Today’s episode provides a critical analysis of assimilationist voices within the trans community, particularly those found on platforms like Substack, which advocate for obedience and respectability over radical inclusion. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that these older, often medically transitioned individuals confuse conformity with belonging, mourning the loss of a fragile conditional safety that was only ever available to a select few who could “pass.” Dr. Hoerricks identifies seven recurring themes in this assimilationist perspective, including the myth of safety through respectability, the re-centering of authority through gatekeeping, and the conversion of past pain into moral superiority. Throughout the essay, she draws parallels between this assimilationist dynamic and the pressures faced by neurodivergent individuals who mask their traits for acceptance, ultimately concluding that true freedom lies in rejecting these imposed cages and embracing collective solidarity.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/obedience-was-never-belonging-on
Let me know what you think.
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