Winning The Trans Debate: Balancing Victory with Integrity

[Social Media]

 

The so-called “trans wars” seem to be reaching a pivotal conclusion. In 2024, significant developments, including the Cass Review, Wes Streeting’s decision to ban prescribing puberty blockers to children, and a series of legal rulings affirming the right to uphold belief in biological sex, signaled a return to what many describe as common sense. These outcomes suggest a turning tide, one that gender-critical feminists view as vindication of their long-held positions.  

 

Public opinion has shifted dramatically. Only 30 percent of British adults now support the ability to change the sex registered on one’s birth certificate, down from 53 percent in 2019. This reversal underscores the growing skepticism surrounding trans-rights activism, which, for all its noise, has struggled to gain traction. As Right-wing populism rises in opposition to progressive pieties, people increasingly resist what they perceive as moral impositions—especially on fundamental matters like biology.  

 

For gender-critical feminists, who have faced significant opposition and personal consequences, the challenge now is to avoid the pitfalls of triumphalism or adopting the rhetoric of victimhood. Natalie Bird’s legal battle with the Liberal Democrats is a case in point. Barred from standing as an MP after wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “Woman: Adult Human Female,” Bird sued her party for discrimination. Though the Lib Dems admitted fault, she pursued further compensation for “injured feelings,” a move that mirrors the tactics often criticized in her ideological opponents.  

 

While Bird’s actions are understandable, they risk blurring the distinctions that have set gender-critical feminists apart from their adversaries. The rhetoric of victimhood has been a hallmark of trans-rights campaigns, which have often relied on emotional appeals to counter opposition. To the victors, however, comes a different reward: the clarity and dignity of being right. Feminists have long maintained their composure under fire, and preserving this integrity is crucial even as they navigate the complexities of success.  

 

In a seemingly unrelated but equally fascinating arena, portraiture provides a glimpse into the timeless allure of vanity. Consider “The Visionary,” a 1989 painting commissioned by Donald Trump for Mar-a-Lago. Created by Ralph Wolfe Cowan, the portrait bathes its subject in celestial light, presenting an idealized version of reality. Cowan’s boast—“Nobody ever dislikes my portraits”—captures an enduring human desire for flattery.  

 

Historically, British portraiture thrived on this very principle. With the collapse of religious art markets post-Reformation, artists turned to wealthy patrons, crafting flattering depictions that emphasized grandeur over reality. Yet today, this tradition has fallen out of favor in high art, where raw, unvarnished depictions dominate.  

 

The modern disdain for self-flattering art is perhaps best exemplified by personal anecdotes. One recalls a brief romance with a man who had commissioned a Trump-like portrait of himself. Displayed prominently at the foot of his bed, the image served as a daily reminder of his aspirational self-image, ultimately dooming the relationship. Such stories illustrate how excessive self-regard, whether in activism or art, often leads to unintended consequences.  

 

Both the trans debate and the art of portraiture underscore timeless human tensions—between identity and reality, conviction and vanity. In victory or self-expression, the balance between authenticity and excess remains as vital as ever.  

 

Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2024-12-20

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

Only 30 percent of British adults now support the ability to change the sex registered on one’s birth certificate,

Sooo, 30% of British adults are barking ( IMO ). Frankly I doubt it's that many in reality.

[jippytum]

One good thing about trans athletes in  sport  is they have made people realise what an unfair nonsense this is. 

I really doubt 30% of the population agree that birth certificates should be altered to accomodate sex orientation in children. 

[JonnyF]

The truth always wins in the end. Biological sex is reality. There is no "my truth" or "your truth", only THE truth. 

 

A tiny but vocal "progressive" minority should never dictate to the majority.  

 

It's just a shame it was allowed to get so far before people pushed back. Better late than never. 

[Hanaguma]

On another note, the LGB are starting to distance themselves from the "T" in the alphabet soup of victimhood.  There is genuine fear that young boys who may be just gay are being told that they are actually girls trapped in a boy's body, and encouraged to 'transition'. 

[KhunLA]

55 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

On another note, the LGB are starting to distance themselves from the "T" in the alphabet soup of victimhood.  There is genuine fear that young boys who may be just gay are being told that they are actually girls trapped in a boy's body, and encouraged to 'transition'. 

Smart folks, as I don't know any LGB folks that agree with the rest of the alphabet soup.  More simply embarrassed by them.  Nobody is transitioning to anything, except mental illness.

 

You got 2 versions, M & F, and you don't get to pick.  How you enjoy either is UP2U, but try not to tell people you're something else, as all you'll be then, is quite foolish.

[ignore it]

There  a debate?

 

 

[riclag]

17 minutes ago, ignore it said:

There  a debate?

 

 

Brilliantly transcribed !

 

My first introduction to the trans world was at a Kink’s concert,

Boys will be boys and girls will be girls

its a mixed up bobbled up shook up world except for lola ,

 

[riclag]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Sooo, 30% of British adults are barking ( IMO ). Frankly I doubt it's that many in reality.

Scary! Have my brethren actually reached 

the Outer limits of nonsensical quagmires! 

[johnnybangkok]

BodyDysmorphicdisorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a well documented mental health condition that's been around for many, many years. The question of course is since a sex change is a permanent condition with no going back, at what age should it be allowed? In the vast majority of countries you can only get a full sex change when you are 18 and above (a sensible age when most are considered adults) but the controversy comes with puberty blockers in teenagers as young as 10 which I think most sensible people think is far too young. Places like the UK have now banned puberty blockers for under 18's but the point though is this should be medical considerations NOT a political one as extreme cases of BDD can lead to suicide.

 

It's just not as straight forward as everyone makes out and the demonising from mostly the right isn't helping. I personally think the age should be 18 BUT with exceptions in a small amount of cases. This won't work of course because any ambiguity will just feed the haters so keep it at 18 and just keep your fingers crossed it doesn't lead to an uptick in teen deaths.   

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, riclag said:

Scary! Have my brethren actually reached 

the Outer limits of nonsensical quagmires! 

Lets hope the Vogon battle fleet hiding behind the moon waiting to eliminate us the minute we look like escaping into the Universe isn't monitoring the conversation about trans. If they are they might consider that we are so far gone that there is no point hanging about any longer and just bring out the Death Star now.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, riclag said:

Brilliantly transcribed !

 

My first introduction to the trans world was at a Kink’s concert,

Boys will be boys and girls will be girls

its a mixed up bobbled up shook up world except for lola ,

 

I have a vivid memory of my mother listening to Lola and being astounded by it. She had no idea that boys might want to be girls. It was a very long time ago and she had lived a very sheltered life.

[riclag]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Lets hope the Vogon battle fleet hiding behind the moon waiting to eliminate us the minute we look like escaping into the Universe isn't monitoring the conversation about trans. If they are they might consider that we are so far gone that there is no point hanging about any longer and just bring out the Death Star now.

Its the fourth time I used the Laughing 

emoji for what it was initially  intended for.

[frank83628]

10 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Sooo, 30% of British adults are barking ( IMO ). Frankly I doubt it's that many in reality.

30% of the lgbt blah blah maybe, but not 30% of the actual population 

[pacovl46]

7 hours ago, johnnybangkok said:

BodyDysmorphicdisorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a well documented mental health condition that's been around for many, many years. The question of course is since a sex change is a permanent condition with no going back, at what age should it be allowed? In the vast majority of countries you can only get a full sex change when you are 18 and above (a sensible age when most are considered adults) but the controversy comes with puberty blockers in teenagers as young as 10 which I think most sensible people think is far too young. Places like the UK have now banned puberty blockers for under 18's but the point though is this should be medical considerations NOT a political one as extreme cases of BDD can lead to suicide.

 

It's just not as straight forward as everyone makes out and the demonising from mostly the right isn't helping. I personally think the age should be 18 BUT with exceptions in a small amount of cases. This won't work of course because any ambiguity will just feed the haters so keep it at 18 and just keep your fingers crossed it doesn't lead to an uptick in teen deaths.   

Exactly! No matter how much the "there's  only two biological sexes" crowd doesn't get it, transgenderism is a real thing. 

 

In regards to puberty blockers in children, if it's a clear cut case that manifests from an early age where the kids tell you that they want to be the opposite sex, and that persists through kindergarten, primary and secondary school, then it's pretty safe to say that that kid is transsexual and therefore it should get the hormonal treatment it needs for its transition, so the end result will be much closer to how they identify. 

 

I mean let's face it, what do you see when you see a western transgender person who transitioned after puberty in the case of a male to female transitioner? In most cases you see a man dressed up like a woman, which is PRECISELY what they see when they look in the mirror, which causes major psychological issues, if they have BDD. On top of that they have to deal with dirty looks, jeers, snickering and all the other <deleted> every time they leave the house because some people simply can't handle it. If they had gotten the right hormonal treatment right at the onset of puberty, the end result would've been much more female looking and would've therefore alleviated some of the problems and therefore would improve their quality of life. 

 

The one thing I love about Thailand the most is that you can be anything and no one bats an eyelid, which is the way it should be! Thailand in that regards is lighyears ahead of the rest of the world. 

 

Having said that, the way transgender rights groups and other minority groups go about getting their agenda through most definity doesn't help their cause. You can't be militantly shove it down people's throats every single chance you get and expect to get acceptance and tolerance in return. Instead you get a knee-jerk reaction and the exact opposite of what you want simply out of spite. If you want acceptance,  you need to ease people into it and bit by bit you're gonna get there! 

[RuamRudy]

15 hours ago, Social Media said:

Public opinion has shifted dramatically. Only 30 percent of British adults now support the ability to change the sex registered on one’s birth certificate, down from 53 percent in 2019.

 

I have always thought of transgenderism, crossdressing etc to be a bit like riding a motorbike. I haven't the faintest idea why you would want to do it, but I respect your right to do it. 

 

That said, the hardcore supporters of trans rights spoiled things for themselves with their demands to go so far, so quickly. Former men should not be allowed to compete in women's sporting events. That's obvious to most people.

 

And while the majority of trans women may have totally innocent intentions in wanting to use female toilets, changing rooms etc, a (presumably) minority of creeps has made that a toxic notion. 

 

If they had played the long game and allowed society to come to terms with such radical change then maybe they would have a greater amount of public sympathy but I think that the trans rights warriors brought this on themselves. 

[pacovl46]

12 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

 

I have always thought of transgenderism, crossdressing etc to be a bit like riding a motorbike. I haven't the faintest idea why you would want to do it, but I respect your right to do it. 

 

That said, the hardcore supporters of trans rights spoiled things for themselves with their demands to go so far, so quickly. Former men should not be allowed to compete in women's sporting events. That's obvious to most people.

 

And while the majority of trans women may have totally innocent intentions in wanting to use female toilets, changing rooms etc, a (presumably) minority of creeps has made that a toxic notion. 

 

If they had played the long game and allowed society to come to terms with such radical change then maybe they would have a greater amount of public sympathy but I think that the trans rights warriors brought this on themselves. 

I totally agree and they should just get their own bathrooms and their own categories in sports and the Olympics, if they can get enough of them together. 

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

I totally agree and they should just get their own bathrooms and their own categories in sports and the Olympics, if they can get enough of them together. 

Why would they compete against other men, defeats the whole purpose of competing against women, so they might have a chance to win.

 

As far as restrooms go, they all should actually be unisex, and monitored.   Actually don't even need to be 'rooms', and could simply be a line of stalls in public ... with good exhaust fans 😎   The whole concept of restrooms is a bit outdated.

 

Even sports should be unisex, although it would be dominated by men.   Do we really need to know who the strongest or fastest woman is.   With few exceptions, women's sports fail to attract any money.   Tennis & golf is about it.  

 

Women's B-ball, really ... does anyone really watch that, or women's football/soccer.   There's a reason the pay sucks compared to men's sports.

[impulse]

23 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

As far as restrooms go, they all should actually be unisex, and monitored. 

 

I'd be fine with that, but I just go in to pee and wash my hands.  I don't surreptitiously adjust my makeup, brush my hair and all those other things that happen in Ladies' rooms.  I'm glad they have that space to be chicks, because I like how they look.

 

 

[KhunLA]

8 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

I'd be fine with that, but I just go in to pee and wash my hands.  I don't surreptitiously adjust my makeup, brush my hair and all those other things that happen in Ladies' rooms.  I'm glad they have that space to be chicks, because I like how they look.

 

 

You mean, you don't use the tampon machine in the men's room now  

 

[john donson]

kids can't have a tattoo, drink alcohol, drive a car, but they can get an operation to get sterilized for life... and many end up in suicide... they can't accept themselves , so why would cut off a weewee change anything to that... the complications, medications, operations, all add to that

[impulse]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

You mean, you don't use the tampon machine in the men's room now  

 

 

Most of the rest rooms I frequent nowadays have vending machines selling toilet paper.  'Cause, we're not in Kansas any more, Toto.

[johnnybangkok]

17 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

 

 

That said, the hardcore supporters of trans rights spoiled things for themselves with their demands to go so far, so quickly. Former men should not be allowed to compete in women's sporting events. That's obvious to most people.

 

If they had played the long game and allowed society to come to terms with such radical change then maybe they would have a greater amount of public sympathy but I think that the trans rights warriors brought this on themselves. 

I'm not entirely sure I agree with your assertions here. Puberty blockers were introduced in the early 90's so have been used with very little controversy for over 30 years. It's only been the recent politicalisation of it mostly by right wing politicians in an every increasing attemp to insert even more identity politicis into the public discourse that's it's now become a 'thing'.  The 'hardcore supporters of trans rights' you mention have only had to become more 'hardcore' to combat this extremism. You've seen it before with the Suffragettes and the Civil Rights Movement and more recently MeToo and BLM - people are forced into becoming 'hardcore' when their rights are being eroded and the trans movement is certainly under assault right now. 

[johnnybangkok]

18 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

Exactly! No matter how much the "there's  only two biological sexes" crowd doesn't get it, transgenderism is a real thing. 

 

In regards to puberty blockers in children, if it's a clear cut case that manifests from an early age where the kids tell you that they want to be the opposite sex, and that persists through kindergarten, primary and secondary school, then it's pretty safe to say that that kid is transsexual and therefore it should get the hormonal treatment it needs for its transition, so the end result will be much closer to how they identify. 

 

I mean let's face it, what do you see when you see a western transgender person who transitioned after puberty in the case of a male to female transitioner? In most cases you see a man dressed up like a woman, which is PRECISELY what they see when they look in the mirror, which causes major psychological issues, if they have BDD. On top of that they have to deal with dirty looks, jeers, snickering and all the other <deleted> every time they leave the house because some people simply can't handle it. If they had gotten the right hormonal treatment right at the onset of puberty, the end result would've been much more female looking and would've therefore alleviated some of the problems and therefore would improve their quality of life. 

 

The one thing I love about Thailand the most is that you can be anything and no one bats an eyelid, which is the way it should be! Thailand in that regards is lighyears ahead of the rest of the world. 

 

Having said that, the way transgender rights groups and other minority groups go about getting their agenda through most definity doesn't help their cause. You can't be militantly shove it down people's throats every single chance you get and expect to get acceptance and tolerance in return. Instead you get a knee-jerk reaction and the exact opposite of what you want simply out of spite. If you want acceptance,  you need to ease people into it and bit by bit you're gonna get there! 

Great post and yes, as I've repeatedly said, this complicated issue should be viewed as a medical situation rather than political but that seems to be the world we now live in - people forced to be something they are not because some politicians want to score some points. All those shouting for kids not to be given puberty blockers (and they have to get them BEFORE puberty sets in hence why it's done so young) forget the many major psychological issues it creates and the ensuing problems thereafter. The good news though is theres been many coming out to say there hasn't been a significent rise in suicides because of the ban   (https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-areas/mental-health-pain-and-addiction/expert-discredits-claims-of-link-between-puberty-blockers-ban-and-suicide/) so at least that's something.

[johnnybangkok]

3 hours ago, john donson said:

kids can't have a tattoo, drink alcohol, drive a car, but they can get an operation to get sterilized for life... 

No they can't. As mentioned numerous times, the minimum age in most countries for a sex change is 18 when most people are considered adults. You are conflating a sex change with taking puberty blockers - two very different things.