings some new insight or information to every new interview she does, and of course this one is no exception. For me, the standout was how she described, at roughly the 37-40min mark, how parents are on their own now more than they’ve ever been in the past when it comes to a societally created problem. It’s so true.
I so appreciate Helen's rationality, balance and eloquence.
I rarely have any of these. I'm so angry.
70yo het man.
Helen Joyce is a godsend. She is one of the most important voices out there on this issue. She speaks clearly, she doesn't appeal to subjective things like religion but rather bases her critique on reality and observable, objective consequences, and she is always interesting to listen to. And speaking of being kind, she always comes across as a kind and understanding person. I think when it comes to spreading good sense on this issue to people who may not be decided or are just unaware or even people who think they are dug in to promoting gender ideology, I think she is among the people most likely to be able to open minds and bring those people back to reality. Her measured takes can appeal to the uninitiated everyman as well as to those of us who have been decided on this issue for years. Her book is fantastic, and I recommend everyone read it.
👌
Stella O’Malley, Sasha Ayad and Lisa Littman are all amazing as well.
Id be ashamed, why aren't these male athletes embarrassed to beat women?
Because they're not sexist. I'm female and that means that if I play against a male, I probably won't win. I hope males will play against me on equal terms and if I don't win, then I don't win. The idea that they should be embarrassed to beat me is unfathomably degrading and sexist.
It’s right in line with their whole being, someone who’s narcissistic enough to think they can be any gender they want and everyone else must cater to that will for sure be narcissistic enough to be proud of beating women, these two things literally go hand in hand, there’s no such thing as a genuine humble human being thinking they can switch genders and everyone’s gonna just go along with it, these things couldn’t be more black and white lol
Because they aren't "male athletes".
Because they're nasty-minded men who can compete with other men. They know they'd lose.
A Helen Joyce interview is always completely engaging for me, but compliments also to the interviewer: the questions and input were nuances and interesting, and they led the conversation into new places.
Thanks, happy you enjoyed it! ♥️🙏🏻
Couldn't agree more! Bravo to both ladies!😊
Helen Joyce is so very clear and intelligent on this issue. Wonderful conversation, thanks for having her on.
Thank you for actually making sense on a subject where nobody seems to do that anymore.
It’s refreshing to see this topic addressed objectively and scientifically. As a licensed clinical psychologist for over 30 years, I am aghast at how my profession has sold out to trans ideology and commits the absolute malpractice of engaging in affirmation therapy.
So what’s your solution?
Thank you for writing that. On my fourth therapist for my “gender-confused” child. All four 100% affirm her delusion that she’s a boy under the guise of “meeting the kids where they are.” We parents feel like the deck is stacked against us in this battle.
@@jamessmith6363ignore any of them exist till they go away
Sold out, or actually believes that the child might be trans, and works with them to discover whether it is indeed true, or if not, to help deal with what gender they are?
Thank Gods you aren't in the profession if you belittle patients like this.
@@iwo612 i don't think you understand what your child seems to be going through. its not a simple delusion: their brain structure physically aligns with a different gender from the rest of their body.
there is a part of the brain called the bstc in which size differences are seen in female and male brains; specifically that those of male brains are larger. the brains of transgender individuals have quite consistently not matched up to the gender of their birth in size, be it equal to the opposite gender or consistent with neither. it's not just a guise: they are literally meeting your child in the only reasonable way possible. you can't change the brain, or at least, not the size of a certain part of the brain. you can change what hormones end up getting pumped through the body during puberty, thus lining up the body more clearly with what the brain wants it to be.
i urge you as a parent of a child that may be experiencing gender dysphoria, which is the mental disorder which necessitates the existence of transgender individuals and may cause greater distress to your child once they hit puberty, to be open-minded and at least consider discussing the matter with your child in a manner that neither affirms nor denies their perception of their gender. you can get the most honest conception of how they perceive their gender if you abstain from expressing opinions regarding how they view themselves or guiding them towards a certain answer.
Funny how no trans men are not being imprisoned in men's jails.
There was one case, I can’t remember where this happened, unfortunately.
But she repeatedly asked to be moved into the female estate, because (predictably) the men were sexually assaulting her on a regular basis.
Surprise! Surprise!
The disparity makes sense given that people retain patterns of criminality based on their sex regardless of transition. A lot less women commit crimes necessitating prison sentences. Also factor in that a lot of the trans identifying males in prisons transition after being sentenced, because of the appeal of being transferred to a women's facility. There is no draw for a woman to want to be transferred to a men's facility, but there are multiple draws for a man to want to be transferred to a women's facility (access to victims, opportunity to shift the power balance in his favor, less harsh environment, etc). Only the absolutely most delusional, ideologically fooled woman would ever imagine there being a reason for her to want to be in a men's prison, because women have a sense of self preservation and a sense of their own vulnerability that would not allow them to think that way unless they were experiencing the most severe mental illness possible.
They would assault a trans female too@@ThePontiacBandit911
@skurinski doesn't mean that a man that wants to be a woman should be in a women's prison. Men violate each other in prison. The man who wants to identify as a woman is not special, and shouldn't be awarded a free pass to womens prison to in turn violate women. It's been shown time and time again that when those men who identify as women prisoners get transferred to womens prisons they wind up doing the thing you say that happens to them, to women. Women deserve saftey and spaces free of men no matter what those men identify as.
Also funny how "women" are suddenly just as destructive and criminal as men are. These trans identified men will do anything to make other people accept the belief that they're women EXCEPT not behave like men. It's almost as if you can't identify out of your biology. The prevalence of cases of trans"women" r*ping, harassing and k*lling others should've put an end to this madness, but instead we're forced to accept them as being crimes committed by women AND allow these men to get inside women's prisons.
You NEED a Kellie Jay Keen interview 💯Saying Transwoman is giving up the word Woman…they need their original name Vestites
There is no such word as "vestite": if that word existed, it would mean "person who wears clothes," so that pretty much covers the entire human race. "Transvestite" (person who wears the clothes normally associated with the opposite sex) is what you mean.
@@DieFlabbergast Woman is attached to Trans..OBVIOUSLY vestite replaces Woman🤦🏾♂️
An interview with KJK would be great.
I call them TIMs for short.
@@anonymousa-uy1hkI call you guys bigots for short
When one side is capable of debating using logic, reason and evidence and the other side is clearly not the idea of being able to settle such a debate is laughable.
I’ve recently heard a few people using the terms “trans-identifying male” and “trans-identifying female,” the point being to deliberately avoid the so-called gender labels and emphasize the biological reality. It made sense to me, but I wonder if at this point if would just confuse people further.
Waves of us are in a journey wading through this - people at the start generally are likely to say they think using pronouns is just polite & as we learn more we realise that pronouns are the root cause of the problem. I've learned enough to kniw that even the word "trans" is hugely problematic. I do NOT use that word to describe anyone because it's indefinable & a lie.
TIF and TIM were popular acronyms on a particular subreddit before it was banned years ago; subreddits by their nature always develop their own jargon and acronyms that would be mysterious to outsiders.
Up to about 15 years ago, and for the entire history of the English language -- or ANY language, come to that -- the expression "identifies as XX" or "identifying as XX" simply did not exist. Identification is not something you do or CAN do: you ARE identified by other people, including your family and friends, and the authorities. Identification is something that you are required to present to a police officer or other person in charge, and it must be an official document in which the authorities IDENTIFY YOU. You cannot identify yourself, be it as John Doe, Napoleon, Moses, or a member of the sex that you are NOT!
@@partiellementecreme Maybe it’s just a fluke that I encountered the terms recently, or maybe the idea is resurfacing offline?
@@DieFlabbergasttruly
it isn't kind to go along with an ideology that causes so much harm
I have a massive respect to Helen Joyce, her intellect and courage.
Don't call men women. Don't call men she and her. It's how we got into this mess.
Exactly, its a linguistic movement therefore language is the gateway and the sooner we stop using it in the G ideological sense then the sooner women's and gay folks culture and rights are restored and children are safeguarded against ideological nonsense.
Helen Joyce is just brilliant. At 30 mins or so she says the most exact thing I’ve heard on this whole debate - “Everyone can be gender dysphoric if you give it a really good go”. She’d make the best auntie, so wise, but also so good at putting it all across.
im reading her book atm and it really does paint a cohesive picture of this whole movement, its origins, contradictions, the little research and their motivations.
it also paints a further picture of identity politics/movements in general. so if your looking for a bit of clarity on these matters, her book isn't a bad place to start.
What I don't understand is why parents drag their gender nonconforming children to a therapist in the first place. Why is it suddenly a reason to sound the alarm bells just because a boy would rather play with dolls or talk to girls about the latest celebrity gossip than pass the time on the soccer field?
When I (female) was 2/3 years old, my best friend was a boy the same age. I shared my doll with him... one night the doll stayed with me and the next night with him. As far as I remember from what the adults told me, no one was worried about it.
That was a more progressive time
That’s COMPLETELY different than what is happening right now. During shutdowns, videos were all over YT with trans groomer videos. Now we have thousands of teens/tweens who were already uncomfortable in their bodies to begin with who now believe that they are the opposite sex. They are also truly angry that mentally healthy people don’t believe that they are the opposite sex. They literally want everyone to believe their delusion. So different.
@@iwo612 trans groomer? And what, or who, are those people?
You are a perfect example of the vitriol and hate trans people - for centuries - have dealt with... sadly I doubt we'll ever get out of that kind of disgusting pattern of behaviour.
Helen and Kellie-Jay are my two favourites women, both remarkable and both cast thier nets far and wide in enabling women to not feel so trapped and alone.
Ms. Joyce has put so much thought into this topic that I feel bad that I had the audacity to form an opinion at all without really scratching the surface of what she outlined as a very complex issue. I agree with her, but I've learned so much more in the process of agreeing with her again.
I’m glad Helen brought up fan fiction. My pre-teen daughter, very innocently, came across some Harry Potter fan fiction. It’s a cesspool. I’ve blocked them all on her phone now. Over Christmas she was reading a load of very pornographic stories. It’s the last thing I’d want her early sexual exposure to be. It’s degrading and vile and terrible template for adult relationships.
The fact that she sought out and enjoyed it in the first place is where your concern should be. Her desire to read it can manifest anywhere.
@@jacoblehrer4198 She didn’t seek it out. She stumbled across it and was fascinated. I’m not surprised she was curious, but she’s not inclined to actively look for something like that. I’m just glad I keep an eye on her internet use and I’ve have been able to talk to her about it. My concern now is that she has more age appropriate and healthy cultural influences.
@@bettybray5366i used to read a lot im now 21 and i read between ages of 13-14 maybe not a long period but very impactful and unhealthy - i do wish my parents had been different and able to talk to me about anything meaningful at all so i wish you and your daughter well i hope your actions really have the best outcome :))))
Newly subscribed and thank you for this discussion. I had the pleasure of hearing Helen Joyce on Triggernomety. This offered even more insight!
Really happy to hear! I’m a big fan of Triggernometry as well, so that’s definitely an accomplishment in my book. Appreciate it! 😊🙏🏻
KEEP YOUR CHILDREN AWAY FROM THE MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT.
She tells the truth. I know from first hand experience.
What she says is exactly what they said to us and it went down exactly as she described.
My son at 21 became my trans daughter.
God help us all.
When we're raised with fantasy we are conditioned to accept fantasy.
oh the horror!!!!
Thank you for this excellent conversation. Clear points, caring delivery, and reality-based. ❤
A big fan of HJ! Thanks for this important interview!
As a gay man I found this interview extremely intellectual. Helen Joyce is one of the great minds of our times and I have to say 'Bravo' to both ladies for bringing so much sense to such a controversial subject.
Fascinating conversation! thanks for bringing this to us.
Helen Joyce has been such a great, smart, clear voice the past few years on this topic.
I've been ‘trans’ for over 50 years and now I am detransitioning.
I've known tens of thousands of these people and If there is one thing that I know it is that these sort of people are incredibly selfish and the reason is because it's all driven by sexual desire.
I wish you health and happiness my friend 🙏🏻♥️
Many thanks. I am doing okay. I had been leading a life of a total lie. It is that simple. Now, I am not saying that it has been easy. Sometimes I do not recognise the person in the mirror for a few moments. I miss wearing clothes that had become normal for me. But as a man who, after 50+ years of being ‘trans’, I know only too well the hideous mental envy and pain of feeling that I wished I was born as the other sex. So, it has been just over four years and it is refreshing to simply wear a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and just walk along the street and say hello to people and interact with people in a kind and pleasant manner. There is no stress but there is still a tinge of sadness. That is what I live with today.@@TheBiggerPicturePodcast
@@jean_mollycutpurse_winchester wow truly inspiring. And the courage to really be your TRUE SELF is so admirable!! I am rooting for you!
Thank you!! I’ve been thinking this since the beginning, sex is the number 1 motivation
@@xwr3ksh0px and I do truly believe that
Gender is determined by objective bodily characteristics, not subjective feelings .
Have you watched the interview ? Gender means nothing if not in grammar . Sex matters , gender doesn’t exist in living things .
@@salvolondon That's what he said.
@@Tawny593 Then he spoke the truth.
I could listen to Helen all day. She turns these conversations into an erudite discussion without demeaning anyone. Social media has replaced parenting,in many cases, and contributed to children being left alone to decide. Jonathan Haidt has an excellent podcast, "Smartphones vs Smart kids". It's worth listening to.
Helen is a hero, seen many of her interviews. This was one of the best. Love how you got straight into the topic. Subscribed!
Thanks Katie, really happy to hear that! ♥️🙏🏻
I love Helen. She's resolutely set in discourse, and anti ideology and actual analysis. She's compassionate and manages to convey complex subjects really well. I'm probably not much younger than her but adoption would be ace
its really frustrating too to be somebody who DOES support transition, just in the form it took in the early half of the 2010s where you needed to be examined and rule out any other possible factors, along with living as what you're hoping to transition to for a time, these things were in place not to discourage or harm, but to ensure the people getting these treatments and/or surgeries ACTUALLY had no other viable option, because they are incredibly and irreversibly psychologically and physically altering
it was a frustrating part of the process, but it weeded out people who really wouldnt have taken well to these treatments, who had other underlying issues guiding them in this direction, if theyre ACTUALLY about harm reduction to gender nonconforming people, they would understand this, but they aren't about harm reduction, theyre about temporary discomfort reduction, which is the root of almost all the madness going on, and its why they dont give a damn about detransitioners, because those people arent useful to helping people bypass temporary discomfort. those people now have a lifelong issue, which is too difficult to tackle for the activists, so they throw them in the trash because having to learn about a detransitioner's story gives the activists temporary discomfort, which is tantamount to death to the activists.
and im a drag queen for gods sake, i would have 100% been pushed to transition in osme capacity if i grew up in this day and age, and i was a very unhappy kid, i would have likely gone through with it. im thanking my lucky stars i was born in the early 90s instead of even the late 90s
I'm with you. As an older lesbian, I never thought I'd live to see the day that young lesbians would be so easily coerced into changing their sex instead of accepting their sexuality. In my day, no lesbian would ever let anyone tell her how to live, who to love, etc. We were renowned for our independence and cussedness. Very sad to see how confused some young lesbians seem to be. For lesbians, it's a horrible regression.
... and where do you think this isn't happening?
There MAY be outliers, okay, but the standards of practice ARE what you described above - therapy, doctor's, social transition.
You would NOT have been pushed into transition today just for being who you are now.
Why, as someone who should know better, are you helping to perpetuate these absolutely idiotic ideas? Do you even get the harm you are doing to trans kids and adults by believing it?
@@Jamakaya1 And you believing the ignorance and hateful bigotry of those who are anti-trans is also horrible, because it's not happening.
But then, the LGBTQIA+ family has been eating it's own for years and it's only gotten worse, since the L and G got their "freedoms" but don't give a damn about the rest of us.
Point out the factual clinical changes to transitional care... oh wait nothings changed clinically.
@@Jamakaya1 Not factually happening espec given LGBT+ poles see the rise of more Lesbians and 0.2% of the population or trans women's numbers aren't increasing that given the trans L&G numbers, literally not possible nor supported by facts or the LGBT+ community.
Wow, this has been an eye opener. Thank you both.
Helen Joyce is so good at creating the clarity needed for this issue.
I like listening to Helen Joyce she explains the ideology so well. And comes up with great examples on every podcast she does.
Question: The rise in middle aged men turning trans -
Could this be occurring because in todays society mens testosterone levels are the lowest its ever been?
These men may have had low testosterone the majority of their life then when they get middle aged it drops so much the estrogen kicks in and makes them think like this. I've never heard this theory discussed. They probably need TRT to bring their testosterone levels back up and those silly thought would disappear.
I heard this discussed before - that hormone therapy for their correct sex can help & that's why going through puberty as apposed to puberty blockers can help combat the feelings of "dysphoria" that can occur in children.
Agree but your statement is referring to children.
Im just trying to get my head around men in their 40's+ been married , children etc then become trans.
Below is from the internet everywhere. Science.
"Testosterone is the most significant hormone to male sexual development and function. But estrogen needs to stay in balance with testosterone to help control sex drive, the ability to have an erection, and the production of sperm. Testosterone naturally decreases as men age, while estrogen increases."
Above is what im referring too - "Are mens estrogen levels so high and test levels so low they start thinking like a woman? Never heard anyone discuss this point.@@r.c.3614
Agree but my statement is not referring to pre puberty children. Im trying to get my head around how men in their +40's married, children etc. Then suddenly turn trans.
Below is what i find online from many men's health sites below:
"Testosterone is the most significant hormone to male sexual development and function. But estrogen needs to stay in balance with testosterone to help control sex drive, the ability to have an erection, and the production of sperm. Testosterone naturally decreases as men age, while estrogen increases."
With mens natural test levels lower than they have been + mens estrogen levels increase with age + its proven there is so much estrogen added in food these days too. Could this be playing a part in the sudden increase in men aged 40+ turning trans? Ive never heard anyone talk about this theory before on podcasts i have watched.
@@r.c.3614
@@Terminatortx33 I don't think it's got any legs as the dominant reason. Might play a tiny part but we could never know that.
Yeah agree we would need blood test to be done to see if this could be a factor. But i think its something to dive into though if possible.@@ribbonsofnight
Helen Joyce you totally summed up this trans confusion and what is gender. all about. Thank you.. Excellent podcast. Absolutely loved your analogy about a car - putting gas in a diesel car and visa versa. It doesn’t fit/work. A biological man should not be anywhere near a women’s locker room!
It’s always a pleasure to listen to an HJ interview. On the subject of fan fiction, what Helen didn’t mention was the huge fan base that Boy Love Manga and Manga’s fan written equivalent “Dōjinshi” has on Teenage girls and their identification as Gay boys. In many circles I would say that’s it’s way bigger than anything found of AO3 and the like. We already know how much of a problem certain Anime genres are within the Trans identified teenage communities.
BL to me is like any other content. People make it because they want to. Fandom just shouldn’t be for kids and teens. Parents need to be more active in their kids lives and maybe pay attention to the entertainment their kids have. But we can’t really do anything about how popular BL is when Japanese media dominates America. It feels like anime’s popularity thrives because there is no good competition. And Japanese content that women watch and make kind of ends up circulating over here. BL is just another genre of romance so it’s got a wide assortment of stories, I’d say the most vulgar stuff I’ve ever seen if from the dating emulators. 😅 Also I just want to add that in my in my teenage years I lived in Germany for a while. there was pornography on the streets in the form of stickers, ads for “massages” with topless women in my dad’s news paper. I think America is actually a pretty clean country when it comes to sex, just the internet is a hot spot for it.
@@honey3762oh, absolutely. I don’t think you can broad stroke any genre as each will have variations. The BL I’ve read has been super sweet and not at all mucky.
I would love to hear your interview with Jennifer Bilek who wrote extensively about the connection between transgenderism and transhumanist agenda.
Thank you for the recommendation, will look into her work! ♥️🙏🏻
@@abcxyz2927 trangenderism IS already part of transhumanist agenda.
Fantastic interview. Incredible thing to say but we need to fight back in defence of actual reality against the pseudo-reality of social media.
love HJ. Her and KJK are my two favourite women. Thank goodness women, kids L and G folks have these two women pushing back against this nonsense.
I prefer KJK. KJK doesn’t sit there suggesting that sex offenders, sports cheats etc are “perfectly nice people.”
As long as people keep insisting they’re “perfectly nice people” instead of highlighting the fact they’re liars, sports cheats and sex offenders and explain why so people can’t keep ignoring they’re abusive, exploitative people, we’re going to have problems.
Another compassionate takedown. 👍
Thanks Adam! ♥️
It's REALLY nice to hear an atheist talk on this subject.
Wonderful conversation. This world is crazy. Glad my grandparents aren’t here to witness this insanity 🤦🏽♂️
No matter how hard I insist on my dog being a cat, its still a dog
& the realism of sex is why we need to vote NO in Referendum 24 & keep.the word mother & woman in the Constitution.
Which country are you talking about? Ireland or Canada?
Thanks. For having this interview. God Bless you
Every interview with Helen is excellent
The most important and beautiful task of mankind is to have and take care of children! Thus we are equal and our traits of masculinity and femininity are essential and need to be understood in every context. We need to talk about this, as was more common in the late 1800s, having read Jose Marti and Ellen Key!
I wholeheartedly agree ♥️
This is a rather dark timeline we are on
Thoughtful and good questions, thoughtful and good replies.
Thank you both for an interesting, educating and enlightening conversation. 💐
This should be required viewing for both parents and children .
Great interview, but it's a grave generalization to say that feminists wanted to be more like men, whatever that means (you can't in fairness generalize about men, either, though I understand why we do). We feminists of the sixties and seventies wanted equal opportunities for education, agency, and earning power; legislated and active protection from male violence; and not to be considered uniquely qualified for janitorial services because of our female reproductive systems. We won a few rights, but, while women stepped up to the breadwinning plate, men in general did not step up to the domestic plate--hence, I believe, the huge number of divorces. Over the decades I've spoken with hundreds of women about these issues, and I can't recall a single one who said she would rather be a man, despite the preferential respect, freedom, and power granted to men. I mean, how embarrassing. (I do know a few men who are ashamed to be male.) As for feeling "born in the wrong body," nope. Again, not one, and I think that, during the course of these frank and intimate discussions, such a feeling would have been confessed. This is a delusion almost entirely inculcated by the internet.
Joyce is an intellectual titan. This is a proper role model for our girls
absolutely!!!
Thank you for an excellent and very important talk!
Thanks so much for doing this. It's great to get a long form discussion with Helen where she can expand on her thoughts. I just love her logical way of explaining these issues and her very level, non-hyperbolic style.
Do parents of anorexic children get their child taken away if they give them a sandwich and a donut?
Good discussion. Just one critique. Dont use the term "gender dysphoria", this description is already contaminated by the ideology. Calling the status these persons are in "Disorder" as it has been done for a long time is still factually correct.
some people wish to IMPOSE their ideology that DEFIES reality; fact are facts ; gender is biological , J.K. Rowling is right and speaks the truth , that is not hateful or transphobic
it is the truth ; it is common sense ; even if there are people who identify as whatever
Fantastic interview. Thank you. Everyone should listen/watch it, but especially parents and decision makers, legislators, etc.
We love you, Helen!!! ❤❤❤
Ladies (biological females),
The time has come for us to take a stand. Because if we roll over and play dead, because it is convenient and non- confrontational, we are in real trouble down the line. I thank Helen Joyce for standing up for females ( we can or we do, produce ova). I stand with Helen.
some people wish to IMPOSE their ideology that DEFIES reality; fact are facts ; gender is biological , J.K. Rowling is right and speaks the truth , that is not hateful or transphobic
it is the truth ; it is common sense ; even if there are people who identify as whatever
indeed, good for you
It's full of contradictions because it's not based in rationality at all.
What is?
some people wish to IMPOSE their ideology that DEFIES reality; fact are facts ; gender is biological , J.K. Rowling is right and speaks the truth , that is not hateful or transphobic
it is the truth ; it is common sense ; even if there are people who identify as whatever
Only 5 k subscribers. What. The production looks amazing. I saw Helen on MMM episode
Intelligent, articulate, scientific, and moral -- thanks for having Joyce on.
I hope people unfamiliar with m/m and f/f fanfic don't don't come away with the impression it's all sinister and smutty and a cesspool destroying our children. Much of it is amateurish but it can also be creative and clever. I enjoy femslash adventure stories and rom coms as well as spoofs of popular shows/movies. The sites Helen mentioned are terrific "commons" areas where there's something for everyone and anyone can exercise their writing and imagination. And it's FREE!
I definitely wouldn’t want people to get the idea that all fan fiction is smutty! Writing is hard and anything that allows people to develop their thinking and writing skills while exercising their creativity is definitely a worthwhile endeavor.
The real concern is that this sounds like a very free and open space - which means it’s completely unregulated. So there’s always the potential for the ‘smutty’ to mix in with the more innocent pieces - making it an easy access point for reaching young minds.
I’ve observed this particular type of “trans man” for years, the teenage girl/young woman who seems to be enamored with this “cute boy” aesthetic and persona. Is this not a teenage girl’s version of autogynophilia? It’s a fantasy about being something that you are attracted to in others, the way that these men develop fantasies about being a kind of woman that they find attractive.
Also, to be fair, the reason why more people, including men, might see the problem with women’s sports but think that men in other spaces for women might not just be because they are willing to think of men as stronger but not think of men as more likely to be violent is that most men, even those who invade women’s spaces, aren’t going to be violent, whereas ANY man who enters women’s sports is going to dominate.
@jessebarnes1963
Many teen trans boys are on the spectrum & are somewhat asexual. Mainly what they find appealing is the misplaced belief that they can “opt out” of female puberty. What they really want is to avoid all of the hyper sexualization that accompanies it. This is a direct result of porn (even hardcore porn) being normalised. It’s a scary world for pubescent girls.
This is very different than the highly sexually charged experiences of AGP, especially in middle-aged men who’ve already had sexual encounters or experimented w/ their sexuality.
@@dylanmiller1256 Oh, I certainly agree that even if this is a kind of distinct sub-type of adolescent F T M, there’s a world of difference between them and the male A G P’s. They’re different in many really important ways. I just wonder if this one psychological factor is significant and present in the case of both. My perception is that for a subset of these adolescent girls, the focus is actually more on trying to be a type of boy that they find attractive than it is on not being a girl. But I could be wrong about this, and I agree with you for the most part.
In my view, any man who feels entitled to violate women’s spaces is already part way to being a violator of women’s other boundaries…
Thank you for sharing this discussion! Curious about how these clinics measure adolescents who change their minds. Isn't it possible that many of them are saying what adults want to hear and are caving into social norms during these vulnerable years? Would be great to see a longterm study on this!
I like how your thoughts are forcibly inclusive..
I haven't ever looked at fan fiction, but a few years ago I became aware of a lot of Young Adult books that were very popular on Goodreads and Booktube. Many girls seemed to be obsessed with the gay characters and their relationships and I could see that their idealisation of them was influencing their desire to transition into gay men.
I’ve been reading fanfiction for years. Including slash ff, a lot of it. I’ve been in many fandoms. I have a lot of friends there. But I’ve never caught this non binary gender madness decease.
Not all slash fanfiction is unrealistic girly men.
The most trashy ones are but there are great pieces of fiction where the characters are pretty much men. Just choose what you read correctly.
That’s true, I recall some fanfics I’ve read were really quality. Most are a mature works. I think of it as a good learning tool for beginners learning how to write to share their works.
Though my favorite fic I’ve ever read is pretty dark I have to admit.
Thank you. I have also commented here that not all fanfic or slash is porny. AO3 is a great commons where everyone can contribute their own stories or find stories to their liking: scifi, romcoms, adventure stories, clever satires of tv/movies. People shouldn't generalize.
Great interview. Helen is so knowledgeble.
Understanding the ideology is one thing..what to do to dismantle it...another question altogether...
I fear that they may not accept any other point of view ,
some people wish to IMPOSE their ideology that DEFIES reality; fact are facts ; gender is biological , J.K. Rowling is right and speaks the truth , that is not hateful or transphobic
it is the truth ; it is common sense ; even if there are people who identify as whatever
Great interveiw!!I have watched many with Helen but this was one of the best. New to your channel. subbed. Thankyou
Thanks Shelly! Really happy to hear 🙏🏻♥️
Unless you're a noun, you don't have a gender.
In modern English, nouns don't HAVE a gender, just like East Asian languages. The Romance languages and Semitic languages have two genders, and German and the Slavic languages (and Latin and Ancient Greek) have three.
Exactly, which it is good that English-speakers don't have to mess much with the linguistic word "gender." We can just say "sex."
Thank you
Bravo!
Yes, indeed "What happened"? I think a significant cause of this general confusion is the decline and pettiness of family, village life and Christian traditions. In my time, when you hit puberty, this was commented on and integrated by the adult environment to the extent that you started to be teased. This is a form of somewhat rude - but not unkindly meant - way of reacting to girls' growing breasts and boys' voice changes. Both were teased, it wasn't thought to be a problem or something inappropriate.
Of course, it was unpleasant when an older aunt pinched your breasts or a man teased the boy for having a deeper voice or still weak muscles. You felt slightly ashamed about it, but you got over it because teasing was part of it and everyone did it.
You were brought up well into your twenties if you were not yet "under the bonnet" (engaged or married) and being single into your thirties was certainly not something desirable. This growing up in a community has died out in the cities today. There are no longer any shared traditions and the originally authentic festivals are only a shadow of their former selves in terms of their actual meaning. The fantasy world has taken over and everyone believes they are the exception to a rule that has been sold as "enforced and outdated".
The ordinary individual (as a rule, one is ordinary and not extraordinary) wants to be like the film characters, special, noticed and celebrated. Identity no longer takes place with the ordinary parents and adults around you, but with internet- and film characters. The fact that the individual wants to be talented, intelligent, unusual etc. because the virtual world stylises this actual exception of a person into a desirable existence is the problem of our time. Being normal apparently means being not super interesting, not utterly desirable, not extreme attractive. Which is reality. We used to say "every pot has a lid", and of course this meant that you don't need to be particularly beautiful or particularly intelligent to find a suitable life partner. You needed to be realistic about it, that is all. But when you are offended by the very fact that you are not particularly special, appearance becomes everything.
This gender ideology says that not only you can be what you want but is also suggesting that staying realistic about your choices in terms of finding a man or a woman to live with is not needed. Until marriage, family, having children and a stable home totally falls aside and only the thought realm is the most important space to be in. People who focus solely onto confirmation and affirmation do great harm to children in particular. It is an ideology which is infantile and immature.
We have now a generation of parents in great numbers who did not learn to say no to their children and to cheer on everything they might express or utter as meaningful (speaking of experience). They gave up their authority and no wonder, kids and teenagers despise those adults who act in that way. This gender nonsense is the way we are being shown that we hesitate too much about sexual lives and not about relationships of generations.
So I am a major, lifelong reader of fanfiction. I started probably age 7 reading Twilight fanfic. There was a _lot_ of smut. But also, one thing that's often not appreciated enough is that written smut is not the same as visual smut. You're not watching a 10 minute video with a paper-thin plot then gratuitous thrusting. You're reading a 100,000+ word fanfic featuring often deeply f**ed up relationship dynamics (i.e. the love interest as kidnapped the main character and over the course of multiple chapters stockholms-them into love or both characters are imprisoned and brutally tortured by the bad guy and trauma-bond).
In some ways, that's what makes fanfic so brilliant, how _psychological_ it is, because the authors are elaborating on and playing with existing characters with pre-existing complex issues and backgrounds, as well as settings rife with unexplored complexity. There are certain stories that just would not be able to be told through a non-fanfic novel (i.e. no romance author is going to include novels worth of adventure, world-building and interpersonal drama just as background to the main couple's troubled marriage, that doesn't work structurally).
That said, it's a wild way to learn about the world and people as a young child. The fact that there is smut in it gets the attention, but it's the stuff _around_ the smut which is more likely to negatively influence young people.
Also, what Helen says about slash is very true. It's never really been my thing, but it's definitely a phenomena (in some fandoms, slash fanfic outnumbers heterosexual fanfic). One bizarre thing to add is the existence of MPreg, there are fandoms where (non-trans) male characters getting pregnant and having families is a fairly common troupe, with the biological specifics usually left unexplained, but I think that it's a perfect example of female authors just wanting to write about men-who-are-really-women
It's a way for girls and women to read about sex and relationships without being forced to make uncomfortable comparisons with their own bodies.
I saw some of what Helen said play out in real time. On tumblr. A teenager, insecure about her own looks, deeply into slash fanfiction, convinced she would transition as soon as she could.
thank you to Helen Joyce for speaking and thinking about this divisive issue ....it is a fundamental and significant subject that represents our point in history .
As a species we need to look at history...
Camille Paglia talks about the consequences of Androgeny in civilizations and their downfall and collapse .
I’m a big fan of Camille Paglia’s thinking ♥️🙏🏻 What questions would you want to ask her?
It's important to note that there's also very high expectations towards men, especially in terms of financial and social status, you are expected to make between $250.000-$1.000.000 at the age of 25, and be at or around upper management. Most expectations in society are set by women, both towards men and women, mens expectation of women are not represented in society.
A few examples of expectations set by women/society are:
*The kardashian "beauty" standard, lipfillers and their general physical shape.
*The idea that motherhood is second to a high-powered career.
*Earnings of a woman being excluded from shared finances in terms of paying bills, vacations and dates.
*Feminity in general being seen as inferior.
My expectations of a partner were very different:
*Natural beauty without lipfiller or botox.
*Modesty and kindness.
*Motherhood being primary and career being secondary.
*A fair split of payment of shared expenses (not a 50/50, but at least a contribution).
*I see feminity as one of the most beautiful things personally, its what makes us different.
Just my few cents, hope it gives at least some insight in what I have experienced :)
These are just words. Bohidharma would say, when asked who he was.."I can never know who I am, or where I am or what I am doing"..pure truth. And we get worked up about some idea we have about what a man or woman is. These are labels, words. No one knows what we actually are. That is the truth..buzzing energy that we try and label.
We do know what we are, as biological beings, beings with the opportunity to experience duality. To try to escape the reality of our bodily existence by saying “we do not know what we are” is not transcending anything but revisiting … both are true. That we don’t know what we are and that I’m some ways we do
How is it a debate with no trans person present?
It’s not a debate.
There’s a debate within society at large, genius
thank you for your informed ,reasonable discussion based on truth and fact ...
it is a shame that we never hear the same level of intelligent insight and evidenced discourse from the trans activists...they seem only able to blame,shout abuse,,acuse and cry victim
It's too late, there's too much ɓehind this, too much momentum. Your efforts to expose this are in vein. You'll never stop this. This will only grow in popularity until critical mass is achieved.
"I think therefore I am.'
Renee Descartes
Diversity within a culture of who identifies as whom , whether it is male to female, female to male, and the gender-neutral folk who are making their own way in this existence, what can be a very frightening time for most, the finding of one's own true self in a world that seems to view a person's gender should be as to be aligned to the label sign on a bathroom door.
As a species we are very complicated and we cannot look at ourselves in black and white terminology.
As a transgender woman, I recognize the reality that I am not a biological woman, but at the same time knowing who I am, I cannot identify with the male gender regardless of that appendage that I was developed during those last stages of the birthing process. Am I both? Am I neither am I some sort of anomaly of our species.
I didn't ask or even want to be this way ,I just am this way. The realization of oneself and not another, the discovery of one's self can take a lifetime as we grow through experiences or even find yourself Frozen with fear of the unknown being too afraid to step out of your own shadow to really know one's true self.
All I know is That everything I am screams against what the mirror once suggested I was. The real question that needs to be answered is what is the leading factor that determines an individual 's gender? Is it what's between your legs or is your mind and your soul and everything that cannot be pinned down?
We are truly complicated creatures our brains are complex and we are just beginning to understand those differences within the human mind. and yes, I do agree that some young people do get caught up without truly understanding The complexity of the changes as people go through their puberty and sometimes that time can be very confusing to some who often out of safety creates a Shadow self personality during these stressful periods in one's young life and development.
Not everyone who claims that they are trans are truly transgender. They just may be more of a tomboy or a very sensitive young man, but that doesn't mean they are not of Their biological identifiers. That is why it's so important That young people who start questing, the sexuality or their gender get the help of professionals as well as the council of their family unit.
As for myself, I struggled with anxiety and depression and dysphoria for much of my life, trying to ascertain the why? the question of who I am. I did not transition until much later in my life because I was unaware of what I was or who I was in my development as a person, a human being. It wasn't until my late thirties that I found some definition of the word transgender and what it meant. And that's when everything started to make sense for me. And the start of my journey towards becoming who I was supposed to be in the first place. I am many things to many people, as we all are to everyone. We all have our different sides we show to people and these masks that we wear can be as genuine or fictional as we see fit. But these are the faces we feel suitable in whatever situation we may find ourselves in adopting the chameleon or shape changer , to fit in amongst our peers and act a certain way just so we can feel safe and included.
I cannot speak for other individuals. I can only speak for my own person and who I am, I am an artist and a writer of fantastic tales. I love comic books and movies. I was a loving father and a caregiver, a teacher, a friend. I am many things too many people but what I have found that I need to be was kind to myself and to accept myself through this journey of self-identity.
We are all unique and we all have specialties that we can share with others.
Marcus Aurelius once said, do the thing and be the person you were meant to be, and do it with all your heart, your mind and soul even up to the point of exhaustion, to have respect for your fellow human beings and have love for yourself.
No one person can truly look into the hearts and minds of an individual, only. That individual really knows who and what they are.
And in the immortal words of Popeye the sailor I am what I am. Toot toot
What about a person who at the age of 4, in the early 80s, was certain they wasn't a 'boy' and from that point and that the only reason they call them a 'boy' is due to their anatomy? Just because you are making a living out of this subject, it doesn't mean you really have a clue about it no matter how much you try to research the subject. & yes, I agree with JP, that politics around the issue are a huge concern. Listening to you two, is like listening to a pair of business women using this discussion point as a means to make money. Really, this is a result of individuals, mostly animus orientated if anything, finding a popular topic and using it to bandwagon a bunch of ideas of which they believe will bring them media attention. & the worst thing is, people listen to it, who otherwise haven't even met anyone close to who they describe