And that means challenging and correcting erroneous or irrational claims, not reinforcing them. In other words, sometimes it's necessary to say: "I hear what you're saying but that's just bonkers."
See: every single claim of trans genocide. No, policies restricting access to hormonal and surgical interventions for under-18s are not genocide. No, policies to keep males out of female sports are not genocide. Take a history class.
Attempts to prioritize empathy over reality backfire. Sometimes people overreact. Sometimes people sincerely feel like the world is coming to an end when it isn't. Don't nod along just because it's uncomfortable to say: hey, wait a minute...
"A lot of people who announce they're trans are full of doubt... They look to other people (both trans and cis) for feedback. We rely on other people to help us figure out what is real or reasonable." reddit.com/r/detrans/comm…
On a lighter note, it reminds me a little of the Seinfeld episode The Gum, where Kramer is on a mission to reassure Lloyd of his own sanity: "You are NOT crazy."
Here we have a group of people who are understandably touchy about the suggestion that they're crazy and the social pressure to reassure them that they're *not* crazy is heavy.
This has led to a lot of well-meaning people going along with a lot of things that are absolutely bonkers, whether that's "I'm a woman because I say so" or "not amputating healthy body parts on demand at government expense is one of the early stages of genocide."
It's uncomfortable to say: You may sincerely feel that way but that feeling is not based in reality. We wouldn't be here now if more people had been willing to tolerate a little discomfort.
I happen to think *everyone* would be better off for it. No one benefits from adopting irrational beliefs that terrorize them or lead them mortify their bodies.
How did 'reassurance' come to sound like this? "I think there's a campaign to eradicate trans people." "Yes, you are NOT crazy, therefore your assessment is totally valid 👍." In what world is that the empathetic response, given no such thing is happening?
@elizamondegreen Read Lundy Bancroft on naive mediators who fail to recognise abuse & are used as proxy abusers