Just this past week, Harry Potter author JK Rowling got the trans community’s back up when she made the very sensible suggestion that you can use the word “woman” instead of the clumsy phrase “people who menstruate”. Then, next minute, none other than Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, came riding in. Not in defence of JK, the *woman* who gave him his career, but the upset trannies.
I realize that certain press outlets will probably want to paint this as in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and myself, but that is really not what this is about, nor is it what’s important right now. While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honored to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment.
Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I. According to The Trevor Project, 78% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported being the subject of discrimination due to their gender identity. It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.
Here we have two logical fallacies in one sentence. An argument from consequences and an appeal to authority. The statement “transgender women are not women” isn’t made false even if as a consequence of it being true it “erases the identity and dignity of transgender people”.
I am still learning how to be a better ally, so if you want to join me in learning more about transgender and nonbinary identities check out The Trevor Project’s Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth. It’s an introductory educational resource that covers a wide range of topics, including the differences between sex and gender, and shares best practices on how to support transgender and nonbinary people.
Whatever rocks your boat, Dan. The Trevor Project is an organisation aimed at preventing transgender suicide and I support them 100% on that. But here’s the thing. The transgender suicide rate (actual and attempted) is high enough overall; but for adolescent women, it is over 50%. Please read that again. The transgender suicide rate for adolescent women is over 50%. That means if you have an adolescent niece who thinks she was born the wrong gender there is a more than 50% chance that she will try to, or will kill, itself. This goes beyond “rights” or “anti-discrimination”.
The trans community argues that the high suicide rate is because of hostility and bullying. I could accept that as possible if the suicide rate were, say, 20%. But at over 50%, I just can’t accept it as an explanation. Transgenderism, or more accurately gender dysphoria, is a mental disorder and accepted as one. Here’s a quote:
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defines gender dysphoria (GD) as a condition in which a person has marked incongruence between the expressed or experienced gender and the biological sex at birth. This causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.
The trans community, and especially adolescent women in the trans community, don’t need people like Daniel Radcliffe. What they need is medical help from professionals with expertise in gender dysphoria. And so long as the trans community keeps living in denial that transgenderism is a chronic mental disease, we will continue to have a very high transgender suicide rate.