More “Transgender” Insanity

by Jonathon Van Maren
Life Site News

It is a mark of our decadence, at this time of unprecedented prosperity and technological advancement, that progressives have not become happier with the evolution of society. Rather, each new week seems to bring with it a new set of oppressions that must be dealt with, a new phobia that afflicts the masses, or more statues of men that must be torn down. University campuses, it turns out, are virtual hotbeds of hatred and discrimination — although considering the fact that progressives have run the universities for decades, perhaps they should turn the reins over to conservatives for a change.

But nothing is quite as bizarre as the war on gender. Transgender activists are demanding that we essential dismiss gender in order to cater to a tiny group of people — although that group is growing as transgenderism becomes a fad — can feel affirmed in their gender dysphoria. Breastfeeding organizations have come under attack for not sufficiently including men who breastfeed (which, I kid you not, is often referred to as “chestfeeding”). The media have covered the supposed occurrence of “pregnant men” with great celebration. And some parents are even making the decision to raise their children “gender neutral,” because they are apparently unaware of what the parental role actually is.

And then there was an article earlier this month titled “Are period apps gender-inclusive? Not quite, but they’re trying.” The article tracked the courageous journey of one “period app” from transphobic to inclusive. Previously, the app Clue had only referred to women who had periods, mostly because it is women who have periods. But since the new cultural discovery that there are men in our midst who also experience menstrual cramps, they tweeted their evolution to their followers: “Help us evolve language around gender and menstrual health. We’re testing fem@alehealth instead of ‘female health’ to be more inclusive of our audience: women and people with cycles. Thoughts?”

As is always the case on Twitter, people had many thoughts. One prominently repeated thought was that it is ridiculous to say that men have periods, jargon on how sex is not the same as gender identity notwithstanding. The company, however, was not out of the woods yet — progressives even managed to label phrases such as “people with cycles” and “people with uteruses” as exclusionary. In order to ensure that everyone was happy, they had to consult with several trans activists to ensure they were getting the tone just right.

I’ve said this before, but the trans phenomenon is going to be the breaking point for a lot of people in the culture wars. By the time gay marriage was legalized, most people frankly didn’t care one way or the other. Fifty years on, even conservative politicians attempt to lamely claim that they are feminist. Sexual exhibitionism is more or less the norm. But men getting pregnant? Men “chestfeeding”? Men have menstrual cramps? This is something that people aren’t buying quite as quickly. Many of my friends and family members have told me about people they know or work with, liberal to a fault, who just can’t sign on to the newest craze.

One reason for this discomfort is the fact that the trans community is overreaching. “Transphobia,” a term most people had never even heard of a couple of years ago, is now something that apparently most people are afflicted with. Trans activists expect people to use pronouns they don’t even know, and are prepared to wield their alleged victimhood like a cudgel if the right words are not used. The word “female” itself has been declared offensive by some, and the insistence of activists that those who think the idea of a woman with a penis is weird are actually just hateful bigots is simply pushing people toward conservatism.

Reading headlines about men and their menstrual cycles says to many people that the LGBTQ movement has passed from social advocacy to pure parody. Glowing announcements of men giving birth was once the stuff of The Onion, but now people are expected to accept it all with a straight face — or be declared in need of re-education. This ideology is infiltrating all arms of our military, our schools, campuses, and politics. Fortunately, for many people, it is simply unbelievable.