Another Day, Another Person Tries To Find “Contradictions In Gender Ideology”
Not too long ago, I responded to a post from Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans claiming to find various “contradictions in trans ideology.” However, considering how large “gender ideology” is these days, it makes sense they would not be the only ones attempting to find such contradictions.
I should also note before I continue, “gender ideology” and “trans ideology” are not phrases actual supporters of “gender ideology” use. It’s more common for them to say gender theory — or reality, that also works.
Anyway, enter James Esses, a “gender critical feminist” who decided on 11/24/2021 to make a list of ten “contradictions in trans ideology.” I know Gemma Stone — the great transgender journalist who you should follow if you have a twitter — already responded to this, but Esses says so much wrong that I simply can’t help but write my own response here on Medium.
So, here is Esses list:
Response: The definition of pathologize (given to me by Google, at least) is to “regard or treat (someone or something) as psychologically abnormal or unhealthy.” When transgender people are making this point, they are more talking about it in the context of society as opposed to in the context of among psychological and medical doctors.
Even then, not pathologizing gender identity and never offering medical intervention for certain forms of dysphoria are not the same thing. Remember, gender is a highly relative concept that is different for each person — so both what it means to have gender dysphoria and what would be required to overcome it is different for each person who has it. It would be wrong to assume all people with gender dysphoria want or need medical intervention for the same reason it would be wrong to assume that no person with gender dysphoria wants or needs medical intervention, because doing so makes the assumption that all people with gender dysphoria are the same.
2. Only refer to people by language they want. However, it is fine for us to label you “cis”.
