The existence of trans people is a lot of things, but happens to also be a spikey thought experiment that jabs at our concepts of identity. “What is a woman?” “Someone who can get pregnant.” “So no infertile people are women?”
It seems unfortunate to me that, in respectable company, people can't ALSO propose treatments that may make the mind more in line with the body -- rather than only considering cutting up the body to be more like the mind.
For example, it seems plausible that a young male who wants to become a female might have the mismatch resolved with more testosterone and other hormones -- which could lead to feeling right in a male body. Hormones, as is well known, impact thought processes and brain development as well as bodies.
There's a sense in society that one's current mind is precisely "you", and everything must be done in service of it -- but we know that drugs can change minds and it's still a version of "you". And potentially a version that's long-term happier in one's body. This seems doubly applicable in cases where people are still developing.
Until we have technology that actually allows people to become fertile members of the opposite sex, the above seems like a more elegant solution to mismatch, more in line with nature and evolution. How often would it actually work? Not sure, but a sane society would be studying it.
"I don’t know - I’m working on a survey right now and hope to have a spot of evidence here soon."
If you're doing a survey on autogynephilia in trans women, I would recommend talking with me. I did a detailed survey on autogynephilia in trans women as part of the ACX reader research survey, and I've got some interesting results that potentially have implications for how to best investigate it, but it has taken a long time to process the data, so I haven't published the results yet. If you want to talk then I can give you a preview of some of my relevant findings.
Oof. Sitting with this one and how it relates to what I pick from my very, very liberal bubble about cis-het-masculinity. Definitely open to talking about it if anyone wants to engage haha.
Interesting points.
It seems unfortunate to me that, in respectable company, people can't ALSO propose treatments that may make the mind more in line with the body -- rather than only considering cutting up the body to be more like the mind.
For example, it seems plausible that a young male who wants to become a female might have the mismatch resolved with more testosterone and other hormones -- which could lead to feeling right in a male body. Hormones, as is well known, impact thought processes and brain development as well as bodies.
There's a sense in society that one's current mind is precisely "you", and everything must be done in service of it -- but we know that drugs can change minds and it's still a version of "you". And potentially a version that's long-term happier in one's body. This seems doubly applicable in cases where people are still developing.
Until we have technology that actually allows people to become fertile members of the opposite sex, the above seems like a more elegant solution to mismatch, more in line with nature and evolution. How often would it actually work? Not sure, but a sane society would be studying it.
"I don’t know - I’m working on a survey right now and hope to have a spot of evidence here soon."
If you're doing a survey on autogynephilia in trans women, I would recommend talking with me. I did a detailed survey on autogynephilia in trans women as part of the ACX reader research survey, and I've got some interesting results that potentially have implications for how to best investigate it, but it has taken a long time to process the data, so I haven't published the results yet. If you want to talk then I can give you a preview of some of my relevant findings.
This was a very clear statement of more or less what I think about transness.
> Cruel narratives
Oof. Sitting with this one and how it relates to what I pick from my very, very liberal bubble about cis-het-masculinity. Definitely open to talking about it if anyone wants to engage haha.