Just because one bit of fabric has M on it and one has F on it, doesn't change the fact that it's just fabric - it doesn't have a gender for crying out loud.
That's because it's fabric. We aren't talking about fabric, we are talking about a complex living human being. It doesn't mean anything to put a M or F on a piece of fabric, but male and female humans have not just noticeable, but profound biological differences.
No evidence supports that someone "feeling" that they are a male, female, dolphin or anything else actually makes them a male, female, or dolphin.
As some of you may know, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, the daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, believes that she is in fact a boy and not a girl. She wants to be called John (not sure where that name came from), and dress like a boy and the parents are complying with her wish. Can kids make these decisions for themselves, and are the parents at fault for encouraging such behavior at a young age? I believe the parents are doing this because they're celebrity figures, and in this era of gender acceptance, they are using their child as exploitation. If any of you are familiar with kids (being around them and such), you know they don't know what they want for sure. Would you comply with the wishes of the child, or ignore them? What do you think is best?
Honestly, kids mature at different rates, but considering most kids either believe in santa and believe that they can grow up to be superheros and princesses at that age, I don't think they can make decisions like that, the same way they can't decide that they can live on their own and just move out at the age of 8...or decide that they want to take up smoke/drinking alcohol.
I don't know who is to blame but I think the whole situation is ridiculous lol.
In general, this is poor parenting. Eating ones entire stash of halloween candy in one night makes the child happy for a short time, until they get sick from all the sugar. Parents (and educators in general) are there to teach children what happens without them having to suffer from experience.
Then again, it's not my issue. The couple can raise their child however they please.
Doing what yields the most future happiness isn't necessarily letting them do whatever they want, but I get your point. I'm definitely not one for lax parenting, but expression and freedom of expression are, I think, both important.
Don't really have much more to add, just wanted to say good posts @ Tmoe and Jimmy.
I wouldn't say it's a form of exploitation, I'm sure there are a lot of children in the world who do this, and the main thing is, they have no idea what they are talking about- and the majority of them get over it as they grow older.
I agree with the previous posts- it would just be cruel to tell them 'you're not a boy, grow the fuck up'. They are children..
That's because it's fabric. We aren't talking about fabric, we are talking about a complex living human being. It doesn't mean anything to put a M or F on a piece of fabric, but male and female humans have not just noticeable, but profound biological differences.
No evidence supports that someone "feeling" that they are a male, female, dolphin or anything else actually makes them a male, female, or dolphin.
What I'm saying is; the kid has merely worn masculine clothing and requested to be called John. And everyone's freaking out. Nobody knows if the kid is transgender; they'll figure that out on their own. Without media invasion and labelling. It's pretty disgusting that a child is being criticised already at 8 years old.
It does no harm for someone to change their gender to reflect how they feel they should be in their mind. Seemingly stereotypical boys & girls feel a very uncomfortable disconnect with the sex they were born as (even when given the same bringing up as anyone of the same birth sex). Sex and gender are separate things: the sex is the physical makeup of chromosones, hormones, genatalia etc and the gender is the social construct. In a world where the varience of life we have is possible, you're saying that it's not possible for someone's physical sex to not match their gender identity? Its the smallest thing that makes no difference to anyone else but can save someone's life.
Instead of making people's lives miserable for no reason; accept that some people need to transition in order to live a life they feel is worth living. Hormones and surgery have made a lot of people's lives do a drastic 180 from suicidal feelings to just being content in their own skin. I've personally seen it turn a friend's life around.
Begging the question. Start over with a valid argument instead of a fallacy.
As we already showed with the identification fallacy, writing "Apple" on the banana doesn't make it an apple any more than someone saying they want to be called "John" makes them a man.
Begging the question. Start over with a valid argument instead of a fallacy.
As we already showed with the identification fallacy, writing "Apple" on the banana doesn't make it an apple any more than someone saying they want to be called "John" makes them a man.
News flash: Human beings are not as simple as a fruit that grows off a tree. You may, or may not, be aware, but we're conscious organisms that can think (shocking I know.)
Also, a names' masculinity/femininity is cultural. The name "John" could easily be a woman's name in let's say, India.
What people seem to be forgetting is this is an 8 year old. We all have our fair share of cringe worthy moments when we were young, we ask ourselves why did we do or think this? The child's decision is most likely not thought out, possibly influenced by something too. What if it's like one of those "Wow Bob from this movie is so cool, I wish I could be like him". Now this is a girl wanting a masculine sounding name and to dress like a boy. Maybe she wants to befriend the boys in her school and play rough instead of playing with dolls, and thinks the only way to do that is to be more like one of them.
The question I'm wondering about is adapting. What will her teacher, friends, classmates and relatives think? How would they treat her? I'm sure they already treat a superstar's child differently. Will they be able to handle it? Her parents will constantly have to do a lot of explaining if they do comply with her wishes.
Maybe they should talk to her about it, why did she suddenly decide to do it? What influenced it? If she gives a good argument and they can't convince her otherwise that it's a decision that was poorly thought out or there's an alternative, then they probably should let her have her shot. I believe that as a child this is some sort of phase that they will look back on and have a massive cringe when they think about it.
This post from Jimmy was really spot on:
My question is, who told them specifically that they can just arbitrarily rename themselves at the age of 5? 50 years ago, this was completely unheard of. If somebody is indeed transgendered, it would be cruel to tell them "NO! YOU ARE A GIRL, I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS, YOU WILL DO WHAT I SAY, I AM YOUR PARENT!, etc." But a five year old child has no concept of society--let alone social constructs like gender norms. Again, small children go through phases. It really doesn't indicate anything substantial other than that they have an active, young mind, as all small children should. When parents start reading too much into the actions of a small child, peddling their own socio-political ideologies onto them, I don't consider that good parenting. I'm not this girl's parents, so I'm not going to suppose I know better for her than they do--but there is a definite cultural shift within parenting as a whole that is concerning when it comes to this sort of thing.
Before a child hits puberty they may have a "phase" where they may "want" to be the other gender but in reality a child is not capable of understanding themselves well enough to make that decision.
In a world where everyone is being told that they can identify as whatever they want to be, don't be surprised when the far left morons start supporting those who identify as a completely different species (yes, there are people like that).
If a young boy thinks he's a female, you should give him counseling, not a dress.
It is important to note that there is no definitive answer on this topic, and that there is an on going debate in the psychology field of study about whether gender dysphoria is a mental illness or not. This is not at all related to GLB, and should not be thrown in it with that category. There is still an going debate about this.
It is important to note that there is no definitive answer on this topic, and that there is an on going debate in the psychology field of study about whether gender dysphoria is a mental illness or not. This is not at all related to GLB, and should not be thrown in it with that category. There is still an going debate about this.
"Another
example: how can I doubt that these hands or this whole
body are mine? To doubt such things I would have to liken
myself to brain-damaged madmen who are convinced they
are kings when really they are paupers, or say they are
dressed in purple when they are naked, or that they are
pumpkins, or made of glass. Such people are insane, and I
would be thought equally mad if I modelled myself on them."
"Another
example: how can I doubt that these hands or this whole
body are mine? To doubt such things I would have to liken
myself to brain-damaged madmen who are convinced they
are kings when really they are paupers, or say they are
dressed in purple when they are naked, or that they are
pumpkins, or made of glass. Such people are insane, and I
would be thought equally mad if I modelled myself on them."
"Another
example: how can I doubt that these hands or this whole
body are mine? To doubt such things I would have to liken
myself to brain-damaged madmen who are convinced they
are kings when really they are paupers, or say they are
dressed in purple when they are naked, or that they are
pumpkins, or made of glass. Such people are insane, and I
would be thought equally mad if I modelled myself on them."
Descartes was always pure gold. The fact is that one cannot be another gender until you can find a way to alter DNA to change evolution. I am all for acceptance and liberal thinking but at some point acceptance becomes completely inclusive. Somethings aren't acceptable and while one thing is being explained away as a medical condition, factual medical conditions are being explained away by societal non-acceptance.
