I have a good friend who has a gay daughter. We cannot discuss the trans issue(I have voiced my strong opinion on no surgery or hormonal therapy for children). I believe she agrees with my stance on this but somehow associates this with general non-acceptance of gay people. It is like trans and gay are in the same folder. She has always voiced that gender intervention for children happens rarely. I sent her some fairly valid statistics…and it is a small number of interventions if compared to the entire child population but it is in the thousands. She told me she did not want to discuss any more. Of course I can also be irritating on the subject! And I must add she is still my good friend… unlike others who have cut ties because of opinion differences.
I get an earful about trans from the conservative Judeo-Christian political talk radio bubble I live in. For example, Hugh Hewitt is miffed about a case in which parental prerogatives were usurped by school authorities. The best link I've found is https://x.com/hughhewitt/status/1902802428707344550 but that's merely a case reference. I'd bet Hewitt's criticism could be found in a recent episode linked at https://hughhewitt.com/hugh-hewitt-show-podcast, perhaps dated 3/24/2025, when that might post. I download mp3 from https://player.fm/series/the-hugh-hewitt-show-highly-concentrated-2793494 and sometimes automated transcripts from youtube. Maybe a better brief will appear, but Hewitt might be best for legal arguments.
Since I view people as programmable, I think it takes much memetic programming to overcome genetic programming, and that explains the tragedy of irreversible gender reassignment that many transgenders regret. When the memetic influence subsides, the genetic influence reasserts. I recall that the suicide argument fails to account for suicides of the surgically reassigned. Malpractice lawsuits might end the (what I recall Charlie Kirk has called child) abuse.
I found a note of a 7/4/2023 replay of a Sebastian Gorka episode featuring https://www.miriamgrossmanmd.com/ a pediatric shrink who treats gender dysphoria. I recall that her comments were compelling, perhaps documented in her book: 'Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist's Guide Out of the Madness' https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Trans-Nation-Psychiatrists-Madness/dp/1510777741 I'd bet that Grossman can offer compelling counterargument to the transgender advocates. The women on testosterone can be especially dangerous, e.g., if not murdering others, then ticketing Teslas for Musk's alleged transphobia. I recall that Musk has skin in that game that Perplexity AI reports as: transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson (formerly Xavier Alexander Musk).
UPDATE: Hewitt repeated his rant about the parental rights case with Virginia governor Youngkin at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8-TlHpXqWg I recall Hewitt's view that the circuit court, in a poorly written opinion, mutinied against a century of precedent, and will likely be reversed by the USA Supreme Court. He bemoaned that damage must be done to the child before a case can be prosecuted. Maybe, unless like the left, one might secure a TRO.
I heard a candidate for a pivotal position on the Wisconsin Supreme Court opine that federal judges issuing nationwide TROs are exceeding their jurisdiction, that is limited to the case before them. Unless the USA Supreme Court corrects the abuse, congress may legislate limits. A bill is evidently under discussion.
Thank you. I am very familiar with Grossman's work. Her book was one of the first I read about all of this, and I agree with the findings 100%. She is a respected psychiatrist, and what she says is pretty much 100% correct.
Thanks for posting the link to her book. I suggest it to anyone who wants to know more about the scientific and psychological underpinnings of all of this. It is also an excellent resource for parents going through the horror of dealing with the system if they have a kid who has been captured by this insanity.
"This time in any child’s life is chaotic and filled with turmoil and question. Much attention needs to be paid to kids going through this inevitable period of growth. It is very easy for them to be led astray during this time."
And:
"The “identification confusion” they are experiencing is not abnormal—the coercion is."
On this latter point, I would say that schools, health care, and especially the media are all complicit.
Thank you! Yes, they are ALL complicit. It angers me beyond comprehension that in my own profession we are forced by law to "affirm gender"...which means affirm an "identification" of gender ("gender" does not mean "biological sex").
Thank god I have not yet been put in a position to follow that law (or not follow it!!)
Unfortunately, you are right about many parents who have bought into this whole thing. The ones terrified their confused child is going to kill themselves if their newly discovered gender is not affirmed.
It is certainly of epidemic proportions. The culture going along with all this makes it worse and worse, and yes, kids are definitely at risk for suicide as a result of it. In my humble, clinical opinion, they are NOT suicidal because they "can't be what they believe they are. "...they are suicidal because the culture has betrayed them and was not there for them when they needed the culture the most (school officials, doctors, parents, peers). It is a horrible tragedy.
Unfortunately for them, if they give in and out of fear of suicide and support a medical intervention, they can never go back. It is similar to amputating a pair of healthy legs...you will never get them back.
This entire trans thing has me more than suspicious. Yes, I’m sure the condition has been around long before now, but why does it suddenly seem that there are so many of “them”? I am no psychologist so my opinion is based on absolutely nothing, but to me out of nowhere there are hordes of people acting out, in your face with their bizarre make up and costumes, and demanding you embrace their abnormal behaviors. It all seems too coordinated. And more suspiciously the governments of the entire world are right there to force acceptance on the rest of us. Why is it a”hate crime” if you don’t use the proper pronoun? Why are our governments suddenly enforcing men being allowed to invade women’s sports, dressing rooms and bathrooms? Why are public libraries and schools sponsoring drag queen story hours and books with perverted content? This entire mess strikes me as a variation of the Covid scamdemic. It’s all about controlling the masses. We cannot fall for it. Same as the “vaccine” I will not comply.
The first part of your question as to why "suddenly" there seems to be so many who are "acting out"... is human psychology at work. It is the result of a humanity that is at its core bewildered, confused, feeling meaningless, purposeless, and in a word (or two) rather ill.
The reason for this is manyfold. Loss of a spiritual foundation, loss of an awareness of God, loss of a sense of decency, loss of a sense of purpose and meaning due to a nearly 100% focused culture on consumerism. All of these things will lead to the condition we are steeped in right now...and there are dozens of other ways this is all made manifest, not just in the trans "movement" but in crime, pornography, loss of ethics, obsession with video games, laziness, loss of the feminine and masculine in the culture...on and on and on.
The second part of your question, "it all seems too coordinated,"...as I have said a dozen times, there is an agenda pushing all of this along...even though the causes are, as I stated above, if left with no agenda coercion, the effect of all of those pre-mentioned things may not take the foothold it obviously has taken. The agenda and its mouthpiece, the media, are hell-bent on pushing pathology on the culture and normalizing it...this way, they have total control over the forces that move the culture and then can tell it whatever it wants the culture to do.
I’m more suspicious that the majority of these folks aren’t trans at all, that they’re paid performers. That makes the most sense to me as to why they suddenly burst forth in large numbers with the full support of the world governments (and their agenda), much like how Covid - was predicted! - and came about with a miraculous and warp speed “vaccine” remedy. As we all witnessed Covid measures and the vax were also embraced in lockstep worldwide, same as what’s going on with this trans nonsense. So it’s my opinion the trans movement is a complete lie. The forced acceptance of this unhinged thinking along with child brainwashing and mutilations are just the latest “vaccine.” So I’m not disagreeing with you at all, I just don’t believe all these folks presenting themselves as trans are trans at all, I think they’re paid performers.
You could be right. But do you mean some people are paid to have top or bottom surgery? I certainly would not put it past the agenda to fabricate a lot of this, but I don't think it is necessary to make it ALL or even MOST false..people are so stupid and gullible they really do not need to waste their resources. But some of it? Sure, why not. It makes sense.
I think the children are being persuaded to get the surgeries because the poor innocents don’t know any better and the agenda is doing such a hard push. In my mind parents who go along with it are oblivious ninnies only too happy to jump on the newest liberal bandwagon. I know folks like that, they are the same ones who thought drag queen story hour for preschool kids was a wonderful idea. Again, this is just my opinion based on nothing more than my observations and suspicions. I’m outraged but I’m very sad and disgusted, too
Keep in mind, a lot of parents are legally bound from even talking to their kids if they are seeking these medical interventions. From what I understand most of them oppose the interventions (with teenage kids) but are barred by law to intervene.
What proof does she have that they were born in the wrong body and they didn't choose to be trans? That's just her opinion. Don't tie yourself up in knots because someone believes differently than you. Self-doubt can lead to self-gaslighting.
I actually don't believe that, and I told her. But I have to admit my writing can sound like I have an issue with the PERSON, not the culture, or even the condition. I believe what I said in the article, which I am sure this person would also disagree with.
I do not think being trans is always a "choice" (sometimes I do think it is, with social contagion, being part of the "in" crowd, etc.) That said, there are a lot of psychological conditions that are not biologically forced on us, but are not conscious "choices." Body dysmorphia and psychosis being two. And many more.
My point of this article is to clarify that I do indeed have empathy for these people. We are all in a very difficult world, and always have been, only now it is much worse. We are all human (well, all but the lizards) and all should. be treated as such.
I realize the issue of trans has been around longer than 5 years; however, it has escalated in these last 5 years. Remember the drag queen story time at the schools and libraries. Did the trans issue get heightened because of this? Sometimes confused people jump on a bandwagon to nowhere and I think these young people need to have a reality check. When you alter your body, it is never the same. What if you go through with body alterations and then change your mind (as reports indicate) - what then? If at 20 they still feel the same, then they are more mature to make the decision to alter their bodies. Every human is a person worth treating with respect. But we don't want to help anyone get pushed off a cliff. There is no coming back after that.
Yes, yes, yes. As with most things it is a complicated issue. I am a psychotherapist, I treat all of my clients as humans first, even if they have done heinous things (pedophiles for example, or murderers...I have had a few in my career). How I relate to clients is a tad different than how I relate to humans out in the world who are not my clients.
Sometimes my writing is more about that relationship, than the other one (in fact, I would say ALL of my writing focuses more on how I relate to people as any other human relates to people, not the therapist in me).
There is a huge problem here, and most of it is because of the support this culture gives to it...mostly driven by the agenda. The agenda, and thus the culture (the sheep driven by the agenda) are indeed "helping to push these people off of the cliff." That is its purpose, and because sheep are sheep and believe anything the agenda pushes on them, they get all bent out of shape if anyone pushes back.
Trans people can be trans if they choose to be. They can not seek help psychologically and be miserable if they choose to be. That is anyone's right. They are told again and again by the culture that they are fine, that it isn't their choice, it is in their biology that they are in the wrong body. Unfortunately they conflate this with the plight of the homosexual who they believe were in the same boat 50 years ago. It is not the same (a tiny percentage may be similar, but that isn't where the problem is.)
This is not just my opinion, but the opinion of many experts in this field.
They can be what they decide to be, but when they are being pushed to mutilate their bodies by monetized medicine, schools, other institutions...and when they demand to be treated as someone with special rights forcing the rest of us to honour their pronoun choices or be threatened of committing a hate crime, and when the "system" makes laws about "gender affirming" care, and when they force this garbage on children...that's a whole other matter...
Your response here Todd could have fit nicely into your written article. I have read a lot of different articles about this and your last paragraph here sums it up rather well. Ah yes, the agenda of it all.
They may feel they are living a hell before the affirming care but according to many experts, they often live a hell after too.
Thank you. I believe a huge majority of them ARE in a living hell after their surgeries or whatever other horror they put upon themselves. In fact, I would not be surprised if there is not a single one of these people who have been on meds or surgery who is 100% "ok"...I would not be a bit surprised. Of course the culture (and agenda if you believe such things) will go blue in the face trying to convince you otherwise.
I think some, if they don't do the meds, and don't do the surgery, would manage to live a decent, if not perfectly wonderful, life even believing they are in the wrong sexual body. The culture may piss them off, and even make them miserable at times, through isolation, persecution, etc. But we live in a time where being a transvestite or drag queen or whatever is more acceptable than ever before (in the West of course). I think there still would be difficult issues to face, just as a person who is born with no legs, or some other body anomaly. But it is doable...always has been. (Look into Richard Wagner and his dilemma.)
There have been many famous people (and not so famous) who believed they were the "wrong" sex and dealt with it in a humane and decent manner. Sure, it would be difficult, but trying to match a psychological anomaly with a physical alteration would add insult to injury. It is clearly not the way to deal with it.
I agree with you and many others, Todd. The insanity of the people who think that changing body parts is the answer makes one aware of how deluded they are.
it is similar to thinking that if someone identifies as a cat, that sewing cat ears onto their head and a cat tail on their butt is going to make that psychosis go away.
I have a good friend who has a gay daughter. We cannot discuss the trans issue(I have voiced my strong opinion on no surgery or hormonal therapy for children). I believe she agrees with my stance on this but somehow associates this with general non-acceptance of gay people. It is like trans and gay are in the same folder. She has always voiced that gender intervention for children happens rarely. I sent her some fairly valid statistics…and it is a small number of interventions if compared to the entire child population but it is in the thousands. She told me she did not want to discuss any more. Of course I can also be irritating on the subject! And I must add she is still my good friend… unlike others who have cut ties because of opinion differences.
I get an earful about trans from the conservative Judeo-Christian political talk radio bubble I live in. For example, Hugh Hewitt is miffed about a case in which parental prerogatives were usurped by school authorities. The best link I've found is https://x.com/hughhewitt/status/1902802428707344550 but that's merely a case reference. I'd bet Hewitt's criticism could be found in a recent episode linked at https://hughhewitt.com/hugh-hewitt-show-podcast, perhaps dated 3/24/2025, when that might post. I download mp3 from https://player.fm/series/the-hugh-hewitt-show-highly-concentrated-2793494 and sometimes automated transcripts from youtube. Maybe a better brief will appear, but Hewitt might be best for legal arguments.
Since I view people as programmable, I think it takes much memetic programming to overcome genetic programming, and that explains the tragedy of irreversible gender reassignment that many transgenders regret. When the memetic influence subsides, the genetic influence reasserts. I recall that the suicide argument fails to account for suicides of the surgically reassigned. Malpractice lawsuits might end the (what I recall Charlie Kirk has called child) abuse.
I found a note of a 7/4/2023 replay of a Sebastian Gorka episode featuring https://www.miriamgrossmanmd.com/ a pediatric shrink who treats gender dysphoria. I recall that her comments were compelling, perhaps documented in her book: 'Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist's Guide Out of the Madness' https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Trans-Nation-Psychiatrists-Madness/dp/1510777741 I'd bet that Grossman can offer compelling counterargument to the transgender advocates. The women on testosterone can be especially dangerous, e.g., if not murdering others, then ticketing Teslas for Musk's alleged transphobia. I recall that Musk has skin in that game that Perplexity AI reports as: transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson (formerly Xavier Alexander Musk).
UPDATE: Hewitt repeated his rant about the parental rights case with Virginia governor Youngkin at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8-TlHpXqWg I recall Hewitt's view that the circuit court, in a poorly written opinion, mutinied against a century of precedent, and will likely be reversed by the USA Supreme Court. He bemoaned that damage must be done to the child before a case can be prosecuted. Maybe, unless like the left, one might secure a TRO.
I heard a candidate for a pivotal position on the Wisconsin Supreme Court opine that federal judges issuing nationwide TROs are exceeding their jurisdiction, that is limited to the case before them. Unless the USA Supreme Court corrects the abuse, congress may legislate limits. A bill is evidently under discussion.
Thank you. I am very familiar with Grossman's work. Her book was one of the first I read about all of this, and I agree with the findings 100%. She is a respected psychiatrist, and what she says is pretty much 100% correct.
Thanks for posting the link to her book. I suggest it to anyone who wants to know more about the scientific and psychological underpinnings of all of this. It is also an excellent resource for parents going through the horror of dealing with the system if they have a kid who has been captured by this insanity.
Great piece, Todd.
You summed it all up nicely with:
"This time in any child’s life is chaotic and filled with turmoil and question. Much attention needs to be paid to kids going through this inevitable period of growth. It is very easy for them to be led astray during this time."
And:
"The “identification confusion” they are experiencing is not abnormal—the coercion is."
On this latter point, I would say that schools, health care, and especially the media are all complicit.
Enjoyed reading the article! Thanks.
Thank you! Yes, they are ALL complicit. It angers me beyond comprehension that in my own profession we are forced by law to "affirm gender"...which means affirm an "identification" of gender ("gender" does not mean "biological sex").
Thank god I have not yet been put in a position to follow that law (or not follow it!!)
Great article, Todd. Parents have lost their way.
Unfortunately, you are right about many parents who have bought into this whole thing. The ones terrified their confused child is going to kill themselves if their newly discovered gender is not affirmed.
It is certainly of epidemic proportions. The culture going along with all this makes it worse and worse, and yes, kids are definitely at risk for suicide as a result of it. In my humble, clinical opinion, they are NOT suicidal because they "can't be what they believe they are. "...they are suicidal because the culture has betrayed them and was not there for them when they needed the culture the most (school officials, doctors, parents, peers). It is a horrible tragedy.
Unfortunately for them, if they give in and out of fear of suicide and support a medical intervention, they can never go back. It is similar to amputating a pair of healthy legs...you will never get them back.
This entire trans thing has me more than suspicious. Yes, I’m sure the condition has been around long before now, but why does it suddenly seem that there are so many of “them”? I am no psychologist so my opinion is based on absolutely nothing, but to me out of nowhere there are hordes of people acting out, in your face with their bizarre make up and costumes, and demanding you embrace their abnormal behaviors. It all seems too coordinated. And more suspiciously the governments of the entire world are right there to force acceptance on the rest of us. Why is it a”hate crime” if you don’t use the proper pronoun? Why are our governments suddenly enforcing men being allowed to invade women’s sports, dressing rooms and bathrooms? Why are public libraries and schools sponsoring drag queen story hours and books with perverted content? This entire mess strikes me as a variation of the Covid scamdemic. It’s all about controlling the masses. We cannot fall for it. Same as the “vaccine” I will not comply.
The first part of your question as to why "suddenly" there seems to be so many who are "acting out"... is human psychology at work. It is the result of a humanity that is at its core bewildered, confused, feeling meaningless, purposeless, and in a word (or two) rather ill.
The reason for this is manyfold. Loss of a spiritual foundation, loss of an awareness of God, loss of a sense of decency, loss of a sense of purpose and meaning due to a nearly 100% focused culture on consumerism. All of these things will lead to the condition we are steeped in right now...and there are dozens of other ways this is all made manifest, not just in the trans "movement" but in crime, pornography, loss of ethics, obsession with video games, laziness, loss of the feminine and masculine in the culture...on and on and on.
The second part of your question, "it all seems too coordinated,"...as I have said a dozen times, there is an agenda pushing all of this along...even though the causes are, as I stated above, if left with no agenda coercion, the effect of all of those pre-mentioned things may not take the foothold it obviously has taken. The agenda and its mouthpiece, the media, are hell-bent on pushing pathology on the culture and normalizing it...this way, they have total control over the forces that move the culture and then can tell it whatever it wants the culture to do.
I’m more suspicious that the majority of these folks aren’t trans at all, that they’re paid performers. That makes the most sense to me as to why they suddenly burst forth in large numbers with the full support of the world governments (and their agenda), much like how Covid - was predicted! - and came about with a miraculous and warp speed “vaccine” remedy. As we all witnessed Covid measures and the vax were also embraced in lockstep worldwide, same as what’s going on with this trans nonsense. So it’s my opinion the trans movement is a complete lie. The forced acceptance of this unhinged thinking along with child brainwashing and mutilations are just the latest “vaccine.” So I’m not disagreeing with you at all, I just don’t believe all these folks presenting themselves as trans are trans at all, I think they’re paid performers.
You could be right. But do you mean some people are paid to have top or bottom surgery? I certainly would not put it past the agenda to fabricate a lot of this, but I don't think it is necessary to make it ALL or even MOST false..people are so stupid and gullible they really do not need to waste their resources. But some of it? Sure, why not. It makes sense.
I think the children are being persuaded to get the surgeries because the poor innocents don’t know any better and the agenda is doing such a hard push. In my mind parents who go along with it are oblivious ninnies only too happy to jump on the newest liberal bandwagon. I know folks like that, they are the same ones who thought drag queen story hour for preschool kids was a wonderful idea. Again, this is just my opinion based on nothing more than my observations and suspicions. I’m outraged but I’m very sad and disgusted, too
Keep in mind, a lot of parents are legally bound from even talking to their kids if they are seeking these medical interventions. From what I understand most of them oppose the interventions (with teenage kids) but are barred by law to intervene.
What proof does she have that they were born in the wrong body and they didn't choose to be trans? That's just her opinion. Don't tie yourself up in knots because someone believes differently than you. Self-doubt can lead to self-gaslighting.
I actually don't believe that, and I told her. But I have to admit my writing can sound like I have an issue with the PERSON, not the culture, or even the condition. I believe what I said in the article, which I am sure this person would also disagree with.
I do not think being trans is always a "choice" (sometimes I do think it is, with social contagion, being part of the "in" crowd, etc.) That said, there are a lot of psychological conditions that are not biologically forced on us, but are not conscious "choices." Body dysmorphia and psychosis being two. And many more.
My point of this article is to clarify that I do indeed have empathy for these people. We are all in a very difficult world, and always have been, only now it is much worse. We are all human (well, all but the lizards) and all should. be treated as such.
I realize the issue of trans has been around longer than 5 years; however, it has escalated in these last 5 years. Remember the drag queen story time at the schools and libraries. Did the trans issue get heightened because of this? Sometimes confused people jump on a bandwagon to nowhere and I think these young people need to have a reality check. When you alter your body, it is never the same. What if you go through with body alterations and then change your mind (as reports indicate) - what then? If at 20 they still feel the same, then they are more mature to make the decision to alter their bodies. Every human is a person worth treating with respect. But we don't want to help anyone get pushed off a cliff. There is no coming back after that.
Yes, yes, yes. As with most things it is a complicated issue. I am a psychotherapist, I treat all of my clients as humans first, even if they have done heinous things (pedophiles for example, or murderers...I have had a few in my career). How I relate to clients is a tad different than how I relate to humans out in the world who are not my clients.
Sometimes my writing is more about that relationship, than the other one (in fact, I would say ALL of my writing focuses more on how I relate to people as any other human relates to people, not the therapist in me).
There is a huge problem here, and most of it is because of the support this culture gives to it...mostly driven by the agenda. The agenda, and thus the culture (the sheep driven by the agenda) are indeed "helping to push these people off of the cliff." That is its purpose, and because sheep are sheep and believe anything the agenda pushes on them, they get all bent out of shape if anyone pushes back.
Trans people can be trans if they choose to be. They can not seek help psychologically and be miserable if they choose to be. That is anyone's right. They are told again and again by the culture that they are fine, that it isn't their choice, it is in their biology that they are in the wrong body. Unfortunately they conflate this with the plight of the homosexual who they believe were in the same boat 50 years ago. It is not the same (a tiny percentage may be similar, but that isn't where the problem is.)
This is not just my opinion, but the opinion of many experts in this field.
They can be what they decide to be, but when they are being pushed to mutilate their bodies by monetized medicine, schools, other institutions...and when they demand to be treated as someone with special rights forcing the rest of us to honour their pronoun choices or be threatened of committing a hate crime, and when the "system" makes laws about "gender affirming" care, and when they force this garbage on children...that's a whole other matter...
Your response here Todd could have fit nicely into your written article. I have read a lot of different articles about this and your last paragraph here sums it up rather well. Ah yes, the agenda of it all.
They may feel they are living a hell before the affirming care but according to many experts, they often live a hell after too.
Thank you. I believe a huge majority of them ARE in a living hell after their surgeries or whatever other horror they put upon themselves. In fact, I would not be surprised if there is not a single one of these people who have been on meds or surgery who is 100% "ok"...I would not be a bit surprised. Of course the culture (and agenda if you believe such things) will go blue in the face trying to convince you otherwise.
I think some, if they don't do the meds, and don't do the surgery, would manage to live a decent, if not perfectly wonderful, life even believing they are in the wrong sexual body. The culture may piss them off, and even make them miserable at times, through isolation, persecution, etc. But we live in a time where being a transvestite or drag queen or whatever is more acceptable than ever before (in the West of course). I think there still would be difficult issues to face, just as a person who is born with no legs, or some other body anomaly. But it is doable...always has been. (Look into Richard Wagner and his dilemma.)
There have been many famous people (and not so famous) who believed they were the "wrong" sex and dealt with it in a humane and decent manner. Sure, it would be difficult, but trying to match a psychological anomaly with a physical alteration would add insult to injury. It is clearly not the way to deal with it.
I agree with you and many others, Todd. The insanity of the people who think that changing body parts is the answer makes one aware of how deluded they are.
it is similar to thinking that if someone identifies as a cat, that sewing cat ears onto their head and a cat tail on their butt is going to make that psychosis go away.
Yes and I have heard several do identify as animals. I wish there was an emoji for 'as crazy as shit'.