Jim -- I commented below a few days ago... On Sunday I did a Twitter thread on this same subject, aimed at fellow Democrats, saying I think our position as a party is going to hurt us badly, due to the harms to kids which are ongoing and which will come to light. There are serious physical harms, and as a party we glide past them.
The thread blew up... pretty sure was amplified by bot accounts (no idea how they found me; I have written on this topic many times before, and 20K views/ 100 likes is a lot for me). Virtually all my retweeters were right wing/ ex military, w generic 'I love USA' /'Jesus follower' bios and 10,000- 25,000 followers per account (nobody in common w me)....several dozen of these accounts retweeted me.... it happened VERY fast... Also they mostly wrote very similar one-sentence remarks on quote tweets.
Three days later hread has *Two Million* views, 13K likes, and my followers (formerly mostly feminists, child development/psychologists/ advocates, and some LW politics people-- and it took 2+ years to get that many followers) went from ~1300 to 3950.
I think my thread (critical of "affirmative" approach's harms to kids) is being weaponized by RW bots. I am happy to share more info if you are interested I am sure it was coordinated.
I don't want to hurt Democrats -- I want us to be more discerning and course correct for the benefit of kids and the party... Unsettling to watch this unfold in real time.
CRT and vaccine passports were both red pills moral panics that the GQP used to distract the events of the 6th. Rufo is one of the architects of the 'Don't say gay bill', as well.
This isn’t the place for this discussion. I understand the concern but the comment has the effect of being transphobic. I believe trans people. They are not a LARP.
Then you might be the target of the OPS! One preying on your liberalism and inclusivity!
Obviously I too support trans-identified adults... I believe intolerance towards all non conformity, and civil rights!! I am dyed in wool liberal!
But *kids* do not have any form of set adult identity. Particularly not one based in stereotypes and how well they might 'fit'-- especially when you are eleven and autistic.
If you do a deep dive (PLEASE do this!!) you will see an Orwellian landscape, a ton of grooming, homophobia, and nothing but conflation, obfuspeak, and lies to defend early autopilot affirmation & transitioning kids. No exceptions! No cautions! Just immediately affirm!
As a Court Appointed Special Advocate, I am an Officer of the Court. I took an oath before a Judge to uphold best interests of children without bias.
If 90% of TG-presenting kids in the past *outgrew* dysphoria, treating it w Lupron does not pass a risk/benefit analysis. It is not possible to back "affirmation" approach which rapidly becomes medicalized, causing significant permanent harm and no proven benefit.
Adults who transition run far fewer permanent risks and can give informed consent to possible losses. Adults can do as they please.
Vulnerable, un-formed kids have been scooped up in movement, though-- and it isn't based on good clinical data. In fact the data point the other way. Europe is U-Turning. It's based on the mad rush to validate.
This will soon explode in faces of allies: Democrats, ACLU, Universities, 'medical expertise,' Gender Studies, LGB, "science," social justice warriors, UN, Western governments, Amnesty Intl...
Why wouldn't Putin want all these entities damaged?
Meanwhile hurting women, kids families. Splitting left. Splitting generations. Perfect Ops IMO. Please give this 10 minutes of thinking/reading without defaulting to knee jerk position! It's KIDS.
Mark my words, the excesses of TG movement are being egged on and will hurt Left very badly. I do not want to harm kids or left. We need a more nuanced position, PRONTO.
I agree with you that, like ALL legitimate civil rights movements, the trans movement has bad actors that intentionally weaponize it. And as I said, I do understand the concern about anything irreversible done to children, although I think you overstate how common it is.
Regardless, I object to language like “Trans is a LARP” because that is simply not true, much less “nuanced.”
PS from "basically did not exist in 2010" to "10% of youth now ID as trans/nonbinary" (obv not all medicated). But still, a 5000% rise in girls in last 5-6 years? Spiking #s and now in formerly unseen groups. Another reason I think it is being pushed/weaponized/amplified.
Fair enough re adults... but for kids with shaky selves, like Foster Youth, it may *serve* as one ...and it may be promoted in similar ways online, by bad actors who care *not a whit* for anyone trans! I think its a contentious issue the ultra right are weaponizing against left by egging the bad actors on, funding them, etc. If I am right, whenthis explodes, trans people will get some of the most backlash!
Jim -- I commented below a few days ago... On Sunday I did a Twitter thread on this same subject, aimed at fellow Democrats, saying I think our position as a party is going to hurt us badly, due to the harms to kids which are ongoing and which will come to light. There are serious physical harms, and as a party we glide past them.
The thread blew up... pretty sure was amplified by bot accounts (no idea how they found me; I have written on this topic many times before, and 20K views/ 100 likes is a lot for me). Virtually all my retweeters were right wing/ ex military, w generic 'I love USA' /'Jesus follower' bios and 10,000- 25,000 followers per account (nobody in common w me)....several dozen of these accounts retweeted me.... it happened VERY fast... Also they mostly wrote very similar one-sentence remarks on quote tweets.
Three days later hread has *Two Million* views, 13K likes, and my followers (formerly mostly feminists, child development/psychologists/ advocates, and some LW politics people-- and it took 2+ years to get that many followers) went from ~1300 to 3950.
I think my thread (critical of "affirmative" approach's harms to kids) is being weaponized by RW bots. I am happy to share more info if you are interested I am sure it was coordinated.
I don't want to hurt Democrats -- I want us to be more discerning and course correct for the benefit of kids and the party... Unsettling to watch this unfold in real time.
Laura
CRT and vaccine passports were both red pills moral panics that the GQP used to distract the events of the 6th. Rufo is one of the architects of the 'Don't say gay bill', as well.
When Rufo just cant help himself but to brag about is fake moral panic and says the quiet part out loud. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUF9T6Bhs0s
There is an interesting article from 2019 discussing how John Eastman, the attorney who colluded Trump on the plan to reject the electoral vote, spoke at a far right conference / anti-gay group linked to or attended by sanctioned Russian oligarchs. https://archive.thinkprogress.org/here-are-the-americans-speaking-at-a-hate-group-friendly-with-sanctioned-russian-oligarchs-bb7564932db2/
👀
This isn’t the place for this discussion. I understand the concern but the comment has the effect of being transphobic. I believe trans people. They are not a LARP.
Then you might be the target of the OPS! One preying on your liberalism and inclusivity!
Obviously I too support trans-identified adults... I believe intolerance towards all non conformity, and civil rights!! I am dyed in wool liberal!
But *kids* do not have any form of set adult identity. Particularly not one based in stereotypes and how well they might 'fit'-- especially when you are eleven and autistic.
If you do a deep dive (PLEASE do this!!) you will see an Orwellian landscape, a ton of grooming, homophobia, and nothing but conflation, obfuspeak, and lies to defend early autopilot affirmation & transitioning kids. No exceptions! No cautions! Just immediately affirm!
As a Court Appointed Special Advocate, I am an Officer of the Court. I took an oath before a Judge to uphold best interests of children without bias.
If 90% of TG-presenting kids in the past *outgrew* dysphoria, treating it w Lupron does not pass a risk/benefit analysis. It is not possible to back "affirmation" approach which rapidly becomes medicalized, causing significant permanent harm and no proven benefit.
Adults who transition run far fewer permanent risks and can give informed consent to possible losses. Adults can do as they please.
Vulnerable, un-formed kids have been scooped up in movement, though-- and it isn't based on good clinical data. In fact the data point the other way. Europe is U-Turning. It's based on the mad rush to validate.
This will soon explode in faces of allies: Democrats, ACLU, Universities, 'medical expertise,' Gender Studies, LGB, "science," social justice warriors, UN, Western governments, Amnesty Intl...
Why wouldn't Putin want all these entities damaged?
Meanwhile hurting women, kids families. Splitting left. Splitting generations. Perfect Ops IMO. Please give this 10 minutes of thinking/reading without defaulting to knee jerk position! It's KIDS.
Mark my words, the excesses of TG movement are being egged on and will hurt Left very badly. I do not want to harm kids or left. We need a more nuanced position, PRONTO.
I agree with you that, like ALL legitimate civil rights movements, the trans movement has bad actors that intentionally weaponize it. And as I said, I do understand the concern about anything irreversible done to children, although I think you overstate how common it is.
Regardless, I object to language like “Trans is a LARP” because that is simply not true, much less “nuanced.”
PS from "basically did not exist in 2010" to "10% of youth now ID as trans/nonbinary" (obv not all medicated). But still, a 5000% rise in girls in last 5-6 years? Spiking #s and now in formerly unseen groups. Another reason I think it is being pushed/weaponized/amplified.
Fair enough re adults... but for kids with shaky selves, like Foster Youth, it may *serve* as one ...and it may be promoted in similar ways online, by bad actors who care *not a whit* for anyone trans! I think its a contentious issue the ultra right are weaponizing against left by egging the bad actors on, funding them, etc. If I am right, whenthis explodes, trans people will get some of the most backlash!