you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]worried19 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

I wasn't really aware of transgender issues prior to 2015, even though I had considered whether I was trans myself back around age 13. At that time, transgender still meant being a "born in the wrong body" transsexual, so I figured I couldn't be that. But my confusion over gender didn't end, and when the "trans boom" started with Caitlyn Jenner, I kind of got sucked into things a little bit. I started lurking on trans subs and went around on Reddit trying to find a label, even going so far as to adopt "genderqueer-ish" for a while, but I could never make myself fully believe it.

When I saw Caitlyn Jenner's television interview, I was sympathetic. I remember being supportive of trans people in general, understanding that it was rare and people suffered from crippling dysphoria and that medical treatment only happened for those for whom it was a last resort. That was my understanding of the situation. Even when I heard about Jazz Jennings and other trans kids, I thought "well, it's extremely rare, and the doctors must know what they are doing." I thought surely the children were heavily screened and treated with other rigorous therapies before any medical intervention took place. That it would only be a last resort option in the case of a suicidal child.

Then I started to learn otherwise. I started to lurk the GC sub on Reddit for their anti-BDSM content. I didn't agree with their stance on trans issues at first, but over time I began to learn more and more about what was happening. I started to lurk 4thwavenow where I learned about what was actually happening with kids, including toddlers and preschoolers. I started to see how many GNC girls and women were disavowing womanhood. I started to notice the explosion of trans identities and neo-genders and medical interventions without psychiatric treatment, claims of zero dysphoria, instant affirmation, demonization of dissent both within and outside of the medical field, and it became apparent to me that things were very, very wrong.

By 2017 I had peaked, although I tried to remain a fence-sitting GC-leaning moderate for several years, until the Reddit banwave happened in 2020. I figured I might as well just be full on GC since moderation appears to be the enemy of trans rights activists.

Have your beliefs or opinions evolved in other ways?

I guess I became more feminist. Feminism wasn't exactly praised in my town growing up, so I was largely ignorant of it. I couldn't get along with the kind of "choice" feminism that liberal feminists espouse. But after learning about radical feminism, I'm more aligned with that branch than any other. Not totally. But radical feminism and gender critical thought have led to me making peace with my biological sex. I'm not confused about it anymore. I rarely feel the kind of distress I used about being female, especially after ridding myself of the liberal feminist influence on Reddit. I'll probably always struggle to some extent, but I'm much better now.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

But radical feminism and gender critical thought have led to me making peace with my biological sex. I'm not confused about it anymore. I rarely feel the kind of distress I used about being female, especially after ridding myself of the liberal feminist influence on Reddit. I'll probably always struggle to some extent, but I'm much better now.

I find this so interesting. If you don't mind my asking, what did both schools of thought help with specifically? Do you find that one helped change your beliefs and find peace with your biological sex more than the other?

[–]worried19 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Well, it was mostly gender critical thought. That stopped my endless searching for a label for myself. I used to think I was just too masculine to be a normal woman. Now I know that I am a woman, and that nothing can change that, and that I'm not more or less female than any other female person. I'm not defective just because I was (I believe) born different in some way.

Radical feminism helped more with not despairing over issues like violent porn and BDSM. It helps to know there are other women against those things.

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Thank you for sharing your experiences, that makes sense. That's so wonderful you were able to finally reach that point, that's kind of amazing GC thinking was able to help you do that. If I'm remembering correctly from conversation, you had had issues with your biological sex for nearly your whole life, right?

[–]worried19 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I was GNC from the age of 3, but I only began to have an issue with my biological sex around 13. I think it was a combination of things. Puberty and my lack of ability to continue to pass as a boy and my growing awareness that I was different enough to alienate me from my peers and fear and confusion over what I imagined life as a woman would be.

Bear in mind, though, that I never had any actual physical dysphoria. I didn't hate my breasts or vagina at any point. It was all social for me. That made it easier to overcome through exposure to different ways of thought. I won't say that I don't sometimes still struggle with being female. I'll always have some gender issues, but it's a lot better than it used to be. I'm definitely much more at peace.