DiscussionWhen we drop the T. What's gonna happen to genuinely gender-dysphoric people?

submitted by CancelPowerSuper Bi Male from self.LGBDropTheT

I 100% support dropping the T but this makes me think, by getting rid of the whole T thing, what's gonna happen to the very minority of the transgenders that have genuine gender dysphoria?

I mean...they can go seek therapy/psychiatry but I'm pretty sure that there is no solution besides transition which makes it a problem. I mean, after all, transgenderism is the only mental illness that's treated by letting patients believe their own delusions.

I wonder what's the answer to this. I would feel terrible if they fall victim to this, they need help but I don't know what science and medicine can offer them beyond what they are able to do.

all 13 comments
sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun

[–]MyLongestJourney 26 insightful - 1 fun26 insightful - 0 fun27 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

but I'm pretty sure that there is no solution besides transition which makes it a problem.

Maybe science gets a chance to properly investigate their dysphoria?

[–]Q-Continuum-kin 22 insightful - 1 fun22 insightful - 0 fun23 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

They need to be treated as a separate category. As it is now their ideology currently tries to claim undeserved credit for every advancement gays have made.

Basically they need to stay in their lane but by doing so they lose the vast majority of their credibility and it might help remove the more crazy elements which now hide behind the big umbrella terms we use.

[–][deleted] 16 insightful - 1 fun16 insightful - 0 fun17 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The hope would be that doctors are now free to look for alternative ways of treating dysphoria. Transition should be an absolute last resort given how destructive it is to the body.

[–]NutterButterFlutterStill waving into the void 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Since I'm not trans nor gender-dysphoric, I can really only speculate. I feel this is a question that really needs answering and advocacy by and for trans people themselves (even if there are LGB who share a crossover).

There were plenty of trans people who medically or socially transitioned and found a way to live their best lives long before gender woo-woo blew up. I think listening to and learning more from them would be a good way to begin finding out the best course of action.

[–]soundsituationI myself was once a gay 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

The wording of this question appears to presume that the current association between LGB and T is benefitting people with genuine gender dysphoria, and I very much disagree with that. But as to the question of how best to help them I think you have to investigate the underlying cause and proceed from there. I suspect that serious cases of gender dysphoria are a form of body dysmorphic disorder, but I don't know that for sure and I'm not sure if anyone does since the current model of "affirmative care" discourages actual research into the phenomenon.

[–]DiveBarDiva 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I heard somewhere that people have been helped out of gender dysphoria by treating it the way the treat body dysmorphia. There isn’t a ton of data as far as I know because, Of course, the trans community gets mad about it and screams bigot! And say it’s conversion therapy. Unfortunately, no one is allowed to treat gender dysphoria openly in this way but I think it would probably be successful based on the anecdotal evidence

[–]soundsituationI myself was once a gay 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Interesting, thanks for that. Looks like BDD is treated pretty much the same way depression is, with SSRIs and CBT.

For many people with BDD cosmetic surgery does not work to alleviate the symptoms of BDD as their opinion of their appearance is not grounded in reality. It is recommended that cosmetic surgeons and psychiatrists work together in order to screen surgery patients to see if they suffer from BDD, as the results of the surgery could be harmful for them.

[–]hufflepuff-poet 11 insightful - 2 fun11 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I don't believe transition is the solution for anyone really, some people may choose to because it's easier than the alternative; doing the work of accepting yourself and your body and finding peace in your life, but that doesn't mean it's the right solution. Just the easy way out. Just like we can't prevent all suicides, some will still choose to transition --I think just like doctors aren't allowed to help patients self-harm or kill themselves, Drs shouldn't be allowed to help people destroy their bodies because they hate themselves. It's ludicrous that this is an acceptable solution to someone's mental anguish.

[–]PenseePansyBio-Sex or Bust 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I guess that I'm something of a hard-liner: people who genuinely can't accept their biological sex, and require the world at large to participate in their denial of it, need to be hospitalized. Otherwise, the cost to society-- and particularly the most vulnerable groups within it-- is just too great.

We can't afford to indulge an ideology which reinforces gender and is hostile to the very concept of biological sex, no matter how sympathetic the individuals espousing it may be. I'm not saying that they intend to do harm; that's simply the nature of transgenderism. It's anathema to those whose identity is based on biological sex (women and LGB people), and those whom gender stigmatizes/defines as inferior (again, women and LGB people).

So by all means give the legitimately gender-dysphoric effective psychological treatment... but absolutely no "transition". If they can't cope without that, then they can't cope with reality. And a mental hospital is the only appropriate place for such people.

[–]xanditAGAB (Assigned Gay at Birth) 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

by getting rid of the whole T thing, what's gonna happen to the very minority of the transgenders that have genuine gender dysphoria?

As Posie parker likes to say, "Why is that our problem to solve?"

I suspect they will have to do what we had to do, build organizations from scratch to advocate for their needs.

[–]yousaythosethingsFind and Replace "gatekeeping" with "having boundaries" 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

There are organizations out there founded by gender dysphoric people that are already filling this space. One example is the Gender Dysphoria Alliance, which is in favor of a "more evidence-based, less ideological conversation about gender dysphoria." Their stated mission is:

  1. Inform the conversation about Gender Dysphoria

  2. Explain why evidence-based care is so important

  3. Include people who detransition, regret or desist

  4. Support sex-based rights

There's also GCCAN, which touts itself as a "consumer rights group for any person who has previously or is currently receiving gender care related services. [Its] aim is to empower consumers of gender-transition related care to get the best health care possible." The organization was founded by both trans and detrans people.

Neither organization espouses gender identity ideology. LGB people can decide to support their mission on an individual basis if they so choose. And gender dysphoric LGB people or any LGB person who has sought or is seeking gender-related health care would fall within their scope and could become involved directly. I am curious to see how these organizations progress though I have no personal stake in them.

My understanding is that Gender Dysphoria Alliance is explicitly against gender identity ideology and that GCCAN aims to operate independent of any particular ideology.

[–][deleted] 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

It's a fetish.

Just like shoe-sniffers or guys who like giant dildos in their assholes, the "trans" will keep doing what they do. They will just have to keep it behind closed doors.

[–]automoderatorHuman-Exclusionary Radical Overlord[M] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Click to view and/or archive snapshots:

If this comment is being added for websites which cannot be usefully archived - for example, video hosts or an existing archive site - please let the subreddit Moderators know by sending ModMail. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this sub if you have any questions or concerns.