Thanks for re-publishing this, Sasha. This was ground-breaking journalism when it came out--still is. There have been other reports since, but this is the first of its kind (that I knew of anyway) detailing what is actually happening in at least one US medical school as gender identity ideology is shaping the curriculum. I look forward to your next report!
I discovered my then-husband's cross-dressing diaries in August of 1992. The PhD "sexologist" psychologist who (according to her sworn affidavit, submitted to court in the custody case) diagnosed him in the first appointment expressed all of this "social construct" ideology in the 1990s. They've been testing the waters and promoting this, feeling out where it will fly for these 3 decades. They flew it as part of women's rights, sexual liberation and "healthy" sexual norms. They found that schools are the best settings to indoctrinate, from early grades where pretend play actually is the norm, then in the upper grades as rebellion against "the system." Interestingly, my now ex-husband IS part of corporate America, as COO of his tech company for almost 10 years. Keep on truckin' Sasha!
Ute Heggen, author, In the Curated Woods, True Tales from a Grass Widow (iuniverse, 2022)
As someone who was a classmate of yours at CUNY, I appreciated that you appeared to be purposeful in your studies, even if it was also apparent that some of your conclusions were rather superficial and dull, thus readily-available for exploitation by cynics who might be more clever and experienced in navigating the world of politics than you. I hoped in the intervening years that you would explore your interests with greater depth and complexity, directing your purpose toward more productive ends. Sadly and disappointing, it seems that you have a hard time absorbing and engaging with critique, and the pathetic defensiveness in your social media presence could not be more obvious, even if it's poorly-disguised by performance of antagonism against gender non-conforming people. Only dullards and suckers could possibly be convinced that your politics are feminist or anticapitalist, based on the company you keep for common cause, and the targets you prioritize. However, you're still young, and I hope that you realize that however far you've traveled down this terrible path toward a dead-end, you are capable of change and growth. In this case, that will necessarily involve reversal, though.
I can't tell whether it's ignorance or insincerity, sad naivete or malignant narcissism, but the objective outcome of this Plebity project is to "divide and conquer" working class people who subscribe to traditional gender norms and those who are non-compliant. We're seeing this strategy bear fruit, where conservatives are banking on their victories in excluding trans people from health services and civil rights protections (at school, in workplaces, etc.) to build momentum for broader attacks against cis-gendered queer people and women's reproductive autonomy. Sasha can claim all she wants that her narrow focus and nasty crusade has nothing to do with the growing forms of state repression queer people are facing. But the truth is that all hegemonic politics are coalition politics and, as a consequence of her parochialism, Sasha has become a junior partner in a coalition led by people whose goal is to secure capitalist patriarchy. I hope you wake up eventually, muster the courage to humble yourself in order to do the necessary reparative work involved in reversing course, and find the right side to fight on.
Thanks for re-publishing this, Sasha. This was ground-breaking journalism when it came out--still is. There have been other reports since, but this is the first of its kind (that I knew of anyway) detailing what is actually happening in at least one US medical school as gender identity ideology is shaping the curriculum. I look forward to your next report!
I discovered my then-husband's cross-dressing diaries in August of 1992. The PhD "sexologist" psychologist who (according to her sworn affidavit, submitted to court in the custody case) diagnosed him in the first appointment expressed all of this "social construct" ideology in the 1990s. They've been testing the waters and promoting this, feeling out where it will fly for these 3 decades. They flew it as part of women's rights, sexual liberation and "healthy" sexual norms. They found that schools are the best settings to indoctrinate, from early grades where pretend play actually is the norm, then in the upper grades as rebellion against "the system." Interestingly, my now ex-husband IS part of corporate America, as COO of his tech company for almost 10 years. Keep on truckin' Sasha!
Ute Heggen, author, In the Curated Woods, True Tales from a Grass Widow (iuniverse, 2022)
uteheggengrasswidow.wordpress.com Ute Heggen YouTube channel (healing mvt + nature shorts)
As someone who was a classmate of yours at CUNY, I appreciated that you appeared to be purposeful in your studies, even if it was also apparent that some of your conclusions were rather superficial and dull, thus readily-available for exploitation by cynics who might be more clever and experienced in navigating the world of politics than you. I hoped in the intervening years that you would explore your interests with greater depth and complexity, directing your purpose toward more productive ends. Sadly and disappointing, it seems that you have a hard time absorbing and engaging with critique, and the pathetic defensiveness in your social media presence could not be more obvious, even if it's poorly-disguised by performance of antagonism against gender non-conforming people. Only dullards and suckers could possibly be convinced that your politics are feminist or anticapitalist, based on the company you keep for common cause, and the targets you prioritize. However, you're still young, and I hope that you realize that however far you've traveled down this terrible path toward a dead-end, you are capable of change and growth. In this case, that will necessarily involve reversal, though.
I can't tell whether it's ignorance or insincerity, sad naivete or malignant narcissism, but the objective outcome of this Plebity project is to "divide and conquer" working class people who subscribe to traditional gender norms and those who are non-compliant. We're seeing this strategy bear fruit, where conservatives are banking on their victories in excluding trans people from health services and civil rights protections (at school, in workplaces, etc.) to build momentum for broader attacks against cis-gendered queer people and women's reproductive autonomy. Sasha can claim all she wants that her narrow focus and nasty crusade has nothing to do with the growing forms of state repression queer people are facing. But the truth is that all hegemonic politics are coalition politics and, as a consequence of her parochialism, Sasha has become a junior partner in a coalition led by people whose goal is to secure capitalist patriarchy. I hope you wake up eventually, muster the courage to humble yourself in order to do the necessary reparative work involved in reversing course, and find the right side to fight on.
Thanks Sasha