The Mental Health Elephant of Transgender Identity

How ignoring it wont resolve the issue.

I wasn’t going to wade into this, but in full disclosure, I’m confused on the subject, in that I have a communication disorder that requires me to delve into issues that are confusing. In trying to do so, and asking questions of the trans community and/or allies, I have experienced that asking questions immediately turns to gaslighting and shifting goalposts. I recently tried to nail down some of these ideas on a Tiktok thread, and the arguments made are even more confusing.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a mental health expert, and everything I say here is absent intent or authority as legal, medical, or mental health advice. With that said, I deal with mental health issues daily in my practice, and seeing patterns is one way I survive. This article points out disturbing patterns in the transgender identity paradigm.

The first thing I asked was a question that I’ve never seen a satisfactory answer to. I asked 

What other species has gender reassignment surgery?

The original poster, who goes by Cannon Roberts immediately gaslit the question, calling it stupid, and labeling me hateful. I responded civilly.

Another respondent posted the following:

Of course, this individual was referring to natural biological shifts in some species, and that is not equal with surgical gender reassignment (SGR).

Then, another respondent posted this:

This is where it disturbs me as an ADA Advocate, because this person was using disease healing surgeries as equating to SGR. Notice the gaslighting exit on this. To gaslight people who question or disagree is a defense mechanism that is standard, I have observed. Gaslighting responses are abusive, to say the least. That’s an issue that demands attention. The trans community is on full-blast gaslighting to anyone that is deemed as invalidating.

Is Gender Dysphoria a disability?

Before I go here, I am boldly disclaiming that I am not an expert, nor even reasonably educated on the layout of gender dysphoria. Add to that the shifting goalpost of asking one person what gender is, and you get one answer, while asking another may and often yields an entirely different answer. Even the current Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson couldn’t define what a woman is, when asked. (The plausible alternative is that she dared not answer such a politically loaded question.)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifically omits homosexuality and bisexuality as disabilities in Titles 1, 2 & 3.

42 USC 12211(b) states:

(b)Certain conditionsUnder this chapter, the term “disability” shall not include—

(1) “transvestism, transsexualism, pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, gender identity disorders not resulting from physical impairments, or other sexual behavior disorders;”

First, gender identity disorders that are from physical impairments could be interpreted broadly, because the ADA Amendments Act purpose statement says:

From Title II, 28 C.F.R. §35.101(b)

The primary purpose of the ADA Amendments Act is to make it easier for people with disabilities to obtain protection under the ADA. Consistent with the ADA Amendments Act’s purpose of reinstating a broad scope of protection under the ADA, the definition of “disability” in this part shall be construed broadly in favor of expansive coverage to the maximum extent permitted by the terms of the ADA. The primary object of attention in cases brought under the ADA should be whether entities covered under the ADA have complied with their obligations and whether discrimination has occurred, not whether the individual meets the definition of disability. The question of whether an individual meets the definition of disability under this part should not demand extensive analysis. (emphasis added).

So, a physical impairment could be interpreted as being born into the wrong body, which is what the trans community believes. (Which begs the question - how do they know they have the correct mind?)

Which brings me to my next observation.

My question to Sudo.S of whether SGR was curing a disease went unanswered, predictably.

Then this character came on and posted this:

I had never seen this position of SGR being “cosmetic”, but that confused me because if someone gets botox or a facelift, there is no demand that we say “oh, you look younger,” (or prettier), both of which are identifying characteristics of an individual. If SGR is merely cosmetic, then why is there a demand for preferred pronoun usage from the trans and nonbinary community. Non-binary… fluid gender identity, is also confusing, because while invoking a fluidity, which is undefined, they want to be absolutely defined as “non-binary.” And then all of that could change tomorrow, which is even more confusing.

Trishafifer did not answer my question concerning pronouns. He did, however, gaslight me before suggesting that SGR is cosmetic:

The theme here is that the LGBTQ community will bully and steamroll their way into demanding validation from everyone in society, and to that I say “Hell No.”

There was the argument that we spay/neuter pets, and that is not curing a medical disease. (elective) I had never thought of it before, but taking this to the extreme, as is the pattern of SJW persons, why do this if the pet doesn’t consent? Just asking. I have two pets that are neutered…

I was circumcised against my will, and to my everlasting anger. I haven’t forgotten that lobotomies were once accepted, and that sterilization experiments have been performed. There’s a lot to unpack in this, and when someone asks questions, kicking and screaming will not reconcile the ledger.

What I’m really interested in knowing is the logic behind this seeming absurdity.

When does the DNA get transitioned from xx to xy or vice-versa? The respondents say that DNA is not “gender”, but we associate the xx or xy marker to assign gender.

Back to the shifting goalposts of the definition of gender, the changes of “nonbinary” to be more male or more female on any particular moment, and I think it’s time to admit that the trans and nonbinary community are unwilling to rationally discuss their constructs, while demanding that the rest of us just accept it with no questions asked.

I call bullshit. If this doesn’t change, this will be a distracting pendulum of reactivity, with pro and anti members just screaming about what makes them uncomfortable.

We already have people trying now to identify as another race. Hell, I’d like to identify as a dragon. The sheer lunacy of cutting off one’s genitals is something that society is considering as normal. Where does that paradigm stop?

Dear Trans and non-binary community: If you really want to be accepted, you’re going to have to calm the fuck down and rationally discuss this. Otherwise, I’m not here to validate your belief system.

P.D., JAY V SHORE