Read on Twitter
SHE'S BAAAAAAACCKKKKK
(Abagail Shrier I mean)
https://twitter.com/herong/status/1277649067338858497?s=20
(Abagail Shrier I mean)
https://twitter.com/herong/status/1277649067338858497?s=20
Who is Abagail Shrier? She's the author of the anti-trans book "Irreversible Damage.
That's it! She wrote a book! No other claim to expertise on trans-affirming care. https://twitter.com/herong/status/1277654264660271105?s=20
That's it! She wrote a book! No other claim to expertise on trans-affirming care. https://twitter.com/herong/status/1277654264660271105?s=20
Let's take a look through her most recent (subjectively horrible) article!
Here's the DoNotLink if you really want to read it.
https://donotlink.it/1v4JE
Here's the DoNotLink if you really want to read it.
https://donotlink.it/1v4JE
I'm just gonna go through the toplines cause I'm also on a rather awesome board / staff meeting AND answering occasional questions from my perfect little kiddo.
Oh and obviously HUGE CONTENT NOTE FOR ANTI-TRANS AND VERY VERY ANTI-TRANS AND ALSO RIDICULOUSLY ANTI-TRANS RHETORIC
“The most fundamental thing I want parents to understand is that this isn’t necessarily about gender at all,” says Sasha Ayad, a therapist who has worked with 100s of trans-identified adolescents. “When these kids go online they’re essentially being steeped in . . . propaganda.”
J.F.C.
"Sasha Ayad does not affirm adolescents’ gender identities and she does not encourage parents to do so either. “I tell parents that there’s a way to support your child and to honor this kind of identity exploration without necessarily taking the identity literally.”"
"Sasha Ayad does not affirm adolescents’ gender identities and she does not encourage parents to do so either. “I tell parents that there’s a way to support your child and to honor this kind of identity exploration without necessarily taking the identity literally.”"
Btw Sasha Ayad is a "gender critical" therapist who prides herself on NOT affirming youth's gender identities.
In other words, conversion therapy.
In other words, conversion therapy.
Ok, here are Shrier's toplines from her article on how to protect your "girls" from being "seduced" by the "transgender craze."
Shrier's #1 tip: "1. Don’t Get Your Kid a Smartphone"
"Nearly every novel problem teenagers face traces itself back to 2007 and the introduction of Steve Jobs’s iPhone."
"Nearly every novel problem teenagers face traces itself back to 2007 and the introduction of Steve Jobs’s iPhone."
Heron's response to #1.
OK BOOMER
Are you kidding me with this "every problem traces back to iphones"?
Like.
Yes, let's isolate our children from their peer support networks and delude ourselves into thinking that will prevent them from becoming themselves.
OK BOOMER
Are you kidding me with this "every problem traces back to iphones"?
Like.
Yes, let's isolate our children from their peer support networks and delude ourselves into thinking that will prevent them from becoming themselves.
Shrier's tip #2: "2. Don’t Relinquish Your Authority as the Parent"
"Many of the parents I spoke with told me that when their, say, thirteen-year- old announced she was lesbian, they immediately supported their daughter. Many of them all but raised a Pride flag over their home."
"Many of the parents I spoke with told me that when their, say, thirteen-year- old announced she was lesbian, they immediately supported their daughter. Many of them all but raised a Pride flag over their home."
Heron's response to tip #2:
I'm sorry, I thought this was a book about protecting daughters from being seduced by the transgender craze? But Shrier and Ayad are saying that affirming a kid's sexual orientation is wrong?
It's almost as if there's no backstop to the bigotry.
I'm sorry, I thought this was a book about protecting daughters from being seduced by the transgender craze? But Shrier and Ayad are saying that affirming a kid's sexual orientation is wrong?
It's almost as if there's no backstop to the bigotry.
Shrier's tip #3: "3. Don’t Support Gender Ideology in Your Child’s Education"
"Offer a school assembly on one teen’s suicide and you will raise awareness, possibly at the cost of more suicide.* The same goes for depression and cutting.** And now trans identification."
"Offer a school assembly on one teen’s suicide and you will raise awareness, possibly at the cost of more suicide.* The same goes for depression and cutting.** And now trans identification."
Heron's response to #3: holy fuck are you kidding me???
Hey parents, don't allow your kid's school to address suicidality or self-harm at. Definitely don't address gender identity. In fact, don't address anything because other youth may be facing similar struggles.
Hey parents, don't allow your kid's school to address suicidality or self-harm at. Definitely don't address gender identity. In fact, don't address anything because other youth may be facing similar struggles.
I cannot even express how fucking dangerous this is.
Suicidality contagion is DUE TO POOR REPORTING.
Suicidality contagion is DUE TO SENSATIONAL, A-SCIENTIFIC, A-HISTORICAL, NON-CONTEXTUAL COVERAGE BY HACK MEDIA LIKE YOU!!!!
Suicidality contagion is DUE TO POOR REPORTING.
Suicidality contagion is DUE TO SENSATIONAL, A-SCIENTIFIC, A-HISTORICAL, NON-CONTEXTUAL COVERAGE BY HACK MEDIA LIKE YOU!!!!
I am so so so so upset by this.
Yes, I want my daughter's school to cover heavy topics with context and sensitivity, but most importantly, I want my daughter's school to COVER HEAVY TOPICS. She spends the majority of each weekday with her peers and teachers.
Yes, I want my daughter's school to cover heavy topics with context and sensitivity, but most importantly, I want my daughter's school to COVER HEAVY TOPICS. She spends the majority of each weekday with her peers and teachers.
If she doesn't feel as if she can be her full self at school (and, in this scenario, she doesn't feel she can be her full self at home), then where CAN she be her full self.
Shrier's tip #4: "4. Reintroduce Privacy into the Home"
"For nearly all of the parents I spoke to, their daughters’ announcement on social media of a transgender identity was a turning point. From then on, everyone knew."
"For nearly all of the parents I spoke to, their daughters’ announcement on social media of a transgender identity was a turning point. From then on, everyone knew."
"From then on—and sometimes despite their daughters’ lingering doubts—their daughters felt locked in. It became a choice they couldn’t easily take back. . . .
Quit the habit of sharing every part of your lives (and theirs) on the internet."
Quit the habit of sharing every part of your lives (and theirs) on the internet."
"This is . . . true for . . sexual identity as well-gay, straight, trans, whatever. A teenager may believe she is . . . announcing herself an adult, but she’s also sending up a flare to actual adults who will immediately contact her and offer “support,” primed to take advantage."
Heron's take on tip #4:
Everything Shrier says is, unsurprisingly, one step away from advice that would actually affirm trans and gender non-conforming youth.
YES talk to youth about adult predators.
YES talk to youth about the permanence of an online record.
Everything Shrier says is, unsurprisingly, one step away from advice that would actually affirm trans and gender non-conforming youth.
YES talk to youth about adult predators.
YES talk to youth about the permanence of an online record.
BUT FOR THE LOVE OF THE GOD PLEASE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE SYSTEMS THAT MAKE ADULT PREDATORS AND PERMANENT RECORDS SO DANGEROUS
Eg: the patriarchy telling girls that they need to act and look a certain way, or they're subjecting themselves to violence.
Eg: the patriarchy telling girls that they need to act and look a certain way, or they're subjecting themselves to violence.
The INTERNET isn't the reason that girls get hurt by adult predators.
The INTERNET isn't the reason why record permanence is dangerous.
It's the patriarchy and the systems that tell girls that their sexuality is something that needs to be hidden. That will be punished.
The INTERNET isn't the reason why record permanence is dangerous.
It's the patriarchy and the systems that tell girls that their sexuality is something that needs to be hidden. That will be punished.
Shrier's: tip #5: "5. Consider Big Steps to Separate Your Daughter from Harm"
This one is pretty scary, folks. Please hang on.
This one is pretty scary, folks. Please hang on.
Hooooo boy
Is your community too supportive? Literally move away.
Is your community too supportive? Literally move away.
Goddamn.
"In almost every case, the young woman desisted. Not one of the families regretted it."
Holy shit.
"In almost every case, the young woman desisted. Not one of the families regretted it."
"In almost every case, the young woman desisted. Not one of the families regretted it."
Holy shit.
"In almost every case, the young woman desisted. Not one of the families regretted it."
"In almost every case, the young woman desisted. Not one of the families regretted it."
Decistence, or "not being trans any more" is incredibly rare. What Shrier is describing is a young person hiding themselves with their family BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE OR AFFIRMED!!!!
Decistence, or "not being trans any more" is incredibly rare. What Shrier is describing is a young person hiding themselves with their family BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE OR AFFIRMED!!!!
Ok, I need to move away from that tip. It's terrifying and harmful. And it will hurt so many trans and gender non-conforming youth.
Shrier's tip #6: "6. Stop Pathologizing Girlhood"
"Women feel things deeply. We empathize. For good reason, when asked to identify their best friend, most men name their wives; most women name another woman. . . . And in the dead of night, small children cry out for one person."
"Women feel things deeply. We empathize. For good reason, when asked to identify their best friend, most men name their wives; most women name another woman. . . . And in the dead of night, small children cry out for one person."
Heron's take on tip #6:
Again, one step to the Right from the actual take away here.
We should absolutely stop pathologizing girlhood. We should stop pathologizing empathy. We should stop pathologizing "verbal ability."
BUT WE SHOULD STOP PATHOLOGIZING IT FOR EVERYONE!!!
Again, one step to the Right from the actual take away here.
We should absolutely stop pathologizing girlhood. We should stop pathologizing empathy. We should stop pathologizing "verbal ability."
BUT WE SHOULD STOP PATHOLOGIZING IT FOR EVERYONE!!!
The patriarchy punishes empathy in EVERYONE in order to maintain itself.
Neither are men allowed to be empathic, or as Shrier says, to carry "a whole range of emotions and capacities for understanding."
Neither are men allowed to be empathic, or as Shrier says, to carry "a whole range of emotions and capacities for understanding."
What Shrier is sidestepping or purposefully avoiding is the role that the patriarchy plays in shaping our childhoods: forcing children who are perceived as girls to be outwardly emotional and to labor emotionally for the well-being of others:
And the patriarchy forces children who are perceived as boys to be outwardly emotional in VERY DIFFERENT WAYS (impatience and strength and anger) and to rely on girls and women to soothe them and make those crucial connection points of empathy.
