Thank you for this in depth discussion of one of the key, and most problematic, gender clinicians, JOK. The Pop Tart story has always struck me as superficial, simplistic, and manipulative all at once. JOK's light banter as she discusses such massive interventions in young, vulnerable patients' lives and the audience laughter are enraging. The inconsistency in using the supposed quote from the future Pop Tart Patient Zero at 3 years-old of "Could you stroll me back up to God so I could come back down as a boy" (How many 3 year-olds say "stroll?") as gospel to convey this child's "true self," but then saying, "You know 8 year-olds" to dismiss her statement that she never said that is chilling. What about, "You know 3 year-olds?" when we're talking about what they "believe" about their identity. My son pretended to be his beloved Golden Gate Bridge when he was 3. And why isn't it that the sex you were born with, that characterizes every cell and organ of your body, remains constant no matter what clothing or hair length wrapper you put on, just like the flavor of the poptart is the same no matter the wrapper? Even the Pop Tart metaphor is backwards.
Exactly! She wants to take children deadly seriously in one moment but then completely mock and dismiss them in another. In part 2 I will talk about the way ideology trumps everything in this worldview. Yes, the poptart analogy is a good example of the metaphysical magical thinking here. Thanks for your comment, Lisa!
Thank you for this in depth discussion of one of the key, and most problematic, gender clinicians, JOK. The Pop Tart story has always struck me as superficial, simplistic, and manipulative all at once. JOK's light banter as she discusses such massive interventions in young, vulnerable patients' lives and the audience laughter are enraging. The inconsistency in using the supposed quote from the future Pop Tart Patient Zero at 3 years-old of "Could you stroll me back up to God so I could come back down as a boy" (How many 3 year-olds say "stroll?") as gospel to convey this child's "true self," but then saying, "You know 8 year-olds" to dismiss her statement that she never said that is chilling. What about, "You know 3 year-olds?" when we're talking about what they "believe" about their identity. My son pretended to be his beloved Golden Gate Bridge when he was 3. And why isn't it that the sex you were born with, that characterizes every cell and organ of your body, remains constant no matter what clothing or hair length wrapper you put on, just like the flavor of the poptart is the same no matter the wrapper? Even the Pop Tart metaphor is backwards.
Exactly! She wants to take children deadly seriously in one moment but then completely mock and dismiss them in another. In part 2 I will talk about the way ideology trumps everything in this worldview. Yes, the poptart analogy is a good example of the metaphysical magical thinking here. Thanks for your comment, Lisa!
Can't wait for part 2.