It's an interesting article. Like I said in another comment some people get piercings or tattoos as a form of self harm, not for the look. So yes for some it is a socially acceptable form of self harm given that if someone has a piercing or tattoo its not an obvious self harm scar. It could be that many body modifications is a manifestation of self hate or body dysmorphia. Its similar to dysphoria and transitioning in a way. It's an attempt to change your physical appearance dramatically, and just as some people feel the need to get more and more body modifications some people say they are just dysphoric about a new body part after taking hormones or getting surgery. Like some girls say after getting top surgery they are now dysphoric about their hips. If you change your hips whats next? This can also be similar to anorexia. "I'll be happy if I weighed 90 pounds" but they are not, they need to lose more and more until it kills them. It's all caused by mental illness. Only when its anorexia everyone recognizes the pattern and gets them help. When its transitioning even doctors encourage more and more medicalization. Especially considering the high comorbidities of other mental health conditions that would cause self hatred and trans it makes sense. 70% of trans identified teenagers have depression, which self hate is a textbook symptom of. 80% have social anxiety. Trans identified teens are significantly more likely to have a diagnosed eating disorder than their peers
Love what you just did! The other side of the story and I am so happy that you desisted because believe that you can change your biological reality is delusional, it is unnatural and against reality, a sign mainly of the idiosyncrasy of relativism that based in the idea that everything is relative and that there are not tangible truths so we can be whatever we want just because we say so or we think so but we know that concept goes against all common sense and it is anti-human because without unmovable or eternal truth we cannot build anything, we would had ceased to exist many centuries ago.
You have found your niche. I think that you can create a platform that educated us about the dangerous propaganda that is on line everywhere, or been a watcher for anything that is pushing this madness and warn us parents of all the new trends and new platforms, apps and so on because I dont know many of the things you mentioned at all, I didn't know of their existence, not that I care about but if they are dangerous of course I want to know.
Thank you PITT to allow this young man to enlighten us!
Governor Tim Walz’s state of Minnesota allowed a man who was so delusional that he thought he was a woman and who was taking mood and physical altering drugs and hormones whose impact on one’s personality is unknown to legally purchase deadly weapons which he used to kill two children and injure many more. Mentally ill drug using individuals should not be allowed to possess firearms period.
Thank you for being brave and giving this information. I always wondered where my daughter picked up the thought processes she embraced. She has been estranged from me for over three years now. I know it is not only the internet where these vile predators work, but it is definitely the most accessible one these days. I pray that you find peace and happiness and please keep helping others by shedding light on this darkness.
My heart goes out to you. I hope your daughter wakes up from this soon, and realizes/admits how much a young woman still needs her mother and is fortunate to have her.
Those screen grabs of the posts of boys/men post surgery and gleeful are heartbreaking. How long before they realize it didn’t make anything better and they may end up with lifelong complications? And it cannot be undone. I read in Isaiah 56 (verses 3-5) the other day, God mentions the eunuchs specifically and that he will make a monument and name for them better than sons and daughters. And it would not be cut off. It just struck me as very beautiful that God can always redeem what man has ruined. I pray that many of these damaged souls will find the hope of Christ.
I thank you for sharing this information. The internet is a cesspool. Of course we all want to connect with others, and what better way than online, where you can find a "community" that fits your interests/fetishes, no matter how unhealthy or bizarre? Sometimes I think our species is doomed.
Sometimes I wonder for those with Autism does online chat level the playing field? Everyone has to type what they mean to say, there is no facial cues to follow or slight changes in words to have to pick up on.
I know generally it is a lot easier for people who struggle socially to communicate online. Yes no body language is needed you also have more time to think about what you want to say and how you phrase it, you never have to say you don't understand you can just look it up, even asking AI things like what does this person mean or how do I respond appropriately, but with real talking you have to come up with things on the spot. It's also easier to find people that share your interests instead of just whoever you happen to be around
Good on you for reporting this. I lost my children, eight to 13 years older than you, to reddit, tumblr etc., grooming on 'trans' and other anti-women and anti-parent topics. My daughter's trans ally-ship and rage with me for my Terf resistance was also piqued, when she was your age, by Laverne Cox and his (trans captured) TIME magazine cover 'Trans Tipping Point' feature in 2014. He was the Trojan Horse for mass trans ally-ship if ever there was. Trans propaganda is EVERWHERE and it has been that way for at least that long. But obviously social media grooming is a whole other level of grooming for those intent on making money for themselves and social mayhem for others, especially mothers. It is a new level of sustained propaganda (feminists were speaking up against it in the 70s) and much more widespread (most developed countries, and all of the Anglo-western countries) to further the evil ends of a bunch of power-mad and perverted men - which is saying something. I don't know how if ever we can recover from this, but we must fight to expose and stop it first. This record-keeping is vital. Thanks so much and all courage and health to you.
Just wow. Thank you so much for publishing this. Desisters, you included, are such an inspiration to me. The story you have is powerful. Thank you for being a part of this group.
My university (Oregon State University) used to have a discord chat linked to the pride center website. When it was around (prior to 2023 I think) it was a cesspool of radicalization to an insane degree. Pronouns you’ve never heard or don’t know how to pronounce, moderators affirming and encouraging every kind of delusion. I wish I took screenshots because at this point it would have been super damning stuff for the university to be involved it. At some point they shut it down “for no reason”. I’m sure my university was not or is not the only one to run such a discord chat.
Thank you for writing this. When people throw around terms like TERF I don't know what they are talking about. As painful as it is reading this, I see it as mandatory self education as a parent and a grandparent'.
After identifying as trans and desisting I have learned a lot of terminology so I can usually "decode" some phrases that some people think is just gibberish. TERF stands for trans exclusionary radical feminist, the original phrase meaning a feminist who does not see male to female trans people as women and sees them as a threat to women by being male. Nowadays people call anyone who questions trans ideology a terf so its pretty much lost all meaning but in function now is equivalent to transphobic. Some people don't take offense to being called that anymore and even label themselves a terf. Some other ones ive seen that you may want to know. "Egg cracking" is what they call getting someone to "find out" that they're trans. "Egg" means someone who "is trans but does not know it yet", and the cracking part is essentially convincing someone they are actually trans. Tuscum means someone who believes you need gender dysphoria to be trans, tucute is someone who believes you don't need gender dysphoria to be trans. Mtf and trans women refer to men identifying as women, ftm and trans man is women identifying as men. In the closet is you haven't told people yet, gay people use this term as well. I'm sure there's a lot more that I'm not thinking of at the top of my head right now. I probably don't know them all I doubt anybody does but I would definitely say to look up any terms you don't know. It's easy to hide something insane by just making it a word or term that very few people know.
Thank you so much for your very informative and well-written article! This is exactly the sort of information I've been hoping to see an article on. I especially appreciated that you listed all the major sites that youth are getting indoctrinated and manipulated on. Where there's exposure and sunlight, there are opportunities to create change. Discord sounds particularly dangerous and needs this exposure for how it creates danger, as well as TrevorSpace and it's terrible moderation.
You are an excellent writer. I look forward to reading and hearing more from you, online, and hopefully speaking to legislative bodies. They need to hear what you are reporting here. I'm glad you're connected to Laura Becker. Perhaps she can mentor you on finding public speaking opportunities and getting heard. Also, are you on YouTube?
Hi I thought I should reply to you specifically because you suggested it to me I created a youtube channel I'm not sure how much I will post on there yet but I do have a video up about child transitioning statistics
Hi I am not yet on youtube but thats a good idea to have more of a reach. I am on twitter which is linked to this account and I have written previous articles if you want to learn more, I restack them all on this account
Terrific, Ghost12. I will look for your articles on here. I look forward to hopefully seeing you on YouTube! May I ask, by any chance, have you been brave enough to contact any of your healthcare team who affirmed you or medicalized you, to let them know you have deteansitioned and why, please? I can only imagine how difficult that might be, but I'm hoping detransitioners will do this, so the providers will know the outcome and how what they did has affected each of your lives. And so they can't get away with blissfully thinking that they didn't harm anyone, so they can continue doing this medicalization to other people. <3 <3 <3
Thank you but I will clarify I was not medicalized. I identified as trans and transitioned socially but my family was thankfully not affirming and I do not live in a "sanctuary state" where I could have been removed from my family for that or medicalized without parent consent. This is why I say desister and not detransitioner, even though I identified as trans. The only people who were affirming was my school, staff and students, and online. I talk about this for the sake of other trans identified kids and young adults and people who care about them, hopefully so that they can recognize manipulation and harmful narratives before medicalizing, and hopefully so that parents and doctors will protect these kids. Hope that clears things up
Yes, thank you. I apologize. It's been 2 or 2 days since reading your story, and because I have a memory like a sieve, I'd forgotten those important details. Thanks for correcting me.. .
I wish I had a straightforward answer to this but a lot of why I desisted was situational, I didn't have anyone in my life affirming me at the time, my family was never affirming and I don't live in a "sanctuary state" as I don't believe you can get your kids taken for not affirming here. Also for personal reasons at the time I was disinterested in socializing to a point of isolation so I was no longer with this "community". All that was working in my favor so its hard to say what to do when its not. What I will say is because of the not affirming = abuse narrative it can be hard to consider differening opinions when you're in that mindset. I discuss it more in another article which I can link for you. So I think something that helped me and can probably help other kids is to teach them not to fear other options. Engage with content you disagree with, hopefully to a point where you can consider what they are saying and decide for yourself if you think its legitimate or not but even just "hate watching" stuff was a start for me. Debating helps too when you debate with someone the flaws of both arguments are on full display. I also think it would help to teach them how to spot manipulation either from their peers, adults, or ideology. Know how to spot true friends because they actually like you as a person not only when you say and do only what they want. If they turn on you when you disagree with them they are not a friend. From my experience it is better to be alone than with bad company. Dealing with comorbidities can help too a very high percent of trans identified kids struggle with their mental health. What appears as gender dysphoria could be depression or anxiety symptoms being blamed on dysphoria. Stuff like self hatred, disliking your body or your voice, wanting a new identity, social isolation, suicidal ideation and self harm, etc. When you're in a depression type mindset and transitioning is presented to you as the only solution of course you would fight for it. But if there isn't much wrong in the first place then there is less of a desire for that. That's what I'll say on that and I'll link the article I mentioned in the next comment
Another note on what I said about comorbidities regarding self harm specifically which people do for many reasons and can be cause by many psychiatric disorders. I was part of a study with Mental Health America and I learned some interesting stuff about self harm as in it can manifest in ways you don't expect. Beyond obvious self inflicted injury people have said they they will get piercings or tattoos not for the look but as a way of harming themselves, knowing it would hurt and be permanent physically. As well as just not being cautious or caring for your life or if you get injured. Stuff like reckless driving or spending, picking fights with people not watching your own safety. Given the high comorbidity with trans and other mental health conditions, while this may not be the case for everyone, I see no reason why "gender affirming care" couldn't be something similar to that for some people
Very good survey of the landscape -- thank you.
Random: Here is something you might find interesting https://tinyurl.com/mwp7bpzx
Do tell.
It's an interesting article. Like I said in another comment some people get piercings or tattoos as a form of self harm, not for the look. So yes for some it is a socially acceptable form of self harm given that if someone has a piercing or tattoo its not an obvious self harm scar. It could be that many body modifications is a manifestation of self hate or body dysmorphia. Its similar to dysphoria and transitioning in a way. It's an attempt to change your physical appearance dramatically, and just as some people feel the need to get more and more body modifications some people say they are just dysphoric about a new body part after taking hormones or getting surgery. Like some girls say after getting top surgery they are now dysphoric about their hips. If you change your hips whats next? This can also be similar to anorexia. "I'll be happy if I weighed 90 pounds" but they are not, they need to lose more and more until it kills them. It's all caused by mental illness. Only when its anorexia everyone recognizes the pattern and gets them help. When its transitioning even doctors encourage more and more medicalization. Especially considering the high comorbidities of other mental health conditions that would cause self hatred and trans it makes sense. 70% of trans identified teenagers have depression, which self hate is a textbook symptom of. 80% have social anxiety. Trans identified teens are significantly more likely to have a diagnosed eating disorder than their peers
Love what you just did! The other side of the story and I am so happy that you desisted because believe that you can change your biological reality is delusional, it is unnatural and against reality, a sign mainly of the idiosyncrasy of relativism that based in the idea that everything is relative and that there are not tangible truths so we can be whatever we want just because we say so or we think so but we know that concept goes against all common sense and it is anti-human because without unmovable or eternal truth we cannot build anything, we would had ceased to exist many centuries ago.
You have found your niche. I think that you can create a platform that educated us about the dangerous propaganda that is on line everywhere, or been a watcher for anything that is pushing this madness and warn us parents of all the new trends and new platforms, apps and so on because I dont know many of the things you mentioned at all, I didn't know of their existence, not that I care about but if they are dangerous of course I want to know.
Thank you PITT to allow this young man to enlighten us!
Governor Tim Walz’s state of Minnesota allowed a man who was so delusional that he thought he was a woman and who was taking mood and physical altering drugs and hormones whose impact on one’s personality is unknown to legally purchase deadly weapons which he used to kill two children and injure many more. Mentally ill drug using individuals should not be allowed to possess firearms period.
Thank you for being brave and giving this information. I always wondered where my daughter picked up the thought processes she embraced. She has been estranged from me for over three years now. I know it is not only the internet where these vile predators work, but it is definitely the most accessible one these days. I pray that you find peace and happiness and please keep helping others by shedding light on this darkness.
My heart goes out to you. I hope your daughter wakes up from this soon, and realizes/admits how much a young woman still needs her mother and is fortunate to have her.
Thank you for your kind words.
Those screen grabs of the posts of boys/men post surgery and gleeful are heartbreaking. How long before they realize it didn’t make anything better and they may end up with lifelong complications? And it cannot be undone. I read in Isaiah 56 (verses 3-5) the other day, God mentions the eunuchs specifically and that he will make a monument and name for them better than sons and daughters. And it would not be cut off. It just struck me as very beautiful that God can always redeem what man has ruined. I pray that many of these damaged souls will find the hope of Christ.
I thank you for sharing this information. The internet is a cesspool. Of course we all want to connect with others, and what better way than online, where you can find a "community" that fits your interests/fetishes, no matter how unhealthy or bizarre? Sometimes I think our species is doomed.
Sometimes I wonder for those with Autism does online chat level the playing field? Everyone has to type what they mean to say, there is no facial cues to follow or slight changes in words to have to pick up on.
I know generally it is a lot easier for people who struggle socially to communicate online. Yes no body language is needed you also have more time to think about what you want to say and how you phrase it, you never have to say you don't understand you can just look it up, even asking AI things like what does this person mean or how do I respond appropriately, but with real talking you have to come up with things on the spot. It's also easier to find people that share your interests instead of just whoever you happen to be around
Thanks so much for sharing your valuable perspective!
Good on you for reporting this. I lost my children, eight to 13 years older than you, to reddit, tumblr etc., grooming on 'trans' and other anti-women and anti-parent topics. My daughter's trans ally-ship and rage with me for my Terf resistance was also piqued, when she was your age, by Laverne Cox and his (trans captured) TIME magazine cover 'Trans Tipping Point' feature in 2014. He was the Trojan Horse for mass trans ally-ship if ever there was. Trans propaganda is EVERWHERE and it has been that way for at least that long. But obviously social media grooming is a whole other level of grooming for those intent on making money for themselves and social mayhem for others, especially mothers. It is a new level of sustained propaganda (feminists were speaking up against it in the 70s) and much more widespread (most developed countries, and all of the Anglo-western countries) to further the evil ends of a bunch of power-mad and perverted men - which is saying something. I don't know how if ever we can recover from this, but we must fight to expose and stop it first. This record-keeping is vital. Thanks so much and all courage and health to you.
Just wow. Thank you so much for publishing this. Desisters, you included, are such an inspiration to me. The story you have is powerful. Thank you for being a part of this group.
My university (Oregon State University) used to have a discord chat linked to the pride center website. When it was around (prior to 2023 I think) it was a cesspool of radicalization to an insane degree. Pronouns you’ve never heard or don’t know how to pronounce, moderators affirming and encouraging every kind of delusion. I wish I took screenshots because at this point it would have been super damning stuff for the university to be involved it. At some point they shut it down “for no reason”. I’m sure my university was not or is not the only one to run such a discord chat.
Thank you for writing this. When people throw around terms like TERF I don't know what they are talking about. As painful as it is reading this, I see it as mandatory self education as a parent and a grandparent'.
After identifying as trans and desisting I have learned a lot of terminology so I can usually "decode" some phrases that some people think is just gibberish. TERF stands for trans exclusionary radical feminist, the original phrase meaning a feminist who does not see male to female trans people as women and sees them as a threat to women by being male. Nowadays people call anyone who questions trans ideology a terf so its pretty much lost all meaning but in function now is equivalent to transphobic. Some people don't take offense to being called that anymore and even label themselves a terf. Some other ones ive seen that you may want to know. "Egg cracking" is what they call getting someone to "find out" that they're trans. "Egg" means someone who "is trans but does not know it yet", and the cracking part is essentially convincing someone they are actually trans. Tuscum means someone who believes you need gender dysphoria to be trans, tucute is someone who believes you don't need gender dysphoria to be trans. Mtf and trans women refer to men identifying as women, ftm and trans man is women identifying as men. In the closet is you haven't told people yet, gay people use this term as well. I'm sure there's a lot more that I'm not thinking of at the top of my head right now. I probably don't know them all I doubt anybody does but I would definitely say to look up any terms you don't know. It's easy to hide something insane by just making it a word or term that very few people know.
Thank you for writing this 💕 May you be a pioneer in ethics & guiding social media for the next generation
Thank you so much for your very informative and well-written article! This is exactly the sort of information I've been hoping to see an article on. I especially appreciated that you listed all the major sites that youth are getting indoctrinated and manipulated on. Where there's exposure and sunlight, there are opportunities to create change. Discord sounds particularly dangerous and needs this exposure for how it creates danger, as well as TrevorSpace and it's terrible moderation.
You are an excellent writer. I look forward to reading and hearing more from you, online, and hopefully speaking to legislative bodies. They need to hear what you are reporting here. I'm glad you're connected to Laura Becker. Perhaps she can mentor you on finding public speaking opportunities and getting heard. Also, are you on YouTube?
Thanks again!
Hi I thought I should reply to you specifically because you suggested it to me I created a youtube channel I'm not sure how much I will post on there yet but I do have a video up about child transitioning statistics
https://youtu.be/OEe5_aeDAPA?si=LmP8eq29dNdCwLJj
Hi I am not yet on youtube but thats a good idea to have more of a reach. I am on twitter which is linked to this account and I have written previous articles if you want to learn more, I restack them all on this account
Terrific, Ghost12. I will look for your articles on here. I look forward to hopefully seeing you on YouTube! May I ask, by any chance, have you been brave enough to contact any of your healthcare team who affirmed you or medicalized you, to let them know you have deteansitioned and why, please? I can only imagine how difficult that might be, but I'm hoping detransitioners will do this, so the providers will know the outcome and how what they did has affected each of your lives. And so they can't get away with blissfully thinking that they didn't harm anyone, so they can continue doing this medicalization to other people. <3 <3 <3
Thank you but I will clarify I was not medicalized. I identified as trans and transitioned socially but my family was thankfully not affirming and I do not live in a "sanctuary state" where I could have been removed from my family for that or medicalized without parent consent. This is why I say desister and not detransitioner, even though I identified as trans. The only people who were affirming was my school, staff and students, and online. I talk about this for the sake of other trans identified kids and young adults and people who care about them, hopefully so that they can recognize manipulation and harmful narratives before medicalizing, and hopefully so that parents and doctors will protect these kids. Hope that clears things up
Yes, thank you. I apologize. It's been 2 or 2 days since reading your story, and because I have a memory like a sieve, I'd forgotten those important details. Thanks for correcting me.. .
* Oops, 2 or 3 days
thank-you for writing this up and publishing it here on PITT.
This is very serious and very sobering. My teen-age son was captured by this type of on-line behavior and is still indoctrinated.
How did you break free from these beliefs? Is there anything a parent can do to help a teen or young adult come to their senses?
I wish I had a straightforward answer to this but a lot of why I desisted was situational, I didn't have anyone in my life affirming me at the time, my family was never affirming and I don't live in a "sanctuary state" as I don't believe you can get your kids taken for not affirming here. Also for personal reasons at the time I was disinterested in socializing to a point of isolation so I was no longer with this "community". All that was working in my favor so its hard to say what to do when its not. What I will say is because of the not affirming = abuse narrative it can be hard to consider differening opinions when you're in that mindset. I discuss it more in another article which I can link for you. So I think something that helped me and can probably help other kids is to teach them not to fear other options. Engage with content you disagree with, hopefully to a point where you can consider what they are saying and decide for yourself if you think its legitimate or not but even just "hate watching" stuff was a start for me. Debating helps too when you debate with someone the flaws of both arguments are on full display. I also think it would help to teach them how to spot manipulation either from their peers, adults, or ideology. Know how to spot true friends because they actually like you as a person not only when you say and do only what they want. If they turn on you when you disagree with them they are not a friend. From my experience it is better to be alone than with bad company. Dealing with comorbidities can help too a very high percent of trans identified kids struggle with their mental health. What appears as gender dysphoria could be depression or anxiety symptoms being blamed on dysphoria. Stuff like self hatred, disliking your body or your voice, wanting a new identity, social isolation, suicidal ideation and self harm, etc. When you're in a depression type mindset and transitioning is presented to you as the only solution of course you would fight for it. But if there isn't much wrong in the first place then there is less of a desire for that. That's what I'll say on that and I'll link the article I mentioned in the next comment
Another note on what I said about comorbidities regarding self harm specifically which people do for many reasons and can be cause by many psychiatric disorders. I was part of a study with Mental Health America and I learned some interesting stuff about self harm as in it can manifest in ways you don't expect. Beyond obvious self inflicted injury people have said they they will get piercings or tattoos not for the look but as a way of harming themselves, knowing it would hurt and be permanent physically. As well as just not being cautious or caring for your life or if you get injured. Stuff like reckless driving or spending, picking fights with people not watching your own safety. Given the high comorbidity with trans and other mental health conditions, while this may not be the case for everyone, I see no reason why "gender affirming care" couldn't be something similar to that for some people
https://substack.com/home/post/p-166209356