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Susan Scheid's avatar

There can be no greater tribute to your writing than this: “a friend-of-a-friend pulled me aside and said quietly, “They’re reading what you write. And it’s helping.”” You are making a difference. Thank you for your voice.

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Reese's avatar

I just read what you wrote. It helps more than you'll ever know. I've been so afraid. Thank you. ❤️‍🩹

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Barb's avatar

This is a great essay to send to liberals who are well-meaning and want to do the right thing but don’t understand how they might be supporting the progressive left’s betrayal of lesbians and gay men.

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Beeswax's avatar

The history here is so important. I stopped donating to HRC when the pro-trans agenda turned up in their marketing. Same with Planned Parenthood, GLAAD, and the ACLU. All traitors to women's rights.

The unmasked resurgence of homophobia on the conservative side was predictable. It never really went away, they just stashed it in the attic for awhile because it was expedient to have gender-critical lesbians and gays agree with them. But the undercurrent of homophobia, bolstered by religious dogma, continues to be expressed in peoples' comments. Just the other day, Tucker Carlson and Matt Walsh agreed that "gay adoption is an abomination." Let's face it: we were used.

But there's another sad, frustrating aspect to this dynamic, coming directly from gays and lesbians ourselves. There was, and remains, a large number of lesbians and gay men who, for progressive political reasons, endorsed transgenderism from its inception in order to be "supportive." I know, because I was there in the 1970s when it became entrenched. We were required to support and "celebrate" every butch who cut off her breasts, until we reached the point we're at today, where butch is barely a category, the lesbian bars that remain are frequented by men in drag, and young lesbians believe that if they won't date a man, they're transphobic. Forget trying to have a conversation with these women. It's ideology over biology all the way. WE are the bigots.

Look no further than "Sinister Wisdom," one of the oldest, most ground-breaking and important, extant journals of lesbian-feminist writing in the world. Another subscription bites the dust.

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Lisa Salamone Coaching's avatar

This is a superbly written analogy and comparison. Bravo!

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Ann Menasche's avatar

Leabians definitely have TWO sexist and homophobic enemies out to get us, NOT one.

However I wouldn’t call gender identity ideology truly “Left.” It is about the commodification of the human body for profit and individual medicalized “solutions” to oppressive and stultifying sex roles & stereotypes, while helping push lesbians and all women back. It is fundamentally a capitalist ideology.

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k stone's avatar

A capitalist ideology being driven, funded, and policed by the left.

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Ann Menasche's avatar

A true “Left” is anticapitalist. This is a capitalist ideology that lots of progressives fell for, wrapped as it was in the flag of the LGB. It is a reflection of the lack of an independent Left from the capitalist rulers. The Democratic Party has never been the Left.

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k stone's avatar

That's funny because as a former socialist and union organizer, I spent a lot of time with other socialists back in the 90s working in the Democratic Party. But I appreciate being lectured to especially when it begins with: "A true (insert identity) is ........." That's not at all dictatorial like the capitalist rulers.

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for the kids's avatar

:)

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E.'s avatar

You are trying for technicalities. The reality is the political left aka the democratic party in the US is who is backing and pushing this. So yes it is coming from the left

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Ann Menasche's avatar

As a lifelong socialist and radical feminist, i believe words need to have clear meanings. I’m not sure what “Left” refers to if not anticapitalist.

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Chela's avatar

Words ought to have clear meanings, it's true. But in this arena, they simply don't. Trans activists have co-opted the left. By the same token, to "affirm" someone is to support their self-perception as fundamentally flawed. It is "kind" to encourage someone's lifelong dependence on dangerous, psychologically addictive, and potentially deadly cross-sex hormones and surgeries. Up means down, forward means back, left means right. And "woman"...don't get me started.

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Sandra Pinches's avatar

I am genuinely confused about what "left" signifies. Is the Chinese form of government still "left"? I think that Xi thinks of their approach as "socialist." What does Marxism have to do with "left"now? Is AOC left if she presents herself as an advocate for working class people?

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E.'s avatar

The left in US speak means Democrats. And unfortunately the democratic party has been co-opted by this madness

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Ovah Reese's avatar

Right on! You've captured it all right here.

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Julie Dee's avatar

I’m not LGB but completely see this happening to my friends kids. It’s very sad 💔

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Linda Serbu's avatar

That’s a perfect analysis. I cut and pasted it to my personal FB page. I don’t think much more needs to be said. Thank you! 🙏

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LeAnne Owen's avatar

I do that to really good ones. Thank you that just made my day.

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Dana Seilhan's avatar

It’s not though.

Leftism is political materialism. What’s the material basis for gender identity?

Just because someone’s an open pervert and doesn’t go to church doesn’t make them LeFt WiNg.

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PJ Punkhammer's avatar

It is definitely being pushed by the left side of politics where I am. And the same is true in the UK and elsewhere. Labor in Australia are enthralled because it looks like a progressive rights movement for an oppressed minority. Who can blame them when the orgs that were LGB advocates are now the engines of Trans and the infinity of eceteras. The commodification of the "affirming" of the gender confused for gain is just the current grift for a conga line of apolitical, greedy ghouls. Oops! Does that sound a bit snippy! Just an old timey lesbian wondering how the feck we got here!🤬

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Beeswax's avatar

Snip away, my lesbian friend. You're spot on.

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Duly Noted's avatar

Amazing, thank you so much for CONTINUING to raise up this conversation. While "allied" to conservative muscle in this debate, and others, it is very important to keep an independent and free-speaking environment. I deeply appreciate the LGB Coalition's work on this file. ❤️

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k stone's avatar

Brilliant!

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Dr Brady's avatar

Brilliant Spot on

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Morrigan Johnson's avatar

I wouldn’t say both sides.

Definitely a big section of the right, for sure. Not all of them.

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Gilgamech's avatar

I really don’t think anyone on the right has any interest in “changing” lesbians. When the most right wing man in existence has a lesbian daughter, that ship has (thankfully) sailed.

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for the kids's avatar

What do you make of the gay doctors pushing this, seemingly thinking it is just like what they went through? (Turban, Drescher, Rosenthal....?)

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Evelyn Ball, LMFT's avatar

$$$$$

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Julia Mason MD's avatar

In ten years, a "gold star lesbian" will be one who never took testosterone. 😑

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Cassandra anonymous's avatar

State-supported transing away the gay

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