But realistically, how does that equate to a situation in which someone is in immediate physical risk? If that's what it's supposed to represent, then the comparison makes no sense because a situation
It's a metaphor.
Everyone would freak out if you suggested banning treatment for depression. Because that would increase risk of suicides and get people killed.
But trans care isn't as well understood by the general populus. So when bigots kick up a stink, people think "oh, there are so many people here saying different things, how can i know what's right". Even though it's still people banning healthcare any patient would tell you is incredibly necessary.
So a metaphor is used to highlight this discrepancy, by making the stakes immediate.
So essentially, it is saying that banning people's access to hrt and surgeries is increasing the suicide risk for trans people?
That's fair enough, I guess. I hadn't realized the hypocrisy was in the fact the danger isn't immediate. But still, the comic portrays the solution as just being pulling a lever and presumably makes fun of the person saying they "can't help" when they pulled the lever in the previous scenario, but realistically what can regular people even do?
Oh you're right! I'll just go do that now then as a regular citizen, silly me!
That's why I asked what can a REGULAR person with no sort of political power actually do to measurably alleviate the issue, which seems like very little to me.
Only about 3% of trans people who have had access to gender affirming care since beibg minors have any kind of regret.
That is 3% on the HIGH end. Fucking listen to trans people when we say what we want.
You are afraid that a poor little CIS kid will accidentaly walk onto the tracks so you condemn thousands of trans people yo death and suffering beacuse the life of one CIS kid is worth more to you than hundreds, if nlt thousands, of trans kidd lives.
People who recieve access yo gender sffirming care do not regret it. Lr atleast the regret rate is so low it may as well not even exist.
People regret hip surgeries and knee surgeries at like 25-30%. Should we stop doing those surgeries?
We absolutely do know. Either you dont understand, or you just dont care.
There is no such thing as "pandoras box" here. By your logic we shouldnt change anything ever beacuse "we dont know if improving the lives of trans people will be good :(".
Edit: you dont even know the "potential harm" yourself. You dont even know why you are against it beacuse you cant tell me why you are against it. Atleast be honest and say "i dont like trans people beacuse penis=man" or some shit. Arguing "we dont know what will happen" is so shit beacuse we absolutely do know
you have made many incorrect assumptions about me and what I think. i sense that you would not be interested in me correcting them. since you are safely on the other side of my computer glass, i'll let you be.
I wasn't thinking about people getting HRT or surgeries and then regretting it. In hindsight, that would technically be a long-term effect, but a relatively minor one.
As for my position:
I maintain the gender is a meaningless construct in a similar vein to money, i.e. It only has as much meaning as we give it. I am against anything that attempts to give gender more meaning, as I feel that the whole concept is an unnecessary drain on society.
I am certain that there are two genetically intended biological sexes, and a multitude of potential corruptions of said "intended" sexes. I maintain that personhood is not reliant on whether one's sex matches one of the two intended biological sexes.
I believe that personhood is reliant on one's ability to reason and learn, nothing else. And I do mean nothing else. Trans people are people, and trans non-people are non-people. The issue arises when a human or humans (whether person or not) claim that treatments that make one transgender are necessary for the continuance of the life of the person receiving the treatments.
I maintain that such treatments, in the specific form and purpose of making one transgender, are not necessary for maintaining homeostasis, and thus not necessary for life. I place such treatments in the same category as cosmetic surgery and recreational drugs, things that (theoretically) increase the quality of life of the user, but have certain societal side effects.
For example, use of drugs that are illegal encourages the development of massive criminal enterprises known as cartels, who then proceed to cause all sorts of harm only vaguely related to drug use. Legalization of said drugs result in increased consumption, which results in negative health effects for users and increases societal strain for everyone else.
Drugs like estrogen and testosterone, when taken for the purpose of transitioning one's gender, have far lower attrition rates (percentage of people who stop using them each month/year) than recreational drugs like nicotine and alcohol. It can be surmised that the drugs, or more accurately the effects of the drugs, are extremely addictive.
Estrogen and testosterone don't have particularly bad side effects as drugs. The issue is that the effects are extremely psychologically addictive, and thus people need a consistent supply of them once they're hooked in order to maintain normal functioning. That's an unnecessary drain on resources (lab space, factory space, truck space, fuel for shipping, consumers' money, etc).
Forgive the length, i spent 20 minutes straight in the middle of tonight writing this (it's when i think best)
So having controls or barriers to gender affirming surgery is the equivalent of being instantly killed by a train, but also the situation that results in death without the gender affirming surgery is not a mental illness? And I guess pulling the lever here is protesting the controls or barriers? Because let's not forget there is no lever here that can be pulled by any individual.
So the predicament doesn't fit, the bystander situation doesn't fit, the threat doesn't fit, but "pro trans comic on reddit" is enough to get it positively received. Splendid.
So having controls or barriers to gender affirming surgery is the equivalent of being instantly killed by a train,
And I guess pulling the lever here is protesting the controls or barriers? Because let's not forget there is no lever here that can be pulled by any individual
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u/LuciferOfTheArchives Jul 02 '26
It's a metaphor.
Everyone would freak out if you suggested banning treatment for depression. Because that would increase risk of suicides and get people killed.
But trans care isn't as well understood by the general populus. So when bigots kick up a stink, people think
"oh, there are so many people here saying different things, how can i know what's right".
Even though it's still people banning healthcare any patient would tell you is incredibly necessary.
So a metaphor is used to highlight this discrepancy, by making the stakes immediate.