Is anyone else bothered by people forcing others to use this word?

[A-weird-girler]

Are you....are you really comparing me to an individual who committed mass genocide because I said that puberty blockers are dangerous for children? I never ever said that I wasn't going to call them latinx, I will, but I just said that people were hating on me for simply using Latino in a comment that was miles away from a gender discussion. AND READ THE DARN POST! Jesus. I didn't say that I didn't want to add a word, I'm saying why prohibit people from using another word??? And as for banning people of a certain age to be who they are, once again, puberty blockers are dangerous to small children under the age of 13. Why would you compromise someone's health like that then blame other people when it goes wrong? Did you even bother to read my reply?? I said delve into your sexuality if you want but wait until it's actually safe to come out! Do you think a minor would be in such a good position if they came out to their parents and they disapproved?? A small child was beaten for even thinking that he was gay and he was killed because of parents like these. Do you really want that to happen?? I'm not banning anyone if you actually took time to READ what I wrote. Dear goodness you think that I'm just some horrible person disvalidating trans kids? No. All I'm saying is W A I T for your H E A L T H. Thank you please don't EVER compare me to a mass genocider ever again

HERE:

When Transgender Kids Transition, Medical Risks are Both Known and Unknown

[DokiDokiTsuna]

We're...not trying to "get rid of gender". Quite the opposite; we're currently making up a whole new vocabulary for identifying and talking about gender. XD The changes are just to keep gender (and sex) out of areas where it shouldn't matter. If you're in law enforcement, should it matter whether you are a man or a woman, or identify as such? No. So why say "policeman" when you can say "police officer"?

In this case, I guess the logic is "when talking about one's ethnicity, should it matter whether you are a man or a woman or identify as such? No. So why say 'Latino' when you can say 'Latinx'?" Not saying that's what I believe; I'm just explaining the logic.

Anyway, I see this topic is going to hell in a handbasket rather quickly. ^^; I could go on explaining about how I think this is little more than a simple linguistics issue, but I think I'll just watch from now on.

[A-weird-girler]

@audratki *sigh * sorry for the rant, I'm really not like this, but why are you saying that I want to ban people when it's clear that I just want safe situations for all? Even when I said it was ok to be gay at a young age just to wait when it was safe to come out? Is that banning someone the right to be who they are for you? And why, why, did you compare me to Hitler for defending my culture and the right to use a word?

[A-weird-girler]

Yes, I understand very clearly and I will use that vocabulary on people who wish to do so but I don't want to have to change my own just to suit their views of what I should speak. Remember what type of reign says people can't say something? Sounds very authoritarian. I shouldn't be attacked for speaking how I speak, which is the point miss @audratki doesn't understand
@ar-ninetysix Yes I would've ignored it had they not been calling me bad names and cussing me out when I only said 1 word

[SilentHamster102]

I read whole thread and i can say only one thing. Thank God i'm not living so well and don't have other problems than really minor things like all these. For me it's looks like a complete bore trying to escalate huge discussion/conflict for a extra comma in sentence or something like that. I don't want to offend nobody, but all this discussion looks so silly by comparsion with real problems of society or government that most of the world have, including my country.

[punkarsenic]

that should be the person's choice to choose their gender, not their parents

isnt that... the point of not gendering the baby on the birth certificate?

ive heard accounts from latino/a/x/e people of various ages in favour of latinx or latine - more latine bc latinx is just logistically difficult. particularly interesting accounts come from older latine people who identify with traditional south american third genders - i didnt keep tabs of the sources so unfortunately i cant provide sources

personally im all in favour of degendering language when possible - i think the efforts to do this in gendered languages like spanish and german are really interesting. i think the idea that masculine words are good for everyone is kinda rooted in men-as-default thought process, and its worth knowing that like @joannekwan pointed out, languages can and do evolve over time, even to the point of eradicating entire grammatical structures.

[punkarsenic]

on these sources

source 1: is clearly biased against trans and gay rights

and the paper they sources cites no actual evidence of danger, but instead can be summarised to 'we dont have enough data yet to be sure of the effects of this'

yknow what else we dont have enough data on to be sure of the effects? vaping

source 2: also anti-trans and openly conservative in its biases

they cite the heritage foundation, another overtly right wing outlet. the article they cite there doesnt exist, and their quote from it doesnt tackle the actual medical impact of hormone blockers at all

they also cite 'the christian post' - that is very. obviously. biased.

and theyre all citing the same article as the first, which weve already agreed has no concrete evidence of medical danger

NOW! SOURCE 3! PBS! YOU ACTUALLY GOT A RELIABLE SITE FOR ONCE!

“We have a lot of experience in pediatric endocrinology using pubertal blockers. And from all the evidence we have they are generally a very safe medication.”

"However, the use of puberty blockers to treat transgender children is what’s considered an “off label” use of the medication — something that hasn’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. And doctors say their biggest concern is about how long children stay on the medication, because there isn’t enough research into the effects of stalling puberty at the age when children normally go through it."

• again, this is 'no reliable data' not 'data shows this is dangerous'

"“We do know that there is some decrease in bone density during treatment with pubertal suppression,” Finlayson said, adding that initial studies have shown that starting estrogen and testosterone can help regain the bone density. What Finlayson said there isn’t enough research on is whether someone who was on puberty blockers will regain all their bone strength, or if they might be at risk for osteoporosis in the future."

"Another area where doctors say there isn’t enough research is the impact that suppressing puberty has on brain development."

“I wouldn’t use [puberty blockers] if I didn’t think that they were safe, or that the benefits didn’t outweigh the potential risks,” Finlayson said. “But we always have this conversation with families before we start.”

and this is the last quote, bc they move on from talking abt blockers to talking abt transitioning

"“There are so many unanswered questions around the long-term consequences, and whether your health risk profile really becomes that of a male or female,” Garofalo says. “If we start testosterone today, will you have the cardiac risk profile of a male or female as you grow older? Will you develop breast cancer because we’re administering estrogen?"

but overall, this article says

1: doctors are being careful with hormone blockers and are sure they are safe after extensive experience
2: there is not enough data on the effects of long-term taking of hormone blockers

so... no, hormone blockers are not 'really, really dangerous.' two out of three of your sources were incredibly biased and unreliable, from openly transphobic publications. you really need to work on your research skills @A-weird-girler

[A-weird-girler]

Do you really think that I'm going to investigate the background of a website just to prove someone wrong? On a computer that gets stuck every five seconds? While they compared me to a mass killer? Nah

[punkarsenic]

dont cite sources if you cant do it properly. its very irresponsible, spreads misinformation, and reflects terribly on you

and you failed to prove them wrong, because your sources were bung

i think you need to mute this thread for a while and go calm down, youre clearly agitated

[A-weird-girler]

Here's another one since I didn't take the time to read and prove them wrong or something. And are we all just gonna gloss over the fact that this person compared me to hitler for wanting freedom of speech to speak my ways?? It's not like I'm not saying your sacred word when it's needed

Growing Pains

Hormone therapy is a horrible risk for kids

And plus, why shouldn't I be agitated? It was all fine until people started hopping the bandwagon of "Oh you hate trans and nonbinary people why are you such a bad person? Even hitler thought he was good!" *sigh * Jeussss. Also worrying so much about someone HAVING to use a word to the point of calling them hitler when there are more pressing problems I have to deal with is from a height of privilege and thinking the US is the only place that exists in America. Also this reply is unlike you why were you so condescending towards me?

[LordVincent]

gender neutral raising

.....why are you against gender neutral raising?

I would prefer a society where parents start off raising their kids gender neutrally, giving them access to toys and colors that would "stereotypically belong to" either gender as well as both. Then you let the kid pick their favorite.
Kid likes all of them? Good. Kid prefers cars? Good, let the kid have cars. Kid prefers dolls? Good, let the kid have dolls. Kid likes dresses? Let the kid have dresses.

Allowing children to pick for themselves is a huge and important step in breaking down society-wide sexism, homophobia and transphobia and ALSO an essential and important part in providing a stable upbringing for your child. Raising your child on unneccessary expectations (so except for morals of responsibility, helping out at home and not being violent to others) creates insecurities and by extension potentially violent behavior, suicidal tendencies or bully instincts REGARDLESS of the gender or sexuality of said child.

[A-weird-girler]

Oh so that's what gender neutral raising is???? Just letting kids pick for themselves?? I thought, as a foreigner to US, that gender neutral raising was when the kid was forced to wear both female and male clothes and that they were always called them and the kid didn't have a say in the matter since that was how many people reffered it to. I think that came from misinformation then, oh that actually sounds good! But thanks for taking time to educate me on the subject rather than call me a bad person. Really cleared things up for me

[LordVincent]

Also please do not spread sources you have not thoroughly investigated on a topic where there is already SO MUCH MISINFORMATION being spread. Misinformation that, and this is true, RUINS LIVES.

We're talking about kids stuck in bodies that make them want to die. Ticking time bombs about to fuck their entire existence over, the way they see it. When the wrong kind of puberty hits there is no way back and it will take so much more effort, much more dangerous procedures, much more time and pain and so much more money to fix the shit that puberty fucked up. Hormone blockers are a relatively harmless procedure, far more harmless than a lot of the gymnastic exercises that all able-bodied kids are put through in PE in school, and it basically forces puberty to wait a few more years so that the kid can have time to think about the decision or time to go through all the legal and psychological procedures that stand between them and the treatments they need.

You are spreading transphobic-sourced misinformation against a treatment that literally saves lives.

[A-weird-girler]

Please do not label me as transphobic even when I clearly stated to not be. Also, puberty is not done when you're 13-14, so I feel that that is the safest age to start puberty blockers since I never said I was against them for everyone, just very young children.

[LordVincent]

kid was forced to wear both female and male clothes and that they were always called them, since that was how many people reffered it to. I think that came from misinformation then, oh that actually sounds good!

Forcing a kid into that sounds more like how an extremist on tumblr thinks a child should be raised... They do not represent us in any way and by acting that way they are kind of just doing the exact same thing as a transphobic mom forcing their trans teen to adhere to cis standards.

[LordVincent]

I said the sources you provide are transphobic.
If you are not transphobic, do not spread transphobic sources and misinformation. Don't contribute to enforcing transphobic practices. Simple as that

My first period came when I was 11 if my memory serves me right, so puberty blockers before 13 is entirely reasonable.

[A-weird-girler]

I wasn't aware the sources were transphobic as I didn't read the last part. So once again, misinformation . I guess everyone has a different opinion on different medical practices then, but if it is safe I'm totally down

[A-weird-girler]

Also, while we're at it, what gym exercises are you talking about? Is it true that US kids have to climb this huge rope and go to the ceiling to test rope climbing skills? because if it is, that sounds pretty strange

[LordVincent]

Gymnastics are a generally risky thing?? Especially team games, kids can get pretty violent and disrespectful of one another and end up getting hurt.

Dunno how it is where you are but over here there are winter whole-days where everyone has to go skiing. I had a classmate who ran straight into a tree and broke her leg i think it was. Sure, that didn't happen during school time, but the skiing exercise she performed was the exact same kind of exercise you could opt for in school.

Anything that involves a physical activity with high speeds, high force or high heights can give you anything from a light scratch if you get a tad unlucky, to your neck broken if you get VERY unlucky.

But we are willing to put our kids through that as a society. Why? Because the exercises are intended to make them stronger and evolve as people.

It's the same with hormone blockers. I can confirm that I wasn't able to evolve properly emotionally, socially and maturity-wise until I had gone on testosterone myself. Going through the wrong puberty is a thing that blocks many transgender people from a lot of the mental developments that people take for granted in teenagehood, since so much of their energy goes to the dysphoria and struggles involved in being trans.

[A-weird-girler]

SKIING???!?! The US is crazy jajajaja, why would you go skiing? Isn't that where you put the little mini boards on your feet and guide yourself with the sticks? Here the riskiest thing that students do is run around the track field and the monkey bars, point being, pretty tame stuff. Once again I'm only against hormone blockers for very young children since people are wanting them to get the hormone blockers as early as 5 years old, but I am pro hormone blockers if the child is in their mid-teens as long as its safe for them and they feel comfortable and secure and happy in their new body and environment.