Happy 3-year anniversary to Gender: A Wider Lens! This episode marks the celebration of Sasha &amp; Stella’s third year together sharing insightful conversations contemplating gender from a depth perspective.From engaging listener comments, to memorable guests, to unforgettable aha moments, this episode is packed full. Sasha and Stella share their big takeaways from 2023 and reflect on the incredible journey since their first episode was released in 2020. They highlight some of the fan-favorite episodes from all three seasons, showcasing the evolution of the podcast, and they share about anticipated guests and topics planned for 2024.In the spirit of festive celebration, Sasha and Stella open up about their own personal holiday traditions with a very special sign off offering listeners warm wishes for the holiday season and happy blessings in the new year.Sasha and Stella will return from the holiday break with new episodes in February 2024.Links:The Cass Review | Interim Report - Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young Peoplehttps://cass.independent-review.uk/publications/interim-report/Use of Puberty Blockers Doubled Since NHS Clampdownhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/26/use-of-puberty-blockers-doubled-since-nhs-clampdown/&nbsp;(WPATH Files)Bigger Picture Conference Denver: How WPATH Ends with Michael Shellenbergerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN0orsEwyAo&nbsp;&nbsp;Wishing you all a merry and happy holiday season!!Oriental Khalta Rice (the dish Sasha references)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_hTmwJhGUA&nbsp;White Elephant Ruleshttps://www.whiteelephantrules.com/&nbsp;'Fairytale of New York' played at Shane MacGowan's funeralhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s8lvnSmISc&nbsp;The Chieftains - Brian Boru's March (the song Stella plays on the flute)https://youtu.be/owF60WWWrks?si=1sYzLGyzyz_yxqty&nbsp;Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Support the Show &amp; Access Exclusive Contenthttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodJoin the conversation on YouTubewww.youtube.com/@widerlenspod2023 Top-5 Episodes:Episode 109 — What If We Are All Wrong: A Mother’s Regret with Rose<a href="https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/109-what-if-we-are-all-wrong-a-mothers-regret-with-rose" rel="noopener...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comThis is a question we received from one of our listeners.

In the world of gender, myths and misconceptions often overshadow the complex realities at play. This episode is dedicated to debunking myths from both sides of the debates. This conversation emphasizes the need to break down myths surrounding gender, acknowledging the overblown ideas that contribute to a lack of nuance and understanding, and sheds light on exaggerated points used as rhetorical strategies by different sides of the gender discourse.Sasha and Stella highlight the danger of blanket statements and the challenge of navigating a topic as intricate as gender in the age of social media. They also explore the impact of parental influence and societal expectations around gender. In a world where gender discussions often fall victim to oversimplification and polarized views, Stella and Sasha's conversation serves as a valuable reminder to approach these complex issues with nuance and empathy. Breaking down myths and fostering understanding is essential for meaningful dialogue, progress in the ongoing gender debate, and the potential for deeper societal understanding emerging from the current discourse.Genspect’s: The Gender Frameworkhttps://genspect.org/resources/sample-policies/genspect-presents-the-gender-framework/&nbsp;Bigger Picture Conference - DenverTalks from the #genspectbiggerpicture conference in Denver, CO, 2023. More videos will be added regularly, revisit the link again for more content.https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmsMIEB9bK5xwwzCuF5AsjjviLfOxLzBA&amp;si=DX_jQTb4JU_6pDmG&nbsp;Gender: Therapy Session Notes w/ Sasha Ayadhttps://substack.com/@sashaayad&nbsp;Gender Dysphoria &amp; Suicide (Episode 34)https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/34-gender-dysphoria-suicide&nbsp;Suicide by Clinic-Referred Transgender Adolescents in the United KingdomBiggs M. Suicide by Clinic-Referred Transgender Adolescents in the United Kingdom. Arch Sex Behav. 2022 Feb;51(2):685-690. doi: 10.1007/s10508-022-02287-7. Epub 2022 Jan 18. PMID: 35043256; PMCID: PMC8888486https://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/35043256&nbsp;The Myth of "Reliable Research" in Pediatric Gender Medicine: A critical evaluation of the Dutch Studies-and Research That Has FollowedE. Abbruzzese, Stephen B. Levine &amp; Julia W. Mason (2023) The Myth of “Reliable Research” in Pediatric Gender Medicine: A critical evaluation of the Dutch Studies—and research that has followed, Journal of Sex &amp; Marital Therapy, 49:6, 673-699, DOI: 10.1080/0092623X.2022.2150346; https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2150346&nbsp;Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Support the Show &amp; Access...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comMaterials referenced: Check out Kathleen Stock's book: Material Girls: Why Reality Matters for Feminism

Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Support the Show &amp; Access Exclusive Contenthttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodJoin the conversation on YouTubewww.youtube.com/@widerlenspodAs therapists working almost exclusively with gender-questioning youth, Sasha and Stella share a little bit about the challenging experience of straddling between understanding the child's experiences and supporting parents who often grapple with goals conflicting with those of the child.&nbsp; This episode aims to provide valuable insights for parents navigating the complexities of supporting gender-diverse children with the goal of exploring some critical considerations that can sometimes be difficult for parents to embrace. They caution against oversimplified narratives, especially for parents who may have adopted a singular explanation for their child's trans identity, and they stress the importance of broadening perspectives, encouraging parents to consider multiple angles, including family dynamics. While exploring these key ideas, Sasha &amp; Stella underscore the need for a middle ground, where parents provide warmth, connection, and engagement while remaining cautious about external influences, reminding parents that solutions lie in embracing complexity rather than adopting extreme and narrow approaches.&nbsp;Excessive tech restrictions and controlling behavior without warmth can be counterproductive in dealing with ROGDBe flexible and open to embracing radical changes in parenting strategiesAvoid the assumption that sharing extensive medical information about gender dysphoria will necessarily be helpfulSeek a wider understanding, thoughtfully embrace the possibility it might not be ROGDParents cannot dictate or control the therapeutic decisions made by their child’s therapistSeek and pursue a measured and supportive approach, be cautious about rushing or hastily implementing various interventions to “fix” the situationParents need to manage their own distress before attempting to effectively help their child, prioritizing self-care is a mustAvoid and recognize the unhelpful nature of engaging in confrontations (specifically online) with kids, detransitions, or activistsReassess roles and emotions when considering long-term transition strategies, reflecting on the possibility that (in some cases) transitioning may be a viable long-term experienceIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 2 - Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoriahttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/rapid-onset-gender-dysphoriaEpisode 4 - Why Do People Seek a New Identity?https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/why-do-people-seek-a-new-identity&nbsp;Episode 44 - Multiple Meanings of Gender Dysphoria: A Conversation with Aaron Terrell<a href="https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/44-multiple-meanings-of-gender-dysphoria-a-conversation-with-aaron-terrell" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comIn this extra bonus content with Graham Linehan we ask him "how do you talk about gender in your every day life?" To listen to our entire original conversation with Graham, check out episode 144, here on Substack. To watch the episode visit this link on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/uJHyJ15mJ-A?si=pkQYS7rLGuSZNOur

Graham Lanahan, commonly known as Glinner, joins Sasha &amp; Stella for an insightful exploration of comedy, societal shifts, and the personal journey of how a prominent comedy writer landed himself in the thick of identity politics. The episode serves as a testament to the ongoing struggle for open dialogue in the evolving conversation around gender.&nbsp;Graham Lanahan, born in Dublin, is the mastermind behind the beloved sitcoms Father Ted, The IT Crowd, Black Boots, and Motherland. His Substack, The Glinner Update, is dedicated to monitoring the extremes of gender identity ideology, and he also co-hosts the highly successful “The Mess We're In” on YouTube, which has garnered a remarkable 1.5 million views in just three years.In this conversation, Sasha, Stella, and Glinner explore the intersection of his comedic roots, evolving perceptions, and activism in the face of isolation and confrontation. Linehan shares his concerns about the transgender movement and its impact on children. And he reflects on the challenges of using humor in addressing the topic and the complexities of navigating cancel culture.&nbsp;Linehan also touches on his foray into online activism during the Gamergate controversy. Initially driven by a desire to protect women from online harassment, Linehan admitted later to realizing the complexities of the situation and the influence of authoritarian voices within woke culture. Things get very personal when he candidly shares about his evolution from staunch anti-abortion beliefs to becoming an advocate, driven by personal experiences.&nbsp;His, is a vivacious voice navigating the complexities of modern activism, advocating against misinformation, and speaking up against the prevailing narratives in the gender debates. Linehan's story serves as a fascinating exploration of an artist's evolution in response to the ever-changing landscapes of politics and culture.The Glinner Update (Substack)https://grahamlinehan.substack.com/&nbsp;Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedyhttps://www.amazon.com/Tough-Crowd-Made-Career-Comedy-ebook/dp/B0CJ3YLYWF/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1699560605&amp;refinements=p_27%3AGraham+Linehan&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1&nbsp;The Mess We’re Inhttps://www.youtube.com/@GrahamLinehanMagdalen Berns on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@MagdalenBerns&nbsp;Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Support the Show &amp; Access Exclusive Contenthttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodJoin the conversation on YouTubewww.youtube.com/@widerlenspodIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 132 - How To Have Impossible Conversations About Gender with Peter Boghossian<a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comStella and Sarah continue the conversation by discussing how to talk about gender issues “in real life.”

With Sasha on break this week, Stella plays host to fellow Irish woman, Sarah Holmes, an ordinary working mother turned unexpected activist. The story shared in this conversation is one that resonates with the widespread societal shift in interest toward sex and gender.As the summer of 2020 unfolded, Sarah's life took an unexpected turn when a casual conversation brought to light a seemingly innocuous change in health literature – the disappearance of the word 'woman' from cervical screening materials. Little did Sarah know that this discovery would propel her into the heart of a battle against discrimination, forcing her to confront a societal transformation she never saw coming.When health literature began replacing 'woman' with 'person with a cervix’, Sarah's investigative journey led her to a realization that went beyond the seemingly innocent linguistic alteration. The issue extended to broader concerns about women's rights, safety, and fairness in various facets of life.Sarah shares about her awakening to the contradictions embedded in gender ideology. The discussion goes into the Gender Recognition Act, the implications it held for women. They also discuss Sarah’s evolving concerns about the notion of fluid gender identities and the legal implications of obtaining a female birth certificate for a self-identified woman, as well as the alarming impact on children - with gender clinics on the rise and young girls undergoing irreversible medical interventions based on rejecting societal stereotypes.&nbsp;Sarah also shares about her experience of being denied entry to the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWC) Annual General Meeting, the aftermath, and the surprising revelations that followed. From courtroom battles to exposing inconsistencies, discover the truth behind the push for unquestioned acceptance. Unmasking lies and manipulation, Sarah exposes the creation of falsified documents, challenges biased interpretations, and sheds light on a broader struggle for women's rights in a climate of growing gender controversies.&nbsp;Irish Woman who was Refused Entry to NWC’s Annual Meeting has Lost her Discrimination Casehttps://genspect.org/irish-woman-who-was-refused-entry-to-nwcs-annual-meeting-has-lost-her-discrimination-case/&nbsp;RTE’s Liveline Episode - Denied access to National Women's Council of Ireland AGMhttps://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/liveline/programmes/2022/0609/1303884-liveline-thursday-9-june-2022/&nbsp;NWC Statement to RTE’s Liveline programme - Thursday 9th June 2022https://www.nwci.ie/learn/article/nwc_statement_to_rtes_liveline_programme&nbsp;The Irish Times News Articles About the Use of the Word ‘Woman’HSE Defends Removing References To ‘Women’ In Online Cervical Cancer Informationhttps://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/hse-defends-removing-references-to-women-in-online-cervical-cancer-information-1.4357438&nbsp;What’s Wrong With The Word ‘Woman’?<a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/what-s-wrong-with-the-word-woman-1.4529334#:~:text=Last%20year%20the%20HSE%20removed,were%20outraged%20and%20said%20so" rel="noopener...

Sasha and Stella join forces for a “Part 2” episode about navigating family dynamics during the holidays for families with trans identified children or young adults. This conversation touches on the complexities of estrangement, handling relationships with trans-identified partners, the delicate balance between intervention and bonding, with a focus on managing emotions, setting boundaries, and fostering open conversations within the family.&nbsp;Sasha and Stella carefully remind parents that conflict and distress can be part of the unfolding sense of character and personality development during adolescence. They also emphasize the importance of self-care when coping with holiday stress and giving space to be intense, but most importantly, practicing patience and self-forgiveness for both parents and children holiday pressures become overwhelming.This is a heartfelt conversation about the challenges parents and families face during the holidays, advocating for allowing authenticity, and finding common ground, whether affirming relatives or conflicting opinions, and discovering strategies to approach these situations with love, understanding, and a sense of unity.Episode 50 - When Gender Hits the Holidays (Part 1)https://player.captivate.fm/episode/252e0357-b945-4ce7-819c-524f2cc0d4d3&nbsp;https://youtu.be/5kazafDMf2E?si=xq-MVERW0hkYhFRqTim Urban’s What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societieshttps://www.amazon.com/Whats-Our-Problem-Self-Help-Societies-ebook/dp/B0BTJCTR58&nbsp;Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Support the Show &amp; Access Exclusive Contenthttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodJoin the conversation on YouTubewww.youtube.com/@widerlenspodPlease visit www.widerlenspod.com to explore more content, access additional resources, or to join our listener community.Watch us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@widerlenspodFor more information about Sasha’s &amp; Stella’s parent coaching membership groups:Sasha Ayad: https://inspiredteentherapy.com/parents-start-here&nbsp;Stella O’Malley: http://www.stellaomalley.com/parent-coachingTo learn more about our sponsors, visit:GETAGenspect

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comThe conversation with Dr. Jillian Spencer continues with Dr. Spencer talking about what it’s been like to speak out publicly on these issues.

Join Sasha &amp; Stella for their interview with Dr. Jillian Spencer, a child and adolescent psychiatrist from Queensland, Australia. This episode delves into Dr. Spencer's experiences with the gender clinic in her hospital, highlighting the challenges and concerns she faced in encountering adolescents identifying as transgender. The episode explores the complexities of assessing and treating gender dysphoria in young individuals, shedding light on the impact of fast-tracking into gender clinics and the potential psychological consequences. Dr. Spencer shares her journey of trying to raise awareness about the concerns surrounding gender interventions for children and the need for a more comprehensive approach to mental health.&nbsp;Jillian Spencer is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who lives in Queensland, Australia. She studied Medicine at Monash University in Melbourne and then subsequently trained in psychiatry. She completed sub-speciality certificates in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. She qualified as a psychiatrist in 2009. She has worked for Queensland Health for 21 years. In mid-April 2023, she was removed from clinical duties due to being considered a danger to trans and gender diverse children. Since her story came out in the media in June, she has sought to raise awareness of the concerns around gender interventions for children.Sasha &amp; Stella’s conversation with Dr. Spencer touches on the influence of clinicians, the surge in youth attending gender clinics, encounters with dismissive responses from superiors, and the attempt to raise critical questions about safeguarding and ethical considerations in the treatment of gender dysphoria.This is the emotionally compelling account of the circumstances surrounding Dr. Spencer’s suspension from clinical duties, her experiences raising awareness through presentations, distributing books, and participating in "Let Women Speak" rallies, and the broader implications for healthcare professionals challenging the prevailing narrative on gender dysphoria in children.Dr. Jillian Spencer speaks at a Let Women Speak rally in 2023 with Kellie-Jay Keenhttps://youtu.be/7OcIuLlbIPc?t=1204&nbsp;Dr. Spencer’s reference of former GWL guest, Ellie from her 2023 presentation:Models of Care for Children with Gender Dysphoriahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBZ-QkBGWlA&amp;t=169s&nbsp;Introduction to the Gender Frameworkhttps://genspect.org/introduction-to-the-gender-framework/&nbsp;Genspect’s: The Gender Frameworkhttps://genspect.org/resources/sample-policies/genspect-presents-the-gender-framework/&nbsp;Bigger Picture Conference - DenverTalks from the #genspectbiggerpicture conference in Denver, CO, 2023. More videos will be added regularly, revisit the link again for more content.https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmsMIEB9bK5xwwzCuF5AsjjviLfOxLzBA&amp;si=DX_jQTb4JU_6pDmG&nbsp;Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents<a href="https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/"...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.com

Welcome to a special edition of Gender: A Wider Lens podcast! Recorded live from Genspect’s The Bigger Picture Conference in November 2023 from Denver, CO, USA with special guest in-person appearance from the delightful detransitioner, Chloe Cole. Hear Chloe share candidly about her journey through gender transition and detransition. From the challenges of societal expectations and the pressure to conform to gender norms, to the emotional impact of undergoing hormone therapy and a double mastectomy all before the age of sixteen. Chloe opens up about the highs and lows of her trans identity experience. Discover how she navigated the complexities of self-discovery, faced online backlash, and eventually found purpose in advocating for detransitioners' rights. Gain insights into her aspirations beyond the gender discourse, including her passion for creativity, fashion, and the desire to build a family. This raw and honest conversation sheds light on the often untold aspects of the transgender journey, offering a unique perspective on resilience, self-rediscovery, and the pursuit of a meaningful future.Follow Chloe on Social Media&nbsp;Instagram, YouTube, X - formerly Twitter@chooocoleOrder Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Support the Show &amp; Access Exclusive Contenthttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodJoin the conversation on YouTubewww.youtube.com/@widerlenspodIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Genspect Speakers PlaylistMany of the esteemed speakers participating in The Bigger Picture have previously been guests on our show. Click the link below to access a playlist composed of AWL episodes involving speakers from the 2023 Genspect Conferences.https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngVCeAoK6vuWE4sNG_fi5nnz-d1xQEBi&nbsp;Please visit www.widerlenspod.com to explore more content, access additional resources, or to join our listener community.Watch us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@widerlenspodFor more information about Sasha’s &amp; Stella’s parent coaching membership groups:Sasha Ayad: https://inspiredteentherapy.com/parents-start-here&nbsp;Stella O’Malley: http://www.stellaomalley.com/parent-coachingTo learn more about our sponsors, visit:GETAGenspect

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comSasha and Stella continue the conversation with Coach Linda Blade and talk about non-binary athletes, “medical exemptions” for testosterone, self ID in sports and how does Coach Linda talk about these issues in her every day life. Article referenced: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/10/06/trans-nonbinary-runner-testosterone-exemption/

Coach Linda Blade joins Sasha &amp; Stella for an incredible conversation about the critical issues surrounding fairness and inclusivity in women's sports. They explore the challenges and biases faced by female athletes in the wake of transgender athletes competing in women's categories, particularly the profound psychological impact. The conversation also sheds light on the rich historical context of fairness in competition.&nbsp;Dr. Linda Blade is a former Canadian Champion (1986) and a full scholarship NCAA All American (1984) in Track &amp; Field. As a Chartered Professional Coach, Linda has worked internationally for over 30 years with hundreds of athletes. Her expertise has extended to leadership roles (selected): Provincial President (2014 -2023) of Athletics Alberta, where she developed sex-based eligibility guidelines; Co-author of UNSPORTING: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sport (2021); Collaborator in the establishment of the International Consortium on Female Sport (ICFS). Linda has been publicly advocating for the fairness and safety of female athletes since 2018. Dr. Blade will be presenting at Genspect’s The Bigger Picture Conference in Denver, CO.Don’t miss this valuable discussion emphasizing the importance of sex-based policies for fostering a fair competition environment. Dr. Blade even offers insights into the use of puberty blockers in youth sports, highlighting the potential risks and implications for young athletes, and also the challenges with data collection and analysis.&nbsp;&nbsp;The conversation also touches on the question of intersex conditions and how they have influenced elite women's sports, underscoring the need for thoughtful policies and guidelines to address DSD (differences in sexual development), ensuring fairness and inclusivity while respecting the unique circumstances of athletes like Caster Semenya, a South African intersex olympic athlete. This is an engaging episode offering a vital perspective on the complexities of balancing inclusivity with fairness.Attend Genspect’s: The Bigger Picturehttps://genspect.org/the-bigger-picture-continues-denver-colorado/&nbsp;Find Coach Blade on Twitter: @coachblade&nbsp;More About Coach Blade:&nbsp;https://worldathletics.org/personal-best/lifestyle/linda-blade-life-in-athletics&nbsp;Unsporting: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sporthttps://www.unsporting.com/&nbsp;Women's Rights, Gender Wrongs: the global impact of gender-identity ideologyhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Womens-Rights-Gender-Wrongs-gender-identity/dp/1739265602 Contribute to the International Consortium of Female Sporthttps://www.icfsport.org/&nbsp;Contribute to The Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS)https://www.iconswomen.com/&nbsp;Contribute to Champion Women<a href="https://championwomen.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comMust-See Wrongful Conviction Films and TV Shows 

Join Sasha &amp; Stella for this candid conversation delving into the intricate realm of parenting children who identify as transgender. They discuss the fear, confusion, and complex emotions parents face when dealing with their child's gender identity. The conversation touches on the challenges of communicating with their children and the potential risks and benefits of transitioning, emphasizing the importance of making the process more nuanced and less black-and-white, helping young people understand the complexity of their experiences, fostering resilience and offering a realistic perspective on the long-term impacts of gender transition.&nbsp;The conversation also explores the emotional challenges, including doubts and fears that parents often confront, such as the sense of losing their child to a different persona. They examine the loss of innocence that frequently accompanies adolescence, and the grieving process, a profound experience for these parents, acknowledging that many parents, in these situations, may grapple with isolation and loneliness. Crucially, Sasha and Stella offer a nuanced perspective, emphasizing that these feelings are normal and not indicative of bad parenting. They celebrate parents for embracing a more thoughtful and reflective path through their child’s gender exploration, even when it's difficult and unpopular, exemplifying the emotional courage and bravery required to support their children on this journey.&nbsp;This important discussion offers valuable insights into the unique challenges faced by parents when their children express transgender identities. It promotes empathy, understanding, and resilience within the family unit, fostering a more compassionate and supportive environment for these young individuals.Gender Dysphoria: What It's Like For Parentshttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/16-gender-dysphoria-what-its-like-for-parents&nbsp;https://youtu.be/hLPh-_4DYjg&nbsp;Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Support the Show &amp; Access Exclusive Contenthttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodJoin the conversation on YouTubewww.youtube.com/@widerlenspodIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 122 - We Wrote a Book: When Kids Say They're Trans | A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/is-my-child-trans-a-guide-for-parentshttps://youtu.be/f4LL2hI-qjs&nbsp;Episode 107 — What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You&nbsp;&nbsp;https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/107-what-your-teen-is-trying-to-tell-you&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/jwUZUdJ_tzM" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comIn this additional conversation with Wilfred Reilly, we delve deeper into the realm of gender medicine as Wilfred raises his apprehensions about the excessive diagnosis of mental health issues and the potential adverse effects of various extreme body modifications. We go to some pretty interesting places, you definitely want to listen to this!

Stella &amp; Sasha welcome Wilfred Reilly to the program for an intriguing conversation touching on gender and medicalization, political affiliations and extremism, violence and discrimination, societal myths and data analysis, and the impact of the internet on niche interests and mental health.Wilfred Reilly is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Kentucky State University, a historically Black institution. His research interests include International Relations, contemporary American race and gender relations, and the use of modern quantitative/empirical methods to test ‘sacred cow’ theories.In this episode, they delve into the issues surrounding gender, addressing concerns about youth and gender transition for children. They explore the challenges of obtaining reliable statistics on detransitioning and the difficulties in conducting research in the field of gender due to ideological biases. The conversation underscores the role of media bias and the evolving landscape of identity, alluding to the potential consequences of the medicalization of gender-related issues and the need for more open discussion and data collection considering that even academic studies are sometimes targeted and obstructed by activists.The discussion also touches on the broader issues of ideological extremism and its implications for society. Wilfred shares his insights into debunking misconceptions related to topics like police violence and discrimination. He also shares about instances of fake hate crimes on college campuses, shedding light on how seemingly innocuous events were misconstrued and magnified, highlighting the prevalence of victimization and the consequences of seeking attention through such incidents. Sasha raises concerns about the impact of such ideological paranoia on people's mental health and interpersonal relationships while Wilfred draws parallels between this ideological extremism and traditional religious beliefs, suggesting that both can lead to a level of paranoia and fear. This conversation offers no shortage of intriguing stories that challenge common narratives and assumptions.Links:Attend Genspect’s: The Bigger Picturehttps://genspect.org/the-bigger-picture-continues-denver-colorado/&nbsp;Wilfred Reilly on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/wil_da_beast630Buy Wilfred Reilly’s BooksLies My Liberal Teacher Told Mehttps://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Liberal-Teacher-Told-ebook/dp/B0BDZMZJ4C&nbsp;Taboo: 10 Facts You Can't Talk Abouthttps://www.amazon.com/Taboo-Facts-Cant-Talk-About/dp/162157928X&nbsp;Hate Crime Hoax: How the Left is Selling a Fake Race Warhttps://www.amazon.com/Hate-Crime-Hoax-Lefts-Campaign/dp/1621577783&nbsp;The $50,000,000 Question: An Engagingly Empirical Examination of the Relationship between "Privilege" and Pridehttps://www.amazon.com/000-Question-Engagingly-Examination-Relationship/dp/3659846031&nbsp;Why the Mental Health of Liberal Girls Sank First and Fastest<a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comWe ask Maggie for advice on how to talk about these issues out in the “real world.” She shares some great advice about how to meet people where they are and plant some seeds.Dr. Maggie mentions that she shares certain episodes of this podcast with people who are looking for more information. When she says the “5 Top” she is referring to the top 5 episod…

In this episode, Maggie Goldsmith joins Sasha and Stella for a conversation about the psychodynamic approach in understanding gender identity issues, particularly in children and adolescents. Maggie shares her personal journey, shedding light on how rapid onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) can signal a need for change within the family dynamic. She puts an emphasis on the importance of delving into unconscious processes that shape identity and behavior. The discussion covers theories about how key developmental stages, such as symbiosis and paranoid schizoid positions, can impact self-perception and relationships. Psychodynamic therapy is highlighted as a tool for deeper exploration, benefiting both the child and their family. Maggie also highlights how parental anxiety can affect the parent-child relationship, so self-care is crucial for both the parent and child's well-being. Sasha, Stella and Maggie share anecdotes about how different children may respond to discussions about gender identity and how parents need to adapt to their child's unique needs and circumstances. The conversation underscores the importance of open communication and maintaining a healthy relationship with the child throughout their journey of self-discovery.Dr. Maggie Goldsmith is the author of the PITT essay “To My Daughter’s Therapist: You Were Wrong”, which was the first essay from the PITT Substack to go viral and put PITT on the map. It can be found in a recently published book that includes 75 essays by parents who have gender questioning children.Since her first Wider Lens episode (#85), she has been very busy with a full caseload of kids and families impacted by gender dysphoria. Dr. Maggie’s approach to this work is grounded in object relations theory and supported by an understanding of human development throughout the life course. This places the family and the parent-child relationship in a position of primary importance as they manage and repair the inevitable ruptures of adolescence.This is a captivating conversation, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of psychoanalytic theory, gender identity, and the practical implications for clinicians and parents alike.Links:Mother-Daughter Story: "I Didn’t Want to be Yours Anymore" w/ Dr. Maggie Goldsmithhttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/85-mother-daughter-story-i-didnt-want-to-be-yours-anymore-w-dr-maggie-goldsmith&nbsp;https://youtu.be/E5crJzqnIeU?feature=shared&nbsp;PITT BookParents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans: Tales from the Home Front in the Fight to Save Our Kidshttps://www.amazon.com/Parents-Inconvenient-Truths-about-Trans/dp/1634312465/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35ECHZ0MUL32I&amp;keywords=Parents+with+Inconvenient+Truths+about+Trans%3A+Tales+from+the+Home+Front+in+the+Fight+to+Save+Our+Kids&amp;qid=1696475515&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=parents+with+inconvenient+truths+about+trans+tales+from+the+home+front+in+the+fight+to+save+our+kids%2Cstripbooks%2C128&amp;sr=1-1&nbsp;PITT Substack Articles&nbsp;&nbsp;Trans and the Myth of Sloppy Parenting&nbsp;&nbsp;<a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.widerlenspod.comSasha and Stella continue the conversation with Aaron Kimberly by asking Aaron “how do you talk about gender in real life?” This is always a hard question to answer but Aaron takes us in very interesting places sharing what it’s like for people in “small town rural Canada” to be confronted with this ideology, and how it makes life much more difficult an…

Join Sasha, Stella, and Aaron Kimberly for a conversation exploring gender identity, queer theory, and intersex experiences.In this candid conversation, Aaron shares about his journey through adolescence and the challenges of growing up in a rural farming community with early onset gender dysphoria. He touches on categorization error and its impact on identity development, as well as the discovery of his intersex condition. The discussion explores the complexities of social transitioning within the lesbian community, and the importance of access to accurate information and its influence in shaping one's identity. The conversation even digs into the world of queer theory, its aim to deconstruct traditional categories, and the impact Aaron’s study of queer theory had on his perceptions of gender non-conformity and his own personal decision to transition.Aaron Kimberly is a female to male transsexual, born with a rare ovotesticular intersex condition which was diagnosed when he was 19. As an adolescent, he was having severe gynecological problems and began to masculinize at the onset of puberty, until the ovotestes was discovered and removed. For many years, he was confused about his identity, sexuality and biological sex, and eventually decided to continue masculinizing with HRT and legally change sex.Aaron is also a mental health nurse with an interest in the many forms of gender dysphoria, and concerned about the many iterations of social contagions among youth, such as ticks, "multiple personalities" and trans identity. He's the executive director of the Gender Dysphoria Alliance, co-host of the Transparency Podcast, a member of the newly launched LGBT Courage Coalition and a board member of APISC Digital Research Foundation which is using AI technology to map online influences on youth identity formation.Links:Gender Dysphoria Alliancehttps://www.genderdysphoriaalliance.com/&nbsp;Transparency Podcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@GenderDysphoriaAllianceSelection from Aaron’s Art CollectionOne Hand Clapping: Portraits and Pomeshttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1epzrDb1isrVnqAVqxAown-m-OY7chrsW/view?usp=drive_link&nbsp;Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Support Our Show &amp; Access Exclusive Contenthttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodJoin the conversation on YouTubewww.youtube.com/@widerlenspodIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 10 - Queer Theory: Subverting Life's Categorieshttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/10-queer-theory&nbsp;Episode 44 - Multiple Meanings of Gender Dysphoria: A Conversation with Aaron Terrell<a href="https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/44-multiple-meanings-of-gender-dysphoria-a-conversation-with-aaron-terrell" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Join Stella and Sasha as they discuss the exciting lineup of speakers and topics at the upcoming conference in Denver. From brain sex to the opioid epidemic, gender ideology to detransition stories, this event promises to be intellectually stimulating, heartwarming, and inspiring. Don't miss the chance to meet these influential voices in person and engage in important conversations.Explore Genspect’s The Bigger Picture Conference in Denver this November! Be there for enlightening discussions on gender, politics, and society. Experts from diverse backgrounds, including biology, psychology, law, and more, will tackle essential topics. Discover a nuanced approach to gender, listen to whistleblower reflections, and delve into the impact of politics on parenting. Don't miss out on this thought-provoking event that aims to bring different perspectives together for a comprehensive understanding of gender issues.Attend Genspect’s: The Bigger Picturehttps://genspect.org/the-bigger-picture-continues-denver-colorado/&nbsp;Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Join Our Listener Communityhttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodLinks:The Bigger Picture Conference, Killarney, Ireland | Archiveshttps://genspect.org/the-bigger-picture-conference/&nbsp;Opening Plenary with Stella O’MalleyWhen Ideology Meets Gender Healthcare with Helen JoyceWhat if they’re Gay and not Trans? Panel Moderated by Benjamin BoyceThe Betrayal of Trust with Stephanie Davies-AraiThe Pronoun Debate Moderated by Alasdair GunnDismantling the “Evidence” with Michael BiggsThe Confluence of Philosophy, Feminism &amp; Queer Theory Heather Brunskell-EvansGender Ideology in Irish Education Moderated by Stella O’MalleyGender Ideology as a Religion with Colette ColferShould Puberty Blockers Ever be Used for Gender...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.widerlenspod.com"I have the kind of child who will do the opposite if I ask her to do something. How do I soften her defense and so she'll open her mind to ideas different than hers? One example is I want to watch the No Way Back film in the family movie night but also worry she'll simply push back, or worse, shut herself tight on this topic."Sasha & Stella reference a…

Sasha and Stella discuss the current cultural impulse that suggests affirming “trans” identity is the same as affirming gay sexual orientation in young people - are these two declarations really as parallel as the social justice narrative claims them to be? Sasha and Stella emphasize the importance of not conflating the two and explore how society's response to a child's gender identity should differ from declarations about sexual orientation. This discussion provides valuable perspectives on the nuanced relationship between gender identity, sexuality, and the importance of careful consideration when affirming a child's self-defined gender .Stella draws from her own personal experiences with gender dysphoria while growing up, and Sasha chimes in, offering expert insights from individual therapy with gender-distressed youth. This conversation sheds light on the challenges faced by young people navigating multiple aspects of their identity development.&nbsp;They stress the importance of listening deeply and compassionately to young people’s distress while carefully navigating the fine line between affirmation and genuine understanding so that children can feel truly heard and supported, rather than superficially being “agreed with.” This thought-provoking conversation highlights the nuances of gender identity and ways it may differ from sexual orientation while also considering the long-term consequences of medical interventions, challenging the affirmation-only narrative, and encouraging a more thoughtful and reflective approach to supporting trans-identified kids.Links:Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Join Our Listener Community to Access Exclusive Bonus Contenthttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodTrans Kids: It's Time to Talkhttp://www.stellaomalley.com/trans-kids-time-to-talk Affirmation Therapy: Necessary, But Not Sufficienthttps://youtu.be/WxRJQ_FI70c?feature=shared&nbsp;Helena Part 1: Social Justice, Fandoms &amp; FtM Gay Boyshttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/45-helena-part-1-social-justice-fandoms-ftm-gay-boys&nbsp;Helena Part II: Advice for Parents from a Former Trans Kidhttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/46-helena-part-ii-advice-for-parents-from-a-former-trans-kid&nbsp;One Detrans Voice: A Conversation with Carolhttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/15-one-detrans-voice-a-conversation-with-carol&nbsp;Facing Futility: You Can’t Actually Change Sex, with Corinna Cohnhttps://youtu.be/-nSUAqdT0fw?si=cSC0slo2-4m_PI1C&nbsp;Explore Gender Identity Development...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comThe beginning part of this conversation might sound a little familiar as it was included in the last part of Ep 132. Because the bonus conversation includes an analysis of the role played scenario from the full episode, we wanted to to include the role playing portion of the full episode here as well to offer context for the analysis discussion. 

In this thought-provoking episode, Stella and Sasha engage in a powerful conversation with the brilliant Peter Boghossian, known for his controversial public resignation from Portland State University and his critical stance on academia.Dr. Peter Boghossian is a Founding Faculty member at the University of Austin and the director of National Progress Alliance. Peter has a teaching pedigree spanning more than 25 years that focuses on the Socratic method, scientific skepticism, and critical thinking. Peter’s dissertation explored increasing the moral reasoning of prison inmates and aiding their resistance to crime. His most recent book is How to Have Impossible Conversations, and his writing can be found in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, Time Magazine, National Review, and elsewhere. His work is centered on bringing the tools of professional philosophers to a wide variety of contexts to help people think through what seem to be intractable problems.The highlight of this episode is a role-playing exercise where Peter assumes the role of a concerned parent, while Stella and Sasha take on the roles of 13-year-old kids seeking puberty blockers. You'll witness Peter's exceptional ability to lower defensiveness and foster understanding in the midst of a challenging conversation. His calm, patient, and curious approach shines through, setting an inspiring example for parents facing similar challenges.&nbsp;We highly recommend exploring Peter's YouTube channel where he posts his street epistemologies. His work, as seen in his book "How to Have Impossible Conversations," has been featured in respected publications like Scientific American, Time Magazine, and National Review.Don't miss this enlightening episode where Peter Boghossian shares his expertise in navigating difficult conversations and sheds light on the importance of approaching the topic of gender exploration with intention, understanding and empathy. Peter's extensive experience and wisdom provide a fresh perspective on an issue many listeners grapple with.Join us for this remarkable conversation that may change the way you engage in impossible conversations.Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Support Our Show by Subscribing to Our Listener Communityhttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodLinks:Find Peter BoghossianLinktr.ee - https://linktr.ee/peterboghossian&nbsp;YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@drpeterboghossian&nbsp;Substack - https://boghossian.substack.com/&nbsp;Buy Peter’s Bookhttps://www.amazon.com/How-Have-Impossible-Conversations-Practical/dp/0738285323&nbsp;Confrontation at Portland State University: https://youtu.be/zxvyeZa1YSI?si=13rStQrj4yl962jB&nbsp;If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 7 - Collective Collusion<a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comSasha and Stella continue the conversation with Corinna Cohn talking about Corinna’s writing, political advocacy, pronouns, free speech, female spaces and lots of other things.

Fellow podcaster, Corinna Cohn, joins Sasha and Stella for an incredibly deep and meaningful discussion. Demonstrating no shortage of her charming sarcastic banter, Corinna offers an endearing balance of humor and thoughtful introspection as well as informative insights based on her lived experience as a transexual, writer, and activist. The conversation covers a wide array of topics including Corinna’s early experiences with gender identity exploration, transition and the changing landscape of gender, as well as her reevaluation of her own perceptions of gender and self-acceptance.&nbsp;Corinna Cohn is a writer, podcaster, and activist from Indiana. Corinna was diagnosed with gender identity disorder at age 15 and underwent surgical transition at age 19. In 2019, she became involved in patient advocacy, and in 2022 began organizing to support legislation that regulates gender medicalization of minors. Corinna has met with legislators and given testimony in Indiana, Texas, and Ohio.In this episode, you’ll hear Corinna share her reflections that the acknowledgment of futility is a crucial step in one’s personal growth and acceptance, particularly in challenging situations. Together, Sasha, Stella and Corinna get into finding meaning in navigating ambivalence, self-reflection and accountability. Their discussion also highlights Corinna’s activism in the context of the evolution of transgender activism, the complexity of legislative politics in the United States and the projected future of gender identity politics as a movement.Links:Corinna’s Substackhttps://substack.com/@corinnacohn&nbsp;Heterodorx Podcast (with co-host Nina Paley):https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heterodorx/id1602842758&nbsp;Corinna’s Washington Post Article:&nbsp;https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/11/i-was-too-young-to-decide-about-transgender-surgery-at-nineteen/&nbsp;Corinna’s Article about Texas HB3502https://corinnacohn.substack.com/p/texas-bill-to-protect-detransitioners&nbsp;Democrat Rep. Shawn Thierry’s Address to Texas Legislative Bodyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKp1IGds6RQ&nbsp;Corinna’s Indiana testimony (regarding sports):https://youtu.be/G8lgScZ0YzY&nbsp;Corinna’s Indiana testimony (regarding medical interventions on minors):&nbsp;https://youtu.be/wYhMejWA_zgCorinna’s Ohio testimony (regarding medical interventions on minors):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJkSZlVLwBk&nbsp;Pre-Order When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Join Our Listener...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.widerlenspod.comSasha and Stella continue the conversation with Katie Herzog by asking “how do you talk about gender issues in real life?” Katie’s core advice is “read the room” but she has a lot of other insights and experiences to share, from her own life, as well!

In this episode, Sasha and Stella eagerly welcome journalist Katie Herzog, who is also co-host with Jesse Singal on the popular podcast Blocked &amp; Reported (aka BARPod). This dynamic discussion covers a wide range of topics, including Katie’s experiences and observations over the past two decades as a lesbian in the queer / LGBTQ+ community, especially pertaining to trans identities. They also explore Katie’s reflections from her influential 2017 article on detransitioners, The Detransitioners: They Were Transgender, Until They Weren't, &nbsp;and how her perspective on gender has evolved in the aftermath of its publication. The conversation even delves into repressed memories, different approaches to psychotherapy, nonbinary identities, and the particularly interesting, important and controversial topic - preferred pronouns. Katie, known well for both her wit and thoughtfulness, brought a unique perspective to these discussions, much like she lends to her own work and content.Links:Blocked and Reported (Katie’s Podcast with Jesse Singal)https://www.blockedandreported.org/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_campaign=substack_profile&nbsp;The Detransitioners: They Were Transgender, Until They Weren'thttps://www.thestranger.com/features/2017/06/28/25252342/the-detransitioners-they-were-transgender-until-they-werent&nbsp;A Response to the Uproar Over My Piece, "The Detransitioners"https://www.thestranger.com/lgbtqitslfa/2017/07/03/25262759/a-response-to-the-uproar-over-my-piece-the-detransitioners&nbsp;Katie’s Work with The Stranger (including articles linked above)https://www.thestranger.com/authors/24847206/katie-herzog&nbsp;A Segment from Katie’s Appearance on Real Time With Bill Maherhttps://youtu.be/H5tZZvUUvXA?feature=shared&nbsp;Please visit www.widerlenspod.com to explore more content, access additional resources, or to join our listener community.Watch us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@widerlenspodPre-Order When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Attend Our Live Event – When Kids Say They’re Trans: Weekend of Workshops | September 21-24, 2023https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/weekend-of-workshopsIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 1 - Trans: Identity vs Dysphoriahttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/trans-identity-vs-dysphoria&nbsp;Episode 8 - TransGenerational Wisdom: A conversation with Buck Angel<a...

In this episode, Stella &amp; Sasha explore the concept of an Oedipus Trap, inspired by a podcast with Megan McArdle (see below). Sasha and Stella apply this psychological concept to the issue of childhood transition and how so many people involved might refuse to face their own mistakes or acknowledge their own accountability to the consequences of gender-affirming care. In her opinion piece for the Washington Post (linked below), Megan McArdle describes the oedipus trap as “There are some mistakes no one can live with, no matter how innocently they were made…Thus the trap: If you have made such a mistake, it is obviously better not to know you have done so.” The origin of the concept comes from the story of Oedipus from Greek mythology (linked below).In their conversation, Stella &amp; Sasha speak delicately, but candidly about reconciling the choices and actions of affirmative clinicians, as their stories and experiences can offer valuable insights for reflection and learning around the harm vs. benefit analysis of youth gender transition. Links:Pre-Order When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;Attend Our Live Event – When Kids Say They’re Trans: Weekend of Workshops | September 21-24, 2023https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/weekend-of-workshopsParents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans: Tales from the Home Front in the Fight to Save Our Kidshttps://www.amazon.com/Parents-Inconvenient-Truths-about-Trans/dp/1634312465 Megan McArdle on the Oedipus Traphttps://youtu.be/UpbNslZejOUThe Washing Post ArticleOpinion | What the world can learn from a lobotomy surgeon’s horrible mistakehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/02/14/walter-freeman-lobotomy-regret/&nbsp;Oedipus from Greek Mythologyhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Oedipus-Greek-mythology&nbsp;If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 27 — Behind the Curtain: Psychotherapy for Gender Dysphoria with Sue and Marcus Evanshttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/27-behind-the-curtain-psychotherapy-for-gender-dysphoria-with-sue-and-marcus-evansEpisode 91 — Uncovering the GIDS Disaster: Dr. Dave Bellhttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/91-uncovering-the-gids-disaster-dr-dave-bell&nbsp;Episode 104 — No Time to Think with Hannah Barnes: The Downfall of GIDS at the Tavistock<a href="https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/104-no-time-to-think-with-hannah-barnes-the-downfall-of-gids-at-the-tavistock" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comWebsite referenced: https://www.campuspride.org/ 

“We are making strong recommendations based on weak evidence,” a statement from practicing pediatrician, Dr. Julia Mason, about the basis of gender affirming care, which is the model of care currently backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).In this episode, Dr. Mason sits down with Sasha &amp; Stella to discuss her relentless efforts towards charging the AAP to pursue a systematic review of the evidence behind gender affirming care. They discuss the series of events leading up to the AAP’s most recent article reaffirming their commitment to the affirmation model as laid out in the AAP’s policy statement published in 2018, but also announcing their authorization of a systematic review of the evidence. This decision on the part of the AAP comes long overdue in the wake of so many European organizations who have recently conducted their own reviews, all of which have resulted in abrupt shifts in the care protocols around gender transition.Links:NY Times article about the AAP's recent moves:https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/03/health/aap-gender-affirming-care-evidence-review.html&nbsp;SEGM’s Spotlighthttps://segm.org/news&nbsp;Rafferty’s 2018 AAP Statementhttps://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/4/e20182162/37381/Ensuring-Comprehensive-Care-and-Support-for&nbsp;Cantor Fact Checks the Rafferty Paperhttp://www.jamescantor.org/uploads/6/2/9/3/62939641/cantor_fact-check_of_aap.pdf&nbsp;Wall Street Journal Articlehttps://www.wsj.com/articles/doctors-group-to-examine-guidelines-for-treatment-of-transgender-youths-dbe98caa&nbsp;&nbsp;The Cass Review | Interim Report - Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young Peoplehttps://cass.independent-review.uk/publications/interim-report/Genspect’s Open Letter to the AAPhttps://genspect.org/an-open-letter-to-the-american-academy-of-pediatrics/&nbsp;Leor Sapir’s Articlehttps://www.wsj.com/articles/second-thoughts-on-gender-affirming-care-american-academy-pediatrics-doctors-review-medicine-a7173276&nbsp;AAP Reaffirms But Authorizes Systematic Reviewhttps://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/25340/AAP-reaffirms-gender-affirming-care-policy?autologincheck=redirected&nbsp;Opinion Supporting Gender Dysphoric Youth<a...

We’re hosting a live event Sep. 21-24 in Annapolis, MD. Join us for When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Weekend of Workshops.&nbsp;Early-Bird Pricing Ends Aug 25th! But, we're sending out a special offer -- be among the first to email: info@widerlens.consulting with subject line “Annapolis Discount” and receive $350 off registration!&nbsp;Visit https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/weekend-of-workshops to learn more!Pre-Order When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.comCheck out Sasha with moms who've attended previous Wider Lens events on Calmversations By Benjamin Boyce:When Kids Say They're Trans | with Sasha Ayad &amp; Some Momshttps://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/calmversations/episodes/s05e113--When-Kids-Say-Theyre-Trans--with-Sasha-Ayad--Some-Moms-e281gan

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.com

Adolescence is a natural time for identity exploration. In this episode, Sasha and Stella address the challenges schools face when dealing with students questioning their gender identities. They focus on strategies for finding a balanced approach, honoring students' self-expression, preserving opportunities for further developmental progress and discovery, and respecting family dynamics. They highlight the pressure on schools to quickly respond and adopt policies, often without sufficient evidence of their effectiveness. They discuss the misconception that social transition is the only solution, questioning the long-term efficacy of this intervention and its potential for unintended psychological consequences. The conversation also touches on the fear of suicide, internalized homophobia, and common comorbidities including autism, ADHD, anxiety, and depression that could be contributing to the students' experience. This episode offers valuable insights intended to empower educators to provide a nuanced approach, seeking a balance between offering guidance and respecting the multifaceted journey of identity discovery during the adolescent years.Links:Suicide by Clinic-Referred Transgender Adolescents in the United KingdomBiggs M. Suicide by Clinic-Referred Transgender Adolescents in the United Kingdom. Arch Sex Behav. 2022 Feb;51(2):685-690. doi: 10.1007/s10508-022-02287-7. Epub 2022 Jan 18. PMID: 35043256; PMCID: PMC8888486https://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/35043256&nbsp;Sasha Shares About Her Experience Working as a Middle School Counselorhttps://youtu.be/vI54mth3qxs&nbsp;A Clinical Guide for Therapists Working with Gender-Questioning Youthhttp://www.genderexploratory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GETA_ClinicalGuide_2022.pdf&nbsp;School Policy: Gender Identity (USA)https://genspect.org/comprehensive-gender-identity-school-policy-usa/&nbsp;School Policy: Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity (Ireland)https://genspect.org/school-policy-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-ireland/&nbsp;Brief Guidance For Schoolshttps://genspect.org/guidance-for-schools/&nbsp;Brief Guidance On Social Transitionhttps://genspect.org/guidance-on-social-transition/&nbsp;The Secret Gender Files - Substack for Malcolm Richard Clarkhttps://substack.com/@malcolmrichardclark&nbsp;For more information about Sasha’s &amp; Stella’s parent coaching membership groups:Sasha Ayad: https://inspiredteentherapy.com/parents-start-here&nbsp;Stella O’Malley: <a href="http://www.stellaomalley.com/parent-coaching" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comCheck out Genspect's Brief Guidance For Friends And Family 

Sasha and Stella take time together to dig deeper in reflection and analysis from some of their recent episodes. They also chat a little bit about a few of their latest projects and endeavors including their upcoming book release: When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents. Visit whenkidssaytheyretrans.com to pre-order your copy of the book before Aug 25th and request an invite to their free webinar: When Kids Say They’re Trans: Do’s, Don’ts and Damage Control.This episode also offers the official announcement with details of their 2023 live parent event. Registration is open for When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Weekend of Workshops, taking place September 21-24, 2023 in Annapolis, MD. Register by August 20th to take advantage of early bird pricing.LINKS:Pre-Order When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/&nbsp;When Kids Say They’re Trans: Weekend of Workshops | September 21-24, 2023https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/weekend-of-workshopsWhen Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents (Press Release)https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/swift-press-signs-parental-guide-from-therapists-ayad-omalley-and-marchiano&nbsp;Sasha’s GETA WorkshopOnline Visibility and Political Identities: Working with Gender | August 19, 2023https://www.eventbrite.com/e/online-visibility-and-political-identities-working-with-gender-tickets-671422692347?aff=oddtdtcreatorGenspect "The Bigger Picture" Continues | Denver, Colorado (November 4-5, 2023)https://genspect1.telltix.com/events/genspect1/943746&nbsp;Genspect Launches New Think Tank to Draft a Gender Care Frameworkhttps://genspect.org/genspect-launches-new-think-tank-to-draft-a-gender-care-framework/&nbsp;FEATURED EPISODES:&nbsp;Episode 116 — Identity Politics vs. The Pursuit of Knowledge with Dr. Michael Baileyhttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/116-identity-politics-vs-the-pursuit-of-knowledge-with-dr-michael-bailey&nbsp;Follow-Up Episode: 116 Part II - Retraction w/ Dr. Michael Baileyhttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/follow-up-episode-116-part-ii-retraction-w-dr-michael-baileyEpisode 120 — Pioneer Series: Researching Sexual Behaviors...

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In this episode, Sasha and Stella sit down with Sara Stockton, MA, LMFT. Sara is a licensed marriage and family therapist who initially worked with affirmative clinicians, fully embracing gender identity theory. Initially, Sara earnestly believed in her work and its potential to help transgender youth. Over time, she began to doubt the field's effectiveness, the emerging adoption of queer theory bias within the field, and grew concerned with the poor treatment outcomes she began encountering with patients.Sara Stockton is a licensed marriage and family therapist, lecturer, researcher, presenter, and clinical supervisor of a psychotherapy practice in central New York. In 2012, she co-authored and published one of the first mental health assessments utilized to assess youth readiness for medical treatment and gender transition. Sara spent the first part of her career as a clinician treating and advocating on behalf of youth and families surrounding issues with gender. She spent time traveling to teach and train medical facilities, physicians, and schools on how to provide what was then called "gender-affirming care." Sara has treated well over one hundred families, and she also wrote many of the first letters that were used to approve gender transition surgeries on minors.This conversation explores Sara's professional journey, her moments of doubt and realization, and her decision to speak up and raise awareness about the challenges and potential pitfalls in the field of gender-affirming care. She shares very candidly and courageously about her personal observations of shifts in the patient population, their evolving presentation, and the practices and perceptions around gender identity versus her training. She found herself increasingly uncomfortable with the ways in which certain practical and thoughtful considerations are being disregarded in the affirmation approach.This is an important discussion exposing the complexities faced by clinicians in the field and the need for more professionals to share their experiences and concerns openly. It is incredibly important to understand the perspectives of clinicians like Sara in order to shed light on the broader issues surrounding gender-affirming care.For more of our conversation with Sara Stockton, just out listener community here: https://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodLinks:Sara Stockton on Twitter@MrsSaraStocktonAisling Therapywww.aislingtherapy.com&nbsp;Regrets of a Trans-Care Specialist | Sara Stockton | EP 342 (The Dr. Jordan B. Peterson Podcast)https://youtu.be/pCH-bUFR3WMWhat Is A Woman - Documentaryhttps://get.dailywire.com/wiaw/subscribe?utm_campaign=wiaw&amp;utm_medium=paid&amp;utm_source=googlesearch&amp;utm_content=na_subscriptions&amp;mid=g&amp;cid=wiaw&amp;xid=0&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwoK2mBhDzARIsADGbjeqEP0BcW0Ra5VZWG5QBd-0HUvm1Ml74hJZYyCIv0DstImjcHSAX7loaAhLMEALw_wcB&nbsp;Changing the ConversationDr Hilary Cass OBE explores the challenging nature of developing holistic person-centred services for children and young people with gender...

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Alex Capo, LMHC, is the Executive Director at The Charlton School (TCS) in Burnt Hills, NY. Alex has over 25 years of clinical experience in working with children, adolescents and families in various clinical/therapeutic settings as well as schools. He has facilitated trainings for administrators, mental health professionals, teachers and students for over 10 years. He has been with TCS in various clinical and administrative positions for the past 20 years.&nbsp;In this episode, Alex describes his experience and observations of gender identity trending in his student population at the Charlton School. Between 2016 and 2020, the all-girls school experienced a dramatic increase in students questioning their gender identity. Following the advice of experts, the school implemented an affirmation policy, leaving parents feeling pressured and triggering an obvious social contagion amongst the student population. Alex noticed that the focus on gender issues was overshadowing the real problems these students faced, and it was not benefiting them. He shares his reflections on the school getting caught up in gender-related matters, while the root issues of students' mental health were being overlooked. This led him to team up with Genspect for a different approach, of which he reflects with Sasha &amp; Stella, ultimately resulted in a “culture of desistance” unfolding. His exploration for an alternate approach was not widely embraced by all of his professional colleagues and respected clinical peers, despite his extensive qualifications and proven commitment to supporting wholeness and wellness for his students. We hope this episode offers other professionals and leaders out there, struggling to speak up about their concerns about the negative implications of the affirmative approach, an empowered sense of confidence and comfort in setting the tone for a more flexible, less rigid approach to identity exploration.The Charlton School is a nonprofit therapeutic learning community providing 24/7 evidence-based clinical support and an onsite New York State Education Department approved high school for young women. Charlton serves young women and families experiencing mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, low self esteem, self-injurious behavior, among others.Founded in 1895, Charlton serves a 100% voluntary enrolled individualized approach in a non-traditional environment. Charlton provides students with smaller class sizes to support their academic progress, as well as multiple forms of therapy to aid with the improvement of their mental health. Their residential and day students are supported with collaborative treatment plans that include Equine Therapy, Social Emotional Learning, Art Therapy, Psychiatric Nursing Services, Family Therapy, and more on a scenic 275 acre campus located in southern Saratoga County.&nbsp;The entire treatment and educational teams remain committed to the integrity of their 360 degree approach to students and their families and its proven success. The school believes in honoring evidence based outcomes as means for measuring the success of its program. And while their numbers are small due to the limited nature of their capacity, their model is designed and proven to thrive on the intimate nature of their individualized, family-focused approach.Links:Learn more about The Charlton Schoolwww.thecharltonschool.orghttps://linktr.ee/charltonschoolA Clinical Guide for Therapists Working with Gender-Questioning Youth<a href="http://www.genderexploratory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GETA_ClinicalGuide_2022.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

In this episode, Sasha and Stella welcome Calvin Lunt, whose life journey encompasses a remarkable exploration of identity, the challenges of addiction and recovery, and a commitment to personal growth and spiritual wellness.Growing up, Calvin was essentially a feminine gay boy, but never particularly gender dysphoric as a child. He became a dancer and later a drag queen. You’ll hear him share about the impact of his experiences as a mixed-raced kid from a working class family with a very chaotic upbringing. From experiencing shame-inducing events to undergoing a pendulum swing between extreme identities, Calvin digs deep into his complex relationship with his sexuality and his body. He also discusses how his role as a social media influencer with a significant following and exposure to the camera spotlight also impacted his sense of self. Additionally, his involvement in the gay party scene led him down a path of heavy drinking and drug use, further impacting his search for identity. At the age of 25, Calvin took a surprising turn in his journey by embracing gender transition. Two years later, influenced by his pursuit of sobriety and a realization that certain aspects of his identity were founded on falsehoods, he chose to detransition. Presently, Calvin works as a wellness coach, drawing from his encounters with spiritual practitioners across different parts of the world and his personal journey of recovery and healing. His training encompasses a diverse range of experiences and perspectives. And his story illuminates the profound journey of self-discovery, transformation, and healing.Links:Find Calvin on Instagram @calvinluntBecoming A Woman to Become A Man (Calvin’s Podcast)https://open.spotify.com/show/5SYWRgcEvFnO0IHw5PBLFW?si=ed7578460935453d&nbsp;Beauty School Cop Outs (MTV Show)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3364728/&nbsp;Pete Burns’ Life in Pictureshttps://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/pete-burns-life-in-pictures/image-gallery/36584e9eb07297799204e00637e87a11If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 3 - Feminine Boy to Gay Man: A conversation with Arty Mortyhttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/feminine-boy-to-gay-man-a-conversation-with-arty-morty&nbsp;Episode 8&nbsp; - TransGenerational Wisdom: a Conversation with Buck Angelhttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/8-transgenerational-wisdom-a-conversation-with-buck-angel&nbsp;Episode 12 - Identity vs. Role Confusion in Adolescencehttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/12-identity-vs-role-confusion-in-adolescence&nbsp;Episode 73 - Shame Narcissism and the Transition Fantasy w Joe Burgo<a...

There are so many books available for parents who want to help their kids transition, right? Of course there's no shortage of affirmative guidebooks for parents. But there are very few books written for parents about how to actually encourage critical thinking, how to slow down, exercise caution about the medical interventions and focus on developmental health first. Family dynamics and attachment are each key variables that are important not to neglect. Sasha and Stella joined forces with Lisa Marchiano to write "When Kids Say They're Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents" because they wanted to give parents a different type of guidebook and resource.In this episode, Sasha and Stella share a little bit about the book and the robust and comprehensive insights it yields. They discuss how it’s meant to be a practical guide, offering strategies to help parents reconnect with their instincts, orienting them towards reconnecting with their child in effective ways. They touch on the cultural influences on the perceptions of what “trans” is and what it means and how it can impact children differently in different stages of life, so no matter what your situation (young children, teens, young adults), there will be something that resonates for you.&nbsp;ROGD and social contagion, sexuality, queer theory, pornography, social transition, medical transition, real life stories from parents, informative side bars from field experts and researchers, sample dialogue for communicating with school professionals, family dynamics, managing conflict, self-care for parents, desistance and detransition, growth &amp; development…they briefly touch on each chapter, covering so many important concepts. And they even suggest the value this book has to offer to the different kinds of professionals encountering gender expansive kids. So while it was written specifically for parents, therapists, teachers, school counselors, and the many other kinds of professionals impacted by gender are encouraged to consider reading it too.LINKS:When Kids Say They're Trans: A Guide for Parentswww.whenkidssaythyretrans.com GETA Directoryhttps://www.genderexploratory.com/find/&nbsp;Beyond Trans Directoryhttps://beyondtrans.org/therapists/&nbsp;Open Therapy Institutehttps://www.opentherapyinstitute.org&nbsp;What Could a Name Change Represent for Your Gender-Questioning Teen?https://youtu.be/pgVL7ENmwFE Info about Sasha’s Parent Coaching Membership Group:https://youtu.be/hVyPCXk-uEwStella on YouTubewww.youtube.com/@stellaomalleypsychotherapist&nbsp;Info about Stella’s Parent Coaching Membership Group:http://www.stellaomalley.com/parent-coaching&nbsp;Wider Lens ConsultingDetails coming soon about plans for the 2023 Parent Renewal Retreat<a href="http://www.widerlens.consulting" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

BONUS EPISODE coming in hot! We’re changing things up a bit this time around, in a few ways actually. Consider this some special mid-week bonus content for our dedicated listeners and the many, many professionals following the gender paper trails. And not only is it a surprise extra conversation for the week, you’ll notice that our dear Stella O’Malley is flying solo without her charismatic co-host Sasha Ayad. Not to fear, Sasha will return for our regularly scheduled programming!Today, we’re bringing you an update to one of our previous episodes…In the wake of recent developments around Dr. Mike Bailey and Suzanna Diaz’s paper, which has now been referenced in several of our recent episodes, Dr. Bailey graciously agreed to sit down with us for a follow-up conversation to explore a little bit more in depth about the recent official retraction announcement. He speaks about never having been retracted before and his very reasonable appeals to the publisher in an effort to defend the integrity of the research. He also shares about his plans for future research, as well fundamental question key for continued pursuit of knowledge and understanding of this complex phenomenon.The article remains accessible for review and we highly encourage our listeners to check it out!Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases, Diaz, S., Bailey, J.M. RETRACTED ARTICLE: Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases. Arch Sex Behav 52, 1031–1043 (2023).&nbsp;https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02576-9&nbsp;My Research on Gender Dysphoria Was Censored. But I Won’t Be.Trans activists forced the retraction of my paper. Their efforts have redoubled my commitment to the truth. By Michael Baileyhttps://www.thefp.com/p/trans-activists-killed-my-scientific-paper&nbsp;https://openinquirybehavio.wixsite.com/oibs/joibs&nbsp;http://www.parentsofrogdkids.com&nbsp;If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:“Episode 2 - Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria”https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria&nbsp;“Episode 52 - Gender Dysphoria &amp; Detransition Research: A Conversation W/ Dr. Lisa Littman”https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/52-gender-dysphoria-detransition-research-a-conversation-w-dr-lisa-littman&nbsp;“Episode 59 - Pioneers Series: 46 Years of Treating GD in Kids with Kenneth Zucker”https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/59-pioneers-series-48-years-of-treating-gd-in-kids-with-kenneth-zucker&nbsp;“Episode 65 - Pioneers Series: Gender - The Big Picture with Susan Bradley”<a...

Episode 121 - Practical Advice for Managing Gender Identity in Schools with Dr. Kate GoonanIn this episode, Sasha &amp; Stella spend time with Dr. Kate Goonan, an advisory and advocacy specialist with Genspect. Together they discuss the importance of building a strong support system for young individuals experiencing gender dysphoria. Kate shares about her approach for navigating gender dysphoria compassionately, grounded in realism, and offers clear, practical advice to parents.Dr. Kate Goonan is board certified physician who graduated from University of California at Davis School of Medicine and completed her residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Primary Care Internal Medicine. After several years of practicing primary care and women’s health, her career focus moved to evidence-based medicine and quality improvement.&nbsp;Two years ago, she started studying the evidence base around gender dysphoria. She took a role in Genspect advising parents on how to manage their specialists, psychologists, and schools. Now fully retired, Kate continues to advise families on their strategies with schools and caregivers. She leads Genspect’s team developing model school policies and educational resources for school personnel and parents. Her goal is to apply her skills and expertise to ensuring parents and schools approach gender non-conforming children with a fully informed and open-minded approach.&nbsp;Her extensive background serves her work with Genspect well, as Dr. Goonan spent time serving as medical director overseeing medical policy and quality for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. She has also authored two books on quality in health care and was appointed as a judge for the U.S. presidential award for performance excellence in business, health care, and education (Baldrige Performance Excellence Award 1999-2002). Kate grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in a family affected by another dysphoria: anorexia.Links:Comprehensive Gender Identity School Policy - USA&nbsp;https://genspect.org/comprehensive-gender-identity-school-policy-usa/&nbsp;Transparency in Education Newsletterhttps://transparencyineducation.net/Dr. Goonan’s Advocacy Work w/ Genspecthttps://genspect.org/advocacy&nbsp;info@genspect.org&nbsp;kate@genspect.orgRapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases, Diaz, S., Bailey, J.M. RETRACTED ARTICLE: Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases. Arch Sex Behav 52, 1031–1043 (2023).&nbsp;https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02576-9&nbsp;Please note: this episode was recorded prior to the June 2023 retraction of the above cited paper (referenced in the discussion). We discuss this paper and the context of threats for its potential retraction with one of the paper’s authors, Mike Bailey, directly in Episode 116. And we have him back again to follow up in response to the retraction announcement in a future episode (scheduled to be released mid July 2023).If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 80...

This is a unique episode in that it features a conversation that was originally recorded back in 2022 with Dr. James Cantor. We intentionally decided not to release the episode at that time. You’ll hear Sasha and Stella introduce the conversation by sharing more about why they chose to withhold the episode for all this time and why they have opted to release it now, over a year after recording.Dr. Cantor is a clinical psychologist and sexual behaviour scientist. For the past 20 years, he has been studying the nature and causes of sexual interests from relatively familiar ones — such as heterosexuality and homosexuality, transsexuality, and asexuality — to rare and exotic phenomena, including vorarephilia (sexual fantasies of being swallowed) and furries (people who have sex while dressed or cross-dressed as animals). The most widely discussed of his findings has been his research using neuroimaging and other techniques to isolate the causes of pedophilia and hebephilia (the sexual preferences for prepubescent and pubescent children). His team’s results have been published in the highest-impact journals of psychology, including Psychological Bulletin, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, and the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. Dr. Cantor regularly appears in the media internationally to discuss how society can better apply science to prevent sexual abuse and provide more ethical and more effective treatment for people with atypical sexual interests. Interviews with him have appeared on CNN, NPR, The New York Times, and on Dan Savage’s Savage Love. Dr. Cantor is currently the Director of the Toronto Sexuality Centre and is the past Editor of the Sexual Abuse, the top research journal in this field and the official journal for the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers.James Cantor is considered controversial in some circles and yet he is a well-respected researcher who sits on the editorial boards of two peer-reviewed journals (the Journal of Sexual Aggression&nbsp;and&nbsp;Archives of Sexual Behavior). Cantor’s position is similar to that of the Prevention Project Dunkelfeld in Germany: “You are not guilty because of your sexual desire, but you are responsible for your sexual behavior. There is help! Don't become an offender!”Sasha and Stella speak with Dr. Cantor in the spirit of genuine inquiry, fierce debate, and the desire to wrap their minds around difficult and complex topics which society needs to address. As psychotherapists, the Gender: A Wider Lens hosts, believe in the importance of dialogue and bringing the issues explored in this conversation out from the shadows in an effort to understand how to encourage better outcomes.Links:For updates and downloads, visit his website www.jamescantor.org.Follow him on Twitter @JamesCantorPhDM. Beier†, Janina Neutze, Ingrid A. Mundt, Christoph J. Ahlers, David Goecker, Anna Konrad, Gerard A. Schaefer, (2009). “Encouraging self-identified pedophiles and hebephiles to seek professional help: First results of the Prevention Project Dunkelfeld (PPD)*” https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1047.5602&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf&nbsp;“Exploring the Implications of Child Sex Dolls”<a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/ti570_exploring_the_implications_of_child_sex_dolls.pdf"...

In this episode, Stella &amp; Sasha explore the different kinds of ways people engage in the gender debates. You will hear them touch on the various kinds of characters and/or archetypes of people who imbed themselves deeply into the “gender world.” And you may also notice that there are many varieties of voices not referenced as well. Today’s episode takes shape a little differently than a typical Gender: A Wider Lens conversation in that they cover so many categories all at once, but at a very light level, and don’t have the opportunity to go too far in-depth into any of the concepts touched on. This discussion barely begins to scratch the surface of all there is to talk about here.Upon reflection after recording, Sasha shares her sense of apprehension in releasing the episode at all, only to come to the conclusion that in fact, these ideas require much more expansive exploration, after all. Stella acknowledges that there’s no denying the vastly compelling nature of the subject of gender and digs into the tendency for some individuals to become overly fixated on gender-related topics.This episode emphasizes that while engaging in gender debates can be important, it’s essential to assess one’s level of involvement with its alignment to service to oneself, one’s community, and one’s family in productive and healthy ways. Excessive preoccupation with gender can be distressing for some individuals who never intended to be consumed by it, so it’s important to seek balance, remain mindful, and sustain intellectual curiosity without neglecting emotional well-being.In this episode, you will hear Sasha &amp; Stella speak about “Killarney,” in reference to Genspect’s: The Bigger Picture conference. Please note this episode was recorded before the conference and was released after the events referenced in the episode took place. Please visit https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmsMIEB9bK5xhD6nXaseiC2qe-bm7go0q to view recordings from the conference.Links:Episode mentioned about the affirming parent:Episode 109 — What If We Are All Wrong: A Mother’s Regret with Rosehttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/109-what-if-we-are-all-wrong-a-mothers-regret-with-rose&nbsp;A Catholic Response to Gender Identity Theoryhttps://files.ecatholic.com/12494/documents/2023/1/EN_A%20Catholic%20Response%20to%20Gender%20Identity%20Theory_FINAL2023.pdf?t=1674605305000&nbsp;If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 9 — The Politicization of Genderhttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/9-the-politicization-of-gender&nbsp;Episode 10 — Queer Theory: Subverting Life's Categorieshttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/10-queer-theory&nbsp;Episode 31 — Silencing Thought: A Conversation with Heather Brunskell-Evans<a href="https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/31-silencing-thought-a-conversation-with-heather-brunskell-evans" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit widerlenspod.substack.comIn this bonus conversation, Zhenya sheds some new light on the Christine Jorgensen story along with some eye-opening research and data from a man named Hamburger. Hamburger's paper can be accessed here: https://academic.oup.com/ejendo/artic...

In this episode, Sasha and Stella sit down with Zhenya Abbruzzese, a healthcare researcher, analyst, and the author of several widely read peer-reviewed publications about pediatric gender medicine. Zhenya Abbruzzese papers include “The Myth of Reliable Research in Pediatric Gender Medicine,” “Reconsidering Informed Consent for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults,” and most recently, “Current Concerns About Gender-Affirming Therapy in Adolescents.” She works with several healthcare organizations, including the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM), an international non-profit organization that aims to raise the bar of the quality of evidence in gender medicine, with a specific focus on children and young people.&nbsp;&nbsp;Previously, Zhenya led analytics efforts for a major insurer to identify low-value care and overuse of invasive and non-beneficial interventions. She also developed and led a venture-backed healthcare startup to help patients with medically-unexplained symptoms and health anxiety.&nbsp;&nbsp;A lifelong Democrat and supporter of progressive causes, Zhenya became alarmed when she saw the civil rights argument misused to justify the rapid proliferation and administration of highly invasive “gender-affirming” interventions to children and adolescents despite quality evidence supporting their use.&nbsp;During their conversation, Zhenya, Stella, and Sasha explore the origins of the Dutch Protocol and dive deep into Zhenya’s insights into pediatric gender medicine, as well as her experience working with insurance companies. Zhenya takes great care to point out that in addition to considering the cultural components impacting the current gender discourse, it’s necessary to explore the psychological piece as well. But in addition to that, the involvement of medical organizations like the APA and the American healthcare establishment as a whole all play key roles not only in what is happening in gender medicine but how it’s happening to such extremes.Links:SEGM:https://segm.org/&nbsp;Papers by Zhenya AbbruzzeseThe Myth of Reliable Research in Pediatric Gender MedicineReconsidering Informed Consent for Children, Adolescents, and Young AdultsCurrent Concerns About Gender-Affirming Therapy in AdolescentsMethodological Bias (funny meme):https://www.reddit.com/r/mathmemes/comments/uoc3zq/interesting_survey/&nbsp;If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:The Dutch Studies PlaylistWe have done a number of episodes about the "Dutch Protocol" which precipitated the surge in youth gender transition. There are many things about the Dutch research that have been misinterpreted and misapplied in various medical settings. Here are all the episodes we've done so far where we dig deeper into the studies that started it all.<a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngVCeAoK6vudCwfy0R2Rvg_SH2QxBJTu"...

This episode is the first of several episodes dedicated to exploring what is happening with gender in schools and education systems. Schools are becoming more and more of a focus for parents and citizens who pay close attention to identity politics.In this episode, Stella and Sasha chat with Kate Parker, a high school educator and library director at a private school with over 16 years of service as an elected trustee to K-12 and community college boards of education. Kate recently stepped down from her position as the President of the Santa Barbara City College Board of Education in California and is the parent of an adult trans-identified child.In their conversation, you’ll hear Stella, Sasha, and Kate discuss how and when Kate noticed things changing and her observations of gender coming into the school system. They explore the triangulation that happens in families when schools keep secrets from parents and how destructive that can be. Kate offers advice to parents feeling too afraid or too confused to speak out. She also shares how school systems and school boards operate, insights into the responsibilities of schools and how that impacts their response to curriculum changes and reactions to it, and about how there is a chain of trust in the perceived “experts” advising on curriculum themes and trends.Links:Kohlberg Demonstrations:https://youtu.be/luqSuuPSEOMGenspect Resources for Schools:Brief Guidance For Schoolshttps://genspect.org/guidance-for-schools&nbsp;Brief Guidance For Colleges And Universitieshttps://genspect.org/guidance-for-colleges-and-universities&nbsp;Brief Guidance On Social Transitionhttps://genspect.org/guidance-on-social-transition&nbsp;School Policy: Gender Identity (USA)https://genspect.org/comprehensive-gender-identity-school-policy-usa&nbsp;School Policy: Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity (Ireland)https://genspect.org/school-policy-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-ireland&nbsp;&nbsp;If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Gender &amp; Schools | GWL Episode Playlisthttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngVCeAoK6vs-KvDiVE7QjpBphOg1Ckoi&nbsp;This episode is the first episode being added to this playlist, so if you’re tuning in soon after the release of this episode, this playlist will seem sparse - we encourage you to bookmark the playlist for future reference as more episodes are added throughout the remainder of Season 3.Episode 93 - A Takedown of Gender Politics: Wesley Yang<a href="https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/93-a-takedown-of-gender-politics-with-wesley-yang" rel="noopener...

In this episode, Sasha and Stella welcome guest, Dr. Mike Bailey, who recently published a paper with co-author, Suzanna Diaz about reports of ROGD kids. Their paper is important because it essentially corroborates Dr. Lisa Littman’s study from 2018. During the conversation, Dr. Bailey shares about the possibility that the paper could be retracted due to activist backlash. He also explores the findings of the paper with Sasha and Stella, as well as the complaints brought against it. They even dissect the context of why a paper would even be retracted in the first place.Michael Bailey is an American psychologist, behavioral geneticist, and professor at Northwestern University best known for his work on the etiology, or origins, of sexual orientation. He maintains that sexual orientation is heavily influenced by biology and male homosexuality is most likely inborn. Dr. Bailey’s 2003 book, The Man Who Would Be Queen, gave an accessible, intimate, and compassionate account of male sexuality, with a focus on gender nonconforming boys, gay men, and male-to-female transsexuals.The discussion also touches on the controversial topic of autogynephilia, a very heated issue within the gender debates.Links:http://www.parentsofrogdkids.com&nbsp;How porn has changed:&nbsp;https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-has-porn-changed-in-the-last-10-years/&nbsp;Mike’s Tweethttps://twitter.com/profjmb/status/1661022522446610434?s=20Dr. David Leyhttps://www.davidleyphd.com/Louise Perry’s Book:https://www.amazon.com/Case-Against-Sexual-Revolution/dp/1509549994&nbsp;Review of Louise Perry’s Book:https://betonit.substack.com/p/marry-the-market-reflections-on-theDownload The Man Who Would Be Queen:&nbsp;Researchgate.net/publication/281747420_The_Man_Who_Would_Be_QueenAlice Dreger (June 2008). “The controversy surrounding The Man Who Would Be Queen: a case history of the politics of science, identity, and sex in the Internet age”. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 37 (3): 366–421. doi:10.1007/s10508-007-9301-1.If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:“Episode 2 - Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria”https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria&nbsp;“Episode 20 - Gender Dysphoria in Boys: Part 1”<a href="https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/20-gender-dysphoria-in-boys-part-1" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

In this episode, Sasha &amp; Stella chat with graduate student and Substack author Eliza Mondegreen, who is dedicated to the study of online trans and detrans communities. She also studies the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs underpinning affirmative care.The conversation with Eliza begins with a deep dive into what led to her intimate exploration of gender. She shares how her history with eating disorders, an early interest in the study of totalitarianism, advocacy work around women’s reproductive health, and her relationship with a close friend during their transition experience all helped pave the way for her intense interest and curiosity about gender, specifically the psychological experience as it relates to projecting distress and the medical interventions for managing the distress. Eliza shares how she explores these concepts in depth through her engagement with online communities (like Reddit) where she observes and reflects on the stories, ideas, and reactions shared by other members inside the internet-based groups.Eliza also speaks about her attendance at both the EPATH conference recently in Ireland, and the WAPTH conference last year in Canada for a fully immersive experience and a first-hand account of the affirmative approach to trans healthcare and medicalization. Eliza writes extensively on her Substack about her encounters and observations, and her first-hand exposure from inside the online and medical communities indulging the identity that is “trans.”Links:gender: hacked by Eliza MondegreenGraduate student researching and writing about all things gender identityhttps://elizamondegreen.substack.comFTM Over 30 | FTM Over 30A place for FTM/FTN/FTX folk over 30 to come together for support and discussion. If your life experiences better align with those who are usually over 30, you're welcome here.&nbsp;https://www.reddit.com/r/FTMOver30/FTM Men | FTM MenA support and community-oriented space for binary FTM men.https://www.reddit.com/r/FTMMen/r/detrans | Detransition SubredditWelcome all detransitioners/desisters and self-questioners.https://www.reddit.com/r/detrans/r/actual detrans | detrans_supportAn alternative to r/detrans that provides support to detransitioners, reidentifiers, retransitioners, and questioners in an environment free from gender-critical ideology and rhetoric.https://www.reddit.com/r/actual_detrans/r/ftm | A place for the guysSupport-based discussion place focused on trans men, trans-masc individuals, and other people assigned female at birth who are trans.https://www.reddit.com/r/ftm/Egg IRL Communityhttps://www.reddit.com/r/egg_irl/EPATHhttps://epath.eu/If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find...

In the wake of such comprehensive exploration and analysis around the foundational medical research cited time and time again regarding child and adolescent gender transition, the Dutch Protocol, we extended an invitation to Dr. Stephen Levine and Dr. Julia Mason to join us in a discussion about their most recent paper, co-authored together with Zhenya Abbruzzese in a thorough critique of the Dutch Protocol.Dr. Stephen B. Levine is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is the solo author of five books, all of which are concerned with love and sexuality. He has been teaching, providing clinical care, and writing since 1973 and has generated over 180 publications, 35 of which have been related to gender dysphoria. He and two colleagues received a lifetime achievement Masters and Johnson’s Award from the Society for Sex Therapy and Research in March 2005. His recent publications on gender dysphoria have been read by thousands of people.Dr. Julia Mason is a pediatrician who started medical school in the Medical Scientist Training Program but emerged with a Master's degree in Nutritional Science rather than the planned PhD. This extended her medical education and kept her grounded in the scientific basis of medical care, which may have made her more likely to be skeptical of pediatric “affirmative gender care” when she saw it taking root in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Julia is a founder and board member of SEGM, the Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine. She is a full-time practicing pediatrician in Gresham Oregon, her gender work is extracurricular and entirely voluntary.Our conversation with Drs. Levine and Mason evolved into a pretty intense exploration of sexuality and the consequences that blocking an adolescent’s puberty has on their developing sexuality. We explore why so many adolescents are consciously or subconsciously seeking to block their sexuality and seek, sometimes desperately, to avoid opportunities for experiencing natural sexual development. And what about the impact and consequences of easy access to extreme varieties of pornography? But most importantly, why are we robbing young people of the opportunity to develop their sexuality? This is the key question. The discovery and exploration of sexual desire are critically important for the adolescent experience. Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones not only disrupt but eradicate the normative and positive experience of coming to grips with one’s desires and sexual self.Please note that this conversation includes many topics explicit in nature, listener discretion is advised.Links:Co-Authored article with E. AbbruzzeseThe Myth of "Reliable Research" in Pediatric Gender Medicine: A critical evaluation of the Dutch Studies-and research that has followedhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2150346Stephen Levin, MD’s most recent published article with E. Abbruzzese:Current Concerns about Gender-Affirming Therapy in Adolescents https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11930-023-00358-xSelections of Julia Mason, MD’s Published Workhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2046221<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2136117" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Sasha and Stella are together in the same place! Joined by Lisa Marchiano, this live episode was recorded in Killarney, Ireland, and the Genspect Bigger Picture Conference on April 28, 2023.[22:20] Question from Helen Joyce[32:13] Question from Colin Wright[47:35] Question from Maya Forstater[51:50] Question Jessie Mannisto from Third Factor Magazine[57:00] Question from Lisa Selin Davis[1:00:10] Question from Malcolm Clark[1:01:30] Question from Laura Becker / Funk God Artist[1:05:38] Question Adrian from LGB Alliance USA[1:09:51] Question from Wesley YangLinks:Helen Joyce’s Website:https://thehelenjoyce.com/Helen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HJoyceGenderReality's Last Stand: a publication by biologist Colin Wright dedicated to providing weekly news, articles, and other content about the biology of sex and sex differences, gender ideology, Critical Social Justice, free speech, and related topics.https://www.realityslaststand.com/Colin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SwipeWrightMaya Forstater’s Website:https://www.forstater.com/Maya on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MForstaterSex Matters: a UK-based not-for-profit organization whose mission is to re-establish that sex matters in rules, laws, policies, language, and culture.https://sex-matters.org/Third Factor Magazine: a magazine, community, and resource hub for navigating positive disintegration and reintegration — all about questioning, creativity, character, and courage.https://www.thirdfactor.org/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThirdFactorMagJessie Mannisto on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlmannistoBROADview by Lisa Selin Davis: A newsletter about the gender culture wars, &amp; the history, science, psychology &amp; politics of gender nonconformity — misunderstood by the Right and Left. Where do our ideas of normal for boys and girls come from? Speaking the unspeakable. Pro-complexity.https://lisaselindavis.substack.com/&nbsp;Lisa Selin Davis’s Website: http://www.lisaselindavis.com/Lisa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaSelinDavis&nbsp;Malcolm Clark on Substack: Making science and history documentaries for global broadcasters. Campaigning against gender ideology and puberty blockers.https://substack.com/@malcolmrichardclarkMalcolm on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TwisterFilm" rel="noopener...

In this episode, hear a personal first-hand whistleblower account of the harmful practices taking place inside an American gender clinic. Jamie Reed, a former Case Manager at the Washington University School of Medicine Pediatric Transgender Center at St Louis Children’s Hospital reflects on her experiences inside the clinic that ultimately lead to her profound decision to file for whistleblower protection from the Missouri Attorney General’s office to publicly express her concerns with the judgment and care provided for the patients at the gender clinic.Jamie, who herself identifies in the LGBTQIA community and is also a proud parent of five children, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology and a Master’s of Science in Clinical Research Management. In her conversation with Sasha &amp; Stella, along with her attorney, Vernadette Broyles, not only does Jamie describe the experiences that led to the ultimate formal filing of her concerns, but both Jamie and Vernadette speak to the protections available to other clinicians and workers in this field that feel too intimidated to speak out about their observations and concerns.Vernadette Ramirez Broyles is the President and General Counsel of Child Parental Rights Campaign, Inc., a not-for-profit public interest law firm that engages in litigation and advocacy across the country to protect children’s health and defend parental rights from the impacts of gender identity ideology. Ms. Broyles received her law degree from Harvard Law School and received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Yale University.Links:Affidavit of Jamie Reedhttps://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/2-07-2023-reed-affidavit---signed.pdf&nbsp;Child &amp; Parental Rights Campaign, Inc.https://childparentrights.org/Other Recent Features of Jamie Reed’s Story:Appearance on the Transparency Podcasthttps://youtu.be/N7BkuJBwbUUAppearance on the Triggernometry Podcasthttps://youtu.be/gbuGMbqjsSwInterview with The Free Presshttps://youtu.be/_6sPG7gleOsFree Press Article: https://www.thefp.com/p/i-thought-i-was-saving-trans-kidsArticle by Jesse Singal https://jessesingal.substack.com/p/gender-clinic-whistleblower-jamieWPATH SOC8: https://www.wpath.org/soc8Please visit www.widerlenspod.com to explore more content, access additional resources, or join our listener community.For more information about Sasha’s &amp; Stella’s private membership groups:Sasha Ayad: https://inspiredteentherapy.com/parent-coachingStella O’Malley: <a href="http://www.stellaomalley.com/parent-coaching" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

In honor of Helen Joyce’s keynote appearance at the 2023 Genspect Conference: The Bigger Picture, we wanted to revisit our conversation with her from 2021 shortly after the release of her book, Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality. So this episode is a replay of her prior appearance on our show. And now we find ourselves almost two years later from this recording and she continues her work around sex and gender. She recently announced her decision to leave her senior editorial role at the Economist and is devoting her efforts full-time as the Director of Advocacy at Sex Matters. She has since worked tirelessly to defend women’s rights to single-sex spaces against the encroachment of gender self-ID and trans rights activism.Joyce’s address at the 2023 conference presents the cultural and sociological impact of gender identity beliefs as well as the disastrous effects of gender identity ideology on the health care of those suffering from gender distress. She then teams up with colleague Maya Forstater, Executive Director of Sex Matters, for a panel discussion on the topic of gender-critical beliefs and their protection under the UK Equality Act. Visit Genspect.org for more about Joyce’s appearance at the April 2023 conference.Links:Tune in to https://www.youtube.com/@widerlenspod&nbsp;Friday, Apr 28, 2023 @ 7pm (IST)Gender: A Wider Lens will be streaming live from Killarney, Ireland at the 2023 Genspect Conference: The Bigger Picture.Sex Matters: a UK-based not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to re-establish that sex matters in rules, laws, policies, language, and culture.https://sex-matters.org/&nbsp;Genspect Speakers PlaylistMany of the esteemed speakers participating in The Bigger Picture have previously been guests on our show. Click the link below to access a playlist composed of GWL episodes involving speakers from the 2023 Genspect Conference.https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngVCeAoK6vuWE4sNG_fi5nnz-d1xQEBiHelen Joyce’s Website:&nbsp;Thehelenjoyce.comHelen on Twitter: Twitter.com/HJoyceGenderBook Review by Jesse Singal&nbsp;Nytimes.com/2021/09/07/books/review/trans-helen-joyce.htmlHelen’s interview with Andrew Doyle:Youtube.com/watch?v=KAYR8GUJsqoStella’s Book Review in The Evening Standard:&nbsp;Standard.co.uk/culture/books/trans-when-ideology-meets-reality-helen-joyce-review-b944183.htmlBecoming Julia (Gender Transition Documentary):&nbsp;YouTube.com/watch?v=kNjV37vp5qkThe End of the World is Flat by Simon Edge:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eye-books.com/books/the-end-of-the-world-is-flat" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Until recently in many parts of Europe, and currently in the United States and Canada, the affirmative model of care is the primary practice in place for working with gender-nonconforming and gender-diverse youth and children. In this episode, Stella and Sasha put some intention into a deeper exploration of what affirmation therapy is exactly. They take time flushing out not just what it is but also facilitate consideration of what it means and what it achieves. Together they reflect on where the concept of affirming therapy came from, how it evolved into its current practice, when a clinician follows the affirmation model, how does that look in practice, and what are the implications?Sasha and Stella also explore varying types of therapy, both similar to and in contrast to the fundamental premise of the affirmative approach, what they think about it, and does it actually offer any context for a comprehensive therapeutic process in the name of care?Links:Gender: A Wider Lens (YouTube Channel)Live Stream Event from the Genspect Conference: The Bigger PictureFriday, April 28, 2023 at 11am(PT) / 2pm(ET) / 7pm(IT)https://www.youtube.com/@widerlenspod*NEW* Sponsor – GETAGender Exploratory Therapy Associationhttps://www.genderexploratory.com/GETA Workshop: Gender Trouble, Authoritarianism, and the Flight from WomanhoodSaturday, April 22, 2023 — 6 pm‒7:30 pm(ET)https://www.genderexploratory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GETA-Ilene-Philipson-Flyer-April-2023-3-2.pdfSasha’s YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@SashaLPCGenspect Conference: The Bigger Picturehttps://genspect1.telltix.com/events/genspect1/845845/r/genspect-bannerStella’s Book: What Your Teen is Trying to Tell Youhttp://www.stellaomalley.com/whatyourteenistryingtotellyouStella on Benjamin Boyce w/ Eliza MondegreenThe Dangerous Radicalization of Gender Rhetoric | with Stella O’Malley &amp; Eliza Mondegreenhttps://youtu.be/63-bfpx2yy0Critical Therapy Antidote (CTA) book, Sasha &amp; Stella contributing authorsCynical Therapies: Perspectives on the Antitherapeutic Nature of Critical Social Justicehttps://www.amazon.com/Cynical-Therapies-Perspectives-Antitherapeutic-CriticalCarl Rogers: Founder Of The Humanistic Approach To Psychologyhttps://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.html&nbsp;APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People<a...

It seems like, in Western culture at least, we went from a place where, years ago, mental health issues were never talked about and often dismissed or hushed, to a place today, where it’s so ubiquitous to talk about mental health. And while it’s important that mental health is de-stigmatized, and a good thing that it’s been relatively de-pathologized, in many ways, it has shifted into some kind of identity marker, almost like a sense of identity for people. Mental health categories are becoming a way for people to seek and find meaning about who they are as a person. But this can be dangerous in that people are so much more than just the labels affiliated with their mental health.With the growing absence of religious and national identities, other identities have come into place in extraordinary ways. In this episode, Sasha and Stella explore society’s evolving tendency to rush to medicalize for quick and radical fixes for generally normal experiences. They discuss obsession with identity labels, the desperate pathologizing of normal distress, medication seeking, and relentless pursuit of the external solution for an internal problem.Please note this episode was recorded before the release of Stella’s book (which she speaks about being released “soon”). The link for where you can find her book is included below. This episode was also recorded before Detrans Awareness Day 2023 took place, but was released after the events referenced in the episode. Please visit https://youtu.be/my5o0B9H4Tw to watch the replay of the entire 2023 Detrans Awareness Day webinar event.Links:Genspect’s School Policy Guide: Establishing expectations for how schools can best support students with gender dysphoria, who are gender-questioning, who are gender non-conforming or identify as transgenderhttps://genspect.org/comprehensive-gender-identity-school-policy-usa/&nbsp;The Five Ecological Systemshttps://www.simplypsychology.org/Bronfenbrenner.htmlInterview with Allen Frances, MD:&nbsp;https://www.madinamerica.com/2019/05/conversations-critical-psychiatry-allen-frances-md/Stella’s Latest Book — What Your Teen Is Trying To Tell Youhttps://geni.us/whatyourteenDetrans Awareness Day Websitewww.detransawareness.org2023 Detrans Awareness Day Webinar Recordinghttps://youtu.be/my5o0B9H4TwIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:“19 — ADHD &amp; Gender Dysphoria”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/19-adhd-gender-dysphoria&nbsp;“29 — Conversion Therapy: A Conversation with Bob Withers”<a href="https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/29-conversion-therapy-a-conversation-with-bob-withers"...

This episode is a powerful and important conversation exposing the increasingly devastating impact of the conflation between gender identity theory and the experience of living with gender dysphoria.In this episode, Sasha &amp; Stella speak with Rose who wishes to remain anonymous. Rose is the mother of two young sons and lives in the United States. In August of 2022, she published the piece “True Believer” on the Parents with Inconvenient Truths around Trans (PITT) Substack. She wrote “True Believer” to share her story and help other parents and concerned adults who are struggling to understand the dynamics underneath the current phenomenon of transgender children. Rose’s first-hand perspective is unique in that she and her partner were "affirming parents" — they thought their four-year-old son could be transgender and chose to socially transition him, only to realize they were wrong.Rose’s story is incredibly important because, at its core, it’s a simple case of the best of intentions garnering devastating impact. This is a humanized account of the pain, distress, confusion, fear, and regret that so many families are facing in the wake of doing what (“experts” told them) was best for their child.Links:Rose’s original piece published on Parents with Inconvenient Truths around Trans (PITT) Substack:“True Believer” — https://pitt.substack.com/p/true-believerRose’s appearance episode of Triggernometry podcast —&nbsp;https://pdst.fm/e/audioboom.com/posts/8242143.mp3?modified=1675602742&amp;source=rss&amp;stitched=1Rose’s follow-up piece on PITT provides further reflections on the Triggernometry interview:“A Return to Reality” — https://pitt.substack.com/p/a-return-to-realityHold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peersby Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté, MD https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Your-Kids-Parents-Matter/dp/0375760288/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1680628544&amp;sr=8-1Eliza Mondagreen:&nbsp;https://twitter.com/elizamondegreen/status/1625925867053383700Neufeld Institute — https://neufeldinstitute.org/resources/free/Dr. Gordon Neufeld — “Becoming the Answer a Child Needs”A Map of Detransition Island — https://genspect.org/infographics/#island“Dear Theodosia”, from Hamilton (the Musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda)https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=TKpJjdKcjeo“The Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart” — Quote/Book by Alice WalkerIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:“1 — Trans: Identity vs Dysphoria”<a...

In this episode, Stella &amp; Sasha talk with Joe Burgo and Alasdair Gunn about the Genspect’s new direction and the upcoming first-ever live event. As you will hear them discuss, the Genspect Conference, themed “The Bigger Picture,” will bring together experts from many fields holding a myriad of perspectives: eminent scientists, researchers, lawyers, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, sociologists, educators, feminists, and some well-known detransitioners.Guest Joe Burgo is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who’s been in practice for almost 40 years. He’s particularly interested in the concept of narcissism and shame. He’s also a really big part of the BeyondTrans project through Genspect, and the author of several books, including The Narcissist You Know: Defending Yourself Against Extreme Narcissists in an All-About-Me Age.Guest Alasdair Gunn was working in academia when he became interested in gender issues. After coming into contact with a group of parents of trans-identified boys, he wrote a series of Quillette articles on the topic under the pseudonym Angus Fox. As a gay man who tackled body dysmorphia in adolescence, Alasdair brings a unique understanding of issues related to teenage male development. His work in gender has focused mostly on design, marketing, research, and communications in support of Genspect. Recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, Alasdair has stepped back from day-to-day work and is keen to highlight the ways in which gender healthcare falls short of the normal standards of excellence we’ve come to expect from the medical industry.Stella, Sasha, Joe, and Alasdair explain how the Genspect conference is intentionally being conducted during the same week, and just down the street from the WPATH/EPATH conference. The goal is to provide attendees to both conferences exposure to human stories beyond the medical context of transition and challenge the evidence base for gender medicine.There’s so much enthusiasm about the speakers lined up to contribute to the event’s agenda. Together, Joe, Alasdair, Sasha &amp; Stella explore the roster of presenters and reflect that many of them are previous guests of Gender: A Wider Lens Podcast. They also announce plans for the first-ever Wider Lens live-stream event scheduled to take place from inside the conference.With so much important and valuable information relevant to so many aspects of gender transition (not just the medical component), the Genspect Conference is setting the stage for a really pivotal moment in time in pursuit of capturing gender from a wider lens, aka “The Bigger Picture.” This conversation is a charming preview of what attendees can expect from The Bigger Picture event, scheduled for late April.Links:More about Joe Burgo:http://www.josephburgo.com/Alasdair’s Substack:https://angusfox.substack.com/Attend/Stream Genspect Conference: The Bigger Picturehttps://genspect.org/events/Beyond WPATH Document (add your signature)https://beyondwpath.org/Eliza Mondegreen on WPATH:https://elizamondegreen.substack.com/p/so-i-went-to-wpathCynical Therapies:&nbsp;<a href="https://criticaltherapyantidote.org/new-book-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

In this episode, the Wider Lens duo takes a slight detour from gender to explore teenage years from a developmental approach and how parents can better connect with and support their teen children through a challenging but powerful season of life — adolescence.Sasha interviews Stella about her latest book, What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You. The book empowers parents to distinguish between opportunities in which intervention makes sense or moments that are best left for the teens to work out for themselves. Reviewed as somewhat of a deep dive into the teenage brain, the book provides practical advice for each of the key milestones teenagers need to tackle during adolescence to become happy, healthy adults.Covering topics from anxiety to body confidence and technology obsession to the sexual self, this book is sure to give parents — always desperate to “fix” situations for their kids — the confidence to optimize on a teaching moment, or the patience to respect the power of simply letting the lessons be learned. The ultimate goal of the book is to enable parents with a better understanding of their teens and improved discernment, resulting in a rekindled joy and connection shared within parent-teen relationship dynamics.Links:Stella’s Websitehttp://www.stellaomalley.com/Stella’s Substackhttps://stellaomalley.substack.com/Full Collection of Stella’s books:What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You, 2023https://geni.us/whatyourteenBully-Proof Kids, 2022https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bully-Proof-Kids-Practical-Confident-Resilient/dp/1800750617/ref=asc_df_1800750617/?hvadid=570407791907&amp;hvdev=m&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=20490&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvrand=5576590265895704336&amp;hvtargid=pla-1691140391727&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;psc=1&amp;psc=1&amp;tag=googshopuk-21&amp;th=1Fragile, 2019https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fragile-feeling-stressed-anxious-overwhelmed-ebook/dp/B07QFCB52S/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=1DECU62BRFP0U&amp;keywords=fragile+stella+omalley&amp;qid=1555341552&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=fragile+stella+o%2Caps%2C183&amp;sr=8-1-fkmrnullCotton Wool Kids, 2015https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Cotton-Wool-Whats-Making-Irish-Parents-Paranoid/1781173206/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1498684238&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=stella+o+malleyPlease visit <a href="http://www.widerlenspod.com" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

This episode is dedicated to spreading awareness about the existence and experience of detransitioners — those who pursued a medicalized gender transition and later came to feel it wasn’t the right path for them. The detransitioner community is growing faster than ever as more young people realize they received inadequate and inappropriate healthcare.The complex experience of detransition is not at all captured by the political identity being defined in the public discourse on the topic, and the real hardships involved seem to be entirely lost as an openly acknowledged possible outcome of the medical transition pathway, a primary outcome of the gender affirming model of care.You will hear Sasha and Stella talk about how the detransition process is often a reckoning with reality. They speak about their experience working with detrans individuals and how it’s not as simple as “landing on detransition marks the end of a medical process or experience.” It is more of the beginning of a massive psychological process. It is not always a straight line with a clear destination. And it certainly involves a complicated and unique experience for each person. There are so many unknowns, particularly about the long-term medical implications in the aftermath of transition, so we’re learning as we go, seeking to better understand, empower and support the experience for detransitioners as well as others experiencing distress beyond transition.In this conversation, you will also hear Stella and Sasha share about the launch of BeyondTrans.org. A new project of Genspect’s dedicated to meeting the specific needs of detransitioners, as well as those who are in a more uncertain space. Some people feel distressed about their transition. Many others feel more ambivalent. Some detransition. Others may not physically detransition, but their minds have detransitioned: they’ve moved on from an ideology that led them to believe they could become another person, and they’ve come to realize that this ideology can cause harm. Beyond Transition was established to offer comprehensive help for the varying needs of different groups impacted by medicalized gender transition.Links:You don’t have to be Irish to be Irish — https://youtu.be/jAQl64syDTgBeyond Transition Website — https://beyondtrans.org/Book Cynical Therapies — https://criticaltherapyantidote.org/new-book-2/Breastfeeding Regret Paper — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2023.1073053/fullPinned tweet — https://twitter.com/redrobin9000/status/1603678082426195969?s=20Reddit detrans — https://www.reddit.com/r/detrans/Autobiography in Five Short Chapters (an excerpt from There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery; © 1977 Portia Nelson)https://palousemindfulness.com/docs/autobio_5chapters.pdfIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:“15 — One Detrans Voice: a Conversation with Carol” —<a href="https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/15-one-detrans-voice-a-conversation-with-carol"...

Victoria Smith is a regular contributor to The Critic, writing on women’s issues, parenting, and mental health. Her work has also appeared in The New Statesman, The Independent, and UnHerd. Her book Hags looks at the demonisation of middle-aged women in politics and popular culture.In this episode, Stella and Sasha chat with Victoria about the depths of body hatred and body loathing. Victoria shares her perceptions about experiences described in the context of gender dysphoria, seeming incredibly relatable to her experience of anorexia and disordered eating when she was younger. The conversation exposes the distress of the burden of acclimating to the maturing female form at a young age manifesting as dysphoric perceptions of reality — a coping mechanism for discomfort.Another fascinating concept explored in the conversation is how with age, females continue to experience confusion and discomfort with their changing bodies and find themselves in a constant state of reconciling not just their own experiences in relation to their bodies, but society’s reactions to the changes in both their physical presentation as well as their attitudes, expressions, and contributions to society.Victoria speaks charmingly about the sentiments behind her recently published book, Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women; and how society has always fostered a certain lack of respect for the wisdom and discernment women of a certain age contribute to culture and the symbolism behind it. There’s a sort of generational war between young women and older women that has always seemingly existed and yet the journey of experiencing womanhood has a way of bridging the gap between the two.Links:Follow Victoria Smith on Twitter — @glosswitchBook by Victoria Smith: Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women -- https://geni.us/HagsBook by Jane Shilling: The Stranger in the Mirror: A Memoir of Middle Age -- https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Mirror-Memoir-Middle-Shilling/dp/0701181001Book by Rachel Hewitt: In Her Nature: How Women Break Boundaries in the Great Outdoors -- https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/439400/in-her-nature-by-hewitt-rachel/9781784742898If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 2 — Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria -- https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/rapid-onset-gender-dysphoriaEpisode 4 — Why Do People Seek A New Identity? -- https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/why-do-people-seek-a-new-identityEpisode 12 — Identity vs. Role Confusion in Adolescence -- https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/12-identity-vs-role-confusion-in-adolescencePlease visit http://www.widerlenspod.com to explore more content, access additional resources, or join our listener community.To learn more about our sponsors, visit:<a...

Hannah Barnes is Investigations Producer at the BBC’s flagship television news and current affairs program, Newsnight. She has spent the last 15 years at the BBC, specializing in investigative and analytical journalism for both television and radio. Hannah led Newsnight’s coverage of the care available to young people experiencing gender-related distress at the UK’s National Health Service’s (NHS) only youth gender clinic in England and Wales, the Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS) at the Tavistock in London.In this episode, Sasha and Stella speak with Hannah about how, although she continued to report and expose questions, nothing changed and she eventually felt compelled to write a book; as she says herself “I knew too much.” In this probing discussion, issues such as puberty blockers, overwhelming caseloads, and the impact of lobby groups, such as Mermaids, are highlighted and explored.Hannah’s work at Newsnight ultimately helped precipitate an extensive review by the NHS and unearthed evidence that was later used in several sets of legal proceedings. Newsnight’s reporting also led directly to an inspection by England’s healthcare regulator, the Care Quality Commission, which branded the services provided by the GIDS clinic “Inadequate.” The service is scheduled to close in spring 2023 following a series of critical reports.Hannah’s new book, Time To Think: The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Tavistock’s Gender Service for Children, is a meticulously researched account of what went wrong at the Tavistock Clinic, which made headlines around the world on publication. In writing the book, Hannah studied thousands of pages of documents, including internal emails and unpublished reports, and well over a hundred hours of personal testimony from GIDS clinicians, former service users, and senior Tavistock figures, to write a disturbing and gripping parable of our times.Links:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Time-Think-Collapse-Tavistocks-Children-ebook/dp/B0BCL1T2XNSwift Press: https://swiftpress.com/book/time-to-think/Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/time-to-think/hannah-barnes//9781800751118Newsnight coverage of GIDS at the Tavistock: https://www.bayswatersupport.org.uk/bbc-newsnight-coverageIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode “27 — Behind the Curtain: Psychotherapy for Gender Dysphoria with Sue and Marcus Evans” https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/27-behind-the-curtain-psychotherapy-for-gender-dysphoria-with-sue-and-marcus-evansEpisode “31 — Silencing Thought: A Conversation with Heather Brunskell-Evans”https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/31-silencing-thought-a-conversation-with-heather-brunskell-evansEpisode “64 — Pioneers Series: Psychotherapy Pre- and Post-Transition with Az Hakeem” <a...

Many young people who first claim to be bisexual will later identify as pansexual and then trans. Sasha and Stella discuss this common but contemporary pathway to trans identification and analyze why this might be happening and what it could mean subconsciously. They offer parents some ideas for how to engage their child during this time of exploration.Sasha and Stella both have parent coaching membership sites that offer an expansive catalog of resources curated to support and empower parents of gender-questioning teens and young adults. Depending on the membership level, you have access to full-length in-depth topic videos, articles, book recommendations, and live Q&amp;A sessions.Links:Sasha Ayad’s Parent Coaching Membership Group (SubscribeStar)https://www.subscribestar.com/sashalpcStella O’Malley’s Parent Coaching Membership Group (Substack)https://stellaomalley.substack.com/Sasha &amp; Stella’s Conversation with Helena:Helena Part I: Social Justice, Fandoms &amp; FTM Gay Boyshttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/45-helena-part-1-social-justice-fandoms-ftm-gay-boysHelena Part II: Advice for Parents from a Former Trans Kidhttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/46-helena-part-ii-advice-for-parents-from-a-former-trans-kidSasha &amp; Stella's Conversation w/ Lisa Duval:https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/75-borderline-personality-distorted-attempts-to-integrate-a-conversation-w-lisa-duvalUpcoming GETA Webinars https://genderexploratory.com/events/Albert Ellis’s REPT philosophies, and The Three Basic Mustshttps://www.rebtnetwork.org/whatis.htmlIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 1 — Trans: Identity vs Dysphoria https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/trans-identity-vs-dysphoriaEpisode 2 — Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria. https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/rapid-onset-gender-dysphoriaEpisode 32 — Stereotypes https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/32-stereotypesEpisode 35 — Communicating About Gender: Translating Between Parent &amp; Child. https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/35-translationsEpisode 39 — Nonbinary Identities <a...

The development of the Dutch protocol, and the research conducted from its practice, has become the basis for gender-related medical intervention in children all over the world; specifically, using drugs to block children's puberty and subsequently using cross-sex hormones and surgery to medicalize their 'transition.' The Dutch model has the reputation of being the “gold standard of care” for youth transgender medicine and is often cited when defending the use of puberty blockers and surgeries in minors and young adults. In many ways, it created the possibility of gender 'transition' in children.On today’s episode, Sasha and Stella welcome Dutch journalist, Jan Kuitenbrouwer and Dutch sociologist, Peter Vasterman. The two collaborated and most recently published an article; (translated title) “Trans Care Too Must Meet Health Science Standards”, weighing caution to the quality of the standard of care for transgender health and medicine, virtually all based on and adapted from the Dutch model of care.Jan Kuitenbrouwer is Dutch writer, journalist, award-winning columnist and bestselling author, who has published extensively on gender and the trans movement since early last year. His 40+ year career yields an extensive body of work centered around themes exploring social and cultural trends, information technology, politics, and language.Dr. Peter Vasterman is a media sociologist and former assistant professor of media sociology at the University of Amsterdam, department of Media Studies, as well as coordinator of the Master in Journalism. He obtained his PhD in 2004 at the University of Amsterdam with a dissertation, titled “Mediahype” on the effect of media hypes on news topics such as senseless violence, His main research areas include: media hypes and the role of the (social) media in the construction of social problems, scandals, crises and disasters.In this conversation, you will hear them both speak about the prideful nature of Dutch culture: the Dutch often hold themselves in high esteem for being a ‘gidsland’, a beacon of progression for the rest of the world. In a culture where conformity is a highly valued way of life, the Dutch may leave little room for debate and contrast. As such, it is to no surprise that the Dutch mainstream media played a substantial role in promoting early medical interventions for youth with gender dysphoria. Peter and Jan discuss the challenges they faced when attempting to publish pieces which objectively review the full context of the medical protocol. Stories which attempt to frame the Dutch Protocol as anything other than a leading medical innovation with impressive aesthetic outcomes seemed to have been hushed and rejected in the news. Media messaging extravagantly lacked attention to the complicated elements of the medical pathway, and silenced the voices who tried to draw attention to the dangerous risks associated with the transgender treatments for youth.Links:Jan Kuitenbrouwer:https://twitter.com/kuitenbrouwerhttps://www.hpdetijd.nl/auteurs/jan-kuitenbrouwer/Links to Articles:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BramcMXake0JCB454My06ChP9siI8OS94Thv3izp_h0/editPeter Vasterman:https://twitter.com/PeterVasterman http://vasterman.blogspot.com/&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aup.nl/en/author/206709/peter-l-m-vasterman" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

On this episode of Gender: A Wider Lens, Stella &amp; Sasha sit down with Dr. Michael Biggs, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of St Cross College. Dr. Biggs has been key in uncovering vital information that led to the independent Cass Review on GIDS at Tavistock. Biggs has since turned his laser-like focus on the Dutch Protocol and in this episode, he discusses many of the issues with this flawed model. His distinguished body of work includes articles on social movements and collective protest published in all the leading disciplinary journals, including the American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, British Journal of Sociology, and Social Forces. In this conversation, Dr. Biggs tells the story of his experience as a professor in a graduate sociology program when he encountered pushback from students about discussing gender identity from a sociological perspective as part of a classroom exercise. Dr. Biggs has a longstanding history of advocating on behalf of LGBT issues and found himself puzzled when students questioned his intentions. He decided to dig into the literature to try to understand where and how the topic of gender generated such surprising responses from a few of his students. After diving deep into pediatric gender medicine, he continued pursuing investigations into the unreported outcomes for patients at the largest pediatric gender clinic in the world, the Tavistock’s Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS). After a lack of response when he requested information from the GIDS directly, Dr. Biggs filed a Freedom of Information request to access data about research and treatment protocols being conducted at the clinic. Ultimately, the buried outcomes of using puberty blockers in children and adolescents were far less than positive. Biggs began to wonder: how was the puberty blocker pathway worthy of its reputation as the “gold standard” for pediatric transgender care? Where was the research to back up that claim? What motivated Michael to dedicate so much effort to learning and reporting on medical experimentation in gender-affirming care? Dr. Biggs describes feeling compelled to a sense of duty and responsibility to use his privilege to fight for academic truth. His pursuit of the truth, along with that of several other key “whistleblowers” from within Tavistock itself, ultimately yielded momentum for the systematic “Cass Review.” The review process took over two years, but the interim findings reported in late 2022 ultimately resulted in the closure of the GIDS clinic.Links:Puberty Blockers and Suicidality in Adolescents Suffering from Gender Dysphoriahttps://rdcu.be/c4YpUThe Dutch Protocol for Juvenile Transsexuals: Origins and Evidencehttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2121238?scroll=top&amp;needAccess=true&amp;role=tabGender Trender — 4th wave nowhttps://4thwavenow.com/2018/11/17/wordpress-dumps-gendertrender-gallus-mag-responds/The Wrong Body (video series - viewing requests available from the British Film Institute)Part 1 - https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b80c5d9ba &nbsp;Part 2 - https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7f121f1bIf you liked this...

Sasha &amp; Stella take a walk down “memory lane,” recalling the evolution of events and circumstances that lead them each towards a deeper concentration on gender identity exploration in their work. With very different stories to tell, they each share their observations of society at large and describe their individual experiences within the culture of their communities and in their workspaces. They explain what intrigued them and led them to explore deeper questions about identity development, dive into the research behind gender affirmative care and gender reassignment surgery, gender stereotypes, and basic human development in general.They also reflect on how they began working with families and individuals impacted by gender. Their stories both lead up to how their work around gender identity development connected them and ultimately inspired the creation of this show and its rapidly-growing listener base. In its first two years, their collaboration podcast, Gender: A Wider Lens, has curated over 100 hours of in-depth interviews, personal stories, and psychological exploration. Together, Stella O’Malley and Sasha Ayad probe the gender landscape within contemporary culture, considering the implications of prioritizing personal identity over other aspects of the self.The show has endured some pretty pivotal shifts in the cultural and political climate involving gender dysphoria and its treatments in practice on a global scale. In this episode, Sasha &amp; Stella share their vision for the future of the show as well as the opportunities they anticipate which might broaden the scope of resources available to families and gender dysphoric individuals: resources that go beyond the affirmative approach. Together, the hosts of the popular podcast celebrate the pathways that lead them to each other, the development of the show, and the trajectory ahead for their continued exploration of gender from a wider lens.Reviews:https://rephonic.com/podcasts/gender-a-wider-lens-podcasthttps://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/gender-a-wider-lens-podcast-stella-omalley-FeB50G1PCt8/GDSN:https://genderdysphoriasupportnetwork.com/Stella’s Film: Trans Kids: It’s Time to Talk:http://www.stellaomalley.com/trans-kids-time-to-talkSupport the Show:https://linktr.ee/widerlenspodFor more about our sponsors, visit:ReIME— https://rethinkime.org/Genspect — https://genspect.org/Extended NotesSasha led her school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) when she witnessed confusion about identity in the kids she worked with.Sasha was compelled to make a difference but was overwhelmed by the response she received.As a child, Stella was uncomfortable being a girl and knew she would be better as a boy. She was filled with shame and embarrassment.When Stella encountered a trans person she presumed their experience was like hers but they had transitioned.In Ireland, Stella has released three best-selling books, Cotton Wool Kids, Bully-proof Kids, and Fragile.In 2018, Stella’s husband encouraged her to...

This episode is being rereleased as part of our Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Countdown!&nbsp;Wesley Yang, an essayist and public intellectual, has written extensively about 21st-century America and the liminal position of the non-black, non-white person. Coining the term "successor ideology" in 2019, Wesley has carefully analyzed this particular kind of ideology among left-wing movements that is centered around identity politics. Wesley has recently turned his attention towards gender issues and, in this episode, he delivers a blistering analysis of how gender has become a socio-political juggernaut, infiltrating society in every possible way.&nbsp;His substack features his writing, and the writing of other authors who are covering all the shocking twists and turns in the gender debates. He is also covering the release of the new WPATH Standards of Care, and the subsequent talks given about various chapters, including the now infamous eunuch chapter.&nbsp; As you’ll hear Wesley has a truly incisive mind and dynamic voice, and we’re so thrilled he’s pointing his attention towards pediatric transition and the horrible treatment parents receive when they attempt to protect their children. We’ll just let him speak for himself: here is Wesley Yang.&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;&nbsp;Wesley Yang’s Substack: https://wesleyyang.substack.com/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wesley Yang’s Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/wesyang&nbsp;&nbsp;The Face of Seung-Hui Cho&nbsp;https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-6/essays/face-seung-hui-cho/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Book the souls of yellow folk&nbsp;&nbsp;https://amzn.to/3BCtziO&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eliza mongreen transexceptionalism and kids twitter&nbsp;&nbsp;https://twitter.com/elizamondegreen/status/1494299809297178633?s=20&amp;t=yF8H9TotYE_4ENzc41_JIg&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Swedish Documentary The Trans Train:&nbsp;&nbsp;Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJGAoNbHYzk&amp;t=265s&nbsp;&nbsp;Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73-mLwWIgwU &nbsp;&nbsp;Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3WqLT9NEnU&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Billboard Chris on Wesley’s Youtube:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://youtu.be/AlacNs0b6Jw&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Teacher with gigantic prosthetic breasts is defended in Ontario:&nbsp;<a href="https://reduxx.info/ontario-high-school-defends-fetishistic-large-bust-wearing-teacher/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

This episode is being rereleased as part of our Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Countdown!&nbsp;We have completed eleven interviews and today we analyze the second half of our Pioneers Series. Stella and I discuss the psychological and emotional impact of some recent interviews. We review the shocking discussions we’ve had with several of our guests and reflect on the flawed Dutch Protocol, which is often held up as the gold standard in childhood dysphoria medical treatment. Dr. Anne Lawrence’s reflections on Autogynephilia and the extreme measures she feels some might take are discussed in the context of the Dutch researcher’s interview. We also think back about the role Az Hakeem’s groups will play when we examine this period in hindsight, years down the line. Perhaps Susan Bradley is right about ASD being a large explanatory factor in understanding gender dysphoria more broadly. We also look at the Samoan Prime Minister’s response to the Olympic Weightlifting competition: arguably the leaders of integrating male femininity into their society, the Samonas had sharp words for the Pacific Games Council’s admission of trans MtF lifter, Laurel Hubbard, in competing against two Samoan women.We’re wrapping up this season and we’ll be returning to our regular weekly programs with our next episode on May 20th. If you are a Patron, thank you! And don’t fret: we’ll continue recording our weekly Q&amp;As and posting them on Patreon. Thanks for listening!Extended NotesStella and Sasha, being therapists, naturally ask questions to gain understanding of one’s thinking. They talk about the psychological and emotional toll this series had on them.They first analyze their conversation with Thomas Steensma and Annelou de Vries. Sasha shares what stood out to her.Stella also touches on her thoughts and why she sees avoidance tactics as anti-psychological.They explain what the gender dysphoria scale is all about.The entire premise of the puberty blockers experiment is based on the so-called success of the gender dysphoria scale. They both share their disagreements with these methods.Sasha talks about the unethical assumptions made with their studies.They move on to analyze their conversation with Anne Lawrence and how both their mouths dropped when she talked about castration.Stella asks why obsession is not being brought into this rather than just focusing on it as a gender identity topic.Sasha shares her thoughts about the dismissive counseling she has noticed in general.They both talk about their understanding of the depth of Anne’s suffering through her experience.Sasha evaluates Anne’s actions and responses as an obsession to a rejection of a body part, which is common in most Aspy people.Stella thinks there is still so much to be done on autistic diagnosis brainwork and she is looking forward to the next 15‒20 years.Everyone has a very high regard for the Dutch model, implying that they are being very careful but they both disagree.Sasha recalls how Steensma and de Vries may have perceived them as activists in their line of questioning.Stella and Sasha share more feedback about the Dutch study if they truly wanted it to be neutral and inclusive.What if the whole premise of the gender dysphoria scale is flawed? Sasha asks in retrospect.We shouldn’t really change something unless we have a really clear understanding of what the current state of affairs is. Stella reflects on this against puberty blockers.They share how off-putting it was for them to talk about the human body in a flippant manner.What if Jazz Jennings was put on this gender dysphoria scale? Stella and Sasha talk about their disappointment further.Stella mentions Az Hakim and how she admires his approach vs. the rigid coldness of the so-called...

This episode is being rereleased as part of our Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Countdown!&nbsp;Jesse Singal was instrumental in shining a light on the defamation of Dr. Ken Zucker in 2016. Then, two years later, he became even more widely known in the gender world for his seminal, long-form piece in the Atlantic, “When a Child Says She’s Trans.” In this conversation, we discuss flaws in the science of gender dysphoria treatment and the misrepresentation of research findings in the media. We also look at the recent pronouncements from the Biden Administration, new state legislation, and Health and Human Services proposals. We discuss how all of this impacts our understanding of complex issues and shapes the American political landscape around gender today.Links:Jesse’s Recent book: The Quick Fix: Why Fad Psychology Can’t Cure our Social Ills https://amzn.to/3yIVwpn &nbsp;&nbsp;Researchers Found Puberty Blockers And Hormones Didn’t Improve Trans Kids’ Mental Health At Their Clinic. Then They Published A Study Claiming The Opposite. (Updated) https://jessesingal.substack.com/p/researchers-found-puberty-blockers?s=r&nbsp;&nbsp;What the Media Gets Wrong on Gender Reassignment:  &nbsp;https://spectatorworld.com/topic/media-wrong-gender-reassignment-transgender/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Civil rights discrimination providers - gender affirming care: &nbsp;https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-ocr-notice-and-guidance-gender-affirming-care.pdf&nbsp;&nbsp;The Cut&nbsp;https://www.thecut.com/2016/02/fight-over-trans-kids-got-a-researcher-fired.html&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.thecut.com/2016/01/false-charge-helped-bring-down-kenneth-zucker.html&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When a Child Says She’s Trans:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/when-a-child-says-shes-trans/561749/&nbsp;&nbsp;Extended NotesJesse explains how he became involved in publishing transgender articles.Journalism allows Jesse to follow a subject to the core of an issue.Before Jesse became known for his Atlantic piece, he was already interested in psychology fads.Stella enjoys self-help books.In his new book, The Quick Fix, Jesse argues that Americans turn to fad psychology because the real problems are too big to be solved.Researchers have been known to give credence to work that does not warrant it.Bad journalism abounds and Jesse often follows up bad stories with the facts.Stella states that maybe the Dutch study should be more thoroughly examined by Jesse.Writing and publishing articles on gender is complicated.Jesse says Republicans are taking the gender issue to the state level.Politicians have no idea of what the real science around the issue is.Sasha asks Jesse if he believes this to be a medical...

This episode is being rereleased as part of our Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Countdown!&nbsp;If you’ve ever asked yourself: how is this happening? How are so many institutions completely captured by contemporary gender beliefs? How are medical bodies, educational institutions, and courts operating in ways that seem crazy? Well, then you really need to listen to this insightful and clarifying discussion with Leor Sapir.&nbsp;Leor is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. A driven researcher with a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston College, Dr. Sapir previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard University. His academic work, including his dissertation on the Obama Administration’s Title IX regulations, has investigated how America’s political culture and constitutional government shape public policy on matters of civil rights.Similarly, at the Manhattan Institute, Dr. Sapir will apply his knowledge of political theory and American government to policy issues, homing in, particularly on issues of gender identity and transgenderism. His inaugural essay in the Winter 2022 issue of City Journal explores a series of recent court rulings surrounding transgenderism, demonstrating how bad ideas translate from fringe academic theory into law and policy. Previous web pieces for City Journal have explored evolving athletic guidelines and media coverage surrounding transgender issues. He discussed these pieces in a recent episode of City Journal’s 10 Blocks podcast.Leor asserts the collapse of liberal optimism has brought about mindless apathy and subsequently, a kind of soft despotism. Leor makes the razor-sharp observation that being non-judgemental is our new civic religion. We talk about institutional capture, whether courts are the best place to decipher complex social issues, and what the impending malpractice lawsuits will mean for gender medicine. We also discuss the difference between the U.S. system and systems in progressive European countries, where a reversal of affirmation medicine seems to be taking place. We get into so much here: political philosophy, the virtue of tolerance vs. apathy, and what’s at stake when members of a society begin to lose their sense of engagement and responsibility to one another and to truth itself.Links &amp; Resources:Leor Sapir’s writings: https://www.manhattan-institute.org/expert/leor-sapirWinter 2022 issue of City Journal:https://www.city-journal.org/magazine?issue=345Leor Sapir’s essay on athletic guidelines:https://www.city-journal.org/confused-and-flawed-debate-over-transgender-inclusion-in-womens-sportsLeor Sapir’s essay on media coverage:https://www.city-journal.org/misguided-affirmationsCity...

This episode is being rereleased as part of our Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Countdown!&nbsp;Bio: Steensma&nbsp;Thomas D. Steensma, Ph.D., is a health psychologist, principal investigator and part of the outpatient management team at the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria at Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Trained as a child and adolescent psychologist, his clinical work is focused on the counseling and treatment of people of all ages with gender incongruence and Differences in Sex Development (DSD).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As principal investigator, his research lines are focused on psychosexual development, gender identity development and treatment evaluation of youth with gender incongruence. Over the years, he has published over 50 peer reviewed articles in international journals and several book chapters in close collaboration with prominent scientists in the field of gender and sexology. He has co-supervised several Ph.D. and master students.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;His recent scientific work is focused on understanding the developments in our field focusing on the change in observed sex ratios and the influence of media attention on gender referrals and understanding the processes and factors involved in non-binary gender identity formation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He is currently part of the working group for the text revision of the DSM-5 chapter on Gender Dysphoria. In the development of the 8th version of the Standards of Care of the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH), he is part of two working groups: Assessment and Therapeutic Approaches of Non-Binary People and Assessment, Support and Therapeutic Approaches of Children.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bio: de Vries&nbsp;Annelou de Vries is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and full staff member in the dept of child and adolescent psychiatry working at the Amsterdam UMC.&nbsp;&nbsp;Annelou de Vries is leading the Child Psychiatry Department of the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria of the Amsterdam UMC. She is president elect of the European Professional Association of Transgender Health (EPATH) . She is co-chair of the adolescent chapter of the Standards of Care revision of the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At present, her lines of research focus on 1) the co-occurrence of autism and gender dysphoria, 2) capacity for informed consent of transgender adolescents, 3) long term follow up of transgender adolescence into middle adulthood, 4) sexual development of transgender adolescents,&nbsp; 5) shared decision making in transgender care, and 6) pathways in gender identity exploration and affirmation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The reason this interview is so important is bc the concept of puberty blockers originated with these two researchers (along w/ cohen kettenis.) We talk about patient zero and the 22 year follow up w/ this person. We get into the nitty gritty details about the 2 studies on which all puberty blocker treatment is based: we ask why they selected certain methods, talked about eligibility criteria, and the 15 participants who didn’t make it into the final study. We even touch on Jazz Jennings, social media, ROGD and detransition. This conversation felt, to us at least, like we barely scratched the surface: we were frankly left with more questions than answers, which we are so eager to talk about in our post series analysis. You’ll probably notice the vast differences between the perspectives of these researchers and of myself and Stella, but...

In this last episode before our break, we begin with some important and exciting announcements about what listeners can expect in 2023 from Gender: A Wider Lens. We then launch into one of our most important interviews yet: “Teiresias” was a patient at the notorious Dutch clinic. Unlike the common misconception that the Dutch used an air-tight method for correctly identifying kids who would benefit long-term from transition, Teiresias’s detransition reveals the truth about childhood gender medicine, even when it’s being practiced by the “gold standard.”He speaks out about his medical transition and subsequent detransition. Teiresias was a feminine boy who, with puberty, became increasingly distressed by his same-sex attraction. One day Teiresias watched a TV program where a trans man described the happiness that came about as a result of medical transition. A seed was sown, and Teiresias turned to the internet where he was encouraged by older trans women to transition as soon as possible.Teiresias describes the way the Dutch clinic ignored his childhood trauma, the difficulties with his father, his self-loathing, and his internalized homophobia and instead, led him on to a medicalized pathway with the gender affirmative approach. An over-eager surgeon encouraged Teiresias to undergo many procedures until one day he realized he was chasing a false dream. He then decided to get off the fast track and began his detransition.Links:Sasha’s Parent Coaching Membership Site:&nbsp;https://www.subscribestar.com/sashalpcStella’s Substack:&nbsp;https://stellaomalley.substack.com/https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/66-pioneers-series-where-it-all-started-the-dutch-researchers-steensma-de-vrieshttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/69-pioneers-series-post-series-analysis-breakExtended NotesStella shares her experience of speaking with detransitioners from the Dutch clinic.Teiresias felt that he had a double side, telling friends he wanted to be a girl.His parents switched schools because of the bullying in the previous one.At ten, Teiresias felt neutral about being attracted to other boys and said he was gay.He thought puberty would make him attracted to women.He found himself mimicking straight boys and talking about liking girls while still being attracted to boys.At 12 or 13, he used derogatory terms to describe trans people just like everyone else.The family went through a difficult divorce while he was entering puberty. It caused him to isolate himself.In 2015, a talk show introduced him to a teenage trans man who described how happy he was after transitioning.Based on information he found on the internet, he self-diagnosed as bipolar and autistic until finding a trans description he aligned with.Teiresias started fixating on certain parts of his body but it never solved a problem.After entering the Dutch clinic, he had a specific picture in his mind of the woman he wanted to become.During his intake to the clinic in 2015, his mother insisted he was still troubled by his relationship with his father.There was a real-life phase at the clinic where Teiresias was...

StoicMom is a certified life coach and former classroom teacher who has some unique ideas about parenting and education. Like other moms whose lives have been altered when their teens adopted a trans identity, StoicMom was initially determined to rescue her daughter from this dangerous ideology. She quickly recognized what she was up against and sunk into desperate fear and rage. StoicMom did “all the things” to get her daughter to desist — she even moved her family to a small town in a red state — but this backfired, as gender identity theory was everywhere. Repeated failures at getting her daughter to desist left her feeling impotent and hopeless.Eventually, StoicMom had to accept that her approach was also taking a toll on her health and relationships. To restore sanity and stability to her home, she’d need to find a better way. So, she turned to her life-coaching toolbox and decided to reframe what was happening to her daughter and to herself. Knowing she couldn’t really control her daughter’s experience, StoicMom decided she would take charge of her own.In addition to immersing herself in studying attachment theory, conflict resolution, and communication skills, StoicMom focused on the gratitude she felt for her family members’ healthy qualities. She grounded herself in her values and worked to let go of the focus on her daughter’s outcomes.Earlier this year (2022), StoicMom launched a substack where she wrote about her approach and hoped other parents would find a bit of solace from the outrage culture. StoicMom also relaunched her coaching practice and now works 1:1 with parents who are interested in changing their inner worlds as a way to heal and grow through this destabilizing experience. Her 18-year-old daughter still identifies as transgender, but, as you’ll hear, StoicMom now recognizes her child is on her own individuation process, and she’s actually doing great. StoicMom now expresses gratitude for this journey with her daughter and is using the process as inspiration to become a better human.Quotes &amp; Link:“It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”&nbsp; ― J. Krishnamurti“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” ― Albert EinsteinStoicMom Substack:&nbsp; https://stoicmom.substack.com/Extended NotesStoicMom makes suggestions to parents but doesn’t consider herself a parent coach.Has this generation taken away a child’s ability to be adaptable and survive?StoicMom and her daughter bonded over the incongruencies in the education system.The relationship between StoicMom and her daughter started to crack when they disagreed on the daughter’s desire to become diagnosed and medicated.A friend informed StoicMom that her daughter preferred a different name and identity.StoicMom and her husband both worked in Wilderness therapy prior to their daughter’s intervention.After the Wilderness program, when StoicMom asked her daughter about her identity her daughter told her it didn’t exist.StoicMom realized her daughter was binding her breasts.When StoicMom and her daughter finally conversed about her being trans-identified.In the Pivotal Moments piece on her substack, StoicMom reframes her experiences into gratitude.StoicMom’s daughter never went back to the traditional education environment.StoicMom adopted the practice of stoicism to focus on what she had control over.StoicMom is testing the waters of calling herself an Individuation coach.StoicMom strives to be a model for her...

Today’s interview might be a bit different from what our listeners are used to, and we think it’s crucial to recognize the many arenas of life where gender identity beliefs have been elevated. Not only elevated over progressive or classically liberal institutions but even within religious institutions, which you might think are inoculated from a radical gender-identity takeover.&nbsp;Our guest, Bernard Randall initially studied Classics and Ancient History (the subject of his Ph.D.), but after feeling the call to ministry he added theology to his studies and was ordained in the Church of England in 2006. After a spell in parish ministry, he entered educational chaplaincy in 2011, first in a Cambridge University college, and then at Trent College, a fee-paying K-12 school near Nottingham with a Church of England foundation. He had a general awareness of the issues around gender and gender identity but was forced to face them head-on in 2018 with the arrival of Educate and Celebrate, a pro-LGBT+ program in his school. Randall completely agreed with the organization’s aim of eradicating homophobic bullying, but when staff was instructed to charismatically chant “smash heteronormativity,” Bernard felt this was at odds with Christian beliefs. When a pupil requested, in 2019, that he give a sermon in the chapel outlining some of the differences between traditional Christian beliefs and LGBT ideology, he decided to take this request very seriously. He carefully crafted the sermon to honor everyone’s right to believe what they believe. He encouraged pupils to make up their own minds about these contemporary LGBTQ issues, but also to respect those with whom they disagreed. He was initially sacked for gross misconduct but then reinstated with a final written warning and censorship of all his sermons. When COVID-19 struck, he was put on furlough and eventually made redundant. He has sued the school for religious discrimination and unfair dismissal. The court hearing was in September this year, with the result not likely to be handed down before January 2023.This is a remarkable discussion. In addition to Bernard’s story, we also delve into some of the philosophical and therapeutic issues with things like ex-gay, detrans, emotional fragility, and whether or not we put enough trust in young people’s resilience. This is our conversation with Bernard Randall.&nbsp;Links:News Story on the Case:&nbsp;https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/09/04/chaplain-sacked-defending-students-right-question-school-lgbt/&nbsp;Live Tweet of the Case:&nbsp;https://tribunaltweets.substack.com/p/bernard-randall-vs-trent-college&nbsp;Bernard’s Sermon:&nbsp;https://christianconcern.com/resource/a-school-sermon-by-bernard-randall-competing-ideologies/Extended NotesBernard’s father is a retired Vicar and then God called upon Bernard to become an ordained priest as well.When Bernard promised to be the public face of Christian truth he did so with resolve.In 2015, he joined the school as a school chaplain and teacher.At the school in 2018, the pro-LGBTQ+ Educate and Celebrate organization gave staff training in queer theory and pushed their political agenda.Bernard felt forced to investigate the organization’s ideas because moral and ethical matters were his responsibility as school chaplain.Educate

Two other members of GETA’s leadership team join Sasha and Stella for this special episode: Jungian Analyst, Lisa Marchiano and psychoanalyst, Joe Burgo join to discuss the new Clinical Guide that will be officially launched on December 3rd 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;GETA, the Gender Exploratory Therapy Association and other groups have worked together to produce this guidance, which provides a loose framework for skilled and ethical therapists who are interested in depth-oriented work with gender-related distress. The launch of this document will be paired with a ground-breaking free workshop for any interested clinicians who want to learn how to work with gender issues in an ethical, exploratory fashion.&nbsp;&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;&nbsp;Dec 3rd Launch Event: https://bit.ly/GETADecember&nbsp;&nbsp;GETA, the Gender Exploratory Therapy Association: www.genderexploratory.comExtended NotesThe group shares why they believe GETA should exist.Gender can feel like an exception to everything you know for clinicians and therapists.GETA is a psychological approach to psychological problems.GETA created a thorough clinical guide for therapists who work with gender-questioning youth.The new guide is not a model for working with gender dysphoria. It leaves room for different approaches.The group discusses what the guide is and what it is not.The guide includes full-assessment guidance.This opens up further discussions around gender.The guide looks at what a true, informed assessment is.Gender exploratory therapy is not conversion therapy.There is a difference between the clinical side to look at things and the political.The guidelines will be free on the GETA website and will be launched with a webinar.Clinicians who are considering joining GETA are welcome.

Dr. Leonore Tiefer is a native New Yorker, and an author, educator, feminist, researcher, psychologist, and activist whose work focuses on sexuality. She was a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine from 1981‒2018. She has been elected to office and received honors from major U.S. and international sexology and feminist psychology organizations such as the International Academy of Sex Research and the Association for Women in Psychology.Today, Leonore tells us about getting her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 1969. As a sexologist, she was studying hormones and sexual behavior in rats. When she got wind of the women’s revolution taking place outside her laboratory, she began a deep dive into feminist readings. Thinking about the cultural and social aspects of sexuality completely changed her paradigm. She came to believe that observing rat behavior in a lab could never help us understand how humans think about their own sexual experiences. She changed the direction of her work completely and eventually directed The Campaign for a New View of Women’s Sexual Problems to challenge sexual medicalization and Big Pharma trends. That was between 2000 and 2016. New View was a grassroots campaign focused on so-called “female sexual dysfunction” and the growing industry of cosmetogynecology. In 2011 the award-winning documentary on the subject, called “Orgasm Inc.'' featured Dr. Tiefer’s work and tracked one drug company’s race to develop the first female Viagra.Leonore is also the author of hundreds of research and theoretical papers and book reviews and several books, including Sex Is Not a Natural Act. She’s recently taken a keen interest in pediatric gender medicine, which has some familiar elements for Dr. Teifer. Namely, the financial interests of drug companies, over-zealous physicians, well-meaning social justice elements, and eager patients themselves, can create the perfect storm for ethically questionable medicine.&nbsp;You may notice that we had a hard time with Dr. Tiefer’s connection, and our editing team did the best they could with the audio. Things do clear up toward the middle of the interview, though. We hope this doesn’t become too distracting and we thank you in advance for bearing with us. Dr. Tiefer’s insights are so valuable; she is a wealth of knowledge and brings a very human yet analytical lens to the field of sexology.We hope to have her back since there was so much to discuss. Some good bits had to get cut out because of sound quality when we’d just barely scratched the surface. Hopefully, this will be accompanied by another interview in the future. For now, here’s our first discussion with Dr. Leonore Tiefer.&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;Dr Tiefer: https://www.leonoretiefer.com/Orgasm Inc.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgasm_Inc.Dr. Vajayjay’s! Privatize Those Privates: https://youtu.be/T9kCw0Lmaa0Throw that Pink Pill Away: https://youtu.be/YNouazagUtIDr Tiefer’s CV: https://www.leonoretiefer.com/New View: http://newviewcampaign.org/Extended NotesLeonore received her Ph.D. before the women’s movement in 1969.She underwent a personal paradigm shift to study the social, cultural, and historical sexuality of women.Being a feminist and sexual therapist offered Leonore a...

WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) has recently released its Standards of Care, Version 8 (SOC8) to a lot of criticism and controversy. Sasha and Stella provide a preliminary examination of WPATH and their SOC8, explaining why they believe glaring issues within these guidelines have discredited the organization.&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;WPATH SOC8: https://www.wpath.org/soc8BMJ: https://www.bmj.com/content/378/bmj.o2303Wesley Yang: https://wesleyyang.substack.com/p/of-eunuchs-and-wannabesThe Daily Wire: https://www.dailywire.com/news/wpath-explains-why-they-removed-minimum-age-guidelines-for-children-to-access-transgender-medical-treatments-so-doctors-wont-get-suedGenspect: https://genspect.org/wpath-explained/The Economist: https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/09/22/new-standards-of-transgender-health-care-raise-eyebrowsExtended NotesWPATH is a fringe organization.Many doctors are influenced by WPATH without knowing it.The Standards of Care are misguided and fully represent the citations they are based on.Stella shares the history of WPATH and its documents.In 1979, Harry Benjamin released his first Standards of Care.In 2006, the Henry Benjamin Foundation changed its name to WPATH.In SOC 7, a chapter on ethics was removed from the document yet the chapter on eunuchs remained.SOC8 has the feel of a shopping list of surgical interventions.Almost all of the minimum age requirements were missing from SOC8.The language is “lawyer language” because it is vague enough for no one to be held responsible.The document is more about political will than clinical care.Sasha shares the nonsensical parts of SOC8, referencing the non-binary chapter.Many items are categorized under gender but are truly body modifications.Many website references cited in the document include unsavory information.Detransitioners are badly depicted in SOC8 and the definition of a detransitioner is abhorrent.Visit https://rethinkime.org/ and https://genspect.org/ to learn more.&nbsp;&nbsp;For more about our show: https://linktr.ee/WiderLensPod.&nbsp;

Wesley Yang, an essayist and public intellectual, has written extensively about 21st-century America and the liminal position of the non-black, non-white person. Coining the term "successor ideology" in 2019, Wesley has carefully analyzed this particular kind of ideology among left-wing movements that is centered around identity politics. Wesley has recently turned his attention towards gender issues and, in this episode, he delivers a blistering analysis of how gender has become a socio-political juggernaut, infiltrating society in every possible way.&nbsp;His substack features his writing, and the writing of other authors who are covering all the shocking twists and turns in the gender debates. He is also covering the release of the new WPATH Standards of Care, and the subsequent talks given about various chapters, including the now infamous eunuch chapter.&nbsp; As you’ll hear Wesley has a truly incisive mind and dynamic voice, and we’re so thrilled he’s pointing his attention towards pediatric transition and the horrible treatment parents receive when they attempt to protect their children. We’ll just let him speak for himself: here is Wesley Yang.&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;&nbsp;Wesley Yang’s Substack: https://wesleyyang.substack.com/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wesley Yang’s Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/wesyang&nbsp;&nbsp;The Face of Seung-Hui Cho&nbsp;https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-6/essays/face-seung-hui-cho/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Book the souls of yellow folk&nbsp;&nbsp;https://amzn.to/3BCtziO&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eliza mongreen transexceptionalism and kids twitter&nbsp;&nbsp;https://twitter.com/elizamondegreen/status/1494299809297178633?s=20&amp;t=yF8H9TotYE_4ENzc41_JIg&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Swedish Documentary The Trans Train:&nbsp;&nbsp;Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJGAoNbHYzk&amp;t=265s&nbsp;&nbsp;Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73-mLwWIgwU &nbsp;&nbsp;Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3WqLT9NEnU&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Billboard Chris on Wesley’s Youtube:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://youtu.be/AlacNs0b6Jw&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Teacher with gigantic prosthetic breasts is defended in Ontario:&nbsp;<a href="https://reduxx.info/ontario-high-school-defends-fetishistic-large-bust-wearing-teacher/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Brian Belovitch is an author, actor, and mental health professional. As a longtime resident of NY, he has a storied career as a writer and gender outlier. He was a featured guest on The Moth Storytelling Hour on NPR sharing a story from his memoir, Trans Figured: My Journey from Boy to Girl to Woman to Man, published in 2018. In June 2019, Brian was named one of the 50 most influential LGBTQ authors of all time by Barnes and Noble and he participated in the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Gay Pride Parade in New York City. Brian was also the subject of a documentary film that made its world premiere at DOC NYC titled; I’m Gonna Make You Love Me directed by Karen Bernstein.Most recently, Brian holds a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling, where he plans to use his lived experience as a cis gay man of trans experience to help others who are exploring their identity journeys. As a long-term survivor of HIV, Brian lives proudly as an out beloved gay&nbsp;man, advocating on behalf of the LGBTQ community in all its wondrous expressions.We start today, all the way back to Brian’s childhood. He was always a feminine and flamboyant kid, and his parents and brothers ostracized him severely for it. He tells us about his complicated relationship with his family and early on beginning to live a life full of risks, adventures, and self-sabotage. In New York in the 70s, Brian was living through a whirlwind of drugs, nightclubs, prostitution, and drag shows. He could not find his place as a feminine gay man and the pull towards creating a beautiful, seductive, new self as a woman became too strong to withstand. Brian transitioned to Tish and embarked on new trans adventures, both enriching and self-destructive. Tish even married an army man and tried to settle down in a domestic housewife role that Tish thought was expected of women. Only after beginning his process of sobriety did Tish realize this was a dead-end path that would either lead to bottom surgery or, as Brian now puts it, death. So as the fog of addiction cleared and with the help of a supportive therapist, Tish decided to re-transition to Brian. There are a lot of adult themes discussed today, so please be mindful of who's listening. We hope you enjoy our discussion with Brian Belovitch.Links:Trans Figured: Journey from Boy to Girl to Woman to Man https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Trans-Figured/Brian-Belovitch/9781510729643Extended NotesBrian was often misgendered as a child.Growing up with five athletic brothers didn’t feel right to Brian.Brian was influenced by the homophobic and racist nature of his childhood home.Most of Brian’s earliest sexual experiences were not positive, loving experiences.Paulie was the first person to see Brian and appreciate who he was as a person.At 17, Brian’s mother kicked him out of his childhood home but was welcomed by Paulie’s mother.Dressing in drag offered Brian acceptance and validation.At 19, after starting the transition process, Brian attempted suicide when his family rejected him.Because of his beauty, Brian had passing privilege and married a soldier.Finally, at 30, a therapist asked Brian what he thought about being male.Therapy and sobriety changed Brian’s life.Brian never considered the consequences of being unfaithful to his husband.Living with the risks of sex work was only made easier by Brian’s drug and alcohol use.No one knew Brian was trans.Brian found it harder to transition from Tish to Brian than he did originally transitioning to Tish.Brian uses re-transitioned, not de-transitioned to...

Dr. David Bell retired last year from his position as a consultant psychiatrist at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, where he worked for 25 years. There, he led the Fitzjohns Unit service which provided long-term psychotherapy for those with enduring, severe psychological problems. He is also the former President of the British Psychoanalytic Society.While he was in the Governor role at the Tavistock and Portman Trust, through a series of events, which we cover today, Dr. Bell discovered that something was going terribly wrong in the Children’s Gender Identity Development Service, or GIDS. Something I didn’t know before speaking to Dave is that the broader Tavistock Service had an established reputation for excellent psychoanalytic treatment models and for providing the highest quality of psychological care. So, clinicians who applied to work there were expecting to join the ranks of the most thoughtful and knowledgeable psychotherapists in the UK. Those young and inexperienced clinicians who were funneled into the GIDS landed in a very different kind of treatment setting. They started raising their complaints and getting nowhere, so they started trickling, one by one, to Dr. Bell with their stories. Not only were they ill-equipped to provide proper, thorough care to kids with incredibly complex stories, but they were also getting a clear message from their direct chain of command: concerns were not going to be properly addressed. In fact, there was a culture of fear about raising these issues and clinicians felt a strong pressure to simply get through their humongous caseloads without rocking the boat.In 2018, Dr. Bell described all of this in a highly critical report on the GIDS which became part of the chain of events, which included critical involvement from our former guests, Marcus and Sue Evans, which led to the Judicial Review (the Kierra Bell Case), the thorough external Cass Review, and its recent decision to close down the GIDS.Links:Guardian Article about Dave Bell:&nbsp;https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/may/02/tavistock-trust-whistleblower-david-bell-transgender-chilDr.en-gids&nbsp;Dave’s YouTube talk via Genspect:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGJeHcjtI4A&nbsp;Andrew Gilligan at the Times on Marcus Evans’ Resignation:&nbsp;https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/governor-quits-blinkered-tavistock-clinic-82db7wzq8Extended NotesOriginally, Dave was put off by psychiatry due to the overmedicalization so he involved himself in anti-psychiatry.Dave created a unit for providing psychotherapy for disturbed patients.Dave became a governor at Tavistock.He found little interest at Tavistock in investigating the validity of the GIDS unit.Other doctors at Tavistock had raised their concerns about GIDS, but cautiously.The major complaints at Tavistock were caseloads and unresearched affirmations of children with gender dysphoria.Unexperienced clinicians were often confused about the purpose of the organization.Against a legal recommendation, Dave sent his review of GIDS and the accompanying complaints to the board.There was very little follow-up with adolescent patients so statistics were unavailable.Dave still doesn’t know who leaked his report to the press.Marcus Evans resigned from Tavistock because Dave’s...

Ellie was a gender nonconforming 90s kid in the UK. She became a patient of what came to be the Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS) at Tavistock. She was seen at the time by Dr. DiCeglie, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and the GIDS founder. Ellie describes her psychological treatment with him and her decision, early on in life, that medicalization simply was not an option. She tells us about her family life and coming to terms with being gay in her teens. Ellie is now married to her wife and living happily. But she also talks about gender dysphoria being something she, and many lesbians, simply learn to live with. She offers some fascinating insights about the way technology is used, and social media, in particular, can mimic a kind of schizophrenia experience, with too many competing voices and opinions influencing the minds of teens today. She tells us about being featured in a BBC2 children’s program as a kid, and you can see the YouTube video of this segment in the show notes. We also discuss the book Hannah Barnes has written, soon to be published, for which Ellie was interviewed. If you’ve ever wondered about the desistance literature and hoped to tie a more human, personal story to the statistics, then you’re going to appreciate this discussion with Ellie.Links:BBC2 Short Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRU8TtOqGSA&nbsp;Extended NotesFrom as early as two years old, Ellie rejected dress clothes.Ellie has a theory that her sister’s ability to get attention played a part in her gender dysphoria.Ellie thought life would be easier if she was a boy and only hung out with boys.Why does being a boy or a girl matter?Ellie’s mother was a nurse who was treated for a genital condition (DSD) when she was born.Ellie’s mother took her to GIDS at Tavistock to treat her gender dysphoria.DSD is caused by a recessive gene.Ellie’s parents were freely naked in the house and on vacation at nudist beaches.When approached with the idea, Ellie thought of medicalization and surgery as a ridiculous option.Ellie was treated by the doctor who founded GIDS at Tavistock.Some doctors are in the business for status.Entering puberty Ellie did have one influential female friend.Ellie’s doctor provided a Watchful Waiting period.Buffy the Vampire Slayer offered Ellie a glimpse into the idea that women could be superheroes and embody their power.Everyone naturally has a relationship with their gender.The thing, Ellie says, she desired from masculinity is to have height. Surgery couldn’t provide that.Gender dysphoria is not static. It is constantly changing.Ellie had unrequited crushes on straight girls but her first sexual encounters were with men because that is who approached her.Romantically Ellie is interested in women, physically she considers herself bisexual.Ellie considers social media to be a drug.Ellie was interviewed extensively for Hannah Brown’s upcoming book about the Tavistock Clinic.

Ritchie Herron, also known as TullipR on Twitter, is a 35-year-old detransitioning male who spent almost a decade living as a trans woman. Before his fixation on gender, Ritchie had spent most of his life struggling with debilitating anxiety and obsessional OCD thoughts. As you’ll hear, he is brilliant, articulate, and compelling. But in his teens and young adult life, he forced his big personality into submission. He was terrified of the truth: that he was gay.&nbsp; Internalized shame, body hatred, and extreme isolation only fed into his OCD.In the throes of all this, he found an online forum about gender dysphoria, and everything changed in an instant, as Ritchie had a new goal and a new OCD obsession. In this interview, he delivers a moving and powerful account of what happened next. And keep in mind, this is the story of a vulnerable adult, well over 18, but still the victim of a system that missed red flags over and over again. In 2018, after much coaxing from the professionals, he underwent a procedure under the UK’s National Health Service which removed his genitals. The regret set in almost immediately.Ritchie is now working towards suing the NHS for failing to address serious mental health issues during the diagnostic process. He is active on Twitter, and his brilliant substack, promoting and reposting stories of detransitioners, particularly highlighting the hidden stories of men, bringing awareness to the public about what he calls “the medical scandal of our time.”Links &amp; Resources:Ritchie’s Substack — TullipR: https://tullipr.substack.com/Ritchie’s harrowing tweet thread on being a detransitioner:&nbsp;https://twitter.com/TullipR/status/1536422533230206976?t=QXFZlhxy7GKaTd812rAlTA&amp;amp;s=08Twitter: https://twitter.com/TullipRExtended NotesRitchie didn’t set out to be a mouthpiece for male detransitioners.Most people don’t understand the pressures associated with gender clinics and therapy.He longed to express himself as a child but he held it in which caused anxiety and OCD.During his teens and as his parents went through a divorce, Ritchie suffered in silence.He began SSRIs in his early 20s.He hated his body.When Ritchie told his psychologist he was trans, it was noted but not worked through.The gender clinic knew Ritchie was OCD.Forums helped implant the idea that Ritchie could be a woman who is loved by men.Paying the gender clinic with a PayDay loan, Ritchie had his transsexual diagnosis within two days.Estrogen tablets didn’t block Ritchie’s testosterone levels.Ritchie embodied a character of who he thought he should be instead of who he was.Pre-gender reassignment surgery, Ritchie’s mother attempted to warn the medical staff of his mental issues.When Ritchie discovered the waitlist for surgery was over four years, he decided to reaffirm and have the surgery.Shame and regret kicked in almost immediately after the surgery.Ritchie felt the anti-antigen was a big part in inducing his psychotic state.When Ritchie first found the detrans community he was angry but then realized he needed to talk.In trans discourse, males are regarded less than females.Vulnerability doesn’t have an age limit.Ritchie shares some of the physical repercussions of gender reassignment surgery.Ritchie’s advice to others is to avoid surgery at all...

If you’ve ever asked yourself: how is this happening? How are so many institutions completely captured by contemporary gender beliefs? How are medical bodies, educational institutions, and courts operating in ways that seem crazy? Well, then you really need to listen to this insightful and clarifying discussion with Leor Sapir.&nbsp;Leor is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. A driven researcher with a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston College, Dr. Sapir previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard University. His academic work, including his dissertation on the Obama Administration’s Title IX regulations, has investigated how America’s political culture and constitutional government shape public policy on matters of civil rights.Similarly, at the Manhattan Institute, Dr. Sapir will apply his knowledge of political theory and American government to policy issues, homing in, particularly on issues of gender identity and transgenderism. His inaugural essay in the Winter 2022 issue of City Journal explores a series of recent court rulings surrounding transgenderism, demonstrating how bad ideas translate from fringe academic theory into law and policy. Previous web pieces for City Journal have explored evolving athletic guidelines and media coverage surrounding transgender issues. He discussed these pieces in a recent episode of City Journal’s 10 Blocks podcast.Leor asserts the collapse of liberal optimism has brought about mindless apathy and subsequently, a kind of soft despotism. Leor makes the razor-sharp observation that being non-judgemental is our new civic religion. We talk about institutional capture, whether courts are the best place to decipher complex social issues, and what the impending malpractice lawsuits will mean for gender medicine. We also discuss the difference between the U.S. system and systems in progressive European countries, where a reversal of affirmation medicine seems to be taking place. We get into so much here: political philosophy, the virtue of tolerance vs. apathy, and what’s at stake when members of a society begin to lose their sense of engagement and responsibility to one another and to truth itself.Links &amp; Resources:Leor Sapir’s writings: https://www.manhattan-institute.org/expert/leor-sapirWinter 2022 issue of City Journal:https://www.city-journal.org/magazine?issue=345Leor Sapir’s essay on athletic guidelines:https://www.city-journal.org/confused-and-flawed-debate-over-transgender-inclusion-in-womens-sportsLeor Sapir’s essay on media coverage:https://www.city-journal.org/misguided-affirmationsCity Journal’s 10 Blocks podcast episode on the gender identity debate<a...

Jennifer Lahl is the founder andpresident of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network. She has 25years of experience as a pediatric critical care nurse, hospitaladministrator, and senior-level nursing manager, and more recently,she’s also become a successful filmmaker. In 2010, she made herwriting, producing, and directing debut producing the documentaryfilmEggsploitation,which has been awarded Best Documentary by the California IndependentFilm Festival and has sold in more than 30 countries. She is also theDirector, Executive Producer, and co-writer of AnonymousFather’sDay(2011), a documentary film exploring the stories of women and men whowere created by anonymous sperm donation. In 2014 she completed threefilms on the ethics of third-party reproduction, aka surrogacy, witha trilogy called: Breeders:ASubclassofWomen?.In July 2015, she released a documentary short calledMaggie'sStory,which follows one woman’s egg donation journey. Lahl’s nextfeature film, #BigFertilitywas released in the fall of 2018.And of course, we were particularlyinterested in Jennifer’s films that focus on gender medicine. TransMission:What’stheRushtoReassign<a href="https://cbc-network.org/trans-mission-whats-the-rush-to-reassign-gender/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Bob Ostertag published his book, Sex Science Self: A Social History of Estrogen, Testosterone, and Identity in 2016. At the time, few people took much notice. Six years later, however, this book is causing a stir among gender critical circles and provoking considerable thought and discussion.Today, Bob Ostertag expands on the book, which explores the way pharmaceutical companies have been marketing testosterone as the essence of manhood and estrogen as the essence of womanhood. Pioneering physicians have also been looking long and hard for a condition, even if they have to fabricate one, for which these hormones offer a solution. Bob’s work raises important questions about the beliefs people hold about these substances and what those substances mean for their personal identity. And of course, these beliefs are changing rapidly as society expands its understanding of gender identity, for better or worse.Bob also reminds us that no aspect of history should be off limits for exploration. Studying the history of hormones, in and of itself, can be upsetting to people who hold strong beliefs about them. Nevertheless, knowing this history is important for anyone curious about the intersection between medicine and identity.Bob’s writing style is powerful, witty, and gripping. As you’ll see, he is a very thoughtful and cautious conversationalist. Towards the end of the discussion, Bob also raises some challenges to me and Stella about our show, and how some of our guests frame the biological or organic determinants of sexuality and identity. This conversation gave us much to think about and we will continue exploring these ideas in subsequent episodes. So without further delay, here’s our discussion with Bob Ostertag.Links &amp; Resources:Sex Science Self: A Social History of Estrogen, Testosterone, and Identity, by Bob Ostertag, University of Massachusetts Press, 2016, https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Science-Self-Estrogen-Testosterone-ebook/dp/B07CHB9B7YISBN: 978-1-62534-213-3&nbsp;Extended NotesIn his book, Sex Science Self: A Social History of Estrogen, Testosterone, and Identity,Bob describes the extraordinary claims by big pharma and the medical establishment about hormones determining gender.Is human gender chemical-based?Bob offers examples of the meaning of how hormones affect the body and how that meaning has changed.A deeper dive into the marketable idea that testosterone represents masculinity.How to better anticipate the landmines of pharmaceutical propaganda.Pharmaceutical hormones were the miracle cure without a disease.At the time, the thought was whoever could synthesize testosterone was going to be rich.Gay liberation groups did not want to talk to the medical establishment.Transgender issues are reflective of all the problems we have in the world today.In the past, a transition was only accomplished through physical surgery.All human identities are becoming chemically constructed.A project out of UC Berkeley is attempting to debunk the Low T campaign.Bob dispels some myths about hormone imbalances and the medical conditions they supposedly cause.Inspecting the ethical dilemma of consumer-led medicines.For 10 years, Bob’s book was mostly ignored.This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit https://rethinkime.org/ and <a...

Dr. Maggy Goldsmith was working as an independent contractor at the psychological and counseling service of a small, progressive, liberal arts college when her 16-year-old daughter announced that she identified as trans-masculine and required he/him pronouns.Unable to find appropriate help for her daughter who was intensifying her demands for cross-sex hormone treatment as she approached her 18th birthday, Maggy embarked with her on a trip to their ancestral homeland. While there, Maggy wrote about her experiences as a clinician and parent of a gender-questioning adolescent. In her first PITT Substack essay titled, “To my daughter’s therapist: you were wrong,” Maggy wrote about her daughter’s process of shedding transgender identification as she worked to build a more flexible and resilient sense of self. That essay got over 20,000 reads within the first three months of its publication. Her second PITT essay titled, “Trans and the myth of sloppy parenting,” explored the conditions that made her family fertile ground for gender ideology and how, ultimately, the parent-child bond was the solvent for her daughter’s gender dysphoria.Maggy’s clinical work with teens and families impacted by gender dysphoria is guided by child and adolescent developmental theory and a belief that a good working alliance between therapist and patient can act as the scaffolding to support a young person’s mental health and emotional growth.We enjoyed this discussion so much that we decided it will be followed up by a Part II in the coming weeks.Links &amp; Resources:https://pitt.substack.com/p/trans-and-the-myth-of-sloppy-parentinghttps://pitt.substack.com/p/to-my-daughters-therapist-you-wereExtended NotesMaggy was surprised to see they/them pronouns on student applications.She didn’t think much of her daughter approaching her with the idea of taking hormone therapy when she turned 25.Her daughter had the makings of an identity crisis.During Covid, tragedy struck the family and her children were attending school online.Her daughter went to Planned Parenthood to get testosterone shots on her 18th birthday without talking to Maggy.Even respected gender identity specialists were offering Maggy misplaced recommendations.Maggy felt that she had no resources and that she, as a clinician, would have to figure things out on her own.Attaching to binaries and a denial of history is common in teens and this compels a parent to be present-day focused.The same day Maggy made an appointment for her daughter at a gender clinic, her daughter bought a dress and heels online.Maggy thought about traveling as a way to give her daughter time to get clearer about her identity.Her son supported her daughter’s transition which Maggy found created a toxic environment.A fellow psychologist told Maggy that she was abandoning her son.In the family’s native language there are no gendered pronouns.When Maggy told her daughter she was done with gender issues, her daughter admitted to being done with it as well.Wider Lens Renewal Retreat — Arizona 2022:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wider-lens-renewal-retreats-arizona-2022-tickets-368655377157This podcast is sponsored by ReIME andGenspect. Visit https://rethinkime.org/and <a href="https://genspect.org/"...

Denise Caignon is the founder of 4th wave now, the very first parent blog in the U.S. exposing the dangers and madness of the gender affirmative model of care for minors. In 2014, Denise seemed to be an ordinary U.S. mother who happened to work in healthcare, when her then 17-year-old daughter, out of the blue, texted her a link to a gender doctor’s website who claims he approves hormones and surgery for trans people.Denise refers to herself as a “good liberal” who didn’t know anything about this but was willing to investigate, so she made phone calls. She soon became puzzled by the response of the gender affirmative clinicians and decided she needed to do her own research. As it turns out Denise is quite extraordinary. Always a maverick and a deep thinker, found herself accidentally starting the groundbreaking website, 4thWaveNow, which grew to play a huge role in careful analysis and documentation of the psychological and medical harms being done to young people in the name of gender.Today, we talk with Denise as she reflects on how the U.S. has changed in its approach to this issue and some challenges we face when promoting gender exploratory therapy. This is a special conversation since Denise is so insanely knowledgeable about all things contemporary gender debates: from the big picture to the behind-the-scenes internet drama. Oh, and by the way, her daughter no longer identifies as trans, and she tells us about that story too. So, buckle in, and enjoy our discussion with 4thwavenow founder, Denise.Links:https://4thwavenow.com/Not Plural Phobic: https://4thwavenow.com/2017/12/29/not-plural-phobic-uspath-psychiatrist-promotes-transition-for-multiple-personalities/Age is just a number: https://4thwavenow.com/2017/03/20/age-is-just-a-number-when-it-comes-to-genital-surgeries-on-minors/Alexander Korte: https://www.lmu-klinikum.de/kinder-und-jugendpsychiatrieThe pop tarts story: https://4thwavenow.com/2017/07/23/i-just-gave-him-the-language-top-gender-doc-uses-pop-tart-analogy-to-persuade-8-year-old-girl-shes-really-a-boy/Extended NotesIn 2014, Denise’s daughter sent her a link to a gender clinic.Denise researched as much as she could about trans people quickly.She never intended to start a website but she needed to find other people who understood what she was going through.She received death threats after posting her first article.Denise describes the pop tarts story.After a visit to a somewhat offline horse farm, Denise’s daughter desisted.A certain percentage of gender dysphoric young people end up being gay or lesbian.Denise doesn’t believe desistance is a bad thing.Certain hormones can sterilize young people.People who weren’t talking about gender issues in the past are now talking about gender issues.Sasha, Stella, and Denise discuss the differences in the U.S. and the UK with regard to gender discussions.Finding common ground can be difficult when all sides want to capitalize on gender discussions.Denise describes the faith component involved in some detransition

Shannon Thrace is a writer, IT professional, and devotee of farm-to-table restaurants, summer festivals, all-night conversations, and lifelong learning. She’s passionate about unplugging, getting outside, and traveling the world. She’s also a trans widow who has written a memoir, soon to be published.Today Shannon tells about first meeting her husband, Jaime. She fell in love and married a man who was creative and artistic, with an eclectic but grungy style. He was down for anything, fun to be around, and spontaneous. They moved from the city to the country. This was a young open-minded couple that enjoyed a playfulness in their relationship. So when Jamie stumbled across trans porn and developed an interest in cross-dressing, Shannon was more curious than distressed. But then things took a weird turn. As Jamie started to spend more time in online spaces, and less time in the real world, his interest in cross-dressing changed from a fun activity to a real struggle with gender dysphoria. He spiraled into worsening mental health and their marriage took a dive. Shannon tells the story of how her loving marriage couldn’t withstand the pressure of Jamie’s obsessions, ideologies, and online activism. We touch on the role of affirmative therapists, the loss of her friends, and Shannon’s utter isolation from this complicated situation. Ultimately a solo camping trip helped her ground herself and make a decision about ending the marriage. She ends this interview with some advice to other women who may be in a similar situation.Links:Substack: shannonthrace.substack.comShannon's Book: 18 Months: A Memoir of a Marriage Lost to Gender Identity Extended NotesShannon shares the story of her love for her husband.Exploring Trans pornography was Jamie’s way of introducing Shannon to his transformation.Jamie changed his personal style many times over the years.Shannon identified as a lesbian before meeting her husband.While testing out the waters of cross-dressing, Jamie was writing about his masculinity in a blog.A brief comment from a stranger ignited Jamie’s gender dysphoria.Jamie’s story closely fits into the gender dysphoria narrative on the internet at the time.Jamie was so depressed he stepped out of his everyday life. He quit work and stopped having sex with Shannon.Shannon’s therapist recommended she write a letter to say goodbye to her male partner.The therapist commented that she thought it would be fun to transition Jamie.Jamie started to pull away, sabotaged Shannon in tirades, and gave their mutual friends ultimatums.Jamie has had surgery to fully incorporate his beliefs.Shannon believes gender dysphoria can be acquired.Shannon offers advice for those who have spouses in various stages of transitioning.Wider Lens Renewal Retreat – Arizona 2022: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wider-lens-renewal-retreats-arizona-2022-tickets-368655377157This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit https://rethinkime.org/ and https://genspect.org/ to learn more.For more about our show: https://linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Professor Tony Attwood has specialized in Autism Spectrum Disorders since he qualified as a clinical psychologist in England in 1975. He has written two books: Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals and The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome. Between the two, they’ve sold over 800,000 copies and have been translated into dozens of languages.He has been a keynote speaker at many Australian and International Conferences and he presents workshops and runs training courses for parents, professionals, and individuals with Asperger’s syndrome all over the world.Today, Dr. Attwood helps us to better understand autistic traits in the gender-questioning teens we see today. We covered this topic in Episode 17 but felt there were things we missed and wanted to clarify. As Dr. Atwood informed us before we hit record, his expertise is in Autism, and he may not be as well versed in the intricacies of contemporary gender identity activism or the studies around gender dysphoria, transition, and desistance. But his knowledge of autism in children and teens is vast and he was engaging and lovely to speak to!We asked Dr. Attwood about special interests, or the fixations and narrow obsessions that are common in autism, we asked him about the difficulty with socializing and how immediate affirmation in an LGBT peer group might be experienced. We also delve into the vulnerabilities and strengths of autistic adolescents and how parents can best support their children when they make rigid or urgent demands. Dr. Attwood highlights the difficult position parents may be in when their child is highly distressed but rushing into a process he/she may not fully understand. We also explored the new world that has opened up to teens via computers and social media and the tricky landscape that complicates a normal adolescent search for identity.Links:Website:&nbsp; https://tonyattwood.com.au/&nbsp;Dr. Attwood’s Books on Amazon:&nbsp; https://amzn.to/3PKm1AN&nbsp;Events:&nbsp; https://www.attwoodandgarnettevents.comExtended NotesSasha explains to Professor Attwood the slower, psychological approach to gender facilitated on this podcast.Often, in those with autism, the age of emotional maturity does not match the chronological age.Professor Attwood describes what he believes to be the similarities between autism and gender.Autistic individuals seek affirmation and the transgender community offers affirmation but not at the level the autistic individual is seeking.Discovering a self-identity, regardless of gender, is a mechanism of realization utilized by Professor Attwood.Parents are expected to accept a child’s different concept of self in autism and gender.From a psychological perspective, it seems that social transition creates a sort of pathway toward medical transition.With autism subtlety is rare.Professor Attwood shares the positive and negative physical and psychological advantages for teens who find acceptance online.In his group, Professor Attwood explores how the world is perceived by autistic individuals.The ratio of autistic boys to girls is two to one.One in three of those in eating disorder clinics have autism, gender-dysphoria, etc.What it means when diagnoses are changed from autism to ADHD+.Professor Attwood describes an example of when children have characteristics of autism but not the disability.Gender exploration

Maya Forstater is a researcher, writer, and advisor working on business and sustainable development. She is one of the founders of Sex Matters, the UK-based, not-for-profit organization that seeks to re-establish that sex matters in rules, laws, policies, language, and culture.In 2019, she lost her job after tweeting and writing about sex and gender. She had begun talking and tweeting about news articles that she felt espoused bizarre new beliefs about gender and what the implications may be. For example, while building a campaign to combat overly-sex-segregated toys for children, called Let Toys be Toys, Maya observed that society had shifted from fighting sex stereotypes to claiming that some children were neither girls nor boys. It was fascinating to learn that even when researching tax policy, Maya found herself calling out unrealistic, utopian ideas and ruffling feathers among her liberal peers. In this conversation, Maya also reflects on her unlikely position in her landmark court case which established that gender-critical views are protected as a belief under the equality act. Despite her reluctance to jump into a complex and messy legal process, she felt a strong conviction to take this on.Links:Wider Lens Renewal Retreat — Arizona 2022:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wider-lens-renewal-retreats-arizona-2022-tickets-368655377157Sex Matters:https://sex-matters.org/Let Toys Be Toys:https://www.lettoysbetoys.org.uk/Twitter Handle: https://www.twitter.com/@MForstaterMore of Maya’s Writing:https://a-question-of-consent.net/Extended NotesIn 2017, Maya took notice of the gender wars and started the “Let Toys Be Toys” campaign.Maya believes women are women and women have rights.It is widely spread that Maya is a Tax Accountant but her role in social justice is much more than that.Maya challenges people to engage in issues on Twitter and in her workplace.An employer told Maya that because she retweeted Kathleen Stock she was a bigot.Maya retained her job after explaining her plight on a blog and Twitter.Her father’s legal experience influenced Maya about whether or not to sue others.There is a legal time limit on discrimination cases.At the moment Maya was prepared to launch a public campaign, a major social justice law firm dropped her case.Maya has public support from those unable to raise their voice at work.The first hearing, that Maya lost, was about sex being real and a protected philosophical belief.In the first trial, a judge called Maya an Absolutist.A tweet from JK Rowling catapulted Maya’s campaign into the international spotlight.In 2021, Maya finally won a case that created a precedent that gender-critical people have the same rights as religious people.Sex Matters is an organization Maya founded to educate people about their rights.This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit https://rethinkime.org/ and https://genspect.org/ to learn more.For more

Following on from the first episode on desistance (77), Sasha and Stella address a common question they get from parents of gender-questioning children: Could my child be desisting, and if so, how should I respond? The episode begins with a description of how it might look if a child is desisting or developing more psychological flexibility around gender. Then, they explore the many different responses parents can have when they suspect their child is in a desistance process. Commonalities among parents of desisted kids are discussed, and Sasha and Stella offer some practical advice for parents who may be confused by conflicting information from both affirmative practitioners and gender-critical commentators alike.Links:Wider Lens Renewal Retreat — Arizona 2022:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wider-lens-renewal-retreats-arizona-2022-tickets-368655377157Extended NotesDesistance is a highly emotional subject.Signs that may indicate desistance or gender flexibility in children.Parents should educate themselves and relax while teenagers are exploring gender.Rules of thumb for bringing up a conversation about gender with kids.Stella discusses Ireland and the lack of emphasis on medicalizing children there.Selfies and an emphasis on how someone looks have impacted children in negative ways.Radical interventions proactive parents have done to keep kids mentally healthy and engaged in life.A household in which a child feels they can be themselves can have a bigger impact than therapy in some cases.Does desistance manifest differently in boys than in girls?Gender can be concentrated or diluted depending on a child’s other interests.Moving is a strategy to mitigate unhelpful influences.In desistance stories, things that make a difference are when parents get creative about broadening their child’s life.When a child adopts a new name it is much different than when they adopt different pronouns.Therapy can help parents while their child is desisting.This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit https://rethinkime.org/ and https://genspect.org/ to learn more.For more about our show: https://linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Bret Alderman is a writer and life coach who works with gender-questioning teens and their parents. He received his Ph.D. in Depth Psychology from the Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2012. His book Symptom, Symbol, and the Other of Language: A Jungian Interpretation of the Linguistic Turn, is an attempt to understand postmodernism, specifically its intense preoccupation with language, from a perspective informed by the work of Carl Jung. This work, in turn, has led him to an interest in Queer Theory and its relation to earlier, first-generation postmodernist thinkers.Bret’s insight into postmodernist and poststructuralist thinking provides a rich platform onwhich to get to grips with gender ideology. In this fascinating discussion, he explains the “linguistic turn” and the Jungian concepts such as ideological possession and other important archetypes. Perhaps most importantly, Bret tells us why a statement can be literally false and yet remain metaphorically true — and how we can best respond when this is happening.Links:Bret Alderman: Symptom, Symbol, and the Other of Language: A Jungian Interpretation of the Linguistic Turnhttps://www.routledge.com/Symptom-Symbol-and-the-Other-of-Language-A-Jungian-Interpretation-of/Alderman/p/book/9780815359135Bret’s website: https://www.aldermancoaching.com/Judith Butler: Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex https://www.routledge.com/Bodies-That-Matter-On-the-Discursive-Limits-of-Sex/Butler/p/book/9780415610155?gclid=Cj0KCQjwzqSWBhDPARIsAK38LY8qB6h2FzpBYFMlcfzKiKmPE1zWEeh0C49TJ2humz9XDRNgpspkiBQaAqJbEALw_wcBExtended NotesFor his book, Symptom, Symbol, and the Other of Language, Bret researched the linguistic turn.Bret defines the Jungian “nothing-but” attitude.Queer theory and gender identity theory would be impossible without poststructuralism and the particular understanding of language it inaugurated.In their malleable state, young people may believe they have been misled into a different narrative.A death-rebirth motif runs through the discourse of what it means to be transgender.In the context of gender, something can be literally false yet metaphorically true.The body is a language itself and how physical characteristics are used to communicate who we are.Animals that are sexually dimorphic also exhibit differences in behavior.Bret details Prometheanism and its place in gender ideology.The issue with deifying an idea.Bret describes how he moves past the jargon of the internet during therapy.Jung’s active imagination technique for internalized transphobia.It is normal for teens to radically change the way they present themselves to the world.Bret contends that gender identity theory and queer theory are not sustainable.How knowing more than one language translates into a different mindset.This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit https://rethinkime.org/ and https://genspect.org/ to learn more.For more...

Stephanie Davies-Arai is the founder and director of Transgender Trend, the leading UK organization calling for evidence-based healthcare for gender dysphoric children and young people and fact-based teaching in schools. She was shortlisted for the John Maddox Prize 2018 for the school’s guide, “Supporting gender diverse and trans-identified students in schools.” She is a communication skills expert, teacher trainer, parent coach, and author of Communicating with Kids. Stephanie was an intervener in the High Court in support of Keira Bell and Mrs. A, who brought a landmark case against the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service. They claim that under-18s are not old enough to consent to treatment with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Stephanie was awarded the British Empire Medal as founder of Transgender Trend for services to children in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours list.In this discussion, we talk about how adults have always attempted to strike a balance between encouraging creativity and affirming reality for children. Stephanie started noticing a reversal in the parent-child relationship through her research into parenting books and then saw this trend come to life in media stories of trans children and the parents whose job was to facilitate their child’s self-development.Stephanie is also asked, given her background as an expert in communication with children, how would she want to introduce ideas of sex, gender, orientation, feminism, and media literacy to kids. We also explore how other vulnerable groups and protected categories are shadowed when we fixate disproportionately on gender and sexuality. How does this impact children’s development and sense of self? What happens when we lie to children? Stephanie offers some advice to parents who hope their child’s fixation on one particular thing will resolve (whether it be gender or otherwise). And lastly, we ask Stephanie to make some predictions of what will transpire regarding gender, transition, and education in the near future.Links:http://www.transgendertrend.comhttps://stephaniedaviesarai.com/communicating-with-kids/http://www.4thwavenow.comExtended NotesStephanie designed her own courses and wrote Communicating with Kids: What Works and What Doesn’t.Parents affirm a child’s reality in life.Based on 1970s TV, Stephanie internalized messages about women and their place in the world.Stephanie feels compelled to act when she sees an injustice.You don’t tell lies to children.A Huffington Post article about trans children and their parents triggered Stephanie to write her first book.In 2014, the BBC released a TV program for kids, named I Am Leo, about a transitioning girl.Stephanie thinks the U.S. was approximately five years ahead of the UK in detransition information.The impact of the pressure of objectification and stereotypes on teens.Feminism is not taught in schools, Identity Politics are.The need to critique organizations that make money from women.Acknowledging gender differences empowers young people to better understand themselves.We can make better decisions if we are aware of the messages we get from our culture.LGBTQ+ groups in schools may pigeonhole kids who just want to be non-conforming or non-conventional.Stephanie examines social contagion in teens.Stephanie receiving the British Empire Medal represents a sea of change.In 5‒10 years, Stephanie believes huge changes will...

This is Part 1 of a 2-part series on desistance. The difference between desistance and detransition is quite stark and in this episode, Sasha and Stella focus on the complex experience of desistance. How might a child come to desist? What facilitates or hinders this process, and what complicated feelings go along with this experience? Sasha and Stella also discuss the changes that have arisen in recent years and how compared to previous generations, society today responds very differently to children with gender dysphoria. In the next episode on desistance, EP 80, Sasha and Stella will help answer the question: How can I tell if my ROGD child may be desisting?Links:Cantor’s analysis of the desistance literature:&nbsp;http://www.sexologytoday.org/2016/01/do-trans-kids-stay-trans-when-they-grow_99.html&nbsp;Follow-up study of boys with Gender Identity Disorder:&nbsp;https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.632784/fullExtended NotesThe word desistance means a person no longer wants to transition.Stella shares her journey of feeling as if she was a girl and also a boy.It can be horrifying when people don’t understand how one feels about their gender.Attempting to will yourself into a new reality.With puberty comes consciousness of reality.For thousands of years, people repressed their sexuality and gender and lived a lie.Growing up in today’s technology-driven world is vastly different from being a teen in the past.There is a correlation between gender non-conforming children and being gay, lesbian, or bi-sexual.A 2021 study showed that 80% of dysphoric boys desisted and 64% were gay.Stella shares her thoughts on This Is How It Always Is: A Novel by Laurie Frankel.Desistance does happen and often teens are grateful they didn’t make permanent changes.Desistance requires a reckoning.Gender issues have been polarized in political realms.Stella wanted to be powerful and feminine when she was 17.A person’s peer group can make it easier or harder for them to desist.People flip-flop their identities all the time.Taking a deeper look into fluidity between identities.Navigating the shame that can accompany questioning gender identity.Desistance can be a coming-of-age process.This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit https://rethinkime.org/ and https://genspect.org/ to learn more.For more about our show: https://linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

In this second episode on detransition (following from EP 74), Sasha and Stella dig into several pieces of research on detransition experiences. They discuss surveys and case studies and analyze the data which is forming a picture of why detransition happens and what appropriate therapeutic care might look like for this vulnerable group. Themes emerge such as misattributing distress to the body’s sex, unprocessed grief and trauma, medical complications, and dissatisfaction with medical transition.Links:Genspect Analysis of detrans Reddit survey:&nbsp;https://genspect.org/analysis-of-reddit-detrans-survey/Pablo Exposito-Campos Detransition Paper:&nbsp;https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2020.1869126Lisa Littman’s Research Papers:&nbsp;https://littmanresearch.com/publications/Littman on Gender: A Wider Lens Podcast — EP 52: https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/52-gender-dysphoria-detransition-research-a-conversation-w-dr-lisa-littmanGenspect Highlights of Lisa’s Paper:&nbsp;https://genspect.org/detransition-highlights-of-dr-littmans-latest-peer-reviewed-study/Case Study: “Maya,” Lisa Marchiano&nbsp;https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-5922.12711&nbsp;The Seventh Penis, Bob Withers:&nbsp;https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25989331/Detransition-Related Needs &amp; Support Survey, Vandenbussche:&nbsp;https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918369.2021.1919479Detrans reddit survey (not formal data)&nbsp;https://www.reddit.com/r/detrans/comments/srpp27/the_rdetrans_demographic_survey_screened_and/Taking the Lid off the Box:&nbsp;https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330911243_'Taking_the_lid_off_the_box'_The_value_of_extended_clinical_assessment_for_adolescents_presenting_with_gender_identity_difficultiesExtended NotesThe 1% regret rate stat is misleading.There is no clear understanding of how many people change their minds about transitioning.Gender dysphoria is different than sex dysphoria.Some are disappointed because they say the physical reality of transitioning wasn't very satisfying.We are all vain. We all care about how we look.There are medical complications with transition surgery.Does a relationship to sexual orientation keep someone in a trans-identity longer?Autistic people might be more likely to remain transitioned.In one study, 70% of respondents said they...

Lisa Duval is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked with children, teens, and families for over 30 years. She is also the mother of a “fiercely gender-questioning” 18-year-old daughter, who has been male-identified for the last 5 years. She works with ROGD teens in an exploratory, empowering, feminist, and body-positive way, affirming their beautiful, complicated selves but not simply their trans identities.&nbsp;We start with Lisa describing the old DSM multiaxial system, which was actually discarded in the current version, version 5. In Axis 2, we had cognitive and personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder. Listeners often ask me and Stella about potential links between borderline personality constellations and gender issues, so we were really excited to speak with Lisa about this. For starters, Lisa shares why borderline personality disorder should rarely ever be diagnosed in teens, though sometimes you might hear psychiatrists say a child has some “borderline traits.” We delve into how common, and almost quintessential, these traits are as a part of normal adolescent development.Lisa then explains a fascinating theory: not only are kids with these traits perhaps more vulnerable to ROGD but also that aspects of gender identity ideology iatrogenically create borderline dynamics in dysphoric kids. In other words, gender ideology and a dogmatic affirmation approach could be causing and exacerbating these borderline traits. We also have a chance to explore the overlap between expressions of Autism and Borderline, and Lisa comments on a previous discussion we had about this with Dr. Susan Bradley in Ep. 65. At the end of the episode, Lisa shares a really interesting way she and her clients have been able to circumvent the issue of picking a new cross-sex name while exploring gender identity.Extended NotesLisa explains the personality disorders in Axis 2.Lisa grew up with parents who were diagnosed with personality disorders.If you work with people at a young age you can make a difference.Personality disorders can be trauma-based or genetically sourced.Diagnosing a disorder or behavior during the teenage years is not advised.Teenagers may naturally have a persecution fantasy.Falsely diagnosing gender dysphoria creates a personality structure that is in opposition to integration.A borderline personality disorder is in between neurosis and psychosis.Most gender therapists believe they are helping children.Lisa shares ways ROGD parents can connect with their kids and how clinicians can work with Cluster B people.Examining incredibly liberal parents and the response from teens who want their own thing.Lisa stresses the importance of giving children the agency to figure things out on their own.Kids are hearing from multiple sources that if their parents don’t support them the parents are wrong.Lisa pioneered the concept of an iatrogenic personality disorder.For children, it is important for them to integrate the different parts of themselves.Strategies for integration and gender roles that encourage children to maintain all sides of themselves.This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit https://rethinkime.org/ and https://genspect.org/ to learn more.For more about our show: https://linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

In today’s episode, Stella and I begin our discussion of detransition. This is an incredibly rich, important, and complex topic, and we certainly don’t think we can lift up EVERY aspect of it. But in this episode, and episode 76 (the one after next), we’ll begin to explore detransition. Today, you’ll hear our initial observations and some random musings. We touch on some of the patterns and dynamics we’ve observed and how things have evolved in the world of detransition over the last several years. We highlight the vast differences between people’s experiences of detransition and how sometimes, the pathway into a trans identity may impact the pathway out.&nbsp;In episode 76, we’ll start diving into the literature and research we now have about detransition. We’ll look at a few important papers, surveys, and studies and what they can tell us about this growing population.&nbsp;Links:Detrans Voices:https://www.detransvoices.org/&nbsp;Post Trans:https://post-trans.com/&nbsp;Detrans Canada:https://detranscanada.com/&nbsp;Detransition Sweden:https://www.detransinfo.se/&nbsp;Detransition Russia:https://vk.com/detransition&nbsp;GCCANhttps://www.gccan.org/&nbsp;Detrans Reddit:https://www.reddit.com/r/detrans/&nbsp;Life Detransitionshttps://lifedetransitions.com/&nbsp;Genspect (Beyond Transition Initiatives):https://genspect.org/&nbsp;Beyond Transition:https://genspect.org/beyond/&nbsp;Blood and Visions:https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/30792924-blood-and-visions&nbsp;Autobiography in Five Chapters:https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/poem-autobiography-in-five-chapters/&nbsp;&nbsp;Extended NotesStella and Sasha are exploring topics around detransitioning. If you have topic suggestions and even recommended guests, please reach out!Detransitioning is a complex world. There isn’t a simple phenomenon. Stella is working on a program called “Beyond Transition.”Everyone in the trans world is aware there are detransitioners, but they’re wildly misunderstood.Sasha talks about her personal experience with detransitioners.Stella understands in the past that it was very difficult to celebrate with someone who has detransitioned. This new cohort she’s working with is being celebrated.If you feel masculine and/or feminine, you suddenly have to dress for this personality.Sasha has noticed more people becoming more vain. Is this due to social media?What kind of person “suddenly” transitions? Why does someone put so much emphasis on looking female (make-up, hair, etc) only to completely switch?After being in the...

Joe Burgo is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who’s been in practice for almost 40 years. He also writes books for a popular audience mostly focused on shame and narcissism. In this episode Joe explains how a sense of shame can be a root cause of gender dysphoria and how gender transition can be idealized as a “cure” for all kinds of shame – gay shame, outsider shame, survivor of sexual abuse shame, feeling weird or different shame, and so on. The impact of the medical model on society is also lifted up as Joe describes how his depth-approach to psychological pain is often dismissed in a world seeking a solution for every problem and a pill for every ill.&nbsp;&nbsp;Resources&nbsp;Joe’s blog:&nbsp;http://www.afterpsychotherapy.com/&nbsp;Joe’s books:&nbsp;&nbsp;Why Do I Do That? Psychological Defense Mechanisms and the Hidden Ways They Shape Our Lives&nbsp;http://www.amazon.com/Why-Do-That-Psychological-Mechanisms/dp/0988443120&nbsp;The Narcissist You Know: Defending Yourself Against Extreme Narcissists in an All-About-Me World&nbsp;http://www.amazon.com/Narcissist-You-Know-Narcissists-All-About-Me/dp/14767…&nbsp;Building Self-Esteem: How Learning from Shame Helps Us to Grow&nbsp;https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0997592028/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF…&nbsp;

This episode was made especially for anybody who might feel a sense of regret or anxiety about their medical transition. This does not mean they should necessarily detransition. Rather, it means that they are undergoing a reckoning with themselves. While some people choose to detransition, others are deeply ambivalent about transition but may feel they are “at a point of no return” and choose to remain in a trans identity. Others may find the detransition process too difficult and disappointing and decide to retransition. Sasha and Stella explore the blurry lines between terms like “transition” “detransition” and “transition regret” and hope to help listeners feel hopeful and find healing beyond these narrow concepts.Links:What I wish I’d known when I was 19 and had sex reassignment surgery, Corinna Cohn:&nbsp;https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/11/i-was-too-young-to-decide-about-transgender-surgery-at-nineteen/ &nbsp;Hormone Hangover: The Opposite of GD&nbsp; https://hormonehangover.substack.com/p/the-opposite-of-gender-dysphoria?s&nbsp;Wherever You Go, There You Are, Jon Kabat-Zinn&nbsp; https://amzn.to/3sGI6qjExtended NotesMake the best decision for yourself at the time.Sasha changes her mind about the argument made by Alice Dreger.Stella shares her experience of working in addiction and her patients’ lost years.Some experiences make a person feel like an outsider in their peer group.The importance of speaking with someone who relates to you.The Beyond Transition project encompasses all the different layers of transition.Transitioning or detransitioning is nobody's business but the individuals.Therapy and practices for the body help people get in tune with their physiology.For those feeling overwhelmed, consider what you can do today, not tomorrow, just today.Learning to be patient and dealing with setbacks requires mental flexibility.Sharing a transition experience can assist others with their journeys.The reasons behind self-destructive behaviors.Navigating the multiple pathways to healing.Tools to understand influence and mitigate self-blame.Stella shares the beautiful story of a woman who detransitioned.Getting back to nature and the calming effects of pets.Only you know what you need. Do what you have to do.This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit https://rethinkime.org/ and https://genspect.org/ to learn more.For more about our show: https://linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Jesse Singal was instrumental in shining a light on the defamation of Dr. Ken Zucker in 2016. Then, two years later, he became even more widely known in the gender world for his seminal, long-form piece in the Atlantic, “When a Child Says She’s Trans.” In this conversation, we discuss flaws in the science of gender dysphoria treatment and the misrepresentation of research findings in the media. We also look at the recent pronouncements from the Biden Administration, new state legislation, and Health and Human Services proposals. We discuss how all of this impacts our understanding of complex issues and shapes the American political landscape around gender today.Links:Jesse’s Recent book: The Quick Fix: Why Fad Psychology Can’t Cure our Social Ills https://amzn.to/3yIVwpn &nbsp;&nbsp;Researchers Found Puberty Blockers And Hormones Didn’t Improve Trans Kids’ Mental Health At Their Clinic. Then They Published A Study Claiming The Opposite. (Updated) https://jessesingal.substack.com/p/researchers-found-puberty-blockers?s=r&nbsp;&nbsp;What the Media Gets Wrong on Gender Reassignment:  &nbsp;https://spectatorworld.com/topic/media-wrong-gender-reassignment-transgender/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Civil rights discrimination providers - gender affirming care: &nbsp;https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-ocr-notice-and-guidance-gender-affirming-care.pdf&nbsp;&nbsp;The Cut&nbsp;https://www.thecut.com/2016/02/fight-over-trans-kids-got-a-researcher-fired.html&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.thecut.com/2016/01/false-charge-helped-bring-down-kenneth-zucker.html&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When a Child Says She’s Trans:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/when-a-child-says-shes-trans/561749/&nbsp;&nbsp;Extended NotesJesse explains how he became involved in publishing transgender articles.Journalism allows Jesse to follow a subject to the core of an issue.Before Jesse became known for his Atlantic piece, he was already interested in psychology fads.Stella enjoys self-help books.In his new book, The Quick Fix, Jesse argues that Americans turn to fad psychology because the real problems are too big to be solved.Researchers have been known to give credence to work that does not warrant it.Bad journalism abounds and Jesse often follows up bad stories with the facts.Stella states that maybe the Dutch study should be more thoroughly examined by Jesse.Writing and publishing articles on gender is complicated.Jesse says Republicans are taking the gender issue to the state level.Politicians have no idea of what the real science around the issue is.Sasha asks Jesse if he believes this to be a medical scandal.In 1972, Sweden was the first country to bring in gender recognition.Many studies

We’re back! Sasha and Stella update listeners with how they’ve spent their six-week break and jump right into discussing the plight of parents whose kids are experiencing gender distress. The first-ever in-person Wider Lens retreat for parents was held in Maryland in March 2022. This was a profound experience for the attendees and also for Sasha and Stella, who reflect today upon the common themes picked up at the retreat. These include medical negligence, parental guilt, and the transformative and comforting power of connection that emerged between parents who truly understand each other. Forthcoming plans for Season Two are also highlighted in this episode.Extended NotesProof the mental health lesson of “take a break” can have a positive effect.Stella describes how she spent her time away from the podcast.Struggling with writing, Sasha found inspiration in Patricia Goodson’s book, Becoming an Academic Writer.Sasha is creating an environment that is conducive to calm, mindful writing.The interest and impact of the Wider Lens in-person retreat.Sasha calls out the medical professionals who neglect their jobs.It was a warm reception at the retreat as parents mentioned the podcast. Stella felt like she was meeting old friends.At the retreat, parents from all different backgrounds were united by sharing their stories, some for the first time.A common thread between the families was that therapists had recommended social or medical transitions without performing proper assessments.Meeting in person brought a sense of community to parents as similar patterns emerged.Parents often blame themselves but they need to cut themselves some slack. There is no formula.Empathy and understanding are the foundational building blocks of healing.The needs of parents who have boys are profoundly different from girls’ gender dysphoria.Both Stella and Sasha noticed that a lot of sibling tension emerged during the retreat.There is not a lot of family-oriented therapy around gender.Parents who worry about their parenting are probably in the top 5% of caregivers.There is a requirement for parents and that is to let go and trust the process.It is easy for parents to lose themselves when their child feels lost.Identity can trap us in very dangerous ways.During her time off, Sasha has been re-exploring Tao.Sasha recommends The Parent's Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents,by William Martin to Stella.There will be another retreat in Arizona at the end of October 2022.Sasha shares the new ideas for forthcoming podcasts.Stella is further exploring the state of the nation in the United States.2022 could be a pivotal year for gender.&nbsp;This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit Rethinkime.org and Genspect.org to learn more.&nbsp;For more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

We have completed eleven interviews and today we analyze the second half of our Pioneers Series. Stella and I discuss the psychological and emotional impact of some recent interviews. We review the shocking discussions we’ve had with several of our guests and reflect on the flawed Dutch Protocol, which is often held up as the gold standard in childhood dysphoria medical treatment. Dr. Anne Lawrence’s reflections on Autogynephilia and the extreme measures she feels some might take are discussed in the context of the Dutch researcher’s interview. We also think back about the role Az Hakeem’s groups will play when we examine this period in hindsight, years down the line. Perhaps Susan Bradley is right about ASD being a large explanatory factor in understanding gender dysphoria more broadly. We also look at the Samoan Prime Minister’s response to the Olympic Weightlifting competition: arguably the leaders of integrating male femininity into their society, the Samonas had sharp words for the Pacific Games Council’s admission of trans MtF lifter, Laurel Hubbard, in competing against two Samoan women.&nbsp;We’re wrapping up this season and we’ll be returning to our regular weekly programs with our next episode on May 20th. If you are a Patron, thank you! And don’t fret: we’ll continue recording our weekly Q&amp;As and posting them on Patreon. Thanks for listening!&nbsp;Extended NotesStella and Sasha, being therapists, naturally ask questions to gain understanding of one’s thinking. They talk about the psychological and emotional toll this series had on them.They first analyze their conversation with Thomas Steensma and Annelou de Vries. Sasha shares what stood out to her.Stella also touches on her thoughts and why she sees avoidance tactics as anti-psychological.They explain what the gender dysphoria scale is all about.The entire premise of the puberty blockers experiment is based on the so-called success of the gender dysphoria scale. They both share their disagreements with these methods.Sasha talks about the unethical assumptions made with their studies.They move on to analyze their conversation with Anne Lawrence and how both their mouths dropped when she talked about castration.Stella asks why obsession is not being brought into this rather than just focusing on it as a gender identity topic.Sasha shares her thoughts about the dismissive counseling she has noticed in general.They both talk about their understanding of the depth of Anne’s suffering through her experience.Sasha evaluates Anne’s actions and responses as an obsession to a rejection of a body part, which is common in most Aspy people.Stella thinks there is still so much to be done on autistic diagnosis brainwork and she is looking forward to the next 15‒20 years.Everyone has a very high regard for the Dutch model, implying that they are being very careful but they both disagree.Sasha recalls how Steensma and de Vries may have perceived them as activists in their line of questioning.Stella and Sasha share more feedback about the Dutch study if they truly wanted it to be neutral and inclusive.What if the whole premise of the gender dysphoria scale is flawed? Sasha asks in retrospect.We shouldn’t really change something unless we have a really clear understanding of what the current state of affairs is. Stella reflects on this against puberty blockers.They share how off-putting it was for them to talk about the human body in a flippant manner.What if Jazz Jennings was put on this gender dysphoria scale? Stella and Sasha talk about their disappointment further.Stella mentions Az Hakim and how she admires his approach vs. the rigid coldness of the so-called experts.Psychotherapy vs. Bodily Autonomy. Sasha compares the difference between their...

This is the last episode in our pioneers series and the second interview with Dr. Paul Vasey. If you haven’t heard our conversation with Paul in episode 57, I recommend you go back and listen to that one first, as we build upon many of the ideas we introduced there. Today we continue reflecting on the way Western activism interacts with research and the interpretation of the fa’afafine, the muxe, and other third-gender individuals from different countries. We talk about the implications of the fact that the fa’afafine, for example, don’t try to identify as women and whether there are conflicting rights issues in Samoa. Paul also explains how Western funding organizations can end up imposing foreign concepts onto other cultures. We even touch on the implications for things like puberty blockers and early medical intervention.&nbsp;It was a real pleasure to wrap up our series with Paul and we hope you’ll enjoy this interview and stick around next week for the post-series analysis with me and Stella.&nbsp;Links:“What can the Samoan ‘Fa’afafine’ teach us about the Western concept of gender identity disorder in childhood?” by Paul Vasey and Nancy Bartlett (2007).Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17951883/&nbsp;Extended NotesStella and Sasha reflect on the last episode they had with Paul, having now the time to digest what they’ve learned so far in this series.What is the implication of the fa’afafine to have their own gender category?Fa’afafines having their own gender role consequently makes gender dysphoria uncommon in these cultural settings.Paul talks about sports teams and how the fa’afafine participate in them as an example.What is the Samoan’s opinion about today’s phenomenon of trans women competing in international sports?Paul shares the impact the western culture has with the fa’afafine and the common questions he gets from them.What is the most important thing we can learn from the Samoan culture?Paul is skeptical about the imposition of ideas from other cultures to work when they don’t develop organically.Gender-diverse individuals in non-Western cultures are commonly depicted in idealized terms but there is no such thing as a gender utopia. Paul talks about how he thinks that’s not the reality of their everyday lives.What are the points of difference between fa’afafine and muxe? Paul shares what they are.The similarities between fa’afafine and muxe mean there is a biological structure to same-sex attraction that can be culturally universal.Sasha asks Paul how he addresses cultural relativism between different cultures.Paul does not suggest that either conceptual framework for understanding male femininity and same-sex attraction is better or worse than the other. Each has its own benefits and costs.In Samoa, male same-sex attraction doesn’t really mean anything. Paul explains this further.Paul also talks about the statistics between Western gay people vs fa’afafine vs. muxe and their implications.How do cultural influences contribute to ROGD? Paul shares his insights.Talking about cross-cultural context, Paul highlights the importance of historical change through time in terms of what boyhood femininity means.Paul uses the term female gynephilia as exclusive and explains why.Paul mentions Paul Bailey and what he said about having less flexibility in men and what that implicates.It’s natural for cultures to interact with each other and it’s natural to exchange ideas and concepts in order to evolve. But what happens when one culture imposes on another?Paul often finds a lot of people who are outsiders of

Dr. Anne Lawrence is a physician, sex researcher, and academic writer. She is also a postoperative male-to-female transsexual who underwent gender transition in 1996. Since early childhood, she had experienced an intense desire to have a female body, but she had been unable to find any scientific or popular descriptions of transsexualism that spoke to her experience. This changed in the early 1990s when she discovered Dr. Ray Blanchard’s writings about the concept of autogynephilia, which he defined as “a male's propensity to be sexually aroused by the thought or image of himself as a female.” Blanchard’s revolutionary concept gave Dr. Lawrence an essential insight into the meaning of her desire for sex reassignment, and it helped her find the courage to undergo gender transition.&nbsp;Dr. Lawrence subsequently began to research and write extensively about transsexualism and associated issues, both in academic journals and on her website, “Transsexual Women’s Resources.” She is best known for her controversial book, Men Trapped in Men’s Bodies: Narratives of Autogynephilic Transsexualism, published in 2013. The book provides a detailed summary and analysis of existing research about autogynephilia and related phenomena. It also contains excerpts from narratives submitted by over 200 male informants, describing their personal experiences of autogynephilic transsexualism and gender dysphoria.&nbsp;Anne tells us about her early experiences with AGP in childhood, how she tried various ways to sometimes navigate, alleviate or avoid this propensity. She ultimately transitioned in her 40s. Anne is now 71 and reflects on the long game. We spend time talking about her finding Dr. Blanchard’s work and her own research, her book, and her academic interest in understanding this AGP experience.&nbsp;The end of the conversation took an unexpected turn when she described mindset, the intensity, and the desperate measures that seem so reasonable when you’re tortured with severe autogynephilia. For the record, Anne has not been involved in the field for many years and her reflections do not encompass the ROGD phenomenon. Stella and I feel it’s important to listen to people’s experiences so we can understand all the manifestations of GD. However, we believe in the power of therapeutic intervention and we don’t think a nihilistic approach is helpful to deeply distressed individuals.&nbsp;Links:2008 Paper: Shame and Narcissistic Rage in Autogynephilic Transsexualism&nbsp;Pfox.org/Shame-Rage.pdf&nbsp;2013 Book: Men Trapped in Men’s Bodies&nbsp;Springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4614-5182-2&nbsp;&nbsp;Extended NotesAnne opens the discussion by breaking down what autogynephilia is.She also talks about studies that describe children having autogynephilia.Anne shares her personal history with autogynephilia starting when she was just a child.When Anne told her parents she wanted to be a girl, she was sent for psychotherapy and thought it wasn’t going to be helpful.What did Anne’s therapist do to break empathy and connection?Anne experimented with estrogens at age eighteen.She shares her realizations after her attempt at self-castration.How did she come to the idea of how she used estrogens back then? Where did she get it from?Anne made several attempts to not express her autogynephilic feelings. She shares what those attempts were.How did Ray Blanchard’s work shift Anne’s thinking or experience of her propensities?Anne graphically describes how she despaired really liking her male...

The reason this interview is so important is bc the concept of puberty blockers originated with these two researchers (along w/ cohen kettenis.) We talk about patient zero and the 22 year follow up w/ this person. We get into the nitty gritty details about the 2 studies on which all puberty blocker treatment is based: we ask why they selected certain methods, talked about eligibility criteria, and the 15 participants who didn’t make it into the final study. We even touch on Jazz Jennings, social media, ROGD and detransition. This conversation felt, to us at least, like we barely scratched the surface: we were frankly left with more questions than answers, which we are so eager to talk about in our post series analysis. You’ll probably notice the vast differences between the perspectives of these researchers and of myself and Stella, but nonetheless it was a productive and fascinating conversation.&nbsp;Bio: Steensma&nbsp;Thomas D. Steensma, Ph.D., is a health psychologist, principal investigator and part of the outpatient management team at the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria at Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands.&nbsp;Trained as a child and adolescent psychologist, his clinical work is focused on the counseling and treatment of people of all ages with gender incongruence and Differences in Sex Development (DSD).&nbsp;As principal investigator, his research lines are focused on psychosexual development, gender identity development and treatment evaluation of youth with gender incongruence. Over the years, he has published over 50 peer reviewed articles in international journals and several book chapters in close collaboration with prominent scientists in the field of gender and sexology. He has co-supervised several Ph.D. and master students.&nbsp;His recent scientific work is focused on understanding the developments in our field focusing on the change in observed sex ratios and the influence of media attention on gender referrals and understanding the processes and factors involved in non-binary gender identity formation.&nbsp;He is currently part of the working group for the text revision of the DSM-5 chapter on Gender Dysphoria. In the development of the 8th version of the Standards of Care of the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH), he is part of two working groups: Assessment and Therapeutic Approaches of Non-Binary People and Assessment, Support and Therapeutic Approaches of Children.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bio: de Vries&nbsp;Annelou de Vries is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and full staff member in the dept of child and adolescent psychiatry working at the Amsterdam UMC.&nbsp;Annelou de Vries is leading the Child Psychiatry Department of the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria of the Amsterdam UMC. She is president elect of the European Professional Association of Transgender Health (EPATH) . She is co-chair of the adolescent chapter of the Standards of Care revision of the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH).&nbsp;&nbsp;At present, her lines of research focus on 1) the co-occurrence of autism and gender dysphoria, 2) capacity for informed consent of transgender adolescents, 3) long term follow up of transgender adolescence into middle adulthood, 4) sexual development of transgender adolescents,&nbsp; 5) shared decision making in transgender care, and 6) pathways in gender identity exploration and affirmation.&nbsp; Links:Young adult psychological outcome after puberty suppression and gender reassignment&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25201798/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Susan Bradley is Professor Emerita at the University of Toronto. She graduated with her medical degree in 1966 and completed her residency in Psychiatry U of Toronto from 1968 to 1972. In 1975 she became the Founder of Gender Identity Clinic for Children and Adolescents at Clarke Institute of Psychiatry. In 1985 dr bradley handed over the head position to Dr Kenneth Zucker (who we interviewed in ep 59). She is the author or co-author of over 50 articles on various forms of psychopathology including gender identity disorders in children and adolescents. After stepping down as Psychiatrist-in-Chief at HSC spent almost 20 years consulting to Children’s Mental Health Agencies around the Greater Toronto Area with a special interest in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder who are high functioning. Dr Bradley retired in 2010.&nbsp;&nbsp;This conversation was an incredible opportunity to hear Susan give her extremely informed long-term perspective on gender nonconforming children and their treatment. She describes what she calls the ‘naivety’ of the early clinicians who put too much trust in the endocrinologists’ eager and scientifically weak recommendations. Looking back, she worries that puberty blockers were just facilitating transition and wonders if many of the dysphoric children the clinic saw actually had undiagnosed high-functioning autism. We discuss the cognitive rigidity associated with autism as well as the laser-like focus some young people have when seeking medical transition. She also shares her thoughts on the new population of ROGD kids and the cult-like aspects of social media trans activism. Dr Bradley was honest, incredibly knowledgeable, and this conversation gives us all much food for thought.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;&nbsp;Singh paper - desistance:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.632784/full&nbsp;

Dr. Az Hakeem was born and brought up in North Wales and has lived and worked in London since studying medicine. He is a Consultant Psychiatrist who previously trained in forensic Psychotherapy, Mentalization-Based Therapy and is a Group Analyst. He previously worked within the NHS in Forensic Psychotherapy specializing in Analytic Psychotherapy for conditions relating to sex, gender, sexual perversion, and violence at The Portman Clinic, part of The Tavistock &amp; Portman Clinics.&nbsp;Dr. Az Hakeem is unique in that he is the only consultant psychiatrist in psychotherapy who specializes in the specialist application of exploratory psychotherapy to persons suffering from gender dysphoria. He set up and ran the only specialist psychotherapy service for adults with gender dysphoria in the UK in the NHS and is the author of TRANS: Exploring Gender Identity and Gender Dysphoria.&nbsp;After over 15 years working in the NHS, Dr. Hakeem now works exclusively in private practice.&nbsp;In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Az Hakeem has worked as a consultant to the media, on-screen specialist, and TV Co-presenter on a number of TV programs in both the UK and Australia.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Az Hakeem considers himself a “Gender Critical Psychiatrist.” Today we get to hear about Dr. Hakeem’s facilitated group therapy for gender-distressed adults. He ran these groups for twelve years from 2000 to 2012. Containing a mix of pre-medical-transition individuals who were often gender-euphoric and post-medical-transition individuals who experienced regret, these groups created a fascinating opportunity to give gender-dysphoric individuals more insight into the long-term experience of transition. In this episode. we discuss Dr. Az’s understanding of gender distress and how he contextualizes ROGD kids into this framework.&nbsp;Links:TRANS: Exploring Gender Identity and Gender Dysphoria:&nbsp;Amzn.to/3rckYzw&nbsp;The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, by Mark Haddon: Amzn.to/3IKVbEA&nbsp;“Development and validation of a measure for assessing gender dysphoria in adults: The Gender Preoccupation and Stability Questionnaire” Hakeem, A., Črnčec, R., Asghari-Fard, M., Harte, F., Eapen V. International Journal of Transgenderism (26th August, 2016) Tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15532739.2016.1217812?journalCode=wijt20&nbsp;“Psychotherapy for Gender Identity Disorders” Hakeem, A. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2012), vol.18, 17-24 Cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/psychotherapy-for-gender-identity-disorders/D10025B4A7EBBC2250E71EA6A12465F0&nbsp;“Study Protocol for a randomized controlled trial of mentalization based therapy against specialist supportive clinical management in patients with both eating disorders and symptoms of borderline personality disorder” Robinson, P., Barrett, B., Bateman, A., Hakeem, A., Hellier, J., Lemonsky, F., Rutterford, C., Schmidt, U., Fonagy, P. BMC Psychiatry 14(1): 51. 2014Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24555511&nbsp;“Deconstructing Gender in Trans-Gender Identities” Hakeem, A. Group Analysis. The International Journal of Group Analysis Volume 43 Issue 2, June 2010<a...

Sasha and Stella sit down to discuss their thoughts and reflections on the Pioneer interviews they’ve conducted so far in the series. This analysis attempts to synthesize what they’ve learned, what differences in perspective they hold compared to their previous guests, and reiterate the importance of these discussions within the wider context of childhood transition, scientific inquiry, and deep exploration of all things gender.&nbsp;Links:Butch Identity DevelopmentExtended NotesSasha and Stella give a mid-series update on some of the thoughts they have had so far and talk about the range of guests they've had on.This series started with a bang with Dr. Paul Vasey and his research in Samoa.Is it more acceptable now for women to socially transition?Our society is obsessed with femininity. Sasha explores whether more masculine women get thrown to the wayside because of it.Is all of this genetic or not? Stella thinks there is a hereditary component to all of this.People who feel like they have a genetic mental health condition vs. an environmental mental health condition feel alienated. When it’s deemed “environmental,” it feels more human.Can we nurture ourselves into a different place from where we started? Stella says yes.Just because you are susceptible to something, doesn’t mean you will become it or that you are it.Where did the concept of puberty blockers come from? Why did it make sense as a form of “treatment”?Guest Michael Bailey had some thoughts on whether it made sense for trans men to marry or have a partner.Can you have a successful relationship when you have autogynephilia?Stella knows so many functioning alcoholics. You can always live what looks like a successful life, but underneath the surface, it’s in shambles.Stella is curious to see if anyone is doing research behind trans porn and who is watching that.The whole field around children with gender dysphoria has been badly handled.Guest Dr. Steve Levine talked about the chain of trust researchers have with one another and how there’s very little cross-checking the actual work.Stella is shocked that people want to silence researchers who have dedicated the last 20‒30 years of their lives within a particular field. Why silence them?Guest Carole Hooven experienced sexual assault and wanted to understand, through researching monkeys, why we were aggressive to one another.Sasha and Stella have some interesting guests lined up for you!This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit Rethinkime.org and Genspect.org to learn more.&nbsp;For more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Riittakerttu Kaltiala, M.D., Ph.D., BSc, is a professor of adolescent psychiatry in Tampere University and chief psychiatrist in the Department of Adolescent Psychiatry at Tampere University Hospital. She is a specialist in psychiatry, adolescent psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry. She has been clinically involved in carrying out research on adolescent gender identity issues since 2011 when one of the two nationally centralized gender identity services for minors was opened in Finland, in Tampere University Hospital. She has been actively involved in service development, continuing education, and scientific writing and collaboration nationally and internationally, and in her home country she has been invited as a member of major national initiatives related to transgender treatment guidelines and legislation. She has published numerous scientific articles on adolescent mental health epidemiology, psychiatric health services research, and clinical adolescent psychiatry.&nbsp;Riitta tells us about the shift around 2010 in Finland in which health policymakers, politicians, activists, and human rights groups pushed for the inclusion of adolescent and child services for gender transition. The adolescent psychiatrists scrambled to accommodate these new demands but recognized that identity consolidation is known to take more time and they had concerns about such early interventions. Nevertheless, they began developing a program for childhood gender services based on the literature in other countries such as the UK and Netherlands. They were astonished and quite confused when the populations arriving at their services reflected a very different demographic in age, sex, and presentation of other comorbid psychiatric issues. They saw a shift again around 2015 which continued to confound the clinicians. Riitta tells us about reading the Littman ROGD research which accurately documented what she and colleagues were seeing. Dr. Kaltiala also tells us that predictions of improvement and symptom reduction reflected in the Dutch literature were not observed in their work, and describes how Finland has moved towards prioritizing psychological care and meeting all the needs of young patients who present with GD, rather than focusing only on the gender transition requests.Links:Dr Kaltiala’s Website:Riittakerttu.fi&nbsp;Adolescent GD Current Perspectives:Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5841333&nbsp;Lisa Marchiano — Outbreak:Tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00332925.2017.1350804&nbsp;GD and ASD: A Narrative ReviewPubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26753812Extended NotesRiitta talks about how she got into psychiatry and got to work in this field.When did Riitta first come across gender identity? She shares the backstory.Riitta talks about how it was decided in Finland in 2009 that children and adolescents also needed gender medical intervention. What was the motivation behind this?It is during adolescence that young people seek and experiment with their identity. However, it is normal for them to change or evolve in 2‒3 years. It is part of the process of stabilizing their identity.It’s hard to expect in adolescent psychiatry during the early phases of adolescent development that the person would already be ready with any aspect of identity.In the beginning, most of society did not have an idea about gender identity issues so it was not discussed much, including in the medical

Ray Blanchard was the psychologist in the Adult Gender Identity Clinic at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry 1980–1995. Much of his research in those 15 years concerned transsexualism and milder forms of gender identity disorders. In 1995, he was appointed Head of the newly created Clinical Sexology Services at the CAMH. This unit comprised the Adult Gender Identity Clinic and the Kurt Freund Laboratory, the latter being the oldest laboratory in North America for the psychophysiological assessment of erotic interests in sexual offenders and other men with problematic sexual behavior. Blanchard retired from the CAMH in 2010. Since his retirement, he has continued to be active in research on human sexuality, often in collaboration with former students, colleagues, and their students.&nbsp;Today, Ray tells us how he got into the field, as he was primarily interested in conducting sex research. And then he found himself in a gender identity clinic. He got interested in boiling down the cumbersome and sprawling categorizations of gender dysphoria and deemphasizing women’s clothing. He wanted to uncover the wider framework that explains a variety of behaviors for dysphoric males. The term autogynephilia was born. Ray describes common misunderstandings about the term and addresses some myths about AGP, clusters of behavior, and what he calls “erotic mislearnings.”Links:Dr. Blanchard’s PublicationsMen Trapped in Men’s Bodies: Narratives of Autogynephilic Transsexualism, by Anne LawrenceThe Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism, by J. Michael BaileyExtended NotesA little bit about Ray and why he decided to work in sexology.What kind of classifications were there at the time for “transsexualism”?From 1980 to 1995, the females who wanted to transition in Ray’s clinic, all of them were attracted to other females.Ray talks about his observations with his patients that had autogynephilia and some common themes he saw within this group.Ray suggests listeners watch the difference in manners between Blaire White and Caitlyn Jenner.Ray shares his experiences in this field and how it’s changed throughout the years.Did Ray ever receive backlash for his work?Ray doesn’t believe there’s a connection between sexual abuse and gender dysphoria.Are male-to-female transexuals more likely to be pedophiles? Ray says no.Can autogynephilia be passed down to children? Is this genetic?Sasha wonders if it was easier to get the truth out of the patient back then vs. now; a time where people have an agenda to prove they’re trans.Having one erotic paraphilia tends to predispose you to other paraphilia. It’s not just an “autogynephilia” thing.Ray shares his thoughts on why pedophiles become pedophiles.What are some of the misconceptions of autogynephilia?Out of Ray’s clinical practice, only two women stood out as different from a gynophile.How come so many males transitioned in their late 40s?Ray shares his thoughts on trans widows and how they must be feeling when their partner comes out as trans.This podcast is sponsored by ReIME and Genspect. Visit Rethinkime.org and Genspect.org to learn more.&nbsp;For more...

Dr. Steve Levine is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.  He is the sole author of several books: Sex Is Not Simple in 1989 (translated to German in 1992 and reissued in English in 1997 as Solving Common Sexual Problems); Sexual Life: A clinician’s Guide in 1992; Sexuality in Mid-Life in 1998 and Demystifying Love: Plain Talk for the Mental Health Professional in 2006; Barriers to Loving: A Clinician’s Perspective in 2013; Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Sexual Problems: An Essential Guide for Mental Health Professionals in 2020.&nbsp;Dr. Levine is also the Senior Editor of the first (2003), second (2010), and third (2016) editions of the Handbook of Clinical Sexuality for Mental Health Professionals. He has been teaching, providing clinical care, and writing since 1973 and has generated original research, invited papers, commentaries, chapters, and book reviews. He has served as a journal manuscript and book prospectus reviewer for many years. He was co-director of the Center for Marital and Sexual Health/Levine, Risen &amp; Associates, Inc. in Beachwood, Ohio from 1992-2017. He and two colleagues received a lifetime achievement Masters and Johnson’s Award from the Society for Sex Therapy and Research in March 2005.  He was given his Department of Psychiatry’s Hall of Fame  Award in 2021.&nbsp;In our conversation, Stephen is posed the question: Why are we so prone to reductionism in our thinking about transition and gender? He explains the “chain of trust” in medical school training and academia and how it can lead to a broken system and low-quality procedures being used on a massive scale. Additionally, Dr. Levine’s deep perspective on love, intimacy, and what makes us human reflects the great wisdom he has gained from over fifty years working as a psychiatrist.Links:Solving Common Sexual Problems (1997), by Stephen LevineSexual Life: A Clinician’s Guide (1992), by Stephen LevineSexuality in Mid-Life (1998), by Stephen LevineDemystifying Love: Plain Talk for the Mental Health Professional (2006), by Stephen LevineBarriers to Loving: A Clinician’s Perspective (2013), by Stephen LevinePsychotherapeutic Approaches to Sexual Problems: An Essential Guide for Mental Health Professionals (2020), by Stephen Levine&nbsp;Extended NotesStephen was first introduced into this field by a suicidal man who wanted to become a woman.Despite working with this person for a number of years, she later did commit suicide.Sixty-three percent of teenagers now identify as a non-binary person.It seems now that if you claim a trans identity, your childhood, your backstory, is totally...

Dr. Zucker is a registered clinical psychologist in Ontario. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in Developmental Psychology in 1982. He is a Professor (Status Only) in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, and in private practice. He was the Chair of the 2013 DSM-5 Work Group on Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. He is a past President of the International Academy of Sex Research and has been the Editor of Archives of Sexual Behavior since 2002. Since 1976, Dr. Zucker has worked clinically with children and adolescents with gender dysphoria and their families. His research spans a variety of areas, including epidemiology, diagnosis, and assessment, associated mental health challenges, causal mechanisms, and long-term follow-up.&nbsp;In our discussion, Ken describes the early years of working with childhood gender issues starting in the 1970s. We talk about the changes he’s seen in the kinds of kids, families, and therapists in the field. Politics has always been present in the world of gender identity treatment, but this came to a head for Ken when he was fired from his position at the CAMH hospital in Toronto 2015 after activists made some wild accusations and hospital administrators became fearful for their positions. After a three-year legal battle, he was finally vindicated and compensated. Even with his decades of leadership in the field, Zucker was not protected from this early cancel-culture manifestation. We talk about what his story means for individuals in practice and the field more broadly.Links:Dr. Zucker’s Website:&nbsp;Kenzuckerphd.com&nbsp;Sexual Identity Conflict in Children and Adults:&nbsp;Amazon.com/Sexual-Identity-Conflict-Children-Adults/dp/071560774XExtended NotesKen talks about how he accidentally got into the studies of gender identity disorders.He shares about when he met Sue Bradley and joined her gender identity clinic for children and adolescents at the Clark Institute of Psychiatry in Toronto that she just started in the early ’70s.What was it like working with this study, it being taboo at the time?Ken also talks about the parents that brought their children to their clinics. What led them to seek help?Anxiety about sexual orientation is still an issue that many parents struggle with.Ken shares the shift in focus of their research studies from the ’70s to the early 2000s between children and adolescents.How much impact do social media and the internet have with rapid onset gender dysphoria? Ken also shares his insights on this.Ken talks about his experience and the various views of the subcommittees within the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) during his involvement with them.Ken gets into more details when their clinic got closed in 2015, being one of the early targets of cancel culture.With newer administrative heads in their child program, the criticisms they received in 2015 would have been taken differently if it was still managed with Sue Bradley and their former bosses.Ken shares what were his thoughts at this time. Did he think that his career would be ruined thereafter?Ken also talks more about the lawsuits he then filed against newspapers, the hospital, and one of the administrators of their program due to libelous comments and defamation, among other things.People being accused of things and these things going viral get them canceled as opposed to having an exchange of ideas has become a pervasive issue in the last years.Ken also shares his interactions with both new and old colleagues and how they fear for their...

Dr. Michael Bailey is an American psychologist, behavioral geneticist, and professor at Northwestern University best known for his work on the etiology, or origins, of sexual orientation. He maintains that sexual orientation is heavily influenced by biology and male homosexuality is most likely inborn. Dr. Bailey’s 2003 book, The Man Who Would Be Queen, gave an accessible, intimate, and compassionate account of male sexuality, with a focus on gender-nonconforming boys, gay men, and male-to-female transsexuals. The book was nominated for an award, which was later retracted, from the Lambda Literary Foundation, an organization that promotes gay literature. Aside from legitimate critiques of the book and Dr. Bailey’s theories, attacks spilled into the realm of the egregious as a small group of radical transwomen viciously went after Mike, his reputation, and his family. All of this was documented thoroughly in Alice Dreger’s book, Galileo’s Middle finger, which ultimately exonerated Dr. Bailey of the accusations against him.&nbsp;Today, Mike explains how he got interested in working with sexuality during a time when it was quite taboo in academia. After publishing research on male sexuality, Mike began encountering transexual women who wanted to talk about their experiences. He came to recognize that some MtF transsexuals were nothing like what he’d expected. He went on to study this further, write his book, and soon after, all hell broke loose. While Mike is certainly no contrarian, he unapologetically tells the truth and has committed himself to do his job well as a psychological researcher.&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Man Who Would Be Queen:&nbsp;Researchgate.net/publication/281747420_The_Man_Who_Would_Be_Queen&nbsp;Christine Benevunuto: Sex Changes: A Memoir of Marriage, Gender, and Moving On Amazon.com/gp/product/B0085UCVKY/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0&nbsp;Alice Dreger (June 2008). “The controversy surrounding The Man Who Would Be Queen: a case history of the politics of science, identity, and sex in the Internet age”. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 37 (3): 366–421. doi:10.1007/s10508-007-9301-1.&nbsp;Ray Blanchard (1989). “The classification and labeling of nonhomosexual gender dysphorias”. Archives of...

Recent theories about gender often describe “third gender” categories found in other cultures. Prof Paul Vasey is one of the world’s leading academic experts on the Fa’fafine. These individuals are feminine males who live “in the manner of a woman” in Samoa. Sasha and Stella have a spellbinding discussion with Paul about how our Western constructs can sometimes completely misinterpret well-researched phenomena in other societies. This conversation actually highlights the universal truths of sex difference between male and female and helps us understand the organic, naturally emerging trait of femininity in androphilic (or same-sex-attracted) males.&nbsp;Links:“What can the Samoan ‘Fa’afafine’ teach us about the Western concept of gender identity disorder in childhood?” by Paul Vasey and Nancy Bartlett (2007). Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17951883Extended NotesPaul talks about Fa’afafine and how he got interested in this culture.Is gender identity disorder in children a mental disorder? Paul shares what they found with the data they collected on their studies of the Samoan people.What is Fa’afafine? Paul shares its definition.Paul also talks about the history of Fa’afafine in Samoa and how they are socially accepted in their culture.Does Fa’afafine also exist in other cultures? Paul shares the different groups around the world that have the same identity.Paul talks about what being gay means in the cultures of Samoa and Oaxaca.Is there an equivalent of Fa’afafine for females? Paul talks about the other categories of this kind.Paul talks about the typical behaviors children from Samoa usually exhibit that helps families identify them as being of the third gender.In these societies, gender doesn’t play any institutionalized role. Everybody is responsible for themselves.Paul also talks about how sex atypical behavior organically emerges from children through the studies he has had with these cultures comparing them to Western ones.Paul also shares his findings on what is the female equivalent to autogynephilia in his research.Is autogynephilia a Western phenomenon? Paul shares his insights on this.Paul also talks about the different cross-cultural perspectives of gender and their different norms.Sexual orientation is biological but traits can be affected by the environment they are developed under.Why is same-sex attraction often paired with gender nonconformity? Paul shares his insights.Paul also talks about his Ph.D. about Japanese monkeys and how it relates to the impact on gender from social construct.Paul shares his thoughts on what is sex and what is gender and the amount of confusion it gets.To close, Stella asks Paul two questions: One, does the Fa’afafine get married or the equivalent of such in their culture? Two, is his study considered controversial in his field of study?Quotes:“Regardless of how accommodating a particular culture is, if individuals are dysphoric with respect to their sex bodies, then no amount of accommodation is going to change that sense that I’m in the wrong body.” — Paul [7:54]“Gay isn’t necessarily an identity that people draw upon to construct a sense of who they are (in Samoa).” — Paul [14:30]“Nobody makes them Fa’afafine. Their male femininity emerges and then people recognize them.” — Paul [19:30]“Male femininity is despised in the West and so androphilic males in the West don’t like talking about it.” — Paul [36:30]This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:<a...

For Sasha and Stella’s last episode of the year, they introduce a very exciting series that will be coming up in 2022. In the “Pioneers Series,” they will be interviewing experienced clinicians, researchers, and other professionals whose contributions to our understanding of gender dysphoria and sexuality are foundational. Consider this a back-to-basics 101 course on gender and sexuality.&nbsp;Stella and Sasha also talk about their own personal goals and priorities for the new year. They offer up 10 resolutions that listeners might focus on along with them as we all move into 2022.&nbsp;Links:100 days of walking: 100daysofwalking.com/FAQBrideshead revisited Goodreads.com/book/show/30933.Brideshead_RevisitedIdentity Crisis: Amazon.com/Untitled-Book-2/dp/0593073584Psychological Flexibility: Workingwithact.com/what-is-act/what-is-psychological-flexibility/&nbsp;&nbsp;Extended NotesSasha and Stella talk about their plans for 2022 and their upcoming “Pioneers Series.”What were the criteria they considered for their list of pioneers? Sasha and Stella share their thought process.They also talk about their reflections of the previous year and their New Year’s resolutions.Sasha and Stella went to New Orleans together. How was it for them to work and spend time together in person?Sasha tells about her weight lifting program and how that relates to her New Year’s resolution.They talk more about the 10 New Year’s resolutions they are offering to the listeners. Which one would you most relate to?Stella shares about her 100 Days of Walking, a habit she wants to get back into.They also share the different ways we can lovingly communicate that are beyond just words.How can you move valuable connections from online to real life? Stella and Sasha share their thoughts.What is digital hygiene? They share their definition and how they incorporate this now in their routine.Sasha also talks about dancing and how she wants to make it more regular in her life.Stella shares about the book Brideshead Revisited and how it helped her understanding of life.Being able to disconnect is just as important as being seen or your pain being reflected somewhere.Stella recommends another book, something funny this time, called Identity Crisis, by Ben Elten which is about gender issues through comedy.How can we become more aware of our biases and the traps we fall into when talking about controversial political and personal issues?Stella shares more on Psychological Flexibility, being the hallmark of well-being.Staying in the moment vs. worrying about the future. Stella shares her realizations on this topic.Enjoying the little pleasures in life also reflects on how you can genuinely enjoy your children. And when you do, they will feel enjoyed, welcomed, and wanted.Lastly, Stella and Sasha talk about their invitation for everyone to get our minds out of gender and think big-picture! Let’s try to understand what is really going on.Quotes:“I know a lot of people crap on New Year’s resolutions; oh, New Year’s resolutions don’t work, the research shows nobody sticks with them, I get all that. But the New Year is this really important marker of what might offer a fresh start or an opportunity to build a new...

Lisa Selin Davis is the essayist, journalist, and author of Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different. Like many other open-minded, liberal Americans, she has undergone a familiar arc in her understanding of gender issues. She has experienced, first-hand, the current trend of silencing those who seek a deeper understanding of childhood gender nonconformity. In this conversation, Lisa describes how she came to write her book, examines the current state of journalism, and recounts how our understanding of gender rebels has evolved in society. Lisa reminds us that we are not done learning, and we must keep the conversation going on how to best support those who question their gender or exhibit gender nonconformity.Links:Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different Amazon.com/Tomboy-Surprising-History-Future-Different/dp/0316458317Future-Different/dp/0316458317WPATH Standards of Care, Version 8 Wpath.org/soc8&nbsp;Some selected articles of Lisa Selin Davis:&nbsp;Salon.com/2020/04/23/how-researching-tomboys-and-gender-helped-me-prepare-for-a-pandemic/Salon.com/2020/08/08/going-back-to-school-dont-forget-to-ditch-gender-normsBusinessinsider.com/how-gender-and-sexuality-standards-changed-views-on-tomboys-2020-8?r=US&amp;IR=TNbcnews.com/think/opinion/think-baby-s-gender-determines-personality-s-dangerous-ncna814841Theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/03/identity-theft-racial-justiceExtended Notes:Why did Lisa decide to write her book, Tomboy?Lisa received a lot of backlash and she was called a child abuser for the way she decided to parent her child.Tomboy helped young girls experiment with masculinity.However, there isn’t a male version of tomboy. So what do the boys do?The word tomboy seems to have been phased out and it has now been replaced with the word, “trans.”What happens to Lisa’s reputation after she publishes her book?Lisa talked to a lot of successfully transitioned trans people, but in the back of her mind, she knew things were going wrong.Lisa noticed that the trans people she spoke to were no different than the butch older lesbians she had spoken to. The only difference is that this younger generation had access to a newer technology.Anyone writing about trans kids should know that we do not have good research on this topic.We have to ask: Does everyone have a gender identity or is it only those with dysphoria that do?Lisa knew if she were to write more about these topics and actually have them published in the New York Times Magazine, there would be consequences for her and her family.In 2013, gender dysphoria and trans children were not big topics. However, this exploded in 2017.It’s crazy to think that a doctor or a therapist can come between a...

In this conversation, Lisa joins the show to talk about the difficult task of finding appropriate therapy for a gender-questioning teen or loved one. What is it like working with indoctrinated clients or those under the influence of a partner, belief system, or ideology? Lisa highlights the parental expectations of what therapy should look like, contrasted against the complex and subtle relational dynamics between therapist and client. Stella, Sasha, and Lisa examine some of the common traps therapists fall into: either being too affirming or too challenging before sufficient rapport and exploration have taken place. The three also make an exciting announcement about GETA, a new Gender Exploratory Therapy Association.Links:Jonathan Shedler on This Jungian Life: Podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/does-analysis-work-a-conversation-with-jonathan/id1376929139?i=1000538533899Gender Exploratory Therapy Association: Genderexploratory.comExtended Notes:What does good therapy look like for an adolescent questioning their gender?Parents often assume the therapist will explore all the options available to their gender-questioning teen. Instead, they are shocked that they pushed medicalization right away.There isn’t a biomarker for depression. Lisa explains how professionals really determine if someone is depressed.Why aren’t we doing the same process for gender-questioning teens?Therapists are being trained to not think of gender dysphoria as an unhealthy coping strategy. Instead, they’re being trained to go straight to helping them find “the cure.”&nbsp;If someone comes to a therapist for anxiety, the goal is to reduce that anxiety. If someone comes to a therapist for questioning their gender, the goal isn't to reduce their inner conflict.What is the true job of a therapist?Lisa talks about multiple personality disorder and how therapists handled it in the ’70s and ’80s.Patients who were diagnosed and labeled with multiple personality disorder were more likely to commit suicide than those who exhibited the same symptoms but didn’t have a label to it.However, sometimes by giving people a diagnosis, that revelation gives them relief.Lisa talks about the problems the Vietnam veterans were running into when they came home from war. Everything from being spat on at the airport to suffering from PTSD.Therapists are working with indoctrinated clients, and how you approach it is an incredibly sensitive topic.It’s one thing to explore everything going on in a teen’s life beyond their gender. However, these clients are watching hours of YouTube transition videos and trying to educate themselves. The approach has to be different.When you have an indoctrinated client, they split off their ambivalence and feel 100% sure in their decision to medically transition.Lisa talks about the Gender Exploratory Therapy Association and how it aims to help parents, therapists, and de-transitions.There are many teens who are not good candidates for therapy. Lisa explains what she means by this.Lisa shares her WAIT acronym: WAIT = Why Am I Talking.

Sometimes parents come to realize that the affirmative approach hasn’t worked out for their gender-distressed child and they could benefit from alternative approaches. In this episode, Sasha and Stella discuss the many complicated reasons some parents reluctantly affirm their child’s gender and how difficult and brave it can be to rethink the strategy. Parenting styles are explored, and Sasha and Stella point out the importance of finding your confident voice and parenting authority. They also offer tips and suggestions for steering the ship in a better direction once a family has gathered more information and observed an unfavorable outcome of the affirmative approach. These strategies include mitigating powerful influences on your child, broadening the family’s perspective on what overall well-being looks like, and modeling that it’s OK to change your mind once you get better information.Links:High Warmth, High Expectations lead to the best outcomes: Developmentalscience.com/blog/2015/6/28/the-only-parenting-model-you-needBook Recommendation for parents: Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers Amazon.com/Hold-Your-Kids-Parents-Matter/dp/0375760288&nbsp;“4 Types of Parenting Styles and Their Effects on Kids” Verywellfamily.com/types-of-parenting-styles-1095045“Diana Baumrind’s Parenting Styles”: Iastate.pressbooks.pub/parentingfamilydiversity/chapter/chapter-1-2/Extended Notes:Is affirming the best way to support a gender-questioning teen?Affirmation is often a bandage approach to a much bigger underlying problem.Do you think you made a mistake with affirming your child’s gender? Let’s discuss this openly.Parents have been steered wrong on this issue and it takes a certain level of strength and rebelliousness for parents to go against doctor’s orders.Some parents give in because they’re so tired of being called transphobic.Sometimes children are just trying to test the boundaries, and saying they’re transgender is one of those “boundary-pushing” things.Stella admits we’re in no man’s land. It can be tough to know what’s right and what’s wrong.What do you do with the whole pronoun issue? What should parents use?Are you afraid of your child’s distress and their tears? Does your parental instinct kick in to do everything in your power to make them feel better?What happens if you have a more authoritative parenting style? How does that work in a gender-questioning teen?How do you tell your friends and family you have a gender-questioning teen? If you tell half of your circle of friends and the other half you don’t, your teen will perceive that as transphobia instead of “this is a complicated issue.”Sasha explores whether being honest about your distrust in this “gender-questioning thing” is a good thing or not.It’s okay to change your mind on your approach to this tricky process. Sasha breaks down how you can communicate this to your child.A young person is constantly searching for their identity and what makes them who they are.If you want to slow things down, take the focus away from gender and then see what happens.Do you want a pause or an undo on the medical process? Stella talks about interventions with your child and how to best approach...

Dr. Lisa Littman coined Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) in her seminal 2018 parental report survey. ROGD is a descriptive term for the phenomenon of young people suddenly announcing a transgender identity and experiencing gender dysphoria for the first time around adolescence. Dr. Littman’s latest ground-breaking study on the experience of 100 detransitioners was published in the last few weeks and we reflect on some of the most astonishing findings. In this conversation, Lisa also reflects on what she’s learned since getting embroiled in a controversy she wasn’t expecting. She shares some possible reasons why the topic of affirmative medical care has become so polarized. Lisa points out that patients get hurt when clinicians pledge an allegiance to a particular approach rather than prioritizing the well-being of dysphoric people.Links:Dr. Littman’s Website:Littmanresearch.comInterview in Quillette: Quillette.com/2019/03/19/an-interview-with-lisa-littman-who-coined-the-term-rapid-onset-gender-dysphoriaExtended Notes:Why has Dr. Lisa’s study on detransitioners received so much controversy? Dr. Lisa shares how she now feels about this.There are a lot of ways to support people who are transgender but fast-tracking access to hormones in an effort to support transgender people, regardless if it’s more beneficial, is transphobic.Dr. Lisa shares a bit about her background and what led her to the detransitioner’s study.There are parents who believe transition will help their children and there are parents who don’t. We need to understand that they just want to help their children and there are multiple ways to do that.Dr. Lisa shares further how her study was not accepted. She recruited respondents on social media where they orchestrated an event that undermined her data.Dr. Lisa defines further what detransitioning means as this area of research is still early.Affirmative model vs. exploratory model. The latter tries to understand why you are gender dysphoric whereas the former immediately concludes that you should transition.Mental health conditions don’t have a targeted fix.Psychosocial factors could contribute to the development of gender dysphoria.Dr. Lisa also shares the effects of social influence such as pressure from a person, a group of people, or society on the interpretation of one’s own feelings. Can this lead to a misdiagnosis?There are a variety of ways people can live their lives and they cannot solely be defined by rigid gender roles and stereotypes.Language can be very powerful and if it was used in a way that doesn’t confine people’s feelings to a specific label, it wouldn’t create such a problem.Where are the differences between male and female detransitions? Dr. Lisa explains further.Stella concurs that if a detransition was because the person was more comfortable with their biological sex, this could have been avoided through a proper approach during therapy.Exploring discomfort around sexual orientation would be a great place for trans therapists to help their patients.

UK transwoman Debbie Hayton discusses how she came to the decision to medically transition when she was a 44-year-old father of 3 children. We discuss Debbie’s appearance in Stella’s film, Trans Kids: It’s Time to Talk and the intense public reaction to her story. Male sexuality, shame, and autogynephilia are explored openly in a bid to gain a deeper understanding of the complicated mosaic of traits that encompass MtF transition. She also shares how she became disillusioned with transgender ideology and coined the phrase, “trans women are men. Get over it.”&nbsp;Links:Critically Examining the Doctrine of Gender Identity with Rebecca Reilly-Cooper: Youtube.com/watch?v=QPVNxYkawaoMagdalen Berns on Alex Drummond:Youtube.com/watch?v=JkK7zisjoDkMiranda Yardley:Youtube.com/watch?v=Bn66yhFoov4Debbie’s Website:&nbsp;Debbiehayton.comExtended Notes:Stella talks about the 2018 film, Trans Kids, and how people misinterpreted how Debbie emerged in that film.How is it for a family when there is a late transition? Debbie transitioned at 44 years old with a wife and three children.Debbie shares the answer to the big question on why the chronic condition of the dissatisfaction of her sex and body suddenly became acute.Could there have been a therapy or experience that may have pulled her back from transitioning?Debbie shares how she used shame, guilt, and fear as powerful emotions to control her desire to dress as a girl at four years old.Debbie describes how she sees autogynephilia as a sexuality and how you can be attracted to your own body where it can be the focus of your sexual interest.The male sexual drive is so powerful and there is a need to control it. Has Debbie now been freed from that after her transition?Sasha wonders, if Debbie stumbled upon gender dysphoria or autogynephilia and how it manifests in some male people before her transformation, would it have changed what she felt she needed to do or how she managed her feelings?Stella and Sasha also discuss how people can be compulsive with their feelings about gender and ask Debbie about her thoughts on gender euphoria and the “pink mist.”Is there a way for the autogynephilic to operate in the world without asking other people to buy into the narrative that they’re a woman? Debbie shares what helped her lift her pink mist.Should transwomen go through synthetic menopause and, if so, what are the potential negative effects of that?Debbie shares how she feels about her body now, her current beliefs about her sexuality, and how she interacts with it in the world around her.This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

The holiday season is often associated with big expectations and high hopes. It can be fraught for families, whether they are going through challenging times with a child’s gender identity. Sasha and Stella discuss the meaning of extended family, big celebrations, and how to keep the stakes low and reasonable during the holidays. They also discuss the holidays as a time some young people try to ‘come out,’&nbsp; while others feel hesitant to reconnect with loved ones who haven’t yet seen their new ‘gender presentation.’ Sasha and Stella also provide practical strategies that families can use to recruit loving trusted adults who also have the child’s best interests in mind.&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;&nbsp;What happened in LeRoy https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/magazine/teenage-girls-twitching-le-roy.html&nbsp;Stop That! It's not Tourette's but a new type of mass sociogenic illness: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34424292/&nbsp;Debbie Nathan’s Lecture:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLKAIObPWJEGenspect’s Brief Guidance for Friends and Family: https://genspect.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Friends-and-family.pdfSasha’s Newsletter on Extended Family:&nbsp;http://eepurl.com/dKNAScWhale Rider Movie:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298228/Extended Notes:The holidays are really hard for a lot of gender questioning children.&nbsp;Our families are our lifeblood to connection, and if there’s conflict within it, it’s hard for everyone involved.People are coming together for the first time since COVID. There’s a lot of things going on.People are more isolated than ever, and when there’s a conflict within the family, it really burdens the parents because they can not rely on their extended family.&nbsp;What do you do when you haven’t seen your extended family in a while, and you’ve...transitioned?&nbsp;Families who are ashamed of their child transitioning will try everything they can to keep it a secret.&nbsp;Some children want their parents to tell the world, others feel betrayed if their parents let out their secret. How do you navigate when each case is so personal and individualized?&nbsp;What should you talk about at Thanksgiving?&nbsp;Are you estranged with your child? Sometimes sending a small gift to remind them of home is all that's needed. Sasha offers suggestions.&nbsp;If you’re planning to see your family this holiday season (or if your children plan to visit you) and you know you’re going to get triggered, find someone close to you who you can call beforehand/during these events. Let them know you will need a ‘lifeline’ on this day.&nbsp;Families are complicated in general, add tension to the mix and you have a mini explosion waiting to happen. The holidays just intensify these feelings.&nbsp;Remember, pick your battles. Do you really wanna die on this hill?How do you deal with the grandparents? How do you tell your mom and dad about your gender questioning teen?&nbsp;Stella shares how her mother was trying to understand the field of work Stella is in as a therapist.Sasha shares resources on how you can help the older generation understand...

Over the last number of years, Benjamin Boyce has become known for his prolific and powerful video content on the impact of social justice. Among his most-watched content is a huge series of conversations about sex, gender, identity, and transition. He was among the first to platform detransitioners’ stories and investigate the issue of childhood transition. In this episode, we delve deep into Benjamin’s childhood and find out why he has committed to exposing the underlying problems associated with identity politics.&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;&nbsp;Benjamin’s YouTube: Youtube.com/channel/UCm13xHVNFVwzHzK3QHSaZ3Q&nbsp;Benjamin on Apple Podcasts:&nbsp;Podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/calmversations/id1447774150&nbsp;&nbsp;Playlist: gender, sexuality and transition&nbsp;Youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRdayXEOwuMH3f0pmZqVQUU62rgJIzvt9&nbsp;&nbsp;Evergreen playlist: Youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRdayXEOwuMG1jaAtJE0KbpyY_Kh-JTUl&nbsp;&nbsp;VeeraYoutube.com/watch?v=YLkBk2bBp_c&nbsp;Father and son, Ash and RaphaelYoutube.com/watch?v=FoEWbVviOpkExtended Notes:A little bit about Benjamin and why he got started in this kind of work. What was he like as a child?Benjamin’s father was deeply devoted to his town’s pastor, but as time went on, this man became more and more controlling over Benjamin’s family. They accused his mother of being possessed and rearranged family structures in the community. Benjamin “inherited” two siblings.After leaving that town, Benjamin’s family moved around constantly. He always felt like an outsider.Benjamin, following in his dad’s dreams of wanting to be a pastor, also always wanted to be a pastor.Why did Benjamin decide to start a YouTube channel?Benjamin talks about his experience at Evergreen State College and why it was so chaotic.In California, there were a ton of weird cults happening in the ’70s and ’80s.Benjamin talks about a weird cascading effect that happened around pronouns and Jordan Peterson. It was all about the trans issue. He noticed some patterns between Evergreen and how people were addressing the trans issue.If you want to get good at any craft, you have to create. You have to take action.What is this trans thing all about, really? Benjamin was curious.Have the activists attacked Benjamin for his opinions?In the end, Benjamin just wants to have good conversations.Benjamin does believe that there is an erosion of masculinity in today’s society and the way certain trends are currently going.This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

When an adult comes out as trans, it might be a liberating moment in their lives that has felt long overdue. Sometimes, however, the sudden nature of the identity change can feel destabilizing to their loved ones. In this episode, Sasha and Stella discuss the many complex factors in adult transition. Are there elements of liberation, freedom, and independence, or might indoctrination or identity crisis be playing a role? And how can families try to stay connected if the adult begins throwing up rigid barriers which create distance and estrangement?Links:Love Lives Here: A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family, by Amanda Jette Knox&nbsp;Amazon.com/Love-Lives-Here-Thriving-Transgender-ebook/dp/B07L2HK8D9/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=love+lives+here+knox&amp;qid=1634062673&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1Somebody to Love: A Family Story, by Alexandra Heminsley&nbsp;Amazon.com/Some-Body-Love-Family-Story-ebook/dp/B087LVTMH5Sex Changes: A Memoir of Marriage, Gender, and Moving, by Christine Benvenuto&nbsp;Amazon.com/Sex-Changes-Memoir-Marriage-Gender-ebook/dp/B0085UCVKY&nbsp;Extended Notes:It’s tricky for everybody involved when you know somebody who is leaving their “old self” to become a radically and visually different person.Let’s talk about the demographics of those who transition. What’s happening if someone transitions in their late 20s?What’s going on in a man’s mind when he transitions at middle age?For many parents, it’s a complete shock that their child wants to change genders. And since they’re no longer living at home, the child doesn’t want to have an “open discussion” about it.When children tell their parents they’re switching majors after three years, that’s a huge shock to parents too! Parents want to talk to their children about what’s going on.When we’re terrified we can act very intensely.Some children don’t want to talk to their parents about it because they don’t want their fragile or uncertain opinion to be swayed.When someone decides to transition later in their life, they are typically men.Stella shares a story of how a man transitioned shortly after his wife had a baby. It appeared he was envious that he couldn’t care for the child in that feminine way.There is a community out there for women who were married to men that have now transitioned.Sometimes people do strange things just to keep the family together.Parents can sometimes feel “abused” by their transitioning teen. What does this typically look like? How do you spot it?For some households, it might make sense to let go with love, or else you and everyone in your family unit will crumble.Watching someone transition is a really disorientating process. It can also really affect younger siblings.There are two sides to the coin. Some children transition okay and continue to lead happy productive lives. Other...

When parents are trying to help their teenager through a difficult time, ideally they work together as a team to strategize, plan, and collaborate. But for many families facing important parenting decisions around their child’s gender struggle, disagreement and conflict can arise. Sasha and Stella discuss a range of family dynamics from low-level disagreements to all out custody battles. What happens when one parent wants to intervene and the other wants to “go with the flow?” They also offer some reflections on what underlying issues might have predated the child’s gender distress and suggest strategies for parents to think big-picture and face the difficulties in their relationships.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Q&amp;A Clips: Therapists are not Parental Substitutes:&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a88t_LaxKs0&nbsp;&nbsp;The Time In Between: A Memoir of Hunger and Hope&nbsp;https://www.amazon.com/Time-Between-Memoir-Hunger-Hope/dp/1848318308&nbsp;&nbsp;

Our conversation with Helena continues and takes a personal, intimate turn. She reflects that her desire to transition was actually an attempt to meet a deep relational need. She sought to garner a kind of engagement and recognition from her parents. Unfortunately, the way they responded triggered a doubling-down and sense of urgency for medical intervention. Helena offers some insights into better ways parents can react to their gender-questioning child in the hopes of helping families avoid the dissolution hers experienced. This vulnerable conversation confronts the challenges of family relations with both emotional honesty and courage.Links:Helena on Twitter:Twitter.com/lacroicsz&nbsp;Extended Notes:Trans kids are worried about how their parents will receive their trans letter. What’s going through their minds when they’re about to come out to their parents?Helena wanted attention so badly. She had a very distant relationship with her parents and she wanted to have the same sort of household her peers were having (involved parents).In Helena’s family, they found out she was trans and then it became an elephant in the room where no one really ever spoke about it again. Helena shares what happened when she came out.What reaction was Helena hoping to get from her mother?Helena decided to go through with her plan anyway and write a coming-out letter. She found it in the kitchen trash a few days later. It was like no one in her household cared.Helena got into another huge fight about her identity when she came back temporarily from college with her mother.It turned into Helena being completely rejected by her mother and she had to go no contact for over a year with her.Because Helena was rejected from her household, she felt like she had to double down as a boy and she couldn’t go back to being a girl.Helena shares how she was able to get her hands on testosterone without her parent’s consent.Helena was so convincing that the nurse and the professionals just decided to skip blood work and give her very, very high doses of testosterone right off the bat. In retrospect, this was concerning.What is Helena’s relationship with her parents now?Growing up, Helena felt like it was just all her fault.Helena is still grappling with the effects of her childhood and how lonely she felt.What advice does Helena have for parents?It’s not your job to change your child’s mind. It’s your job to just be aware, attentive, and listen. Your child is not aware of all the consequences.If your child doesn’t want to talk, then start small.Don’t explode with your emotions. Use your words. Be vulnerable. Try to be open. Try to express what you’re feeling, not thinking, to them.What made Helena detransition?Helena identifies as an outsider and tries to recreate different scenarios to be in that space again.This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation with Helena. She is a 23-year-old detransitioned woman, well-known on Twitter and YouTube for her insights into the FtM trans kid mindset. The self-described “gender apostate” shares her thoughts on ROGD’s relationship with critical social justice, fandom culture, “shipping,” and the extraordinary fascination many teenage girls have with young gay men.Links:Helena on Twitter:&nbsp;Twitter.com/lacroicsz&nbsp;Extended Notes:Helena is a detransitioned woman. She identified as a transgender man at 15, but by 19, she wanted to become a woman again.A little bit about Helena and her detransition journey.Before Helena started testosterone, she had this fantasy that not being female would be amazing. Helena was very isolated in her journey. Her ex, also a trans person, was against her detransitioning.As she was on this journey as a man, she was so tired of pretending to be masculine and wearing clothes that didn’t fit her body.What was it like psychologically to suppress Helena’s feminine side for so long?Has social justice affected or played a role in trans identity?Helena remembers reading things like, if you feel different than everybody else, it probably means you're trans.Teenagers are biologically more sensitive to social rejection from their peers, and they’ll do anything to fit in and belong.Whenever Helena was questioned about her new identity, she just thought they were just stuck in old beliefs and just wouldn’t listen.Helena explains what a trans medicalist is and shares her thoughts on the difference between non-binary people and trans people.What makes someone a cis girl or a cis boy or what really makes someone trans? The reasons are very superficial.Cis allies are finding it difficult to be allies to the transgender community because they’re being told their opinions don’t count.What is trans fandom all about? And what is “shipping” all about within this fandom culture?A lot of these “shipping” content has sexual undertones of gay pairings of common fictional characters.Growing up, it can get confusing. Men, that you’re basing your identity off of, are being written by teenage girls.Let’s talk about Tumblr and how these trans mood boards all originated.Helena remembers this internet time very fondly. She loved being on the “gay” side of the internet where it was all acceptable.Helena wishes there was a way people can indulge in their sexuality in a non-threatening way, but she also understands that too much of it can lead down the wrong path where it creates dysphoria.This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Aaron Terrell transitioned female-to-male in 2011. He wasn’t involved in social media or the trans community until roughly 2017 when he noticed some unusual anomalies involving the new cohort of females identifying as trans men and undergoing medical transitioning. Then, earlier this year, Aaron read J. K. Rowling’s essay and everything changed.Links:Aaron’s blog:&nbsp;Aaronterrell.substack.comAaron on Twitter:Twitter.com/elegationvainGender Dysphoria Alliance:Twitter.com/gd_alliance?lang=enDysphoria is not one thing:4thwavenow.com/2017/12/07/gender-dysphoria-is-not-one-thingTransparency Podcast:Podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/transparency/id1583333120&nbsp;Unfiltered with Buck Angel (on UpperhandMARS):Youtu.be/nqAJLHZCWv0&nbsp;Extended Notes:A little bit about Aaron and his journey.Why did Aaron decide to transition at 27?Aaron was introduced to a trans social circle when he was still in college, although it was nice to be with his tribe, certain topics made him uncomfortable.Did family members recognize Aaron’s struggles when he was going through puberty as a woman?Aaron shares his beliefs on religion, and what his religious upbringing was like.People are making their lives much more difficult by trying to opt out and be different with their gender.Why did Aaron start his blog and podcast?Aaron was largely helped by transitioning, but he understands the drawbacks and often writes about those drawbacks.Sasha reads an excerpt from his blog, and Aaron expands on his thoughts on the trans movement at the time.Aaron had a lot of internalized misogyny happening when he started to become a man.He was supposed to be a wife and a mother, and when he transitioned, what was next? It was natural for Aaron to be a breadwinner, and adopt an identity of what that “traditionally” looks like.When it comes to trans people using the male and female bathrooms, where does he stand on the issue? At first, he thought people who were offended by this were transphobes.Where does the ethical line get drawn on some of these controversial issues?With so many young children transitioning so early, what’s the fallout going to look like? Aaron believes there are going to be a lot of de-transitioners.What is the Gender Dysphoria Alliance all about?This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

The listeners’ questions continue to absorb our interest and influence our discussion. The issue of power struggles between parents and children has been raised along with a special focus on knowing when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em. The script that trans-identified teenagers often use to declare their trans identification is outlined and Sasha &amp; Stella discuss a kind of counter script for parents. Finally, we suggest a liberal parents’ guide to explaining your child’s gender-related distress with friends, neighbors, and the wider community.Links:Sasha’s Video: Effects of Affirmation: Gender Identity vs Sexual Orientation:Youtube.com/watch?v=Zjv-eDaZNH0&amp;feature=emb_title&nbsp;Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself, by Lisa Marchiano:Amazon.com/Motherhood-Finding-Yourself-Lisa-Marchiano/dp/1683646665&nbsp;Extended Notes:Thank you so much for submitting your questions and providing Stella and Sasha with excellent feedback! We appreciate you!Q: What can I say to my daughter? Is there a counter script?Stella loves the idea of having a script for parents to help their teen think deeper on some of the implications of a transition.Sasha has noticed parents falling into certain categories, like having a difficult time with their authority towards their child vs. some parents going in with a lot of fear and force on what their child “should” be.Don’t expect lightbulb moments from your child when you share a piece of wisdom with them. Sometimes it takes some time to sink in.Should you use a script? Sasha believes that everyone’s situation is different. She believes it’s best to share wisdom and advice that is specifically applicable to your child.Remember, you don’t need to turn this conversation into a political debate with your child.As parents, we tend to put on a cheerful “life is great” smile in front of our kids, even when you might be mad at your partner, or deeply dislike your mother-in-law. There’s something very unauthentic about this. Children pick up on it and they’ll call you out on it around the ages of 12 to 14.The best friend’s parents. Let’s talk about them. They’ve very liberal with your child’s pronouns because it’s not happening to their family.People who are giving your child the okay to transition, it’s another form of you having to stand up for your child to people who think they know better than you as a parent.Q: I can’t deny her feelings, but I think we should stay open-minded for future options, but that’s not enough for her. It feels like a power struggle. What should I do?Some parents want to avoid the power struggle, so they end up saying yes to everything. That’s not the best way forward, either.When you have a kid who has been historically compliant under their parents’ wishes, the power struggle is even stronger as they grow up.What are some of the best ways to approach this subject? Stella offers some advice on how to soften the elephant in the room.The power struggles are exhausting. It’s very difficult to manage these temperaments and all the fun gets zapped out of the household.Q: Gender dysphoria vs. social dysphoria. Are there tips on ways to help a child with social dysphoria? Can you talk more about this?What is social dysphoria? There is general anxiety around people who are prejudging you before knowing you.You cannot change somebody’s perception of you. You are setting yourself up for failure and misery if you think you can.It takes time to understand this, but as a child or...

Many children with ROGD seem reluctant to grow up. Sometimes this is related to the difficulties of an early puberty or the hyper-sexualization of children. Other times the gap between the Disneyfied wonder of childhood and the grim hard reality of adulthood feels unsurmountable. Sasha and Stella delve into the psychology of the fear of growing up and how elements of both transition and transgender activist dogma may further infantilize and stunt development.Links:Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman: Amazon.com/Four-Thousand-Weeks-Management-Mortals/dp/0374159122“Trans Kids May Reject Family, Not the Other Way Around” Transgendertrend.com/trans-kids-reject-family-not-other-way-around/&nbsp;Transparency podcast (episode with Mars Fernandez):Youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&amp;v=H-7PkjWgwa8&amp;feature=emb_logo&nbsp;Rees M. “The age of menarche” ORGYN. 1995;(4):2-4. PMID: 12319855. Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12319855/&nbsp;Extended Notes:People with rapid gender dysphoria are having a hard time with the process of growing up.Children see the stress of growing up and they want so desperately to opt out of it.If you want to get into a good college, you need all these “extra” activities, which means no one really has true hobbies anymore.People love to stay in the fantasy world of YouTube, where many subgenres are acting younger than they are.So much of this “drama” is fueled on the internet. Why do you get some of the biggest criticisms from people with a cartoon avatar on their profile?Children are stuck between innocent Disney and hypersexualization. Where do you really go from here?Stella has noticed that a lot of people who have gender issues also tend to have gone through puberty earlier than their peers.Getting a period at seven years old is very traumatizing.What fears do boys have about growing up?When children have unlimited access to content, their imagination tends to dwindle, as well.Do kids play seven minutes in heaven anymore? These innocent fun games were a vital part of being comfortable with your body.Everything is so screen-based now. Human interaction is very low.Adulthood seems really intimidating to a kid who has never had to interact with people. Going into a crowded room gives them anxiety.Young, young girls are seeing a lot more porn than you might think.When teenagers want to transition and get top surgery, it's a very difficult and vulnerable state to be in. They have to rely on mom and dad to take care of them once again.A child has not thought things fully the way an adult parent has. The adult has gone through all the painful scenarios their child can go through.You don’t have to dwell on certain things, but it’s important to face it, at the very least.If you have an estranged relationship with your child, what do you do?Doctors don’t always want you to know the truth about your body and the types of medical consequences there are when transitioning. There’s a whole movement that prevents the sharing of this knowledge.When you ask transitioning girls who they’d like to look like, they never describe their father. They describe a “magazine model” or a K-pop star.Kids want to rush into the...

The New York Times describes Helen Joyce’s book, Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality, as “an intelligent, thorough rejoinder to an idea that has swept across much of the liberal world seemingly overnight.” Joyce reminds us that her book is not about trans people, but rather, it is about the idea “that people should count as men or women according to how they feel and what they declare, instead of their biology.” Helen explains the ways it’s more acceptable for men to “give up some privilege” and strategies women in other cultures have used to opt out of unfavorable circumstances. Perhaps denying sex leads to a perfectly clear demonstration of just how different men and women can be. We also reflect on the differences between American’s tendency to double-down on bad policy and the hopefulness Helen feels with the unfolding UK reckoning with gender self-ID. In this episode, we discuss the many ramifications of “you are exactly who you say you are.”Links:Helen Joyce’s Website:&nbsp;Thehelenjoyce.comHelen on Twitter: Twitter.com/HJoyceGender&nbsp;Book Review by Jesse Singal&nbsp;Nytimes.com/2021/09/07/books/review/trans-helen-joyce.html&nbsp;Helen’s interview with Andrew Doyle:Youtube.com/watch?v=KAYR8GUJsqo&nbsp;Stella’s Book Review in The Evening Standard:&nbsp;Standard.co.uk/culture/books/trans-when-ideology-meets-reality-helen-joyce-review-b944183.html&nbsp;Becoming Julia (Gender Transition Documentary):&nbsp;YouTube.com/watch?v=kNjV37vp5qk&nbsp;The End of the World is Flat by Simon Edge:&nbsp;Eye-books.com/books/the-end-of-the-world-is-flat&nbsp;Survivorship Bias:&nbsp;En.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias&nbsp;Small Gods by Terry Pratchett:&nbsp;Terrypratchettbooks.com/books/small-gods&nbsp;Extended Notes:NY Times reviewed Helen’s new book, Trans, and Sasha is even in the book!Helen didn’t even think her book would get published because of its taboo topic.Are people fascinated with gender or with sex?Non-binary people are trying to redefine everybody and trying to change a “fundamental truth.” Of course, it gets people upset.What is the difference between transsexualism and gender self-ID?This book is not about trans people, it’s a book about ideology.If being trans was an ideology, a belief system, that’d be okay. However, this movement is trying to change gender facts, and that’s a harder thing to get behind.Right now it’s very difficult to determine what stance is going to be on “the right side of history.”The trans movement is structured as “the next thing” that needs to be liberated from oppression. However, will it be?Why do men commit more transphobic acts than women?People say that when you call people trans,...

Social transition is often the first recommended intervention when a young person begins questioning his or her gender identity. It entails changing one’s name, pronouns, appearance, and other identity markers to match the desired gender. In very recent years, schools, led by the current gender identity affirmative approach, have taken it upon themselves to support and sometimes encourage students with social transition. Families often feel pressured by professionals to make these powerful changes despite little evidence supporting these interventions. At times, living in another identity can create more problems than it resolves. In this episode Sasha and Stella do a deep dive into the many challenges that arise with social transition.Links:Michael Biggs on Puberty Blockers:Youtube.com/watch?v=9VHlkE40cFk&amp;feature=youtu.beHow Trans Kids and Parents Decide When to Start Medical Transition (VICE News): Youtu.be/QD720mHFqW0Detrans Needs Survey: Tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918369.2021.1919479Kai and Kimberly: Vice.com/en/article/9k9bkv/she-was-asking-the-lord-to-let-her-die-raising-a-trans-child-in-texasCatherine Tuerk: Catherinetuerk.com/about/1funny.com/my-3-year-old-son-is-a-girl-now/Extended Notes:What’s the difference between pre-gay children vs. transgender children?&nbsp;Sasha shares a story of how a mother reacted poorly to her son’s femininity.&nbsp;So many families just have no idea what to do in a situation like this.&nbsp;What does transitioning look like for those under 8 or 9?&nbsp;For parents, it’s almost like a scary nightmare when their child says they’re an opposite sex. What do you do? How does one prepare for this?&nbsp;Adults have the responsibility to teach their children about the realities of the world.&nbsp;Should children really be leading the way on how they’re feeling? Should therapists really be listening to these young children?&nbsp;What is sex constancy?&nbsp;It’s so dangerous to have a 4 year old transition.&nbsp;Should you let children explore their gender identity? Sasha thinks it’s a blurry line.&nbsp;Context and environment matters. Watchfully waiting doesn’t always make sense in today’s world when our children have strong influences to ‘be a certain way’.&nbsp;During Stella’s generation, they’d just ask her if she was a boy or a girl. Now, children are being asked by their community if they’re trans. It’s a very different shift.&nbsp;People are put into a very ‘gendered’ box these days. The moment you’re slightly different than that, society asks if you’re transitioning.&nbsp;What are the psychological impacts of a 13 year old socially transitioning?&nbsp;Children who socially transition end up in an interesting situation. They either have to commit 100% or be seen as a fraud.&nbsp;Parents are terrified. They go down this path because they’re afraid their child will commit suicide.&nbsp;Your 5 year old is not going to be committing suicide!&nbsp;There’s so much talk about transphobia and parents kicking these children out of the house. The opposite is true....

With the invention of the term “nonbinary,” we’ve seen an unprecedented number of young people claiming to feel like neither a man nor a woman. Today, we explore Ian Hacking’s concept of “making people up” and the creation of new classifications and “types” of people. Several questions also arise: does a non-binary identification require medicalization? What personality traits may correlate with this identity and is it different in males and females? For parents, how might one respond when a timid child quietly says “No” to the “gender binary?” And what role does non-binary label play as individuals step in and step out of trans identification?Links:Gender Census: Gendercensus.com/results/2021-worldwide/#pronounsKori and Searyl Doty: Theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jul/08/parent-raising-gender-free-childJamie Shupe: Theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/16/jamie-shupe-first-non-binary-person-oregonJamie Shupe: Twitter.com/notabledesisterLisa Shupe interviewed on Transparency Podcast: Youtube.com/watch?v=edzyk-TQhEYSam Smith: Theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/13/sam-smith-on-being-non-binary-im-changing-my-pronouns-to-theythemSam Smith and Alok: Mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/sam-smith-alok-vaid-menon-20126943&nbsp;Alice Hope’s YouTube video: Youtube.com/watch?v=9WJBp3eEhqYExtended Notes:Parents feel so old when the term “nonbinary” gets thrown around. What does it mean?Sasha gives a bit of context and the definition of the word.Nonbinary people have an element of protest. They’re completely opting out of the “normal.”The term “nonbinary” really started picking up speed in 2014 and having it skyrocket in 2019.Are nonbinary identities just a stepping stone into trans identity?A lot of nonbinary females think they should have top surgery, which helps them with their image that they’re in this “neither/or” gender space.Can you inflict your ideologies on a little child? Stella feels like the answer should be no.There is controversy on listing two mothers or two fathers on the birth certificate. It’s a bit like stretching the truth/reality.The average 14-year-old female calls herself nonbinary. What’s going on here?Are our sexual differences causing distress among teenagers? Do they wish for a simpler time where none of this gender stuff matters?It’s a bit of a confusing thing, you shouldn’t go by looks but a lot of these gender identities use looks as a baseline.Can you be nonbinary while also looking very female or very male?How do you know if something is a singular and not a plural when you’re using the “they” pronoun.How do parents manage other children who are calling themselves they/them?Sasha wonders if saying you’re nonbinary is due to some uneasiness that’s happening in their lives, some form of trauma or unhappiness...

“Differences in Sexual Development” (DSDs) is an umbrella term&nbsp;encompassing&nbsp;a range of over 40 medical conditions that&nbsp;impact&nbsp;sexual development in humans.&nbsp;We speak with Claire Graham, an advocate for the organization, DSD&nbsp;Families&nbsp;and explore the intricacies of these complex conditions, which are&nbsp;often simplified and misunderstood. Claire also tells us how she became embroiled in heated debates about transgender advocacy and dispels&nbsp;common myths that are used to conflate “intersex” conditions with transgender issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Links&nbsp;Claire’s Blog:&nbsp;https://mrkhvoice.com/index.php/2019/12/18/what-is-dignity/&nbsp;&nbsp;DSD Families:&nbsp;https://dsdfamilies.org/charity&nbsp;&nbsp;John Money and David Reimer:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/david-reimer-and-john-money-gender-reassignment-controversy-johnjoan-case&nbsp;

The founder of the Positive Birth Movement speaks to us about the birthing process and women’s health. A common theme of self-assertion and empowering women to speak up has characterised Milli’s work over the last decade. There were attempts to silence Milli last year when she said that the word “woman” has significance in relation to childbirth. Milli, however, decided to assert her boundaries and speak her truth; in this episode she explains why.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;Milli Hill: &nbsp;https://www.millihill.co.uk/&nbsp;&nbsp;I will not be silenced:&nbsp;https://www.millihill.co.uk/2021/07/10/i-will-not-be-silenced/&nbsp;&nbsp;The Positive Birth Book by Milli Hill https://www.amazon.co.uk/Positive-Birth-Book-Approach-Pregnancy/&nbsp;&nbsp;Give Birth like a Feminist by Milli Hill https://www.amazon.co.uk/Give-Birth-Like-Feminist-Milli/&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mumsnet:&nbsp;https://www.mumsnet.com/ &nbsp;&nbsp;Birth: A History by Tina Cassidy&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birth-History-Tina-Cassidy/ &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#BirthJustHappened:&nbsp;https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/birthjusthappened/?hl=en [Text Wrapping Break]&nbsp;The Business of Being Born:&nbsp;https://www.amazon.com/Business-Being-Born-Helen-Ayres/dp/B001IIHAGK[Text Wrapping Break]&nbsp;Jane Hardwick Collings &amp; Female Rights of Passage:&nbsp;https://janehardwickecollings.com/[Text Wrapping Break]&nbsp;Birth &amp; Sex (Book): &nbsp;https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Sex-Sheila-Kitzinger/dp/1780660502&nbsp;&nbsp;Project Netti:&nbsp;https://projectnettie.wordpress.com/ &nbsp;&nbsp;Panics and Persecutions – Quillette book&nbsp;https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=panics+and+persecutions &nbsp;&nbsp;Extended NotesA little bit about Milli and why she decided to start the Positive Birth Movement.What were some common themes coming up for women who were about to give birth?The birth room was built with the needs of the midwife and doctor in mind, not for the women in mind.Sasha shares her experiences with an American hospital vs. an overseas one.So many mothers are not listened to when they’re at the hospital. Their wishes are ignored.Milli is passionate about everyone having a positive birth experience, no matter the context or environment they choose to be in.You don’t have to just “go with the flow” when it comes to giving birth. You have the right to choose.Meghan Markle got attacked...

Carole Hooven, Ph.D., is lecturer and co-director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She earned her Ph.D. at Harvard, studying sex differences and testosterone, and has taught there ever since. Hooven has received numerous teaching awards, and her popular Hormones and Behavior class was named one of the Harvard Crimson’s “top ten tried-and-true.”In this episode, Stella and Sasha talk to Carole about her new book, Testosterone, which explores the powerful impact this sex hormone has on the human body. This discussion revolves around a central theme: to make the world a better place, we must be willing to understand the harsh realities of our mammalian nature and take into account the biological drives behind our behavior.Links:Carole Hooven:Twitter: twitter.com/hoovlet?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor&nbsp;www.carolehooven.com/Carole’s Book: us.macmillan.com/books/9781250236067Carole’s Link Tree: linktr.ee/CaroleHooven&nbsp;Stella’s Review: www.standard.co.uk/culture/books/testosteronedr-carole-hooven-review-b941337.html&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Katie Herzog’s piece in Barri Weiss’s substack:&nbsp;&nbsp;bariweiss.substack.com/p/what-happens-when-doctors-cant-speak&nbsp;bariweiss.substack.com/p/med-schools-are-now-denying-biological&nbsp;Extended NotesA little bit about Carole and her experience.Carole talks about her book, T: The Story of Testosterone, The Hormone That Dominates and Divides Us.When Carole was in Uganda studying chimps, she always knew that if she was working with only females, her day would be pretty relaxed. It’s when the males came to play, however, that she had a full day on her hands.Carole witnessed a male chimp viciously and brutally beat a female chimp who wanted nothing more than to protect her child. It was shocking to watch.Carole breaks down the importance of testosterone and estrogen in our bodies.Males resolve conflict much more quickly than females. There is a reason why there is a hierarchy and it benefits the entire pack to know who’s who.What did Carole discover when she interviewed a wide variety of people going through testosterone procedures?Carole found some fascinating things. People who were living as biological women and hated being objectified, now transitioned into men, found themselves having urges to objectify women.Our nurture can be significantly modeled. The power of our environment can shape our nature.What is CAH and why do women who have this tend to have more male-oriented positions?Just witness how boys vs. girls play with one another. There is a reason for this act in play between the sexes. This crosses all cultures and is even witnessed in animals.Carole shares her insights about gay men and their sexual patterns.Knowledge is power. Carole is passionate about this because it’s important to know how we work on a biological level. We think if we...

We invite parents and children to listen to this episode together. Stella and Sasha alternate between the perspectives of the parent and their dysphoric child and attempt to translate what each may be thinking and feeling when communicating about gender identity becomes difficult. Discussing the emotions, the inner motivations, and the thoughts parents and children might experience when gender related distress hits the family, we hope that this episode might begin to build bridges between parents and young people and foster more empathy in the parent-child&nbsp;dyad.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Links&nbsp;Cat Stephens: Father and Son&nbsp;https://youtu.be/P6zaCV4niKk&nbsp;WB Yeats: The Mask&nbsp;http://www.online-literature.com/yeats/800/&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sasha and Stella tackle the complex subject of suicide. They reflect on the many emotional and relational difficulties involved and parse out the differences between suicide risk and suicidal ideation. While terrifying, it sometimes offers an escape fantasy and desire for control, making suicide an existential issue. Furthermore, they point to the stark lack of data available relating to gender dysphoria and suicidality and discuss how the fear of suicide is used against families wishing to safeguard their children.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If you wish to speak to someone about any issues that arose during this please contact the Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/ireland/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/&nbsp;&nbsp;Links:Assist Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training: https://www.youth.ie/training/asist-applied-suicide-intervention-skills-training/&nbsp;&nbsp;Media guidelines: https://www.samaritans.org/ireland/about-samaritans/media-guidelines/&nbsp;Kurt Cobain https://www.newsweek.com/did-kurt-cobains-death-lower-suicide-rate-1994-244332&nbsp;Robin Williams https://www.psychologytoday.com/ie/blog/talking-about-men/201908/robin-williams-death-and-subsequent-suicide-contagion&nbsp;&nbsp;Dhejne C, Lichtenstein P, Boman M, Johansson ALV, Långström N, et al. (2011) Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden. PLOS ONE 6(2):e16885. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016885&nbsp;https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0016885&nbsp;&nbsp;The Trans Trains 2 (Swedish documentary with subtitles): ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73-mLwWIgwU&nbsp;Michael Biggs on suicie: Attempted suicide by American LGBT adolescents&nbsp;https://4thwavenow.com/tag/michael-biggs/&nbsp;&nbsp;Mum's fury after transgender suicide teen sold hormones from illegal online clinic https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/transgender-treatment-nhs-webberley-jayden-16504026&nbsp;&nbsp;Transgender Trend: Suicide Facts and Myths: https://www.transgendertrend.com/the-suicide-myth/&nbsp;&nbsp;Philip Larkin: This be the verse https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48419/this-be-the-verse&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Extended NotesThis episode...

Stella and Sasha sit down with Jessie Mannisto, the Editor in Chief of Third Factor Magazine, a publication for and about uncommon people and their uncommon paths through life. Jessie expands on the many overlapping experiences of gifted, creative, intense, and gender dysphoric individuals. They explore some critiques and uses of terms like ‘queer’ and ‘asexual.’ Stella and Sasha ask Jessie about androgyny, loneliness, ordinariness, and exceptionalism in dysphoria people. And what’s up with anime and fan fiction amongst gender-questioning youth?&nbsp;Links:Jessie Mannisto on Sasha’s YouTube Channel&nbsp;Disintegration as an Opportunity for Growth: &nbsp;Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGBcqT6h0Pw&amp;t=1081s &nbsp;Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFKpuoR9-zg&amp;t=2s &nbsp;&nbsp;Where Intensity and Gender Dysphoria Meet: &nbsp;https://www.thirdfactor.org/intensity-gender-dysphoria &nbsp;Existential Depression in Gifted Individuals:https://www.sengifted.org/post/existential-depression-in-gifted-individuals &nbsp;Rainforest mind - Paula Prober: &nbsp;https://www.amazon.com/Your-Rainforest-Mind-Well-Being-Gifted/dp/0692713107&nbsp;&nbsp;Hilary Jacobs Hendel - https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-Always-Depression-Authentic/dp/0399588140&nbsp;&nbsp;Creativity&nbsp;https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Psychology-Discovery-Invention-Perennial-ebook/dp/B000TG1X9C&nbsp;&nbsp;Third Factor Magazine: https://www.thirdfactor.org/ &nbsp;Twitter: https://twitter.com/thirdfactormag?lang=en&nbsp;Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThirdFactorMag/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Extended NotesA little bit about Jessie and how she got involved in the field of giftedness and overexcitability.Jessie noticed a connection between gender dysphoric people and giftedness.What is the definition of “giftedness”?There are five domains or key areas where you can be gifted: Intellect, imagination, psychomotor, sensory, and emotions.How do these domains manifest into those who are extremely gifted?Although not a reliable measure, overexcitability is often linked to giftedness. One of the ways people tried to test for giftedness was through overexcitability, but it was not conclusive.What is the “hedgehog dilemma”?The more that you’re an outlier, the more you try to seek out people who are like you to confirm that you’re “okay” and not abnormal.Belonging is the biggest issue for these types of people.What is a “magnet” school?Most gifted people know they’re difficult and can be hard to manage. Jessie believes some of these...

Are stereotypes always harmful? Should we use stereotypes to predict and impose behaviors and preferences onto others? Some people believe transgender identities defy stereotypes while others believe they reify them. And where does stereotyping come from? This is a mental shortcut with complex roots and crucial implications for the gender debates.Links:Carole Hooven: Testosterone: The Story of the Hormone that dominates and Divides Us&nbsp;&nbsp;Noam Shpancer: Stereotype Accuracy: A displeasing truth&nbsp;Extended NotesThere are so many stereotypes in this space. What’s the right definition of gender dysphoria? The DMS is just riddled with stereotypes.Stella reads out the DMS description of gender dysphoria.The first six descriptors of gender dysphoria in the DMS are very stereotypical. It’s fixed with what a boy should play vs. what a girl should play.Why are pink colors “girlish” and why are blue colors “boyish”?What are some common stereotypes about women? Or even Irish people?What frustrates Stella the most about stereotypes?Stereotypes are always framed as harmful in this community, yet they also use them extensively. It’s a bit of a contradiction.These stereotypes really do come from somewhere. There’s a reason why these exist.Stella and Sasha compare their culture and differences.Our brains use stereotypes to keep us safe.Both sides are claiming they’re breaking the stereotypes down, but are they?There are girls who are wearing makeup and are in girls’ clothing, but they are saying they identify as trans guys. What’s going on? It’s a huge mind pretzel.It’s confusing, they say “treat me like a man,” but what does that mean if it’s outside of a stereotype?There’s a mix between medical and rebellion language and, when it comes to gender, this is very scary.If you call a phone a duck and still call a duck a duck, what the heck are we actually talking about?Free speech is everything and trying to control or change speech, even in its respect to gender, is dangerous.Stereotypes have a certain level of efficiency towards understanding what another person means.Kids are resident stereotypes all the time, but they also seek out edgy and cool ones to be a part of. Their own tribe, if you will.When they feel like a stereotype is “off-limits,” Sasha wonders how that can impact the development stages of a child if they feel like they can’t be whole or have to shun parts of their identity to fit in.There’s a subcategory of feminists who feel driven to be sexually liberated and proud to sleep with multiple, multiple people, but Stella and Sasha ask questions on why that is.This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Heather Brunskell-Evans is a philosopher and sociologist who studies the intersection of medicine and culture. She joins us today to trace the ways in which queer theory evolved in academia and moved into the broader culture, including the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in the UK. Explaining how a social justice angle is key to the ‘affirmative model’ of care for gender dysphoria, Heather recounts a few key moments when she realized there were authoritarian elements at play in silencing thought and conversation around the topic of transgender, even for parents trying to protect their children.Links:Heather’s Website &nbsp;http://www.heather-brunskell-evans.co.uk/&nbsp;&nbsp;Transgender Children and Young People: Born in Your Own Body&nbsp;https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-0398-4&nbsp;&nbsp;Inventing Transgender Children and Young People &nbsp;https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-3638-8&nbsp;&nbsp;Transgender Body Politics &nbsp;http://www.heather-brunskell-evans.co.uk/thoughts/transgender-body-politics/&nbsp;&nbsp;Heather on Twitter&nbsp;https://twitter.com/brunskellevans&nbsp;&nbsp;The History of Sexuality&nbsp;https://www.amazon.com/History-Sexuality-Vol-Introduction/dp/0679724699&nbsp;&nbsp;Janice Raymond, The Transsexual Empire&nbsp;https://janiceraymond.com/the-transsexual-empire/&nbsp;&nbsp;Vanity Fair Cover&nbsp;https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/caitlyn-jenner-bruce-cover-annie-leibovitz&nbsp;&nbsp;Moral Maze&nbsp;http://www.heather-brunskell-evans.co.uk/tag/moral-maze/&nbsp;&nbsp;Heather Brunskell Evans opinion piece for Leicester University  &nbsp;https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/press/think-leicester/arts-and-culture/2015/neo-liberalism-masculinity-and-femininity-caitlyn-jenner-and-the-politics-of-transgender  &nbsp;Extended NotesHeather has been working in this field since the very beginning --Since the early 1990s.&nbsp;Heather shares a bit about her background and how she got started.&nbsp;The moment Heather discovered medical intervention for transgender children in 2016, her work has not been the same since.&nbsp;Why did Heather decide to do her PhD in child sexual abuse?&nbsp;Technically, we don’t actually have any human or social rights.&nbsp;What research did Heather discover when she was doing her PhD in queer theory?&nbsp;Heather describes what post-structuralism is.&nbsp;We are a byproduct of the culture we live in,

Sasha and Stella answer listener questions… again! They start by highlighting recent episodes inspired by listener feedback. Next, they discuss the financial implications and complexities involved in adult children using their parents’ medical insurance. They reflect on the different roles that can emerge between mothers and fathers of gender dysphoric youth. Other questions address the similarities between body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, OCD, and other ruminative anxieties.Links:Activist Perspective on Body Dysmorphia &amp; Gender Dysphoria&nbsp;Austenhartke.com/blog/2015/5/19/o08szlrrhc8jaasya9s285qenydpy6 &nbsp;Homosexual OCD:&nbsp;Centerforanxietydisorders.com/treatment-programs/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/hocd/ &nbsp;Trans OCD:&nbsp;Treatmyocd.com/blog/transgender-ocd-symptoms-and-treatment&nbsp;Aaron Kimberly on Benjamin Boyce:&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcjBDi-ZRLA &nbsp;Bryony Gordon, Mad Girl, book about OCD&nbsp;Amazon.co.uk/Mad-Girl-Bryony-Gordon/dp/1472232089&nbsp;Suicidality in Body Dysmorphic Disorder&nbsp;Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2361388/Extended NotesA little update on what topics Stella and Sasha have in the pipeline!This is the second episode where Stella and Sasha answer listener questions!How do you manage the costs of gender? This listener asked her daughter to pay for her own gender medical expenses.When does it make sense for parents to accept where their child is in life?This parent wants to support her child through her journey, but she also doesn’t want to pay for something she disagrees with.If the parent is paying for it, then she should be able to look at the bills she’s paying for. If her child does not want her to see the medical procedures, then she must take ownership of those costs.This parent needs to remind her daughter about all the ways she is happy to support her necessities. Basic food, shelter, and safety. How she has done so since she was a child. Sometimes children need the reminder. She also has three other children to consider and it makes sense why she might be hesitant to spend large resources on one when an emergency could happen to another one.When do you know you’re enabling your child?The fact insurance covers so many of these medical procedures is very shocking. They have an allure that they’re safe to do. They’re not!Next listener question! How does a man, who works in a blue-collared field, tell his friends that his son wants to be a girl?Stella has noticed that those who attend support groups for their transitioning children, 95% of them are mothers. Where are the men?No matter what happens to your child, look after your marriage. You are stronger together.Men are often suffering in their own private way. They express themselves differently than women do.At the end of the day, the body is real, you’re born with it, and it’s here to stay.What is homosexual OCD or transgender OCD?This is a bit of a chicken/egg question. Can spending a lot of time on the...

Jungian Analyst Bob Withers joins us to discuss the differences between gay conversion therapy and gender identity conversion therapy.&nbsp; We examine the possibility of misinformed therapists “transing the gay away” and suggest that perhaps the dark history of conversion therapy may not be over. Bob delves into his view of psychosomatic symptoms and draws on his background in philosophy and medical history to understand our current fixation with one’s subjective sense of identity. Bob also defines what he calls “detrans-phobic” responses to the experiences of detransitioners.Links:Winnicott: http://web-facstaff.sas.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Winnicott_PsycheSoma.pdf&nbsp;Dr Az Hakeem:&nbsp;http://www.drazhakeem.com/publications/&nbsp;Vsauce Video: The Power of Suggestion:&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDCcuCHOIyY&amp;feature=emb_title&nbsp;Safeguard evidence-based therapy for children struggling with gender dysphoria: &nbsp;https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/582083?fbclid=IwAR39py7JJnyxPe_cqQZAIUPBRt5E3wZ4MjvoryWBOdyGjuXVp2qRq0o3YVk&nbsp;Transgender Medicalization and the attempt to evade psych distress:&nbsp;https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-5922.12641 &nbsp;The Seventh Penis: towards effective psychoanalytic work with pre-surgical transexuals &nbsp;https://www.thesap.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Withers-2015-Journal_of_Analytical_Psychology.pdf&nbsp;Cambridge Books: &nbsp;Transgender Children and Young People: Born in Your Own Body: &nbsp;https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-0398-4&nbsp;Inventing Transgender Children: &nbsp;https://cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-3638-8&nbsp;One Size Does Not Fit All: In Support of Psychotherapy for Gender Dysphoria&nbsp;https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-020-01844-2&nbsp;Extended NotesA little bit about Bob and his work.&nbsp;Bob met a biological man, now a woman, who wanted to detransition. He realized that becoming a woman did not solve his psychological problems. This was in 1990.&nbsp;Bob’s work would later spark a new set of clients and now Bob sees parents and gender dysphoria teens.&nbsp;How were the narrates about gender different back then?&nbsp;Bob’s first detransition client was attacked and vilivided by the community. He tried to write books about it, but the only way to get the bullying to stop was to say he made up the whole thing.&nbsp;This was the first time Bob saw de-trans phorbia.&nbsp;We know the mind through introspection, but we actually know the body

As they wrap up their initial Behind the Curtain series , Sasha and Stella discuss important issues surrounding the termination of therapy. How do we know when the therapeutic process should end? Does a resolution of gender dysphoria mean it’s time to end the therapeutic relationship? Does the start of a medical transition indicate a good time to end? And how can therapists leave the door open for a client who may want to return at a later date? &nbsp;Extended Notes● When a long-term client leaves. It can be a bittersweet moment.● If the therapy process is working well, the client should be proactive in how they’re building new connections.● Therapy is a lot like riding a bike. You are a little wobbling and then, next thing you know, your training wheels are off!● What do you do when you have a client who has resolved their issues around gender identity, yet other issues are cropping up?● Upon the discovery of certain deeper issues, some clients realize that they cannot trust themselves.● Sasha has seen her clients feeling ashamed for their prior thinking.● Some of Stella’s clients wished the whole event didn’t happen. Well, it did. Let’s forgive ourselves a little.● Sometimes what feels like progress and going forward can also sidetrack you and you find yourself going completely sideways. Life gets us like that, but therapy helps us process these changes in a healthy way.● The goal in therapy is not to just help them de-transition. The goal is to help them find the right answers for themselves.● When is it time for a client to leave?● What do you do when you, as a therapist, make a mistake?● Sasha has a lot of her thoughts and opinions online. There have been times clients have read that and disagreed with her, and if the relationship hasn’t been built, this can really hurt progress.● Stella knows it’s ended badly when the client is always on her mind and she’s rethinking of ways to better handle the situation.● Stella is curious to know if people “relapse” with gender the same way people might with food disorders.● Stella has noticed people talking about their feelings of transitioning as if it were a drug.● It can be so frustrating to see a patient not make progress, yet they still keep coming. There must be something there.● Stella also worries for younger patients who use therapy as a crutch. She doesn’t want to create chronic patients.● What do you do when you feel it’s time to terminate the client relationship, but the client still wants to keep going?This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Marcus and Sue Evans both worked as clinicians in the Tavistock Centre in London for many years. Noticing red flags since the early 2000s, Sue was the first whistle-blower in the Tavistock Centre and Marcus resigned as its governor because the concerns raised by therapists, parents, and managers were systematically dismissed. Marcus and Sue have recently released their book Gender Dysphoria: A Therapeutic Model for Working with Children, Adolescents and Young Adults. They join us to discuss the tasks of adolescents, family dynamics, and how important it is to explore questions about gender dysphoria as part of a more holistic approach to clinical care because nobody yet has all the final answers.Links:Gender Dysphoria: A Therapeutic Model for Working with Children, Adolescents and Young AdultsAuthors: Susan Evans and Marcus EvansFiringthemind.com/product/9781912691784/&nbsp;&nbsp;“Freedom to Think: the need for thorough assessment and treatment of gender dysphoric children” by Marcus Evans&nbsp;Cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-bulletin/article/freedom-to-think-the-need-for-thorough-assessment-and-treatment-of-gender-dysphoric-children/F4B7F5CAFC0D0BE9FF3C7886BA6E904B&nbsp;“First do no harm: A new model for treating trans-identified children”Quillette.com/author/susan-evans/&nbsp;Interview with Marcus Evans: &nbsp;Quillette.com/2020/01/17/why-i-resigned-from-tavistock-trans-identified-children-need-therapy-not-just-affirmation-and-drugs/&nbsp;Sue Quoted in the Guardian: &nbsp;Theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/01/families-divided-tavistock-nhs-gender-clinic-judicial-review-goes-ahead&nbsp;An overview of the Judicial Review and court decision about puberty blockers&nbsp;Transparencyproject.org.uk/bell-v-tavistock-in-the-high-court-an-explainer/&nbsp;Extended NotesHow did Sue get into gender dysphoria?Being involved in this work for many years now, Sue was concerned that children were being medicalized too quickly.It is clear that there needs to be more research in this area and the subject needs to be understood more before we prescribe children with puberty blockers.How did Marcus get into gender dysphoria?In 2006, Sue and Marcus were raising clinical concerns about the effects of puberty blockers. It was tough. Their opinions were unpopular.Marcus retired in 2018 and became a staff governor. He received a letter from 10 parents that were concerned that their children weren’t psychologically examined properly for their gender dysphoria. They felt the whole process was too rushed.After digging deeper into the issues, Marcus felt he had to resign because he disagreed with how his organization was handling the issue. He was terrified his career

Sasha and Stella continue their series which peers behind the curtain of depth work with gender-questioning clients. Today, they weave in philosophy and psychology to discuss the importance of authenticity, happiness, and connectedness. They also explore the value of art in the slow evolving process of an emergent Self.Links:The Catcher in the Rye: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5107.The_Catcher_in_the_Rye&nbsp;&nbsp;The Bell Jar : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6514.The_Bell_Jar&nbsp;&nbsp;Taxi Driver: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi_Driver&nbsp;&nbsp;The Scream: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scream&nbsp;&nbsp;Raised by the Village (with Stella O’Malley): https://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/1076971-raised-by-the-village/&nbsp;External Locus of Control: https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4419-1005-9_250#:~:text=Definition,luck%2C%20chance%2C%20or%20randomness.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Extended NotesHow do you “break the ice,” as it were, with a gender-questioning teen?&nbsp;Sasha and Stella noticed that a lot of these children don’t have “joy” in their lives.What does it mean to be authentic?So many teens feel different from others and they feel like no one else understands the feelings they’re going through.A lot of gender-questioning teens are asking very common existential questions. It often shows up everywhere, really.Sasha often likes to ask what are some of the common triggers to her client’s gender dysphoria. The answers are very interesting and insightful.Going from a child body to an adult body is very jarring.If a child is experiencing same-sex attraction, therapists really need to slow down in this process and explore.Everybody says they’re pro-LGBTQ, but they just don’t want it for themselves.There is a lot of bullying going on in schools when someone is gay or a lesbian — a lot of bullying.It’s one thing to say you’re okay with it, but it’s quite another to be experiencing same-sex attraction physically.Sasha works a lot with helping her clients find their own voice that’s not a reaction towards their parent’s wishes.When parents are so adamant about what the “right thing” is for their children, the children end up doubling down even further.Sasha loves to do these “gender timelines” to help the child see how their views change over time.Stella really likes to go “behind the label.” Yes, they’re calling themselves certain things, but let’s dig deeper as to why.Some children also have a hard time accepting their very “ordinary” selves.Let’s explore internal vs. external locus of control.Young people have been sold this idea that they can control how other people perceive them.Stella likes to encourage her clients to develop their own sense of style. Not develop a style based on “what they think it means to be trans.” What her clients come up with is often very freeing.Stella is also curious to understand whether medications are suppressing libidos and this means young teens feel like they have to...

After the therapist has laid the foundations of therapy and established a trusting relationship, the process moves into the middle stage. This is the meat of the therapy! In this episode, Sasha and Stella explore the dynamics that can elicit change in the individual. They consider the curious vs. fixed client, self-esteem issues, broadening the client’s focus, and how to speak meaningfully about gender in therapy.Links:The Importance of an Unhappy Adolescence: Youtube.com/watch?v=zcUI1Hk0GRU&amp;feature=emb_title&nbsp;Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network: Gccan.org&nbsp;Extended NotesWhat’s the true job of a therapist when a parent brings their gender-questioning teen in for counseling?Timing is important when approaching therapy. Both Stella and Sasha keep phrases and viewpoints their teen is saying in their back pocket to bring up for exploration at another time.If you’re not careful, it can turn into a “gotcha” moment for your client. You want to avoid that.Teens have very harsh inner voices and, as therapists, it’s important to look into this in a gentle way.A lot of adolescents understand the importance of their mental health, which is why they’re so critical of themselves when they don’t have happiness. It’s a vicious cycle.Whenever there’s an outburst, people might be dismissive and say, “Oh you should talk to your therapist about that.” Although true, there are better ways to reassure a child that their emotions are perfectly normal.Parents don’t like to reveal some of the bad things that happened to them throughout their life, but sharing some of these experiences with their children really humanizes them.When you don’t divulge information, you make your relationship colder. By sharing information and life experiences, you create a deeper friendship.People love to throw out diagnoses left and right, but sometimes these are just children going through normal teenage things.Stella shares an interesting pattern that happens with her clients when they go from gender distress to seemingly being fine, and then back to gender distress.As a therapist, it’s important to position yourself as someone who explores unknown questions together with your client.It’s important to think big picture and dive into what else is going on in their life and not just focus on the teen’s specific gender issue.Teens have reported that social media causes a lot of distress and time wasted. Too much time on these platforms causes them a lot of mental health issues.As therapists, it’s also important to show the client how they can find their strong voice and say no to things that aren’t serving them or causing them distress.What is the sexual self? How do you define it?Therapists need to not hurry this process. A strong relationship can develop over years and so there’s time to explore challenging subjects pieces at a time.The political narrative around puberty blockers is not matching what Stella and Sasha are seeing in their clinic, is it because they have a more biased cohort?This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

This is the first episode in a short series which takes listeners behind the scenes of a gender exploratory therapy process. Although there has been plenty written about Gender Affirmative Therapy, very little has been written about a concept often described as Gender Exploratory Therapy. Sasha and Stella discuss the specifics of establishing a therapeutic alliance when a person is questioning their gender identity. They describe different strategies involving issues such as names, pronouns, clothes and hairstyles and reflect on the different stages of therapy, which they’ll discuss in subsequent series episodes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anastassis&nbsp;Spiliadis: ‘Taking the lid off the box’: The value of extended clinical assessment for adolescents presenting with gender identity difficulties&nbsp;&nbsp;https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1359104518825288&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sasha Ayad: How do I work with gender questioning teens:&nbsp;https://gdworkinggroup.org/2018/11/12/how-i-work-with-rogd-teens/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sasha Ayad, Stella O’Malley and Lisa Marchiano: ‘Effective Relationships and Clinical Relationships’&nbsp;https://youtu.be/Sy1VuuN6V2g&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In today’s episode, we begin to answer some of the many questions sent to us by listeners.Can we be born in the wrong body? Do parental role models influence children to reject or seek transition? What is the impact of a trans partner on a teenagers’ sexuality? How do siblings of trans people experience these changes in the family?Listen in to see if your question was answered and how Sasha and Stella plan to explore these topics in future episodes.Links:TED Talks — “Own Your Face” Happiness isn’t found in your appearance: Youtube.com/watch?v=QbxinUJcLGg&amp;feature=emb_logo“My Philosophy for a Happy Life”:Youtube.com/watch?v=36m1o-tM05g&amp;t=1sMy Left Foot Film: Imdb.com/title/tt0097937/ The Crying Game: Imdb.com/title/tt0104036/Dr. Lisa Diamond: Youtube.com/watch?v=m2rTHDOuUBw&amp;t=5sExtended NotesThank you so much for sending your questions! Let’s talk!Born in the wrong body? How is that different from those with disabilities?What does it mean to be in the “wrong body”? Stella and Sasha discuss.You cannot let yourself be defined by your disability or your abnormal face.Stella asks some interesting questions about people who undergo drastic cosmetic surgery.Is it the new normal to just drastically change your appearance?Sasha shares interesting cosmetic surgery trends that we’re now seeing in our society.How do you really know you’re born in the wrong body vs. just being unhappy with your body?Next question! This listener’s teenage daughter is dating a girl that identifies as a boy. This mother has some questions on what this all means.This listener is curious if her parenting style has had an impact on her daughter’s rebellious tendencies to reject her own gender identity.It’s normal for a daughter to not be a carbon copy of the mother.Don’t blame yourself for your daughter’s gender identity.Parents often put their own needs on the backburner when they have a child.Next question: How do you talk to siblings about their gender dysphoria?Birth order is important. Was the child who is transitioning older or younger? This can affect siblings differently.Parents are trying so hard to give their resources to their trans child, but siblings are sitting on the sidelines keeping their questions to themselves because they see how much conflict this is giving everyone.Listeners share some of their favorite episodes, and even ones they’ve shared with their children.Sasha and Stella share some upcoming episodes that they have in the works right now!This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

“Lauren” is a 32-year-old lesbian who has moved with ease across the gender spectrum over the course of her lifetime. Lauren offers a positive story about how being gender non-normative and having a complicated gender experience can be a pleasant and interesting experience. Cautioning against the heavy and urgent discussions about medicalizing gender expression, Lauren wonders if we can become more playful and even joyful about gender?Links:Lauren’s Blog: Theanxiousskeptic.wordpress.com/&nbsp;Extended NotesA little bit about Lauren and her experience with gender.The way our society is handling trans children is completely different from when Lauren grew up.Lauren feels a bit betrayed by the LGBTQ community.What was Lauren’s childhood like?How did Lauren’s family deal with her and her older sister’s masculine gender?Can you be gay and Mormon?Lauren was always the good child and her older sister was the problem masculine child. So it threw everyone for a loop when they found out Lauren was a lesbian, and not her sister.When Lauren dressed in drag, she felt much more comfortable in her own body.Men’s clothing was just easier to understand and when Lauren took on a more butch persona, it was a lot easier for her to date.Lauren was a butch lesbian for about 10 years before switching back to a more “feminine” look.In Lauren’s mind, being butch is almost like a third gender.At one point, Lauren identified as trans.The trans community has really affected the way lesbians see themselves. Lauren knows several people in same-sex relationships who have identified as trans at one point in time in her friend group.When it came to having children, how did Lauren and her wife decide who should have a child?A lot of Lauren’s friends who were butch were transitioning, either to a more feminine persona or trans. And she felt like she could not grieve this sense of loss. She just had to be happy for her friends.When random people were shouting slurs at Lauren and her wife, it only really started to bother her as she got older and was going to become a parent.What’s it like being a mother?Eleven-year-olds are being asked if they want to preserve their fertility. It’s crazy.Lauren has gone through many different gender identities and went on to have children. She gets fired up and passionate when young children are forced to “choose.”We have to think about the long-term well-being of children and teenagers first. Not our politics.Can we be more playful with our gender? Why do we have to always pick a side?This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Continuing the discussion about the new type of boy who is seeking to transition, we speak to Angus Fox, author of a series in Quillette. Angus explains why he thought it so important to earn the trust of parents who participate in clandestine meetings about their gender dysphoric sons. We discuss the role of systematic thinking in ROGD boys and the encouragement of their female friends to transition. Angus also provides his insights as a gay man remembering his own challenging boyhood.Links:Angus Fox (2021) — “When Sons Become Daughters: Parents of Transitioning Boys Speak Out on Their Own Suffering” Quillette.com/author/angus-fox/Angus Fox — Part II Quillette.com/2021/04/06/when-sons-become-daughters-part-ii-parents-of-transitioning-boys-speak-out-on-their-own-suffering/&nbsp;Angus Fox — Part III Quillette.com/author/angus-fox/&nbsp;Extended NotesHow did Angus get into this field and get interested in gender dysphoria?What are some of Angus’s biases?So many parents are blindsided when their child comes out as trans.The counselors and therapists are partly to blame.Angus conducted a survey to see what parents thought was influencing their children to become trans.What did Angus uncover after conducting this extensive research?These boys are often bright, socially behind, and very online.Angus noticed that a lot of these boys were playing particular RPG games and it gave them a false illusion of what the female aesthetic really was.These very intelligent boys, who often have intelligent answers to things, are giving parents very strange and almost immature answers as to why they want to become a woman.Predatory men online could be further exacerbating the problem.How do these boys end up relating to their own sexuality?We’re seeing a rocketing number of people who are saying they’re bisexual.What benefits do these gender dysphoric boys get by joining a girl clique?Why are young women so obsessed with dressing up their new toy?So many families are just lost and don’t know what to do.Want diversity and inclusion? You should see these groups. They’re diverse and they’re all worried about their child.When you talk to de-transitioners, they all have a level of wisdom about who they are and what they want.Did Angus see a connection with autism in his surveyed group?What kinds of reactions are mom and dad having when it comes to having a trans teen?Children are taking fewer and fewer risks in our environment. As a way to rebel, they’re taking risks on their bodies and their personal identity instead.Angus is curious about the child birth order and where trans children fall under. If they have a big family, small family, and where are they in the birth order, does it impact their identity?This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Many presume that ROGD only impacts girls, but there is a significant number of boys who appear to show the hallmark traits of Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria. Not quite fitting in with Ray Blanchard’s classification of homosexual transsexualism or autogynephilia, these boys tend to be softly spoken Mommy’s boys, highly intelligent and hyper-ruminative. Many prefer to remain safe at home in their bedrooms and become fixated on medical transition. In this first of two episodes, Stella and Sasha introduce some of the different ways that gender dysphoria can manifest in boys.Links:Ray Blanchard (1989). “The classification and labeling of nonhomosexual gender dysphorias.”  Archives of Sexual Behavior. 18 (4): 315–334. doi:10.1007/bf01541951. PMID 2673136. S2CID 43151898.Blanchard R (August 2005). “Early history of the concept of autogynephilia.”  Archives of Sexual Behavior. 34 (4):439–446. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.667.7255. doi:10.1007/s10508-005-4343-8. PMID 16010466. S2CID 15986011.Michael Bailey (2003). The Man who would be Queen. Wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Would_Be_QueenAnne Lawrence — (2013).  Men Trapped in Men's Bodies: Narratives of Autogynephilic Transsexualism. Springer Science+Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4614-5181-5.Angus Fox (2021) — “When Sons Become Daughters: Parents of Transitioning Boys Speak Out on Their Own Suffering” Quillette.com/author/angus-fox/Donna M. (2021) — “You’re not trans, you’re just weird” Newdiscourses.com/2021/03/youre-not-trans-youre-just-weird/Kellie Jay Keen Minshull — “The locker-room has a lot to answer for” <a...

Hyper-active, inattentive, immature, and impulsivity are just some of the common traits associated with ADHD. These may not have an obvious link to Gender Dysphoria and yet gender variance is found to be 6.64 times more likely among individuals with ADHD. We discuss how ADHD manifests in girls and boys, how society responds to ADHD traits, and how this interaction can lead to gender-related issues.Links:&nbsp;ADHD and Gender DysphoriaSciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140312103102.htm&nbsp;Girls and ADHDVerywellmind.com/adhd-in-girls-symptoms-of-adhd-in-girls-20547&nbsp;Travel Programs for Adolescents/Teens/Young Adults:Adolesco.org/Habitat.org/Semesteratsea.org/Volunteerhq.org/coronavirus-update/&nbsp;Elle Palmer: How my Personality Influenced my IdentityYoutube.com/watch?v=H8FrT2M44Co&amp;feature=emb_logo&nbsp;Richard Branson: ADHD: The Entrepreneur’s Superpower Forbes.com/sites/dalearcher/2014/05/14/adhd-the-entrepreneurs-superpower/?sh=11f9010459e9&nbsp;Michael Phelps: How swimming saved Michael Phelps: An ADHD Story Additudemag.com/michael-phelps-adhd-advice-from-the-olympians-mom/&nbsp;Gabor Maté (2000) Scattered: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It Drgabormate.com/book/scattered-minds/Extended NotesA lot of diagnoses are flying around and it’s easy to go, “yeah, yeah.”What is ADHD? How do you define it?It’s hard to force yourself to focus when you’re really uninterested in something.ADHD is actually a good thing and it was used for our survival.When society/school tells these children they’re slow or that they’re not performing well, it can really perpetuate a lot of negative self-talk and make the problem worse.Stella can see how a lot of children with ADHD have been impacted with how poor or low self-esteem.Has ADHD always existed or is this just the byproduct of our environment?Since ADHD kids have a hard time tracking the details, they might be seen as silly or slow.Do ADHD kids seem shyer because of how many times people tell them to “stop” doing things or being who they are? Stella and Sasha wonder what kind of personality they’d truly have if they were just “free to be.”ADHD kids try their best to structure themselves and they can also end up being really obsessed with goals.Once these kids have their minds set on something, they become hyper-focused on achieving it. Even if it means it’s not 100% what they want.Social media is made for an ADHD person.How do ADHD traits show up in boys and girls, especially those with gender dysphoria?A lot of successful people have ADHD. it’s a great...

This last year of lockdown has been a strange and unsettling time for many. We have heard reports of gender issues escalating rapidly and we have also heard accounts of people leaving all thoughts of gender identity far behind. The impact of our restricted lifestyle on our mental health is explored and some strategies that might help in these difficult times are suggested. Stella and Sasha give listeners from around the globe shout-outs and audience members are invited to request future show topics and to share their burning gender questions.Links:Msnet thread: Mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3952739-The-effect-of-lockdown-on-transitioning-teen-girlsStella O’Malley, The Journal, “Young people have suffered so much this year — they need our support”: Thejournal.ie/readme/wellness-stella-omalley-5252594-Nov2020/Stella O’Malley, Irish Independent, “We must confront painful truth: we are facing into a mental health crisis”: Independent.ie/opinion/comment/we-must-confront-painful-truth-we-are-facing-into-a-mental-health-crisis-40031671.htmlStella O’Malley, Sunday Independent, “Locked in by Covid for almost a year, the kids aren’t all right”: Independent.ie/opinion/comment/locked-in-by-covid-for-almost-a-year-the-kids-arent-all-right-40088973.htmlConnect on Twitter: @Widerlenspod &amp; FacebookExtended NotesHow has the lockdown affected people with gender dysphoria?Some clients spend months watching transition videos on YouTube.The internet is a very influential place. Get your children off of it!Stella has noticed that young people are really scared of life.Sasha remembers being afraid to step outside after the lockdown. She’s an adult, imagine what it’s like for young people!What is Ireland like right now?What does life look like for the rest of the world? Let Sasha and Stella know!Everyone is isolated right now and Stella is seeing a lot of relapses happening. Everything from eating disorders to gender.We’ve gotten through worse! But by saying that you are denying our current experiences.We know the mental impacts war and famine have on our wellbeings that last a lifetime, but what about isolation?Children are still developing and not being able to see any of their friends; both Sasha and Stella are curious what kinds of long-term effects this will have on our society.There are intense despair and loneliness happening right now with our children.Stella shares some observations she’s had with both her introverted clients vs. extroverted clients.Sasha shares why the lockdown made her decide to move to a different location.Stella was worried that her children were spending too much time on the screens. She needed them outside.The irony is despite being on their phones all the time, young adults are under-stimulated.What have been some of the pros of the lockdown?Shoutout to the listeners! Thank you for...

The startling links between ASD and Gender Dysphoria are raising plenty of questions as clinicians wonder why children on the spectrum tend to struggle with gender. Also, which comes first: ASD or gender nonconformity? In this episode, we explore how autistic traits may cause youth to question their gender and become attached to identity labels. And we wonder if this has implications for the trans movement.Links:Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity, by Andrew SolomonAmazon.com/Far-Tree-Parents-Children-Identity/dp/0743236726&nbsp;NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, by Steve SilbermanAmazon.com/NeuroTribes-Legacy-Autism-Future-Neurodiversity-eboo…&nbsp;&nbsp;Scientific American Article: “Autism — It’s Different in Girls”Scientificamerican.com/article/autism-it-s-different-in-girls/&nbsp;&nbsp;13 YO girl with social struggles:Youtu.be/nNLznV-bZKc&nbsp;Papers:&nbsp;&nbsp;Thrower, E., Bretherton, I., Pang, K. C., Zajac, J. D., &amp; Cheung, A. S. (2019). Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Amongst Individuals with Gender Dysphoria: A Systematic Review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(3), 695–706. Doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04298-1&nbsp;Hisle-Gorman, E., Landis, C. A., Susi, A., Schvey, N. A., Gorman, G. H., Nylund, C. M., &amp; Klein, D. A. (2019). Gender Dysphoria in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. LGBT Health, 6(3), 95-100. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2018.0252&nbsp;Butler G, De Graaf N, Wren B, et al&nbsp;Assessment and support of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria&nbsp;Archives of Disease in Childhood 2018;103:631-636.&nbsp;Extended NotesSasha worked with autistic children early in her career and it really shaped a lot of her training today.How do you define autism?Stella thinks girls who have autism are getting missed at a younger age compared to boys.How are gender and autism related?Some children are just getting misdiagnosed as children and it’s showing up as anxiety or depression, instead of being on the spectrum.Can’t figure out why a child might not be making progress? They’re on the wrong meds.Autistic kids in general don’t really conform to gender norms.Parents spend so much time with their autistic children just so they can live somewhat of a normal life. It’s painful and heartbreaking.It’s cute when you’re five when it comes to not picking up on the gender roles, but as you get older, it can be difficult to integrate into a normal life.Are there more autistic people now than there were before?Technology and being overly glued to it can accelerate the social deficit traits.Are you comfortable in your own body? A lot of times the answer is no.One of the signs of autism is sensory issues. Both Sasha and Stella have noticed with their gender dysphoric children that they have an overfixation on the new changes their body is giving them during puberty, and how they hate it.You don’t want to deny that children on the spectrum do have legitimate challenges, but there is a balance between blaming it on their autism...

Loneliness, isolation and confusion often characterises the experience of parents of the gender dysphoric child. A parallel process emerges where the children are obsessed with transition and the parents become obsessed with ROGD. Trying to set loving boundaries is often misinterpreted by others as the parent being the last standing bigot. In this episode we try to empathise with parents who feel they’ve lost control over their child’s wellbeing&nbsp;Links:Gender Dysphoria Support Network:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://genderdysphoriasupportnetwork.com/&nbsp;&nbsp;Sasha’s Parent Resource Page:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.subscribestar.com/sashalpc&nbsp;&nbsp;Sasha’s YouTube Channel:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGNuXjES0uUGfvXaRwixgag&nbsp;&nbsp;Bayswater Support:&nbsp;https://www.bayswatersupport.org.uk/&nbsp;&nbsp;Gender Critical Support Board:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://gendercriticalresources.com/Support/index.php&nbsp;&nbsp;Our Duty:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://ourduty.group/&nbsp;Extended NotesMany parents feel lonely and isolated to be a parent of a child going through gender dysphoria.Sasha has been contacted by 1,500 families and has consulted with around 500 families on the topics of gender dysphoria.How did Stella and her parents deal with her inner struggles with her gender when she was growing up?There is a tendency to take a gender non-conforming child to a professional. Parents want to be good parents. Parents don’t want to screw their children up.For parents who are referred to a gender clinic, the things that the clinic recommends are utterly shocking. Why can’t kids just be kids?Gender clinics use fear tactics on the parents, and they listen.Early gender intervention is very damaging to the child.Suddenly, it no longer becomes about the child and their unique tastes. Their gender becomes political.Parents feel very guilty when they find out that they were being led down a path of puberty blockers that could permanently alter their children’s lives forever. They thought they were just being liberal and supporting their child’s gender identity.A good parent does “this.” And most parents blindly follow that rule.Puberty is coming fast and now parents don’t know what to do.Puberty blockers are made to seem normal in these circles, but this is a serious decision that you should not be taking lightly.What do you do when you have a very traditional gender-conforming child, and then one day they decide they’re no longer a She and want to be called a He?Parents get such a shock that they end up researching and researching to find out more.Some parents are drowning in trying to keep this a secret.By questioning whether this is right/wrong, parents get seen as transphobic,...

Carol is a 40-year-old detransitioned butch lesbian. She transitioned at 34 and is part of an often ignored group: adult lesbians turned trans men. Carol tells us about the initial highs of transition and how things took a turn for the worse…Links:Velvet Chronicle InterviewDetrans VoicesCarol’s TwitterDetrans Voices Interviews“Where Have all the Lesbians Gone?”“Butch identity development: The formation of an authentic gender”“The He Hormone”Extended NotesWhere is the space for de-transitioners?Carol is a lesbian who is no longer taking hormones. She is beginning to detransition.What was Carol’s childhood like?When Carol was 9, she was told she was acting like a boy and needed to change.Carol’s mother lost her mind on her pastor when she found out Carol played football with his boys.Carol suspects that her mother was a closeted woman.Why did Carol choose not to go to high school?Carol thought it was really cool to see women who didn’t shave their hair. She saw what “normal” women were supposed to look like.Alcoholism is a big issue in the lesbian community.What makes someone trans? Carol checked all the boxes. But the boxes were wrong!“I don’t feel like a girl.” is just another way for someone to say that they don’t feel pretty.Carol has a younger sister who has blonde hair and blue eyes, and everybody just fell over themselves for her growing up. Carol felt like an ogre.At 17 years old, Carol had a nervous breakdown.The butch lesbian is often the butt of many jokes in the media. It was difficult for Carol who had more masculine traits.When did Carol first think about transitioning?Carol received different treatment for being a butch woman.Being a guy — is it easier?Carol tried twice to transition. In her 20s and her 30s. What was that experience like?Carol did not know the side effects she would have from taking testosterone. It was so experimental.Taking testosterone, especially in those large amounts, it’s like a drug.Carol’s mental state started to deteriorate about a year and a half into her transition as a man.By year four, Carol was paralyzed in her room and she didn’t want to leave because her anxiety was so high.Carol’s female anatomy was deteriorating as well from lack of use, so a new set of problems would have arisen if she had kept taking hormones.When did Carol decide to de-transition?Carol’s gender struggles were a form of distress and she was not given that many options to solve that distress.People often throw “transition!” into the fold as the only option when there are other pathways to explore. We need other options and education around that. Transitioning isn’t the only solution.This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:<a...

The misinformed presumption that gender dysphoria can only be managed through medication and/or surgery is blown out of the water in this episode. Sasha and Stella emphasize that dysphoria is a type of human distress, like any other. They discuss many different ways to understand, manage, and reduce gender dysphoria.Links:“The Detransitioners” by Laura Dodsworth, The Sunday TimesAlternatives to Deal with Gender Dysphoria, by NelemilIllusory truth effectWilliam Glasser’s Emotional NeedsThe Time in Between: A Memoir of Hunger and Hope, by Nancy Tucker“Advice for Gender Dysphoric Teens”“Storm Warnings,” by Adrienne RichExtended NotesGender dysphoria is mental distress.What are some of the best ways to manage gender dysphoria?If someone is distressed, what should we be looking at?Insomnia is a manifestation of anxiety.Are you fixated on a certain type of body and jealous you don’t have it?The more you see something, even if you don’t believe it at first, the more you accept it as reality later down the line. Be conscious of what you’re exposing yourself to.If you had mental distress, it was your problem. Therapy wasn’t exactly “the go-to” solution.Are you a parent in a rush to get your gender dysphoria child better?There is so much power in working out and owning the changes in your body.Our bodies can teach us a lot of things if we engage them correctly.What is social dysphoria?People are so afraid to say something bad or something else, but it’s your right to feel angry if it angers you!We come from apes. We were killers for survival and we all have a dark side. In our society, we can’t let that out in a healthy way.If you believe changing your body will make you happy, you’re going to spend a lot of time in that fantasy.Exercise: Measure your mood before you go online and after. Do you feel better or worse?A lot of phobias come from teens coming into their new bodies. New breasts, hair, and period pains.People are really grappling with the concept of privilege and what means.It is assumed that people who are privileged have an easy life, but this can end up suppressing a lot of core emotions or minimizing real thoughts.Many trans people have transitioned, and their feelings of gender dysphoria still remain.This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Gifted and exceptional children seem more inclined to gender nonconformity and they represent a significant proportion of the ROGD teens discussed in Dr. Littman’s research. Sasha and Stella explore why there may be a link between brilliance and transgender identity.Links:“Overexcitability and the Gifted”, by Sharon Lind“Where Overexcitability and Gender Dysphoria Meet,” by Jessie Mannisto“Gender Identity and Overexcitability Profiles of Gifted College Students” Researchgate  (2009)“Gender Dysphoria and Gifted Children,” by Lisa MarchianoDr. Lisa LittmanLiving with Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults, Edited by Susan Daniels and Michael M. PiechowskiCarol Dweck &amp; MindsetThe Social Dilemma FilmCotton Wool Kids: What's Making Irish Parents Paranoid?, by Stella O'MalleyExtended NotesHow do the Irish reward/acknowledge/talk about “exceptional learners” and gifted individuals?Educated American parents want to know how gifted their children really are.Children who are exceptionally gifted will be placed in a different learning program to help them accelerate.Kids can get set up with the expectation that they’re going to be exceptional all the time, and that leads to a lot of disappointment in life.Why are gender dysphoria and “giftedness” linked?How do you define a “gifted” person?Sasha believes a lot of gifted people really struggle with depression in their teenage years as they see all their peers having fun and they “just can’t relate.”It’s very lonely being intelligent.Intense kids crave really deep relationships and are dissatisfied by superficial relationships that are very common during the teenage years.Stella has noticed that a lot of teens aren’t “that into” music anymore. It used to be a huge part of her identity when she was growing up.If you have a growth mindset, you’re able to handle failure much easily.Everyone in life is “in a process.” Nobody starts out great.Do you have a fear of failure? It's a very common experience!Companies are savvy and they want you to get excited, emotionally, so that there’s more engagement on their platforms.It’s common for teenagers to have a big sense of imaginability, but these can really go “off the rails,” so to speak, with brilliantly gifted kids.What’s concerning is children taking on more video games instead of going outside and being physical to expend all that energy. It impacts your health and your...

The psychologist Erik Erickson’s theory of psychosocial development makes some essential observations about the period of adolescence and identifies the questions at this phase of life as “Who Am I?” and “What can I Be?”. Sasha and Stella examine this developmental period and ask how the concept of gender identity lays atop the teenage struggle for belonging, individuation, sexual development, and autonomy.Links:The Adolescent Psyche: Jungian and Winnicottian Perspectives, by Richard Frankel&nbsp;&nbsp;Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, by Lisa Damour, Ph.D.Hold on to Your Kids: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, by Gordon Neufeld &amp; Gabor Maté“Trans Activism’s Dangerous Myth of Parental Rejection,” by Lisa MarchianoChildhood and Society, by Erik H. EriksonExtended NotesThe process of growing up; although it looks different across cultures, we all have to go through it.Stella shares the coming of age ceremonies she did for her children.There are 8 stages of “growing up” that we do, according to Erik Erikson:InfancyToddlerEarly childhoodMiddle childhoodAdolescence20s–30s — Seeking intimacy40s–60s — Stagnation60s+ — Your legacyIt’s so important for children to do things with a sense of conviction.Why are the adolescent years so turbulent?Erik Erikson was the person who coined the phrase, “Identity crisis.”Up until 12 years old, everything a parent says is considered “law.” After 12, they turn it off and take in outside influences. This makes sense. Children need this process.Children reject everything you stand for because they don’t want to be a clone of you.As a mother, Stella says there is nothing that strikes terror in our hearts more when our children are unhappy.Once our children are teenagers, is there nothing we can do to help them through this process?Parents need to have a working knowledge of what their teenagers are swimming in. This is a vital time to build a stronger relationship with the child, not disconnect from them.Do you want to understand where your children are coming from? Make the effort to learn what they’re into.Teenagers are agonizing over what to call themselves. It’s difficult. There are a lot of categories to choose from.As our sexuality develops, there is some shame around our feelings.When it comes to becoming transgender, children are not good at making judgments about long-term things.Teenagers sometimes can get wrapped up in the fantasy of blaming someone else for their developmental confusion.No one has perfect parents.There is a common thread on online forums that parents reject trans children, so it sets the child up to be defensive when they...

Therapist Timothy Courtois pursued graduate education to deepen his knowledge of the role sexuality and intimacy play in our lives. He quickly came to feel that this program was using some of the same tactics of moralizing and indoctrination that he’d left behind after leaving a controlling religious community. We discuss the program's mixed-up understanding of sexuality, consent, and power dynamics in relationships. We set the stage for future conversations about a richer psychological and embodied view of sexuality.Links:Tim’s Quillette PieceQueer Theory Jeopardy with Derrick JensenAASECTSexual Health Certificate ProgramExtended NotesHow did Tim get started in this field?How did Tim find out about the AASECT program?Prior to joining the program, Tim was working for a religious organization and it became apparent that there were going to be conflicts.Tim shares a little bit about his experience with the program and the materials in it.The program had a strong focus on BDSM porn and trans issues.Tim, as a therapist, wanted to be better equipped to handle new sexual issues but didn’t feel like watching porn and other materials in the program accurately helped him in this area.In the program, it was clear that it was “morally wrong” to make moral judgments about others. Tim found that troubling.It was clear that if you had any adverse responses or sensitivity to the materials being shown, those feelings needed to be “drowned out.” Tim wasn’t a fan of this method. There was so much room for exploration of one's own emotions that was ignored.When we try to buck our norms and be submissive with our behaviors, it can disconnect us from our instinct.The footage Tim saw was quite disturbing. He explains what he watched in the program.What is the pain that clients are bringing to us?It was a room of therapists watching these videos and they felt like they couldn’t speak up.In a lot of ways, Tim saw this “cult-following” to be much worse than the Christian organization he left.Did the program have an overview of intimacy and relationships?Let’s talk about morality and pedophilia within the program.There were some heavy contradictions in the program that Tim disagreed with.Virtual sex should not be considered “real sex.” It’s completely different from the real thing.How do you educate children about sex in a healthy way?You’re either going to be waterboarded with information or it’s suppressed. There doesn’t seem to be a happy middle.A lot of parents are concerned about their child’s sexual health, especially when they want to transition.What is the internet doing to our perceptions of sex, love, and intimacy?In the program, porn was a huge no because porn has a religious, moral, and political agenda.Tim shares a common story that many couples face when one of the partners has a porn addiction. What is your moral obligation as a therapist?We have to be able to point to something that goes beyond what the research paper says.What does a healthy, well-balanced, sex life looks like?This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:<a href="https://rethinkime.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Few people are aware of how much the political discussion around gender and sexuality has been touched by queer theory. This philosophy questions how we know what we know and turns hierarchies on their heads. Sasha and Stella explore the “smashing of binaries” in their therapeutic work and personal lives and discuss the positive and negative outcomes of taking queer theory thinking to its limits.Links:Butler, Judith (2007). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge.Jagose, Annamarie (1996). Queer Theory: An introduction (Reprint. ed.). New York: New York Univ. PressFoucault, Michel (1978) [1976] The History of Sexuality: Volume 1: An Introduction. London: Allen Lane.Foucault, Michel (1992) [1984]. The History of Sexuality: Volume 2: The Use of Pleasure. London: Penguin Books.Foucault, Michel (1990) [1984]. The History of Sexuality Volume 3: The Care of the Self. London: Penguin Books.Foucault, Michel (2021) [2021]. The History of Sexuality Volume 4: Confessions of the Flesh. London: Penguin BooksKosofsky Sedgwick, Eve (1990) Epistemology of the ClosetHood, Morag (2019). Brenda is a Sheep. London: Two Hoots“What I Saw at Drag Queen Story Hour,” WSJKate BornsteinExtended NotesMother and father are no longer inclusive?So much of our female oppression has been based upon our reproductive system.Queer theory is a “slippery fish.” What is the definition of queer theory?In any good democracy, there is a questioning of how we know what we know.Ireland is objecting to all sorts of oppression. They know first-hand what it’s like.How do you get through life if you have no idea what you know?Stella’s daughter once asked: Who says being fat is unhealthy?Queer theory will always be evolving.If you can’t be a man, and if you can’t be a woman, then what are you?Sasha shares some of her struggles as a woman and how she found her sexual orientation.The development of a woman’s sexuality feels very understudied. People might scoff at this, but Stella explains further.Not everything is due to a social construct.Is gender a performance?If there was a person by themselves on an island, would they really have a gender?We are not walking gender identities, there is so much more to us.You can’t use categories of behavior to try and assume someone’s...

How and when did gender become such a heightened political issue? And what are the psychological implications for individuals and the collective? The origins of feminism, the LBG liberation movement, and the emerging transgender movement are explored within a psychological and cultural frameworkLinks:Books&nbsp;Beauvoir, Simone de (2009) [1949]. The Second Sex. Trans. Constance Borde and Sheila Malovany-Chevallier. Random House. Simone de Beauvoir wrote that "the first time we see a woman take up her pen in defense of her sex" was Christine de Pizan in Epitre au Dieu d'Amour (Epistle to the God of Love) in the 15th century. &nbsp;&nbsp;Friedan, Betty (1963). The Feminine Mystique. W.W.Norton &amp; Company.&nbsp;&nbsp;French, Marilyn (1977) The Women’s Room. Simon &amp; Schuster&nbsp;&nbsp;Stryker, Susan (2009-01-07). Transgender History. Da Capo Press&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bailey, Michael (2003). The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender Bending and Transsexualism. Joseph Henry Press&nbsp;&nbsp;American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental&nbsp;&nbsp;disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.&nbsp;Articles&nbsp;&nbsp;10 reasons american politics are so divided:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/01/07/the-top-10-reasons-american-politics-are-worse-than-ever/&nbsp;&nbsp;Conversion therapy bans:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/conversion_therapy&nbsp;&nbsp;Tumblr: A Call Out Post:&nbsp;&nbsp;https://4thwavenow.com/2019/03/20/tumblr-a-call-out-post/&nbsp;&nbsp;The Controversy Surrounding the Man Who Would Be Queen (Michael Bailey’s book):&nbsp;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3170124/&nbsp;&nbsp;Film &nbsp;Suffragette (2015) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFoQt5vsgnQ&nbsp;&nbsp;Media&nbsp;Julie Bindel, 2004 article in the Guardian:&nbsp; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jan/31/gender.weekend7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kimberly Nixon and the Vancouver Rape Relief Centre: Rupp, Shannon (February 3, 2007). "Transsexual Loses Fight with Women's Shelter". The Tyee: https://thetyee.ca/News/2007/02/03/Nixon/ &nbsp;&nbsp;Michigan Womyn's Music Festival:&nbsp; https://www.facebook.com/michfest/posts/10153186431364831&nbsp;https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/03/02/lesbian-nation&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ken Zucker:&nbsp; <a...

Buck Angel transitioned in 1994 and now lives happily as a 58-year-old transsexual man. Buck describes his rollercoaster with gender dysphoria and explains why he was willing to become a medical guinea pig when he first transitioned. Buck talks about the importance of owning his sexuality within a transsexual body and he also provides a critique of the modern flavor of the transgender movement.Links:Buckangel.com&nbsp;Twitter: @BuckAngelFacebook: Facebook.com/officialbuckangelInstagram: Instagram.com/buckangel/Extended NotesWho is Buck and what has his transition journey been like?&nbsp;Buck suffered a lot with coming to terms with this new identity. He tried to commit suicide at 16.When did Buck first hear about transitioning from a therapist?Buck went in and out of therapy. Therapists didn’t believe him when he said, “I feel like a man.”Finally, one therapist recognized Buck’s confusion and just listened. She saved his life.Nobody understood Buck. In 78, this was just unheard of. Buck got committed to a psych ward.How did Buck become a model?Buck ended up getting addicted to drugs and alcohol. It ended with him becoming a prostitute.Buck is proud of his pornography work and shares a little bit about what that experience was like.If you’re not attracted to a trans person, does that make you transphobic?You should disclose if you are trans! Buck gets a lot of hate for this.Why does Buck still have female body parts?Buck talks about having an orgasm for the very first time in his late 20s/early 30s.Buck has become a guinea pig in the medical world to better understand gender dysphoria.Buck had the mantra of, “If it doesn’t work out, I will kill myself.”Buck talks about what medical things went wrong for him during his transition.Buck tries to explain some of the consequences these treatments have on your body. They’re harsh on your body.Being trans feels like a full-time job.Why are people detransitioning?What’s missing in the conversation when we talk about transitioning?Buck is a very controversial figure in the trans community. He clears the air on why he believes what he believes.This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

In therapy, collusion happens when the therapist (consciously or unconsciously) participates in a client’s bid to avoid an important issue instead of helping the client to gain a deeper understanding or take a more helpful perspective. In the collective, society has colluded with the fantasy of gender identity, much to the detriment of dysphoric and transgender people themselves. Sasha and Stella discuss what factors contribute to this kind of collusion and how individuals have the power to steer us towards a more truthful and thoughtful direction.Links:JK Rowling Essay: Jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/Pluralistic Ignorance: “When no one believes, but everyone thinks that everyone believes.” Sk.sagepub.com/reference/socialpsychology/n402.xmlThe Asch Conformity Test: Simplypsychology.org/asch-conformity.htmlThe Milgram Experiment: Simplypsychology.org/milgram.htmlCarl Rogers, the Core Conditions in Person-centered therapy: Simplypsychology.org/client-centred-therapy.htmlDiverse thresholds: Think.ing.com/articles/want-to-change-the-world-behavioural-science-offers-someadvice/#:~:text=The%20second%20microfoundation%20of%20social,what%20they%20say%20or%20doCalifornian policy congenital growth: Insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0100-press-releases/2020/release140-2020.cfmExtended NotesWhat does collusion mean in this context?What’s the difference between a good therapist and a bad therapist? They are able to step back when they’ve colluded with their client.There is collective collusion among therapists as well as collective collusion among languages.Stella showcases how the JK Rowling situation is the perfect example of collective collusion. She is not transphobic!A person-centric therapist might be very reluctant to give honest feedback and to challenge their client.They’re afraid that they’ll rupture the client's trust if they question whether someone with gender dysphoria is a boy or a girl.However, this approach can lead a client to feel stuck and they become a prisoner to their own narrative.It’s important the therapist doesn’t take the word of their client at face-value. Take a bird’s eye view of it instead.People are more than just a walking identity. It’s important for a client to explore all the different reasons why they might have an issue.Stella outlines how therapists fall into collusion instead of exploring the client’s feelings and emotions. It happens because they’re very empathic toward their feelings.By trying to protect your client, you end up hurting them because reality will always hit hard.Stella shares her thoughts on trans therapists and what they need to be aware of when it comes to collusion.It’s easy to be kind short-term, but to be kind long-term is preparing...

Quick Notes&nbsp;A whistle-stop tour&nbsp;through&nbsp;the history of psychological and medical approaches to sex and gender in the 20th&nbsp;century. This episode gives background and context&nbsp;to the formation of WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health)&nbsp;and today’s “affirmative model of care” for gender issues.&nbsp;Extended NotesA little bit of history about gender transitions over the decades.The medical and psychological theories behind gender transition have always been controversial.Why would someone struggle with their gender?Which gender roles should you raise your children in? Sasha shares a case that happened with twin boys, and one transitioned into a girl in 1965.The outcome was not great. People played God on a child.In 1965, only 3% of surgeons took sex change requests seriously. However, by the 70s, these surgeries were commonplace.People pushed for experimental interventions too soon without having long-term data.Instead of saying “should we do this?” doctors said, “can we do this?”No one knows why a trans person exists. A psychologist would be asking questions to figure out this key piece.It wasn’t until the 2010s that you’d see a huge uptick in gender dysphoria.Both Stella and Sasha break down why they like Dr. Zucker and the research he’s conducted on child gender issues.There are so many variables. It’s hard to know or pinpoint what makes a child want to transition.Objectively, it may be better to have people come to terms with their biology vs. going through a very risky medical path.There is a heavy medical burden when you try to transition. It is not an easy thing to do. Even certain trans people admit that, if you can avoid it, you would be better.Sasha shares a gender study that used hormone blockers on children for two years and the reports they found.What is the psychological impact of puberty blockers?The criteria to see if you have gender dysphoria in the DSM, 5 out of 8 of them use outdated and stereotypical gender roles. Like if the boy or girl likes playing with the opposite sex toys.There is such a thing as a placebo effect.Sasha shares another study where 4.5% of males ended up dying from the gender intervention.What’s crazy is a lot of these studies are deemed to be successful. Someone dying is not a success. It’s a tragedy.From a medical and psychological perspective, there is a big difference between how you treat gay or lesbian people vs. how you treat a trans person.The treatment for a trans person is to take drugs till the day you die. The treatment for being gay is to live your life.How young is too young to get a child to transition?How do you talk to young people about their gender? It can be quite troubling the different doctors’ approaches on the matter.There doesn’t seem to be any studies showcasing why intervening early is going to be good for the long term wellbeing of a gender dysphoric child.You’re halting the development of a young person, we should take that seriously.Feeling distressed about your body? There might be something else going on and it might not just be strictly gender, to begin with.Links&nbsp;About John Money &amp; David Reimer&nbsp;http://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/biblio/articles/1961to1999/1997-sex-reassignment.html&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/david-reimer-and-john-money-gender-reassignment-controversy-johnjoan-case" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Quick NotesEndocrinologist Will Malone joins Sasha and Stella to discuss the pivotal position that endocrinologists have in the new practice of childhood transition. In this conversation, Will describes attending a conference in 2017 run by the Endocrine Society where suddenly everything related to trans healthcare appeared to shift, without any discussion or analysis.Extended Notes●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A quick introduction about Dr. Will Malone.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How did Dr. Will get involved in this field?●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Will was seeing small clusters of females declaring they were trans. What was going on?●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Primary doctors were calling Dr. Will for help. They had never seen anything like this before.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Will explains what he’s been seeing in his practice when it comes to teens experiencing gender dysphoria.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stella notes that the three main professionals needed are surgeons, endocrinologists, and psychologists to help teens through this journey.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What is the role of an endocrinologist and what kind of guidelines should they be following when helping at teen transition?●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Will doesn’t agree with the treatment protocol for hormone blockers in teens.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Will was surprised by the study they based this new treatment protocol off of. It referenced only one study and the quality of evidence, he believes, is questionable.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Endocrinologists prescribing puberty blockers or sex hormones to teens outside of clinical trials — they are engaged in experimental medicine.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Let’s see what we can do.” Is not an approach any medical professional should take. People will be harmed by this.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sasha recaps how medical professionals were treating gender dysphoria prior to 2010 vs. how they’re treating it now. It’s alarming.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Where’s the data?●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What are Dr. Will’s peers and colleagues saying about the Endocrine Society’s stance on this?●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The harms can be significant. We’re talking about infertility, increase in heart disease, and irreversible effects in children.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Will has attended conferences where counterpoints are presented when it comes to prescribing new medicine, but he did not see this occur when it came to gender dysphoria. It was difficult even to submit questions.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What type of person/endocrinologist pursues this field of work (sex hormone blockers)?●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How did SEGM get started?●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The UK recently had a ruling about puberty blockers. Dr. Wil shares more details.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On a chemical and medical level, what happens when you stop puberty?●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Can a simulated puberty be the same as biological puberty?●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Why halt puberty with a mental intervention? Why aren’t we getting more psychologists on board during this process to help distressed teens navigate their new bodies?●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The medical field is more than happy to provide solutions to client demand, even if it is to the detriment of the client.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sasha is seeing something very shocking happening with parents and their gender dysphoric children right now.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Parents are being ignored. It seems to be culturally acceptable by medical professions to skip the due diligence and go straight to hormone blockers. Any questions parents bring up — they are deemed bigotted.●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;UK medical professionals think the guidelines are rubbish and are not...

Quick Notes: Why do people seek to ​change genders​? What drives a person to ​curate​ a brand new identity? In this episode, Sasha and Stella look beyond a literal understanding of​​ transitioning and explore the​ psychological power and vulnerability of attempting transformation​​.Links:Hacsi Horvath on Erin BrewerQueer in the CribGender Dysphoria is not One ThingExtended Notes:Why do people want to transition?Let’s clear up some misconceptions today about trans people.Why do little children between the ages of three and five have gender dysphoria?Which comes first? Gender nonconformity, then sexuality, or is it the other way around?People can just tell when a child is developing gender-nonconforming traits.What makes a child become gender-nonconforming in the first place? Stella offers some of her insights.There is an instinctive grab for attention when siblings come along and this might create thoughts/feelings of, “If I were the other gender I’d get more attention like the way my brothers (or sisters) are getting.”It’s very hard to parent a strong-willed child, but they tend to do great things if you can handle the storm.It can be hard as a parent. The desire to save face when your child is rebelling can be very difficult to manage.Why would a child in their teenage years be looking to transition?Perhaps the desire to be a different gender, someone other than you, helps teens feel more in control of their developing bodies.Teens constantly being asked “What are you?” by adults adds an extra layer of pressure to their identity.How can a more sensitive and non-aggressive boy get the attention of the girls?When a guy reveals he’s trans or transitioning, all of sudden he’s getting more attention from the girls than ever before.Why don’t you hear more about transvestism anymore?Do children just need to “suck it up”?Adults really underestimate the mental toll puberty can have on children.Some children don’t even explore the option of transitioning into another gender because they didn’t even realize that they could.We tell children they can be anything they wish! Well, how stressful is that for a child who doesn’t even know who they are?What do you do when a young child is influenced by social media?There are so many options to pick an identity or gender pronoun. It’s stressful for a child to pick “who” they are.The more accepted transgender identities become, the more people will be asking masculine women when they plan to transition. That’s exhausting and insulting.What does it really mean to be a “woman” or to be a “man”?We want excitement. For some people, it’s exciting to call yourself a different pronoun. It’s new, it’s different, it makes you stand out.Even if you change your gender, you still wake up the same person on the inside.Sasha believes there should be a mandate for psychological exploration before taking a big decision like a gender change.This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:Rethinkime.orgLearn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod

Quick Notes: Arty Morty* found it very difficult to grow up as a feminine boy amongst his peers. In this episode he explains how difficulties in his social and family life shaped his identity development. Ultimately, he came to accept himself as a gay man and he touches upon the new concept of gender identity and how it might have impacted his identity had he been a teen today.*Arty Morty is a pseudonym&nbsp;Links:&nbsp;Arty Morty on TwitterArty Morty on YouTubeRupert Everett on Childhood Dysphoria The Man Who Would Be Queen by Michael BaileyExtended NotesWho is Arty and how has gender touched his life?Arty has always been a feminine boy growing up. He grew up with his mother and his sister.Arty remembers one of his very first memories (at the age of 2) was him wanting to be one of Charlie's Angels.Arty’s father was in the army and he died. This made his mother very opposed to weapons and violence.When Arty went to school, his feminine nature became a huge problem. The children thought he had AIDS.When Arty’s family moved to a smaller town, the bullying got much worse. Not only was he a sissy boy, but he was a city nerd.Male figures frighten Arty. They were too rough and always wanted to fight. Arty had a lot more fun by having female friendships.Arty would have a fun time playing one-on-one with boys, but the moment another one showed up, they had to reject him and take on a more masculine role.Were there any other boys in Arty’s group that are now gay?Because Canada is such a hockey country, which is very violent in itself, a lot of the men Arty grew up with thought this behavior was normal.It’s the Canadian identity to watch people beat each other up.Arty was getting teased, bullied, and beat up regularly at school. He had enough. He ran away from home at 15.You see in the media how men act a certain way. Arty knew he would never be one of those guys. He knew that the world had no place for him.No matter how much gay acceptance there is in the world, it will always be hard for a teenage boy trying to find his way.People say being gay is an identity. It’s not. It’s a physiological reaction.There still isn’t proper representation in the media. Yes, there might be gay characters, but they’re a trope and not a real representation of gay people.Are gay men attracted to masculine traits?Some gay men have a total rejection of gay culture. Arty explains a little bit about the gay ghettos you’d find in cities back in the ’90s.There’s a lot of ambivalence when you discover there’s something different about you.When did Arty come to terms with his sexuality?If Arty was 15 today, how would he feel about coming out today?In today’s climate, Arty would identify as trans if he could at that age. He would have wanted to undergo a sex change, but he’s glad he has the body he has today.Not all feminine boys become attracted to the same sex.Although being gay has been decriminalized, it still feels like we’re living in the early days.How should parents react or best approach their child’s gender nonconformity?Finding yourself is hard. It’s part of being human.This podcast is...

Activists claim that ROGD is not a real thing yet some parents insist that ROGD perfectly describes something that they’re seeing in their teenagers. We explore this new phenomenon of adolescent-onset gender questioning, how it arises and how it impacts families. We also discuss our experience working with these adolescents and some of the common patterns of behaviour and other challenges they face. Socially mediated mental health phenomena from different generations and other parts of the world shed light on this controversial issue.Links:&nbsp;Lisa Marchiano: On Transgender Teens and Psychic Epidemics https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00332925.2017.1350804&nbsp;Lisa Littman: Parent reports of adolescents and young adults perceived to show signs of a rapid onset of gender dysphoria&nbsp;https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0202330&nbsp;&nbsp;The impact of social contagion – “Fijian girls succumb to Western dysmorphia”https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/03/fijian-girls-succumb-to-western-dysmorphia/Symptom pool Edward shorter:&nbsp;https://medium.com/invisible-illness/psychiatry-and-its-discontents-7ee5f263eb4c&nbsp;Japanese study PCOS:&nbsp;https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17166864/&nbsp;Erikson's Psychosocial Development https://courses.lumenlearning.com/teachereducationx92x1/chapter/eriksons-stages-of-psychosocial-development/

A debate is raging between two schools of thought: are trans people suffering with gender dysphoria, mental health condition? Or do transgender individuals simply have a gender identity, like a gendered soul, that needs to be recognised? In this first episode Sasha and Stella discuss&nbsp;these two perspectives and the difficult consequences of taking a position on this polarised issue.Links:&nbsp;Criteria for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria in the DSM V: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria&nbsp;About WPATH: https://www.wpath.org/&nbsp;About Harry Benjamin: https://zagria.blogspot.com/2012/10/harry-benjamin-part-2-rejuvenation_5.html#.X9OrKdj7RPY&nbsp;About the anti-gender movement:&nbsp;https://www.boell.de/en/2015/04/21/anti-gender-movements-rise and Graff, Agnieszka (2016). "'Gender Ideology': Weak Concepts, Powerful Politics".&nbsp;Religion and Gender.&nbsp;6&nbsp;(2): 268–272.&nbsp;doi:10.18352/rg.10177.&nbsp;Snapchat Dysmorphia:&nbsp;https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322706&nbsp;Ehrensaft Pre-Verbal Gender Communications https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7KBZeRC1RI&amp;t=96s

Two therapists discuss the concepts of gender, identity, and transition from a psychological depth perspective.