It is hard to escape the conclusion that there are powerful players in society that want to bring 3,000 years of western history to an end. And yet, we never hear a clear explanation of what they want to replace it with. Do they actually want to replace anything, or do they wish to socially, spiritually and financially impoverish those with less to increase the relative prosperity of those that already have more?
When it's street activists--angry, disenfranchised people, some of whom are facultatively so, but all of whom have come of age in a society with less and less interest in their well-being--it's easy to see that they want to burn everything down, but have nothing to replace it with. They say as much--at least, the anarchists do. But at the societal level, when those with power can wield power, why would we imagine that they don't have an interest in maintaining power? Of course they do. That does not imply anything specific about what is happening, but the idea that saying "powerful people are trying to maintain power" is a conspiracy theory (as has been suggested) is batshit crazy.
Naturopaths who have been recommending natural hormones to menopausal women know that once they start down the path of supplementation using progesterone, testosterone, or estrogen the body will shut down producing what is left of it's own hormones.
Not saying I know that this will happen to youth, but it is a possibility that should not be ignored until more is known.
Hormones are more important than most people recognize and people should not mess with them until they know all the risks.
And we are nowhere close to knowing all the risks. Some may claim that we are--usually using some version of "science says..." but our endocrine systems are ancient, and inextricably tied up in development, behavior, and the rest of our anatomy and physiology.
What we need along with "science" is wisdom, and I hardly ever hear anyone talk about that. Applying scientific advances without wisdom is so dangerous. I've thought about that a lot over the years in terms of what we've done to our food in the last century.
The "puberty blockers" are used as a cancer treatment and for chemical castration (e.g. of sex offenders) so there are some data points that the effects can be reversible - in adults.
As for hormone replacement, body builders have been experimenting with this for decades and again in adult males it's often possible to restart endogenous production with some drugs or naturally over time, however this only concerns testosterone and in supra-physiological doses. In males this also increases estrogen (through a process called aromatase) which in some men leads to growth of breast tissue (Gynecomastia) which is not reversible - referred to in body building circles by the charming term "bitch tits". If you look at pictures it's quite unattractive, some boys/men who suffer from this either naturally or through steroid abuse opt for surgery. The same goes for clitoral enlargement (and voice changes) in women using endogenous testosterone. The medical establishment obviously condemns using exogenous hormones for performance enhancement.
There really is no ethical way to study this in children. In children with precocious puberty GnRH agonists have been used to delay puberty, but this condition is also quite rare and I'm not sure there has been a lot of follow-up on whether the children matured normally.
The endocrine system is quite resilient, however once cross sex hormones are started the physical effects are permanent. It's already quite difficult to get the hormone levels right in hormone replacement, obviously this is impossible if you are using supra-physiological levels.
In each of the cases that you raise as evidence of "reversibility," however, I question the extent to which everything has been reversed. We are stuck measuring what we can measure, and what we think to measure, and we also tend to be canalized, in our thinking, by the names that we have already given to things. So using drugs for chemical castration, and finding that they are "reversible" means, likely, that only sexual and reproductive effects were assessed. I don't know--I haven't seen this literature (if you have references I'd be interested). But I would bet that no long term studies across somatic systems have been looked at with regard to how "reversible" such drugs really are. The same argument will apply to all of these drugs. We think of Testosterone as being the "male sex hormone," which is apt, so far as it goes. But of course women also produce Testosterone, and it has known effects outside of "sex" systems (however you might precisely define that), so what all is going to be assessed to determine how reversible such drugs are? Hormones interact dynamically, in both space and time, and across systems, and we are fooling ourselves if we think we have it all figured out.
I think "reversible" is probably too strong a word - you don't really make up the time those hormones were absent even if the endocrine system recovers and resumes production of sex hormones. That's easily measurable. To measure the long-term toll one would first know where to look, bone mineral density is likely just one small component. You also don't normally have a "healthy" baseline for cancer patients. However, I would also caution against the thought that the path started with delaying puberty in healthy (caveat: with a healthy endocrine system) children must necessarily lead to cross-sex hormones and surgery.
I think the psychological effects are worth a lot more study. The effects of low testosterone on mood and energy in adult men are well studied, as are the effects of hormone replacement. It doesn't take much of a stretch to believe that the effects of supra-physiological testosterone on a young girl will be even more pronounced.
Mulvaney is an adult and can get all the plastic surgery he wants. Hell, I'm even agreeable enough and play along and call him "she/her". Not sure I'd call it "gender affirming" surgery if the underlying problem seems to be out of control narcissism. My first line of treatment would be a surgical removal of all social media from the persons life, but I'm not a doctor.
Is this supposed to distract from inflation and the general state of the economy or the ever-escalating Ukraine war? I'm not sure their stance on trans issues will sway rural blue collar votes to the Democrats but I might be wrong (I'm not a political scientist either).
Speaking of rural blue collar votes, the glossy four-page ad for Tina Kotek that came in the mail yesterday to my zip code features a glamour shot of Paul, a smiling white male ironworker in a ballcap, literally clutching wrenches, telling us how pleased he is to vote for Tina. Paul doesn't give his pronouns so sorry if I have misgendered anyone.
Inside, the glamour shot of Tina features her in a pink button-down shirt.
Not sure if this same ad is blanketing Multnomah County zip codes.
So yes, their polls are telling them that "working families" aren't being distracted from inflation by Ukraine or climate or Dobbs or a guy like Mulvaney.
A lot of this gender-affirmation stuff is strange especially how quickly much of it came about.
I'm remembering how some of my female friends would comment about how much it sucks to have periods and how I wouldn't know how it feels with me being a male. This happened in college only a decade ago, so it's funny to think that these same feminists/women would be targeted for being transphobic now using their own narratives.
It's strange because at that time it was most certainly true: I'm not a female so I don't know what it's like to have periods, but it certainly doesn't mean that should result in unneeded antagonization for something I myself never brought up as a criticism for being female. Now all of us would run afoul for thinking that someone who LARPs as a female would know inherently what being "female" is because of course all females would know what the heck a "Barbie purse" is.
One thing I've heard, although I'm not sure how true it is, is that this LARPer couldn't quite make it in theater and may have chosen to go down this route in order to gain that attention (again, this is more hearsay than something that has some basis in reality). I do believe that there is an issue with social media and the need for attention causing this serious problem. People not having close contact with friends and family who provide them the proper sort of attention that's needed is likely leading to this problem.
The vaccine schedule is one of the most telling things going on. I like to refer to my friend who says these vaccines are probably working on the same level as the flu vaccines (i.e. not very well for most), and yet the flu vaccine is never forced onto students. The fact that we are likely to experience COVID as a seasonal illness moving forward what would this mean needing annual COVID vaccines? I think this is all just building off of "established" policies. I think a lot of what's going on is establishing some precedent under false pretenses and then using such precedent to enact new policies moving forward.
As always, you raise so many interesting points, but I will restrict my response to just one. Mulvaney has gone through many transformations, and he even refers to this newest one as rebranding. He's actually got real talent, both in traditional entertainment modes like singing and acting (obviously), and in newer social media modes, for which I don't have names. Right before he declared himself trans, he had created a series--also on TikTok--in which he was pretending to be a ranger of some sort, going to animal parks and rescue centers (here's one if you're curious: https://www.tiktok.com/@dylanmulvaney/video/6963055523390426373?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7150494654340449838). As now, however, he appears to have believed that the identity is in the costume--that all you have to do if find the right (or what he thinks is the right) clothes, and voila, he has become the kind of person whom he imagines usually wears such things. At some level, it's classic Hollywood thinking--LA, land of re-creation and opportunity--and may indeed be, in part, an outgrowth of that, now taking over the entire West.
Thanks for your response Heather. I tend to forget to respond after I make my original points, and I am humbled by your appreciation of my points!
This is really sad overall. I guess this is all part of the new cultural approach to the idea of not knowing who someone is and trying to find their way in the world. What once was a struggle that led to perseverance and comfort in one's own body is now being replaced with having to relegate identity and concepts of one's self to performative concepts.
regarding the vaccine schedule: I suspect it will be annual shots at least, probably more like biannual or even every quarter, from childhood on. Much like some people going to the dentist twice a year (I think that's probably also a racket). That's billions of doses of a patented pharmaceutical every year, with a liability waiver from the government. And if you grew up getting a jab every 6 months in school you probably won't scoff at your employer mandating it (for health insurance reasons or whatever).
One of the huge problems for big pharma was that to maintain their stock price they have to continue beating their previous quarterly earnings (hence quarterly shots?).
I would hope that more pushback does prevent that from happening. I find it hard to argue for more than an annual shot if COVID is to become seasonal, but that's also arguing if such shots would be ethical in the first place. We don't push for annual flu vaccines, so either flu vaccines make for an argument against the use of these COVID vaccines or the COVID vaccines may make way to allow for precedent to be set which would be even more concerning.
Well said - used to think the government had our well-being - since the beginning of 2020 that has all changed - but I am in my 60s - so for the majority of my life I trusted the government - Messages like these are helping, but for every one message like this there are 100 sending the opposite information - I can't image the pressure young mothers feel now - the majority of mothers do not want to harm their children but so many are being bombarded with false information and don't even realize it. I will share with my daughters and they will share with their friends, every share helps.
To watch many women's and mother's natural tendency for fierce care and compassion hijacked by the trans movement is disheartening to say the least. Many just seem to have easily handed this power away to an ad campaign hiding behind social justice language. No innate protection of girls or women is evident in women who seem to have transferred their protection to boys and young men who ...feel... like women or... little girls. And no innate horror is evident as girls and young women are encouraged to cut off their breasts to ...feel... more like men. Only in the dark stories of fairy tales can I find a place to put this twisted violence against women like the Handless Maiden whose own father, as directed by the devil, cut off his daughter's hands. She grew them back (not the ending of these girl's stories) but it is a tale of the regrowth or growth of Self - maybe the only possible happy ending after losing your self in this ghoulish crusade. Yes. Mothers and other women protectors who can see clearly should be growling and howling with teeth and claws bared.
I am so glad I started motherhood not only questioning doctors, but challenging them on little things (fluoride drops, source of nutrients), and on one big thing: the pertussis shot. I was probably less than agreeable but the love for this little boy overrode all other motivations. The hardest part of motherhood is the day that you can no longer assert your veto, but can only influence your suddenly adult child.
Thank you so much for your eloquent essay. Things are so, so messed up. I’m religious (that’s just me) and to hear what’s going is “satanic”—I get it. It’s a very simple word that encompasses all kinds of grave, maladaptive behaviors. I realize to some that word is cringe and might give people an accountability/responsibility pass, I don’t see it that way. Any rate, I hope more Moms and women in general listen to you and act accordingly. I’m trying.
.
..
…
I have a niece who thinks she’s a dude. Her home life was very awful/abusive (real sad, I was not part of her upbringing)… her declaration is her way of finding some peace I suppose. Not sure what to say.
My dear second cousin thinks she is tree, or at least non-gender they/them, and waits for the time she can have her breasts removed completely. She was raised watching anime almost constantly, by parents immersed in fantasy and sci-fi videos who lived in one bedroom apartments often on government assistance. She's now 19 and my cousin (her grandmother) and I only hope to save her 10 year old sister from her delusional thinking. It's a sad situation.
It is hard to escape the conclusion that there are powerful players in society that want to bring 3,000 years of western history to an end. And yet, we never hear a clear explanation of what they want to replace it with. Do they actually want to replace anything, or do they wish to socially, spiritually and financially impoverish those with less to increase the relative prosperity of those that already have more?
When it's street activists--angry, disenfranchised people, some of whom are facultatively so, but all of whom have come of age in a society with less and less interest in their well-being--it's easy to see that they want to burn everything down, but have nothing to replace it with. They say as much--at least, the anarchists do. But at the societal level, when those with power can wield power, why would we imagine that they don't have an interest in maintaining power? Of course they do. That does not imply anything specific about what is happening, but the idea that saying "powerful people are trying to maintain power" is a conspiracy theory (as has been suggested) is batshit crazy.
Naturopaths who have been recommending natural hormones to menopausal women know that once they start down the path of supplementation using progesterone, testosterone, or estrogen the body will shut down producing what is left of it's own hormones.
Not saying I know that this will happen to youth, but it is a possibility that should not be ignored until more is known.
Hormones are more important than most people recognize and people should not mess with them until they know all the risks.
And we are nowhere close to knowing all the risks. Some may claim that we are--usually using some version of "science says..." but our endocrine systems are ancient, and inextricably tied up in development, behavior, and the rest of our anatomy and physiology.
What we need along with "science" is wisdom, and I hardly ever hear anyone talk about that. Applying scientific advances without wisdom is so dangerous. I've thought about that a lot over the years in terms of what we've done to our food in the last century.
The "puberty blockers" are used as a cancer treatment and for chemical castration (e.g. of sex offenders) so there are some data points that the effects can be reversible - in adults.
As for hormone replacement, body builders have been experimenting with this for decades and again in adult males it's often possible to restart endogenous production with some drugs or naturally over time, however this only concerns testosterone and in supra-physiological doses. In males this also increases estrogen (through a process called aromatase) which in some men leads to growth of breast tissue (Gynecomastia) which is not reversible - referred to in body building circles by the charming term "bitch tits". If you look at pictures it's quite unattractive, some boys/men who suffer from this either naturally or through steroid abuse opt for surgery. The same goes for clitoral enlargement (and voice changes) in women using endogenous testosterone. The medical establishment obviously condemns using exogenous hormones for performance enhancement.
There really is no ethical way to study this in children. In children with precocious puberty GnRH agonists have been used to delay puberty, but this condition is also quite rare and I'm not sure there has been a lot of follow-up on whether the children matured normally.
The endocrine system is quite resilient, however once cross sex hormones are started the physical effects are permanent. It's already quite difficult to get the hormone levels right in hormone replacement, obviously this is impossible if you are using supra-physiological levels.
In each of the cases that you raise as evidence of "reversibility," however, I question the extent to which everything has been reversed. We are stuck measuring what we can measure, and what we think to measure, and we also tend to be canalized, in our thinking, by the names that we have already given to things. So using drugs for chemical castration, and finding that they are "reversible" means, likely, that only sexual and reproductive effects were assessed. I don't know--I haven't seen this literature (if you have references I'd be interested). But I would bet that no long term studies across somatic systems have been looked at with regard to how "reversible" such drugs really are. The same argument will apply to all of these drugs. We think of Testosterone as being the "male sex hormone," which is apt, so far as it goes. But of course women also produce Testosterone, and it has known effects outside of "sex" systems (however you might precisely define that), so what all is going to be assessed to determine how reversible such drugs are? Hormones interact dynamically, in both space and time, and across systems, and we are fooling ourselves if we think we have it all figured out.
I think "reversible" is probably too strong a word - you don't really make up the time those hormones were absent even if the endocrine system recovers and resumes production of sex hormones. That's easily measurable. To measure the long-term toll one would first know where to look, bone mineral density is likely just one small component. You also don't normally have a "healthy" baseline for cancer patients. However, I would also caution against the thought that the path started with delaying puberty in healthy (caveat: with a healthy endocrine system) children must necessarily lead to cross-sex hormones and surgery.
I think the psychological effects are worth a lot more study. The effects of low testosterone on mood and energy in adult men are well studied, as are the effects of hormone replacement. It doesn't take much of a stretch to believe that the effects of supra-physiological testosterone on a young girl will be even more pronounced.
Mulvaney is an adult and can get all the plastic surgery he wants. Hell, I'm even agreeable enough and play along and call him "she/her". Not sure I'd call it "gender affirming" surgery if the underlying problem seems to be out of control narcissism. My first line of treatment would be a surgical removal of all social media from the persons life, but I'm not a doctor.
Is this supposed to distract from inflation and the general state of the economy or the ever-escalating Ukraine war? I'm not sure their stance on trans issues will sway rural blue collar votes to the Democrats but I might be wrong (I'm not a political scientist either).
Speaking of rural blue collar votes, the glossy four-page ad for Tina Kotek that came in the mail yesterday to my zip code features a glamour shot of Paul, a smiling white male ironworker in a ballcap, literally clutching wrenches, telling us how pleased he is to vote for Tina. Paul doesn't give his pronouns so sorry if I have misgendered anyone.
Inside, the glamour shot of Tina features her in a pink button-down shirt.
Not sure if this same ad is blanketing Multnomah County zip codes.
So yes, their polls are telling them that "working families" aren't being distracted from inflation by Ukraine or climate or Dobbs or a guy like Mulvaney.
Ironically, the guy with the Barbie "pocket" looked like a Ken doll in the pic with his former band.
Well done Heather. Great call to be strong.
A lot of this gender-affirmation stuff is strange especially how quickly much of it came about.
I'm remembering how some of my female friends would comment about how much it sucks to have periods and how I wouldn't know how it feels with me being a male. This happened in college only a decade ago, so it's funny to think that these same feminists/women would be targeted for being transphobic now using their own narratives.
It's strange because at that time it was most certainly true: I'm not a female so I don't know what it's like to have periods, but it certainly doesn't mean that should result in unneeded antagonization for something I myself never brought up as a criticism for being female. Now all of us would run afoul for thinking that someone who LARPs as a female would know inherently what being "female" is because of course all females would know what the heck a "Barbie purse" is.
One thing I've heard, although I'm not sure how true it is, is that this LARPer couldn't quite make it in theater and may have chosen to go down this route in order to gain that attention (again, this is more hearsay than something that has some basis in reality). I do believe that there is an issue with social media and the need for attention causing this serious problem. People not having close contact with friends and family who provide them the proper sort of attention that's needed is likely leading to this problem.
The vaccine schedule is one of the most telling things going on. I like to refer to my friend who says these vaccines are probably working on the same level as the flu vaccines (i.e. not very well for most), and yet the flu vaccine is never forced onto students. The fact that we are likely to experience COVID as a seasonal illness moving forward what would this mean needing annual COVID vaccines? I think this is all just building off of "established" policies. I think a lot of what's going on is establishing some precedent under false pretenses and then using such precedent to enact new policies moving forward.
As always, you raise so many interesting points, but I will restrict my response to just one. Mulvaney has gone through many transformations, and he even refers to this newest one as rebranding. He's actually got real talent, both in traditional entertainment modes like singing and acting (obviously), and in newer social media modes, for which I don't have names. Right before he declared himself trans, he had created a series--also on TikTok--in which he was pretending to be a ranger of some sort, going to animal parks and rescue centers (here's one if you're curious: https://www.tiktok.com/@dylanmulvaney/video/6963055523390426373?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7150494654340449838). As now, however, he appears to have believed that the identity is in the costume--that all you have to do if find the right (or what he thinks is the right) clothes, and voila, he has become the kind of person whom he imagines usually wears such things. At some level, it's classic Hollywood thinking--LA, land of re-creation and opportunity--and may indeed be, in part, an outgrowth of that, now taking over the entire West.
Thanks for your response Heather. I tend to forget to respond after I make my original points, and I am humbled by your appreciation of my points!
This is really sad overall. I guess this is all part of the new cultural approach to the idea of not knowing who someone is and trying to find their way in the world. What once was a struggle that led to perseverance and comfort in one's own body is now being replaced with having to relegate identity and concepts of one's self to performative concepts.
Everybody knows that real females use the term "twinkle cave".
regarding the vaccine schedule: I suspect it will be annual shots at least, probably more like biannual or even every quarter, from childhood on. Much like some people going to the dentist twice a year (I think that's probably also a racket). That's billions of doses of a patented pharmaceutical every year, with a liability waiver from the government. And if you grew up getting a jab every 6 months in school you probably won't scoff at your employer mandating it (for health insurance reasons or whatever).
One of the huge problems for big pharma was that to maintain their stock price they have to continue beating their previous quarterly earnings (hence quarterly shots?).
I would hope that more pushback does prevent that from happening. I find it hard to argue for more than an annual shot if COVID is to become seasonal, but that's also arguing if such shots would be ethical in the first place. We don't push for annual flu vaccines, so either flu vaccines make for an argument against the use of these COVID vaccines or the COVID vaccines may make way to allow for precedent to be set which would be even more concerning.
Well said - used to think the government had our well-being - since the beginning of 2020 that has all changed - but I am in my 60s - so for the majority of my life I trusted the government - Messages like these are helping, but for every one message like this there are 100 sending the opposite information - I can't image the pressure young mothers feel now - the majority of mothers do not want to harm their children but so many are being bombarded with false information and don't even realize it. I will share with my daughters and they will share with their friends, every share helps.
To watch many women's and mother's natural tendency for fierce care and compassion hijacked by the trans movement is disheartening to say the least. Many just seem to have easily handed this power away to an ad campaign hiding behind social justice language. No innate protection of girls or women is evident in women who seem to have transferred their protection to boys and young men who ...feel... like women or... little girls. And no innate horror is evident as girls and young women are encouraged to cut off their breasts to ...feel... more like men. Only in the dark stories of fairy tales can I find a place to put this twisted violence against women like the Handless Maiden whose own father, as directed by the devil, cut off his daughter's hands. She grew them back (not the ending of these girl's stories) but it is a tale of the regrowth or growth of Self - maybe the only possible happy ending after losing your self in this ghoulish crusade. Yes. Mothers and other women protectors who can see clearly should be growling and howling with teeth and claws bared.
I am so glad I started motherhood not only questioning doctors, but challenging them on little things (fluoride drops, source of nutrients), and on one big thing: the pertussis shot. I was probably less than agreeable but the love for this little boy overrode all other motivations. The hardest part of motherhood is the day that you can no longer assert your veto, but can only influence your suddenly adult child.
Thank you so much for your eloquent essay. Things are so, so messed up. I’m religious (that’s just me) and to hear what’s going is “satanic”—I get it. It’s a very simple word that encompasses all kinds of grave, maladaptive behaviors. I realize to some that word is cringe and might give people an accountability/responsibility pass, I don’t see it that way. Any rate, I hope more Moms and women in general listen to you and act accordingly. I’m trying.
.
..
…
I have a niece who thinks she’s a dude. Her home life was very awful/abusive (real sad, I was not part of her upbringing)… her declaration is her way of finding some peace I suppose. Not sure what to say.
My dear second cousin thinks she is tree, or at least non-gender they/them, and waits for the time she can have her breasts removed completely. She was raised watching anime almost constantly, by parents immersed in fantasy and sci-fi videos who lived in one bedroom apartments often on government assistance. She's now 19 and my cousin (her grandmother) and I only hope to save her 10 year old sister from her delusional thinking. It's a sad situation.