Gender: A Wider Lens

Welcome to a special edition of Gender: A Wider Lens podcast! Recorded live from Genspect’s The Bigger Picture Conference in November 2023 from Denver, CO, USA with special guest in-person appearance from the delightful detransitioner, Chloe Cole. Hear Chloe share candidly about her journey through gender transition and detransition. From the challenges of societal expectations and the pressure to conform to gender norms, to the emotional impact of undergoing hormone therapy and a double mastectomy all before the age of sixteen. Chloe opens up about the highs and lows of her trans identity experience. Discover how she navigated the complexities of self-discovery, faced online backlash, and eventually found purpose in advocating for detransitioners' rights. Gain insights into her aspirations beyond the gender discourse, including her passion for creativity, fashion, and the desire to build a family. This raw and honest conversation sheds light on the often untold aspects of the transgender journey, offering a unique perspective on resilience, self-rediscovery, and the pursuit of a meaningful future.

Follow Chloe on Social Media 

Instagram, YouTube, X - formerly Twitter

@chooocole

Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents

https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/ 

Support the Show & Access Exclusive Content

https://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPod

Join the conversation on YouTube

www.youtube.com/@widerlenspod

If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:

Genspect Speakers Playlist

Many of the esteemed speakers participating in The Bigger Picture have previously been guests on our show. Click the link below to access a playlist composed of AWL episodes involving speakers from the 2023 Genspect Conferences.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngVCeAoK6vuWE4sNG_fi5nnz-d1xQEBi 

Please visit www.widerlenspod.com to explore more content, access additional resources, or to join our listener community.

Watch us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@widerlenspod

For more information about Sasha’s & Stella’s parent coaching membership groups:

Sasha Ayad: https://inspiredteentherapy.com/parents-start-here 

Stella O’Malley: http://www.stellaomalley.com/parent-coaching

To learn more about our sponsors, visit:

GETA

Genspect

Sasha and Stella continue the conversation with Coach Linda Blade and talk about non-binary athletes, “medical exemptions” for testosterone, self ID in sports and how does Coach Linda talk about these issues in her every day life.

Article referenced: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/10/06/trans-nonbinary-runner-testosterone-exemption/

Coach Linda Blade joins Sasha & Stella for an incredible conversation about the critical issues surrounding fairness and inclusivity in women's sports. They explore the challenges and biases faced by female athletes in the wake of transgender athletes competing in women's categories, particularly the profound psychological impact. The conversation also sheds light on the rich historical context of fairness in competition. 

Dr. Linda Blade is a former Canadian Champion (1986) and a full scholarship NCAA All American (1984) in Track & Field. As a Chartered Professional Coach, Linda has worked internationally for over 30 years with hundreds of athletes. Her expertise has extended to leadership roles (selected): Provincial President (2014 -2023) of Athletics Alberta, where she developed sex-based eligibility guidelines; Co-author of UNSPORTING: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sport (2021); Collaborator in the establishment of the International Consortium on Female Sport (ICFS). Linda has been publicly advocating for the fairness and safety of female athletes since 2018. Dr. Blade will be presenting at Genspect’s The Bigger Picture Conference in Denver, CO.

Don’t miss this valuable discussion emphasizing the importance of sex-based policies for fostering a fair competition environment. Dr. Blade even offers insights into the use of puberty blockers in youth sports, highlighting the potential risks and implications for young athletes, and also the challenges with data collection and analysis.  

The conversation also touches on the question of intersex conditions and how they have influenced elite women's sports, underscoring the need for thoughtful policies and guidelines to address DSD (differences in sexual development), ensuring fairness and inclusivity while respecting the unique circumstances of athletes like Caster Semenya, a South African intersex olympic athlete. This is an engaging episode offering a vital perspective on the complexities of balancing inclusivity with fairness.

Attend Genspect’s: The Bigger Picture

https://genspect.org/the-bigger-picture-continues-denver-colorado/ 

Find Coach Blade on Twitter: @coachblade 

More About Coach Blade: 

https://worldathletics.org/personal-best/lifestyle/linda-blade-life-in-athletics 

Unsporting: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sport

https://www.unsporting.com/ 

Women's Rights, Gender Wrongs: the global impact of gender-identity ideology

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Womens-Rights-Gender-Wrongs-gender-identity/dp/1739265602

Contribute to the International Consortium of Female Sport

https://www.icfsport.org/ 

Contribute to The Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS)

https://www.iconswomen.com/ 

Contribute to Champion Women

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com

Must-See Wrongful Conviction Films and TV Shows 

Join Sasha & Stella for this candid conversation delving into the intricate realm of parenting children who identify as transgender. They discuss the fear, confusion, and complex emotions parents face when dealing with their child's gender identity. The conversation touches on the challenges of communicating with their children and the potential risks and benefits of transitioning, emphasizing the importance of making the process more nuanced and less black-and-white, helping young people understand the complexity of their experiences, fostering resilience and offering a realistic perspective on the long-term impacts of gender transition. 

The conversation also explores the emotional challenges, including doubts and fears that parents often confront, such as the sense of losing their child to a different persona. They examine the loss of innocence that frequently accompanies adolescence, and the grieving process, a profound experience for these parents, acknowledging that many parents, in these situations, may grapple with isolation and loneliness. Crucially, Sasha and Stella offer a nuanced perspective, emphasizing that these feelings are normal and not indicative of bad parenting. They celebrate parents for embracing a more thoughtful and reflective path through their child’s gender exploration, even when it's difficult and unpopular, exemplifying the emotional courage and bravery required to support their children on this journey. 

This important discussion offers valuable insights into the unique challenges faced by parents when their children express transgender identities. It promotes empathy, understanding, and resilience within the family unit, fostering a more compassionate and supportive environment for these young individuals.

Gender Dysphoria: What It's Like For Parents

https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/16-gender-dysphoria-what-its-like-for-parents 

https://youtu.be/hLPh-_4DYjg 

Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents

https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/ 

Support the Show & Access Exclusive Content

https://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPod

Join the conversation on YouTube

www.youtube.com/@widerlenspod

If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:

Episode 122 - We Wrote a Book: When Kids Say They're Trans | A Guide for Thoughtful Parents

https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/is-my-child-trans-a-guide-for-parents

https://youtu.be/f4LL2hI-qjs 

Episode 107 — What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You  

https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/107-what-your-teen-is-trying-to-tell-you 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com

In this additional conversation with Wilfred Reilly, we delve deeper into the realm of gender medicine as Wilfred raises his apprehensions about the excessive diagnosis of mental health issues and the potential adverse effects of various extreme body modifications. We go to some pretty interesting places, you definitely want to listen to this!

Stella & Sasha welcome Wilfred Reilly to the program for an intriguing conversation touching on gender and medicalization, political affiliations and extremism, violence and discrimination, societal myths and data analysis, and the impact of the internet on niche interests and mental health.

Wilfred Reilly is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Kentucky State University, a historically Black institution. His research interests include International Relations, contemporary American race and gender relations, and the use of modern quantitative/empirical methods to test ‘sacred cow’ theories.

In this episode, they delve into the issues surrounding gender, addressing concerns about youth and gender transition for children. They explore the challenges of obtaining reliable statistics on detransitioning and the difficulties in conducting research in the field of gender due to ideological biases. The conversation underscores the role of media bias and the evolving landscape of identity, alluding to the potential consequences of the medicalization of gender-related issues and the need for more open discussion and data collection considering that even academic studies are sometimes targeted and obstructed by activists.

The discussion also touches on the broader issues of ideological extremism and its implications for society. Wilfred shares his insights into debunking misconceptions related to topics like police violence and discrimination. He also shares about instances of fake hate crimes on college campuses, shedding light on how seemingly innocuous events were misconstrued and magnified, highlighting the prevalence of victimization and the consequences of seeking attention through such incidents. Sasha raises concerns about the impact of such ideological paranoia on people's mental health and interpersonal relationships while Wilfred draws parallels between this ideological extremism and traditional religious beliefs, suggesting that both can lead to a level of paranoia and fear. This conversation offers no shortage of intriguing stories that challenge common narratives and assumptions.

Links:

Attend Genspect’s: The Bigger Picture

https://genspect.org/the-bigger-picture-continues-denver-colorado/ 

Wilfred Reilly on Twitter

https://twitter.com/wil_da_beast630

Buy Wilfred Reilly’s Books

Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me

https://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Liberal-Teacher-Told-ebook/dp/B0BDZMZJ4C 

Taboo: 10 Facts You Can't Talk About

https://www.amazon.com/Taboo-Facts-Cant-Talk-About/dp/162157928X 

Hate Crime Hoax: How the Left is Selling a Fake Race War

https://www.amazon.com/Hate-Crime-Hoax-Lefts-Campaign/dp/1621577783 

The $50,000,000 Question: An Engagingly Empirical Examination of the Relationship between "Privilege" and Pride

https://www.amazon.com/000-Question-Engagingly-Examination-Relationship/dp/3659846031 

Why the Mental Health of Liberal Girls Sank First and Fastest

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com

We ask Maggie for advice on how to talk about these issues out in the “real world.” She shares some great advice about how to meet people where they are and plant some seeds.

Dr. Maggie mentions that she shares certain episodes of this podcast with people who are looking for more information. When she says the “5 Top” she is referring to the top 5 episodes from our first two seasons (Ep 93 with Wesley Yang, Ep 69 Pioneers Series Analysis, Ep 71 with Jesse Singal, Ep 88 with Leor Sapir, and Ep 66 with the Dutch researchers.)

She also references our more recent episode with Zhenya Abbruzzese (Ep 118) and she calls out Lisa Selin Davis’s work which you can find here:

In this episode, Maggie Goldsmith joins Sasha and Stella for a conversation about the psychodynamic approach in understanding gender identity issues, particularly in children and adolescents. Maggie shares her personal journey, shedding light on how rapid onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) can signal a need for change within the family dynamic. She puts an emphasis on the importance of delving into unconscious processes that shape identity and behavior. The discussion covers theories about how key developmental stages, such as symbiosis and paranoid schizoid positions, can impact self-perception and relationships. Psychodynamic therapy is highlighted as a tool for deeper exploration, benefiting both the child and their family. Maggie also highlights how parental anxiety can affect the parent-child relationship, so self-care is crucial for both the parent and child's well-being. Sasha, Stella and Maggie share anecdotes about how different children may respond to discussions about gender identity and how parents need to adapt to their child's unique needs and circumstances. The conversation underscores the importance of open communication and maintaining a healthy relationship with the child throughout their journey of self-discovery.

Dr. Maggie Goldsmith is the author of the PITT essay “To My Daughter’s Therapist: You Were Wrong”, which was the first essay from the PITT Substack to go viral and put PITT on the map. It can be found in a recently published book that includes 75 essays by parents who have gender questioning children.

Since her first Wider Lens episode (#85), she has been very busy with a full caseload of kids and families impacted by gender dysphoria. Dr. Maggie’s approach to this work is grounded in object relations theory and supported by an understanding of human development throughout the life course. This places the family and the parent-child relationship in a position of primary importance as they manage and repair the inevitable ruptures of adolescence.

This is a captivating conversation, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of psychoanalytic theory, gender identity, and the practical implications for clinicians and parents alike.

Links:

Mother-Daughter Story: "I Didn’t Want to be Yours Anymore" w/ Dr. Maggie Goldsmith

https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/85-mother-daughter-story-i-didnt-want-to-be-yours-anymore-w-dr-maggie-goldsmith 

https://youtu.be/E5crJzqnIeU?feature=shared 

PITT Book

Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans: Tales from the Home Front in the Fight to Save Our Kids

https://www.amazon.com/Parents-Inconvenient-Truths-about-Trans/dp/1634312465/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35ECHZ0MUL32I&keywords=Parents+with+Inconvenient+Truths+about+Trans%3A+Tales+from+the+Home+Front+in+the+Fight+to+Save+Our+Kids&qid=1696475515&s=books&sprefix=parents+with+inconvenient+truths+about+trans+tales+from+the+home+front+in+the+fight+to+save+our+kids%2Cstripbooks%2C128&sr=1-1 

PITT Substack Articles

  Trans and the Myth of Sloppy Parenting

  

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com

Sasha and Stella continue the conversation with Aaron Kimberly by asking Aaron “how do you talk about gender in real life?” This is always a hard question to answer but Aaron takes us in very interesting places sharing what it’s like for people in “small town rural Canada” to be confronted with this ideology, and how it makes life much more difficult and isolating for people like Aaron.