34 Comments
May 16, 2023Liked by Lisa Selin Davis

Thanks, Lisa, for calling our attention to this. I sent a thank you to her and I sent versions of this to my reps:

Thank you for representing me. I am a long-time Democrat, a [county] resident, and a parent.

I am writing to share the brave, thoughtful statement by Shawn Thierry in the Texas House of Representatives, regarding SB 14. I am linking her written statement and the accompanying her video statement. Please read, and watch, and consider the arguments she offers for her position. Her statement highlights the lack of evidence behind gender-affirming care, her concerns about children's abilities to make life-long decisions, and the ways in which European countries have changed course, moving away from allowing such treatments for minors. I would be happy to share with you what I have learned in trying to understand this topic - and what concerns me.

We, in [state], should follow the lead of this brave Democrat, in order to protect the well-being of our vulnerable gender non-conforming minors from treatments that lack evidence and efficacy and that have already harmed many. I would like to see a similar bill in the [State] Senate and similar statements in defense of children's well-being on the Senate floor. I encourage you to build bridges across the aisle on behalf of our kids.

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Unless democrats wake up they will lose a lot of votes.

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Suggestions for what to do with kids on the "train already" are:

1. Give them the information in the Swedish film, Trans Train, regarding the dangers to the skeleton, literally meaning a child can get scoliosis from a weakened spine and this is documented there. Link to the English translation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow-XwdauYr0

2. Get the child in touch with the detransitioner groups, and focus on those who "were so sure" but changed their minds after 7 years. Teach teens the roller coaster of their natural hormone levels and the fact that brain maturity does not occur until age 25.

3. Find a movement system which intrinsically reconnects mind/body, such as Alexander work or Feldenkrais physical therapy. I recommend Feldenkrais, which helped me recover from a terrible shoulder injury, and has given me a movement philosophy. Try out the Ute Heggen Wellness moves, based on strategies from both of these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1SvNi3O1Sc&list=PLOFlPPQm71Ii-l-xoAlBZc5Iy9xZyfbUY

4. Make a schedule involving outside work either gardening, birdwatching, trail maintenance or other public service, cleaning up playgrounds, etc. There are so many damaging non-native plant species needing removal in almost every park and field these days. I have a successful wildflower management project ongoing, very absorbing and rewarding.

5. Discuss what narcissism is, what cults are, what social contagion is and how addiction to social media promotes them, while undermining mental health.

6. Be an adult who is in good shape, and does most of the above to have a strong mind/body connection. Adults with their noses in screens 24/7 are not good role models.

Good luck. I'm already old and am losing faith in the next generation. I do not understand how the emphasis on the natural of my 1960-70s youth turned into heavy drag make-up & 50 shades of grey.

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<<What did Democrats think was good about denying healthcare to detransitioners? Why care only about providing healthcare to young people while they’re still identifying as trans?>>

Simple. Detransitioners contradict the Borg's party line. Their existence must be concealed or denied or minimized or dismissed and ridiculed as MAGA propaganda. "Gender identity" including "gender fluid" is immutable, right?

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I also thanked her for her courage! We need more Democrats to stand up to this dangerous ideology that is hurting our children. I for one will not vote for any Democrat, who supports the gender theology ( it’s a religion in a way).

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Brava, Lisa. Well said!

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I disagree with your problem with bans. This is a runaway train. This is a decision that should only be made for adults by adults. Good for the the lady from Texas.

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Hmm - the plot thickens. Shawn Thierry has also joined her Republican colleagues for a "book ban" on sexually explicit books, and in response to that vote, and the vote restricting "gender affirming care", her fellow Democrats have "censured" her.

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"Why care only about providing healthcare to young people while they’re still identifying as trans?" Because the strict church succeeds by making it difficult to leave.

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Lisa, wonderful and thoughtful, as always. You raise a good point: What do you do about the kids already on the medical path? Well, as far as young _boys_ are concerned (or AMAB, to be seen as using the "correct" terminology), we know estrogen is lethal (https://bit.ly/estro_on_men). So, stopping it as soon as possible is the correct way to go - at least we will stop them from harming themselves further. With the young girls unfortunate enough to start on testosterone, the evidence base of harm does not yet exist. As Dr Michael S Irwig, from the Center for Andrology and Division of Endocrinology at George Washington University, said in his review in The Lancet in 2017 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221385871600036X), “[a] major limitation in the study of testosterone therapy for transgender men is a paucity of high-quality data due to a shortage of randomised controlled trials…few prospective and long-term studies, the use of suboptimum control groups, loss to follow-up, and difficulties in recruitment of representative samples of transgender populations.” However, as more data is gathered about this new cohort, those harms will become much better quantified (as of now, we have to do with detransitioner stories like this one https://youtu.be/RmTx5GaV2zM; that does not make their experience any less real, just that they will be seen as anecdotes rather than proper analysis of data), and at that time, better guidelines can come out for these unfortunate young women. With young men, however, the guidelines are clear - estrogen, in pharmacological doses, is lethal for their bodies and brains, and should be stopped immediately.

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Another issue not being Discussed, HOW DID OUR CHILDREN GET HERE?

HMMMMM

THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM HAS BEEN POISONING OUR CHILDREN For THE PAST 10 YEARS!

I am speaking in regards to this attack. They have actually been after our children much longer.

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I witnessed it firsthand Also.

I would love you opinion one the House's new members!

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deletedMay 16, 2023·edited May 16, 2023
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