Discussion about this post

User's avatar
gender is harmful's avatar

It seems, in writing this and suggesting that some people's (and organisations') focus is making things worse and contributing to a contagion, has hugely annoyed certain activists.

My bottom line here, is that a very dangerous narrative is being spoon fed to (maybe) dysphoric children and young people, that if their 'identity' is not welcomed and affirmed by all those around them (loved ones, family, friends etc), then they will most likely be suicidal or worse.

This is a new tactic. The use of suicide to motivate people via fear, to accept and affirm these 'identities' unquestioningly.

Activists propagate this narrative like it's just what happens. But it hasn't always been like this.

Throughout history, various groups of people, Jewish people, black people, religious people, lesbians and gays, have had their 'identities' comprehensively rejected. They have been cancelled, rejected, mocked, murdered and hugely oppressed but the idea that this all led many of them to end their lives by suicide does not feature...because that wasn't an issue.

Even if it were an issue, it was clear that suicide was a delicate subject and ought not to be thrown about so casually and carelessly.

But now, now we see in all of the literature put out by trans-supportive organisations, the regular use of suicide statistics. Language which warns about suicide and relentlessly mentions the idea.

These organisations and groups behave as if, to identify as trans and to be part of that group, is to be not only "the most marginalised" now...but "the most marginalised in history"; as if suicide is inevitable, or as the Samaritans put it, 'an understandable response' to an awful situation. It is exactly *that*, that makes things worse and brings a rationale to suicide. What we really need to be doing, is steering them away from that and saying, it doesn't have to be like this.

No civil rights group or religious group I know if, in history, have behaved like this, used suicide, like this. It is a new tactic and it's feeding into a new wave of mental health issues across the world.

It's sick, it's vile and it needs to stop. These people need help, not encouragement (to live up to the suicidal standards being preached).

Expand full comment
Bird's avatar

I see a lot of people saying that transition is what leads to suicide most of the time and that it is impossible for people to be happy after transitioning (and in this case I am referring to people who began as adults). Do you take issue with this?

Blaire White and Buck Angel have transitioned as adults and are happy with their decisions. They have undergone breast implants/top surgery, Blaire has had facial feminization surgery, both have used hormones to transition. Both will tell you that they are happy with all of it. But I still see people saying that everyone who does this will regret it and become "another statistic" because of it.

Expand full comment
15 more comments...

No posts