I didn't have the language growing up to know that I am trans, but I knew I was different. I hope my son never has to face what I did.

I don’t know why I was born transgender, but I have no secret agenda. I want my child to live in a world where they are safe and free to be exactly who they are.

…

Fewer than 1 in 3 people report personally knowing someone who is transgender. Yet the American public is saturated with viral social media videos and political news stories, largely generated by a well-funded coalition of organizations long dedicated to making it as difficult as possible for LGBTQ+ people to go about their daily lives.

These organizations proudly advocate for the abuse of LGBTQ+ young people through the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy, and they have celebrated their role in influencing Texas to “investigate” parents who’re doing their level best to support their transgender kids.

They’ve succeeded in generating national debates about excluding transgender kids from school sports, banning medically necessary health care and even prohibiting restroom usage – all under a guise of “protecting young people.” But these debates are largely missing the point.

Transgender people are our friends, family members and neighbors. They work in the cubicle next to us at the office, and they pray next to us in our houses of worship.

….

  • chakan2@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    I reject the idea that supporting some young people must come at the expense of others.

    Well…you’re adding transgender athletes at the expense of biological females. It’s hard to take that statement at face value.

    • jordanlund@lemmy.worldM
      0·
      6 months ago

      Banning all transgender atheletes due to one or two high performers does a dis-service to all transgendered atheletes though.

      It’s not all female atheletes who are being disadvantaged, but it WOULD be all transgender atheletes disadvantaged.

      I have no problem with transgender atheletes as long as the competition guidelines are clear, obtainable, and the students stay within the guidelines.

      If it becomes an issue where all transgender students are repeatedly setting records and such, making it impossible for non-transgendered kids to compete? Then you change the competitive guidelines, you don’t ban an entire class of kids from competing.

      For example:

      1. Must be on puberty blockers for x months or years.

      2. Must be on proper hormones for x months or years.

      Heck, they might even require re-assignment surgery.

      The problem with guidelines like this, is the people opposed to trans atheletes are ALSO opposed to puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and re-assignment surgery.

      • chakan2@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        6 months ago

        If it becomes an issue where all transgender students are repeatedly setting records and such

        We’re past that point.

        There’s simply not a way to take a way a trans-woman’s bone density or muscle mass. Sure they get “weaker” after transitioning, but the effect is exactly the same as someone taking human growth hormone for a couple of years then stopping. The British Journal of sports medicine redacted their recommendation that after 4 years a trans-female could play a woman’s sport with no benefit.

        It’s play with the men, or don’t play. I’ve yet to see a men’s league of anything that would stop a woman or trans-athlete from playing if they can make the team. The NFL tries out women all the time. The MLB had a girl make the Cubs for a week or two. Hockey has had women play in the minors.

        The other end game argument is we just abolish women’s sports and go to open leagues only. If we want equality and inclusion, that’ll be the end result.

        • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
          0·
          6 months ago

          We’re past that point.

          Not really. Trans athletes aren’t the top of every sport, and in a lot of cases where you see complaints, it isn’t even “the trans woman got 1st and I got 2nd!” but “the trans women got 4th and I got 5th!”.

          That to me suggests that trans women have no greater advantage than what other genetic traits could confer. When some athletes have abnormalities that make their muscles more efficient, we cheer them on. When a cis woman has abnormally high testosterone levels, we ban her from competing.

          It’s all arbitrary and genetic lottery.

          • chakan2@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            6 months ago

            When a cis woman has abnormally high testosterone levels, we ban her from competing.

            So your solution is to make testosterone doping legal?

            but “the trans women got 4th and I got 5th!”.

            That’s simply not true. It’s “the trans woman just broke the regional record for X event.”

  • shimdidly@lemmy.world
    0·
    6 months ago

    I’m a trans man. We don’t have a secret agenda – we’re just asking you to let us live.

    That may be true for you, the individual. And a lot of gay/trans “community” are quite frankly embarrassed by a lot of the forceful behavior, public displays, and various in-your-face stuff. Many just want to live their own private life and let alone.