Wo Weiblichkeit und Männlichkeit nicht mehr existieren dürfen, wo Biologie geleugnet wird, entsteht ein Sinnvakuum, in dem Gender-Ideologie florieren kann.
(The comment software seems to be malfunctioning. It keeps closing up the paragraphs, so I have put slashes between the paragraphs.) //
An excellent article. Thank you. //
I think that cosmetic surgery has made all this possible. When I was a boy in the 1950's, I understood that my sex was set in stone. The whole idea of changing it was ludicrous to me. Furthermore, cosmetic surgery was a new medical phenomenon, and not one to be trusted. For example, the Jewish woman in our neighborhood who had her nose fixed ended up ruining her appearance. People didn't automatically put their trust in doctors. //
With more information available, you would think that today's young people would be at least as sophisticated as people of my generation were, but they seem to really believe that their bodies can be changed from one gender to another. Older people like me understand that it just isn't possible. //
It wasn't long ago that I read about a young woman who was "transitioning" to being a male. She said how thrilled she was to find out from her surgeon that her new "penis" would be large. She didn't seem to have any understanding that no surgeon can give a woman a penis. My limited understanding is that the penises that trans men are given are cigar-shaped lumps of fat with skin on them. They may thread the urethra through the middle so that the trans man can pee out of it, but that hardly makes it a penis. It is just a facsimile. To the best of my knowledge, it doesn't get softer or harder depending on whether the trans man is aroused. It certainly doesn't ejaculate semen or sperm. If the surgeons are giving their patients the impression that the gender of their bodies will really be changed, then the surgeons are lying to their patients. //
Coming of age in the seventies, as I did, it was drilled into my head that happiness comes from loving yourself as you are (assuming, of course, that you aren't deformed or have murderous impulses). I was never satisfied with my body, but I always understood that the solution to that was simply to be less critical of myself -- i.e., to at least TRY to be satisfied with my body -- or to exercise more. Today's young people, believing that surgery can perform miracles, don't see any reason to do the hard work of learning self-acceptance and self-love. It's a shame. //
Let me respond to something else: The idea of allowing children to choose their gender with some kind of certificate might satisfy some children enough to prevent them from wanting to undergo the actual physical procedures. To that extent, the pretense of the certificate might postpone the day when they actually start harming themselves with hormones, etc. //
I believe the denial of biological reality is what lies at the very basis of this whole ideology. Otherwise, it wouldn't work. Trans activists never tire to invent the most complicated explanations around biological sex (negate it completely, invent gender identities, "innate" gender, and so on and so forth) and it's impossible to argue with them because the whole concept of gender ideology is based on an illusion: the illusion that you can change your biological sex. As you say, the idea is ludicrous.
There is one word you use which perfectly describes it: It's a facsimile. If you go back to the philosophical underpinning of it, postmodernism is the era of the facsimile, it's the era where fake and real cannot be distinguished anymore. A lump of flesh isn't a penis and a lump of silicone isn't a breast, but people trick themselves into believing that. Even worse, now it's even enough to just put make-up on your face and wear a dress to be the facsimile of a woman. The facsimile/myth/illusion then becomes as real as actual reality. That's basicually Baudrillard taken to the extreme.
About the children/certificate: I understand your point, but if you look at the legislation that is being proposed, I'm afraid that the certificate will be the direct precursor to medical procedures, not its delay. We need to teach children, as you say, self-acceptance and resilience and shield them from these insane ideas as best we can.
Well, I became aware of your Substack site when you posted a comment on an article by Eliza. I then signed up for your site, and I believe I received some notifications of articles in German.
My actual name is Caleb Murdock. I decided that if I am going to post anti-trans articles here on Substack, which I intend to, I should use a pen name. Perry is my middle name, and James is my mother's maiden name. I've used this name before.
(The comment software seems to be malfunctioning. It keeps closing up the paragraphs, so I have put slashes between the paragraphs.) //
An excellent article. Thank you. //
I think that cosmetic surgery has made all this possible. When I was a boy in the 1950's, I understood that my sex was set in stone. The whole idea of changing it was ludicrous to me. Furthermore, cosmetic surgery was a new medical phenomenon, and not one to be trusted. For example, the Jewish woman in our neighborhood who had her nose fixed ended up ruining her appearance. People didn't automatically put their trust in doctors. //
With more information available, you would think that today's young people would be at least as sophisticated as people of my generation were, but they seem to really believe that their bodies can be changed from one gender to another. Older people like me understand that it just isn't possible. //
It wasn't long ago that I read about a young woman who was "transitioning" to being a male. She said how thrilled she was to find out from her surgeon that her new "penis" would be large. She didn't seem to have any understanding that no surgeon can give a woman a penis. My limited understanding is that the penises that trans men are given are cigar-shaped lumps of fat with skin on them. They may thread the urethra through the middle so that the trans man can pee out of it, but that hardly makes it a penis. It is just a facsimile. To the best of my knowledge, it doesn't get softer or harder depending on whether the trans man is aroused. It certainly doesn't ejaculate semen or sperm. If the surgeons are giving their patients the impression that the gender of their bodies will really be changed, then the surgeons are lying to their patients. //
Coming of age in the seventies, as I did, it was drilled into my head that happiness comes from loving yourself as you are (assuming, of course, that you aren't deformed or have murderous impulses). I was never satisfied with my body, but I always understood that the solution to that was simply to be less critical of myself -- i.e., to at least TRY to be satisfied with my body -- or to exercise more. Today's young people, believing that surgery can perform miracles, don't see any reason to do the hard work of learning self-acceptance and self-love. It's a shame. //
Let me respond to something else: The idea of allowing children to choose their gender with some kind of certificate might satisfy some children enough to prevent them from wanting to undergo the actual physical procedures. To that extent, the pretense of the certificate might postpone the day when they actually start harming themselves with hormones, etc. //
Thank you, Perry!
I believe the denial of biological reality is what lies at the very basis of this whole ideology. Otherwise, it wouldn't work. Trans activists never tire to invent the most complicated explanations around biological sex (negate it completely, invent gender identities, "innate" gender, and so on and so forth) and it's impossible to argue with them because the whole concept of gender ideology is based on an illusion: the illusion that you can change your biological sex. As you say, the idea is ludicrous.
There is one word you use which perfectly describes it: It's a facsimile. If you go back to the philosophical underpinning of it, postmodernism is the era of the facsimile, it's the era where fake and real cannot be distinguished anymore. A lump of flesh isn't a penis and a lump of silicone isn't a breast, but people trick themselves into believing that. Even worse, now it's even enough to just put make-up on your face and wear a dress to be the facsimile of a woman. The facsimile/myth/illusion then becomes as real as actual reality. That's basicually Baudrillard taken to the extreme.
About the children/certificate: I understand your point, but if you look at the legislation that is being proposed, I'm afraid that the certificate will be the direct precursor to medical procedures, not its delay. We need to teach children, as you say, self-acceptance and resilience and shield them from these insane ideas as best we can.
P.S.: In case you'd like to read the English version: https://twoplustwo.substack.com/p/why-are-so-many-children-declaring :-)
Regarding your German articles, are you German yourself? Where do you live? I am in the U.S.A. and only know English.
I'm German-Filipino, but I live in Spain ;-)
Just curious: How did you come across my German article if you're from the US?
Well, I became aware of your Substack site when you posted a comment on an article by Eliza. I then signed up for your site, and I believe I received some notifications of articles in German.
My actual name is Caleb Murdock. I decided that if I am going to post anti-trans articles here on Substack, which I intend to, I should use a pen name. Perry is my middle name, and James is my mother's maiden name. I've used this name before.
Oh yes, true! You commented on my other piece, very much appreciated.
Usually, articles on my site will first appear in German, then a day later in English :-) Thanks for reading and commenting!
For some reason, Substack is doubling the contents of all the comments. Strange. Is that happening to you?