Education or Indoctrination?

A concerned letter to my university professor

(Note: I am currently enrolled in a creative writing course at a California UC. As a detransitioner, women’s rights advocate, and critic of gender identity theory, I grew concerned on the first day of class when everyone was required to announce their preferred pronouns, and at least 6 of the 22 people in the class identified as trans or non-binary. Some of the required readings have focused on sex work, including graphic scenes involving non-consensual sex acts, and works starring “trans” characters while presenting gender identity theory as fact. As someone who deeply cares about the safety of the youth being indoctrinated and harmed by normalizing these beliefs, I approached my professor to let him know I was uncomfortable with these themes, to which he responded with an email warning me that the next readings included sex work and “gender non-conformity.” I wrote the following letter back to him, including links to peer-reviewed research.)

……….

Hi ,

Thank you for the heads up about the readings. You are correct that I am not a fan of sex work or reading about it for many reasons, the first being that sex work is exploitative to women. It is not empowering in any way and allows the objectification and abuse of women to continue legally. It may seem like a valid or necessary choice for some women, and my point is not to shame them, but given that sex work exists within the context of a power structure that does not and has never respected women or cared about their safety, I still consider it nonconsensual sex and do not enjoy reading about the details.

I am also concerned that you may not have an accurate impression of my views regarding gender nonconformity. I fully support gender nonconformity. In fact, I believe gender stereotypes are regressive, misogynistic, and homophobic and therefore we should work to abolish, rather than reinforce, them. It is when any instance of gender nonconformity is labeled as "trans" that I see a problem.

I am a member of a growing online community of people who once lived as trans and detransitioned for various reasons. A common theme among this group is that doctors and gender counselors affirmed and encouraged us to transition without considering comorbid mental health conditions (which the majority of trans-identified people suffer from) or exploring other care options. The number of youth identifying as trans and non-binary has exploded in the past few years, and some researchers have concerns that this could serve as a maladaptive coping mechanism for other mental health issues. There is also an association between media coverage of trans issues and referrals to child and adolescent gender clinics, suggesting that social contagion may be at least partly responsible for the increase in youth presenting with gender dysphoria.

Many youth have trauma around society's reaction to homosexuality and gender non-conformity, and in many cases transgender identity could be a subconscious response to internalized homophobia and misogyny. Autistic people, who also tend not to fit traditional gender stereotypes, are 3-6 times more likely than the general population to identify as trans. Personality disorders have been found to occur in people with gender dysphoria significantly more often than in the general population. These factors are not being considered when gender therapists and doctors are greenlighting people, especially young people, to medically transition. 

Medical transition is being glamorized by trans influencers (and surgeons) on social media, and this has a negative impact on young people's lives. The fact is that these hormonal and surgical interventions are high-risk. Cross sex hormones are known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, especially as people age. There are a plethora of complications that can arise from surgery as well, including death of tissue, pain that never resolves, loss of sensation, and disfigurement. I have extensively researched this topic, and the evidence supporting transition as the best treatment for gender dysphoria is not high-quality or conclusive. 

Believing I was a man trapped in a woman's body caused me to make irreversible decisions that will affect me for the rest of my life. It hurts my heart to see that almost a third of the class identifies as trans or non-binary, and that their discomfort with their biological sex is being affirmed by class material. The redefining of historical figures as trans erases gender nonconformity throughout history and reinforces stereotypes about men and women. I was a gender non-conforming kid who struggled with gender dysphoria for over 20 years. Only when I let go of internalized stereotypes, misogyny, and stored trauma did I accept that I am female and that no hormone or surgical procedure can change that. It will only do harm to my body. 

Biological sex is real, and important in some situations, and this should not be disregarded. Beyond that though, we are free to be ourselves no matter what kind of bodies we're born into.

Sincerely,

Cat

(I have since heard back from my professor. He explained the school’s policy of “inclusion”, and recommended I seek counseling services.)