There is something I’ve been mulling over for some months, and have finally decided to put some of it down in words. These thoughts are preliminary and tentative. It has to do with the current furor over transgenderism and involves reasoning backwards.
Since I was little - too many years ago - a standard indicator of mental illness was delusional thinking of the “I am Jesus,” “I am Cleopatra” or “I am Napoleon” sort. My entry question into this whole issue was to ask myself how those differ from “I am a different gender than my physiology suggests?”
How is the one delusional and the other not? And if they aren’t different, then why do so many people want to say they are different, that “I am Napoleon” is delusional and “I am another gender” is not?
I have reasoned most LGBTQ+ individuals fear that if society believes transsexuals are mentally ill, the next step will be to conclude they too are mentally ill. It is the proverbial slippery slope problem.
I understand the LGBTQ+ reasoning and, if I’m honest, have no answers for them. As a society we are not there now but if there is an outbreak of Puritanism (it has happened in the past) they could end up viewed as broken individuals, in need of corrective ‘treatment.’
Meanwhile, the Cass study for NHS suggests we not rush into treating children with gender issues. Most such resolve themselves in young adulthood with the individuals becoming gay or lesbian.
