Quick Notes:
Why do people seek to change genders? What drives a person to curate a brand new identity? In this episode, Sasha and Stella look beyond a literal understanding of transitioning and explore the psychological power and vulnerability of attempting transformation.
Links:
Hacsi Horvath on Erin Brewer
Queer in the Crib
Gender Dysphoria is not One Thing
Extended Notes:
- Why do people want to transition?
- Let’s clear up some misconceptions today about trans people.
- Why do little children between the ages of three and five have gender dysphoria?
- Which comes first? Gender nonconformity, then sexuality, or is it the other way around?
- People can just tell when a child is developing gender-nonconforming traits.
- What makes a child become gender-nonconforming in the first place? Stella offers some of her insights.
- There is an instinctive grab for attention when siblings come along and this might create thoughts/feelings of, “If I were the other gender I’d get more attention like the way my brothers (or sisters) are getting.”
- It’s very hard to parent a strong-willed child, but they tend to do great things if you can handle the storm.
- It can be hard as a parent. The desire to save face when your child is rebelling can be very difficult to manage.
- Why would a child in their teenage years be looking to transition?
- Perhaps the desire to be a different gender, someone other than you, helps teens feel more in control of their developing bodies.
- Teens constantly being asked “What are you?” by adults adds an extra layer of pressure to their identity.
- How can a more sensitive and non-aggressive boy get the attention of the girls?
- When a guy reveals he’s trans or transitioning, all of sudden he’s getting more attention from the girls than ever before.
- Why don’t you hear more about transvestism anymore?
- Do children just need to “suck it up”?
- Adults really underestimate the mental toll puberty can have on children.
- Some children don’t even explore the option of transitioning into another gender because they didn’t even realize that they could.
- We tell children they can be anything they wish! Well, how stressful is that for a child who doesn’t even know who they are?
- What do you do when a young child is influenced by social media?
- There are so many options to pick an identity or gender pronoun. It’s stressful for a child to pick “who” they are.
- The more accepted transgender identities become, the more people will be asking masculine women when they plan to transition. That’s exhausting and insulting.
- What does it really mean to be a “woman” or to be a “man”?
- We want excitement. For some people, it’s exciting to call yourself a different pronoun. It’s new, it’s different, it makes you stand out.
- Even if you change your gender, you still wake up the same person on the inside.
- Sasha believes there should be a mandate for psychological exploration before taking a big decision like a gender change.
This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:
Rethinkime.org
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