Thank you for this poignant telling of your story. I’m sorry that you have had to take this hard path, but I am hopeful that it is making you a stronger *you*.
Our oldest daughter is caught up in this misbelief, and I just want her to see that her womanhood is not based on a bunch of social stereotypes, but rather than unique combination of traits that she has. Short hair? No problem. Doesn’t want to shave? Who cares. Feels more comfortable in baggy clothing? To be honest, I probably prefer that over the sexualized dress of most young women. But medicalization? Please, God, no.
I was a gender non-conforming child and I am just thankful it was another era and another country where my culture accepted such gender non-conforming presentations as part of its third gender tradition. Nothing to be alarmed about. I was also an imaginative and spiritual child who embraced the belief of my culture that the third gender people are experiencing karma from a previous life as the opposite sex.
Luckily this was a story that encouraged adjustment to the lessons being provided by my current incarnation in this new body of another sex. How lucky I was to be benefiting from the wisdom of a previous life. Given how easily I embraced this explanation as a child, I am just horrified that this overmedicalized American culture has come up with an explanation that insists that such a child be "fixed".
It is a terrible thing to tell a child that they were born wrong and must be made right by copious amounts of medical intervention leading to a lifelong dependency. How convenient that this just happens to benefit the medical industry that came up with such a story. I wish you the best of luck in this battle. You have many behind you. We just need to be heard and the tide is turning in our favor.
I think you need to use that word -- misogyny -- to reinforce that there is a word for the undercurrent of woman hate in human culture, and it is not superficial. The realization of that will damage a girl's core.
I am sending you much gratitude for your thoughtful analysis of your experience. I suspect many young women are struggling with this exact same thinking and I hope that your voice helps them to understand and love themselves just as they are. Thank you for sharing your story. I wish you much success.
Thank you for this poignant telling of your story. I’m sorry that you have had to take this hard path, but I am hopeful that it is making you a stronger *you*.
Our oldest daughter is caught up in this misbelief, and I just want her to see that her womanhood is not based on a bunch of social stereotypes, but rather than unique combination of traits that she has. Short hair? No problem. Doesn’t want to shave? Who cares. Feels more comfortable in baggy clothing? To be honest, I probably prefer that over the sexualized dress of most young women. But medicalization? Please, God, no.
I wish you the best in life <3
I was a gender non-conforming child and I am just thankful it was another era and another country where my culture accepted such gender non-conforming presentations as part of its third gender tradition. Nothing to be alarmed about. I was also an imaginative and spiritual child who embraced the belief of my culture that the third gender people are experiencing karma from a previous life as the opposite sex.
Luckily this was a story that encouraged adjustment to the lessons being provided by my current incarnation in this new body of another sex. How lucky I was to be benefiting from the wisdom of a previous life. Given how easily I embraced this explanation as a child, I am just horrified that this overmedicalized American culture has come up with an explanation that insists that such a child be "fixed".
It is a terrible thing to tell a child that they were born wrong and must be made right by copious amounts of medical intervention leading to a lifelong dependency. How convenient that this just happens to benefit the medical industry that came up with such a story. I wish you the best of luck in this battle. You have many behind you. We just need to be heard and the tide is turning in our favor.
I think you need to use that word -- misogyny -- to reinforce that there is a word for the undercurrent of woman hate in human culture, and it is not superficial. The realization of that will damage a girl's core.
I am sending you much gratitude for your thoughtful analysis of your experience. I suspect many young women are struggling with this exact same thinking and I hope that your voice helps them to understand and love themselves just as they are. Thank you for sharing your story. I wish you much success.