Bollywood CC # 104 - Page 85

https://twitter.com/Nher_who/status/1668497518844588033?s=20

Originally posted by: wat_up

The salman one can u open?

Link me. I forget which one it was. 🤣

I firmly believe that people should be able to live authentically, being whomever they want to be. If that means people change their biological sex, then so be it.

It would be a straightforward issue if it were just a matter of adults. Adults have free will and freedom of choice to do whatever they want with their bodies.

But when it comes to children, it becomes a whole lot more complicated. There is a reason there is an age of consent. There is a reason why those under 18 cannot get a tattoo or even get their ears pierced without parental consent. Science has agreed that children do not have the capability to make decisions the way adults do. So I think people on both sides of the debate should agree that the goal is safeguarding children.

Unfortunately, somewhere down the road, both sides lost sight of what is important. It has become an ideological battlefield that lacks empathy and/or reason.

Fact - Gender dysphoria is real. People whose biological sex does not align with their gender identity feel trapped leading to depression and suicidal thoughts. Gender-affirmative surgery is proven to improve mental well-being.

Fact - Gender-affirmative surgery is almost irreversible. Getting it for the wrong reasons can also be traumatic leading to depression and suicidal thoughts. Even though puberty blockers are reversible, they have unknown biological effects and can be disastrous when administered for the wrong reason.

So it is imperative that gender-affirmative treatment be given to

- someone who absolutely and truly is disconnected from the body they are born in

- someone who completely understands the risks of gender-affirmative treatment and is willing to go through the process

Iran has the second-highest rate of gender reassignment surgery in the world. The government even pays for it. But it is not a progressive haven. Homosexuality is illegal in the country and punishable by death. Many gay people are coerced by their families or sometimes willingly go through the reassignment because it is considered better than the alternative of homosexuality.

That is an extreme example. But think of the notion of gender behaviors, what is considered male and female - it is so variable by culture. Men wearing kohl is expected in one culture but effeminate in another. Androgyny is desirable in Korean and Japanese culture, where many men intentionally try to make themselves appear more feminine to be more desirable. In Midwestern farming culture, women learn to herd cattle, chop wood, work with farm machinery, and engage in many traits that are considered masculine. TBBT is full of jokes about Sheldon pointing to Penny's manliness, and in the queer community, we joke - is a woman gay or just Northwoods/Midwestern. It is very easy for people to feel disconnected with their gender simply because their culture has different expectations of their gender.

I'll give myself as an example. I was and still am a tomboy. I never liked wearing dresses. I preferred to play with action figures over dolls. I have never been nurturing or maternal, nor ever will be. And for a hot minute in my teens when I crushed on girls, I wondered if I should have been born a boy. That is until I eventually discovered homosexuality and eventually bisexuality because I still had boy crushes as well. Oh, I hated getting my period and fantasized about getting rid of it. Reveling in my perimenopause and counting down to menopause now.

Outside of my same-sex crushes and period of self-doubt, I never felt I was in the wrong body. That is because no one in my family ever made me feel that I wasn't a girl. I mean, strangers commented and advised me to be more feminine - but my family told me I could do whatever I wanted as long as I got good marks. But someone who did not have a supportive environment could grow up doubting all the time if they are a boy.

This is not to deny the existence of transgender folk. There definitely are little boys and girls out there who feel hopelessly trapped in the wrong body. But there are also little boys and girls who may not align with social norms of gender but are completely fine with their bodies.

I think the conservatives need to have more empathy for those who are genuinely trapped and be open and willing to give them the medical supports they need. Especially conservatives who believe a 12-year-old who was raped should carry a pregnancy to term but should not get gender-affirming care should STFU.

I think the liberals need to realize that it's a tricky matter and check to make triple sure that someone who does indeed need treatment is not necessarily transphobic. However, there are bad-faith actors who use checks as a means to deny care carte blanche.

https://twitter.com/feminaindia/status/1668540858042384386?s=46&t=1pqa2Cf0eSFnqgMjmW9uJQ

https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/heres-how-tiger-shroff-wishes-rumoured-ex-girlfriend-disha-patani-on-her-31st-birthday-59139.html

You can't just get transitioned because you feel like it. The proportion of teenagers (13-17) that identify as trans while growing, is still miniscule. And only a fraction of which actually are approved for any form of gender affirming surgery. The limited research that we have on children who identify as trans seems to suggest that they continue to identity as trans after becoming adults. (Pediatrics). Maybe people have seen individual cases of mishandling gender identities but the vast majority of children are not being put on HRT because they wore clothing of the opposite gender or they cut/grew out their hair. It is also extremely expensive, so the access is even more limited.

As far as puberty blockers are concerned, they are not just for trans kids. Puberty blockers are also administered to children who begin puberty too early. Yes, the research on them is incomplete and evolving. But that's true for a lot of drugs and treatments. If the broader scientific opinion on them swings to the side of them being unsafe, then they need to be regulated out. Though you would need to conduct safe clinical trials to collect any such evidence in either direction first.

Not sure if I ever said anything against either strict checks for teenagers considering transition (nevermind that there already are) or requiring parental/guardian consent.

How adorable.

https://twitter.com/titaniamcgrath/status/1668542573223264257?s=46&t=Q96IWrDq2C9bhu2B8fjITg

Is Sunak getting the much needed help from his own conservative party ? 😒

https://www.latestly.com/world/uk-pm-rishi-sunaks-personal-ratings-tumble-to-lowest-since-becoming-prime-minister-5198699.html

Has Indian journalists really been asked to leave ? 😲

https://twitter.com/i/status/1668669150770888704

Lmao. Some people end up revealing themselves. 😆

https://twitter.com/aishwaryakirai/status/1668596671129722881?s=46&t=Q96IWrDq2C9bhu2B8fjITg