Common Trans-Activist Slogans
Proponents of the "Affirmative Approach" have a list of slogans they use to justify their model. Here are a few of them, and why we're not buying it.
Would you rather have a living son or a dead daughter?
This is the most despicable argument used against the parents of a gender dysphoric child. It is blatant emotional blackmail. We will not be swayed by it. You should not, either.
There is no persuasive evidence that gender transition reduces gender dysphoric children’s likelihood of killing themselves, as Drs. Bailey and Blanchard confirm in their post "Suicide or transition: The only options for gender dysphoric kids?"
Forget about studies. You can find studies to prove anything.
While this may be true, especially in these days of pay-to-publish journals and politically-motivated "science", the truth is out there. Well-designed studies presented by real scientists who are genuinely interested in advancing knowledge and uncovering the truth still exist. They must. They form the basis of all advancements in modern medicine.
The onus is on us to distinguish between good studies and junk science.
You just know if you're transgender, you don't have to question it.
Someone with gender dysphoria often has difficulty expressing why they feel they should be the opposite sex. They will often simply say "it's just a feeling I have" or "I just know". This does not necessarily mean that it is innate, it just means that their true reasons are not part of their conscious mind.
Similarly, an anorexic "just knows" that she is fat. She is adamantly "insistent, consistent and persistent" in this belief. But it is obvious to everyone else that she is not.
Sometimes what one is convinced of, what one truly believes with 100% of their conscious mind, is really the mind's way of dealing with something else, something buried deep within the subconscious, something far too painful to deal with in the conscious mind.
There are many reasons why someone may identify strongly with the opposite sex. It takes time, patience and the skill of a competent therapist to uncover the true source of one's feelings and beliefs, which often lie deep within the subconscious.
So, no. You don't "just know".
If they truly are transgender, then there's nothing you can do to change it. It is innate.
The architects of the Affirmative Model themselves debunk this assertion in their own paper: "This myth of 'essentialism' suggest that our approach endorses gender identity as fixed at or before birth and that no outside forces help shape or influence a child's identity or expression. To the contrary, we recognize that all elements of a child's sense of self...develop and are informed by a complex interplay of (environmental) factors."
If this is the case, then how can one be sure that our children are not being unduly influenced to believe that they are transgender by an environment that is promotes the transgender lifestyle as popular, desirable and the solution to all of their problems?
The problem lies in differentiating those who truly are, from those who have other issues that lead them to believe they are transgender.
All other potential causes must be considered and eliminated before resorting to radical, risky and irreversible medical interventions.
Nobody would go to such extremes as hormone therapy and surgery if they weren't truly transgender.
Yes they would, and they do, as the many detransitioners who are telling their stories on the internet can attest.
There are many conditions where someone's emotional pain is so great that they would be willing to go to any lengths, even subjecting themselves to drastic medical interventions, if they believed it would alleviate their suffering. And there are many transgender role models celebrated in the Media and, especially, on the Internet who are assuring our children that it will.
In many cases, the children may be too young, emotionally immature or mentally challenged to fully understand the implications of these treatments.
If the parents are not on fully supportive and affirming of their child's chosen identity, then they are abusive and the child must be removed from the home.
The affirmative model is an unproven model and is a form of conversion therapy in itself, by immersing the child in an environment that only affirms their belief without ever encouraging them to examine or question it.
It is a parent's duty to nurture, protect and guide their children. No other person on earth can possibly care as much for their child as a parent.
To advocate for the removal of a child from its family on the basis of an unproven theory is reckless and short-sighted. It will only cause needless suffering and severe emotional harm to the child. Imagine the confusion and emotional damage inflicted on the child when authorities tell him that his otherwise kind and loving parents were so "abusive" that he needed to be taken from them.
It could also place the child at risk of physical harm, if the child is placed in an unsafe foster home.
But they are so much happier since they transitioned.
Of course they are. Transitioners gain instant popularity and attention. They have status. Other children admire them. Teachers, doctors and other professionals treat them with extra attention and care. The media fawns over them. If they make a YouTube video about it, they will get hundreds of views—way more than their lame pet turtle video.
And they truly believe that this is what they have always wanted. Finally they can be happy, living as their "authentic self". So of course they are happier!
After a while, the bloom will begin to fade, and their gender dysphoria will return, because the true causes were never addressed in the first place. Unfortunately, they attribute it to not being masculine (or feminine) enough. And they seek out more and more drastic medical interventions in a vicious cycle, as they attempt to outpace their dysphoria.
Finally, they can be their "authentic self"
Isn't it ironic that in order to be their "authentic self" they have to lie to themselves and to the world about their biological gender?
They also require radical medical intervention and must consciously move, speak and act differently, while all the while monitoring themselves to make sure they are convincing enough.
This is not authentic. It is the opposite of authentic.
You say gender dysphoria can be caused by sexual assault. I have a few friends who have been sexually assaulted. They never wanted to transition.
(The same thing can be said for trauma, body dysmorphia, or any other or the many known causes for gender dysphoria.)
This is a backwards argument. Not all people who are sexually assaulted will want to transition. But some people who transitioned did so because of sexual assault.