the bastards' last stand

 

The Cass Review is an investigation into the UK National Health Service treatment of adolescents diagnosed with gender dysphoria. It was released in early April and recommends a strict restriction on the prescription of puberty blockers while calling into question the idea of medicalization generally. It was conducted by renowned UK pediatrician Hillary Cass. I have been reluctant to write on it because I knew that I wouldn't read it. My impulse was to recommend taking The WPATH Files: Another Beginning of the End? , replacing every mention of WPATH Files with The Cass Review. Although every detail would be wrong, the conclusion would remain. " The sterilization of children will not end because of more and better information, although that is critical. It will only end when the concept of gender is destroyed, thoroughly and completely."  There have already been multiple systematic reviews of the evidence for treating the diagnosis of gender dysphoria with synthetic hormo

The WPATH Files , published by journalist Michael Shellenberger and written by Mia Hughes are the result of leaked behind the scenes communications from The World Professional Association of Transgender Health. The leaks reveal an organization making medical recommendations based on the advocacy of non-medical activists. The WPATH Standards of Care are held up as the medical standard for "gender medicine" for "gender confused" adolescents and adults. Shellenberger sees the WPATH Files along with the announcement from the UK National Health Service of the discontinued use of puberty blockers as the end of gender affirming care. While I hope that I am just being cynical, he is clearly wrong. I say this based on experience. To paraphrase Jonathan Swift, do not assume that any medical procedure started absent evidence can easily be stopped by evidence. I had not given much thought to the idea of adolescent transition until 2019. To the degree that I had thought of it, I

I started writing about the idea of identity and its unintended trap but, as often happens, my writing was overtaken by real world events that necessitated considering those events in the writing. It is obvious why writing about identity should consider the implications of the implosion of the Ibram X. Kendi led Center for Antiracism Research at Boston University. I have struggled in the past to read Kendi because I find his writing nonsensical, but have addressed his underlying premise that MLK is wrong , the color of a man's skin matters more than his character. The predictable immolation of a center based on his ideals of an antiracism that reifies racial identity provides a clear example of the true strength of identity. Although it is counterintuitive, the strongest identity is that which is most ephemeral. The connection to the other event may seem less immediately obvious. However, in a nutshell, the terrorist attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas and Israel's military re

The original name of my Substack was, "They Killed Brotherbeat." It was a reaction to the permanent suspension of my original Twitter account, followed soon after by my Medium account. In April, due to changes in the wake of Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, now X, my permanent suspension was lifted. I expected to find myself embarrassed by some of my former assertions once the account was returned to me. My experience has been quite different. It is possible I will find embarrassment by drilling down deeper into my Twitter history. I had already rejected many of my leftist positions based on just so explanations of social conditions like police brutality, the need for reparations, and systemic racism. These were the most likely source of embarrassment. What I found instead was the beginning of wrestling with what has become my apathy over electoral politics.  I still feel uneasy that my advocacy for Bernie essentially led, through his concession, and unwillingness to addr

There are two growing coalitions with a possibility of significant future political impact, both here in the US and internationally. One group is made up of health professionals, vaccine injured, and mandate opponents organized around seeking justice for the failed COVID public health response. The other group is comprised of parents, teachers, therapists, and others concerned with child protections organized around shielding children from the growing presentation of sex and gender in schools and society in general. I do not pretend at some special predictive power, but these two groups have important unique commonalities that speak to the possibility of longevity and growth. As mentioned, both are international coalitions, largely pointing to a battle against an opponent with globalist ambitions. The other commonality is that each is comprised of individuals across the political spectrum in each country in which they are taking hold. Although both growing movements are most visible on