Progressives’ limiting definition of ‘historic’
I’m not sure I have the background to answer that question.”
Part of the progressive project is to shoehorn certain new nonconformists, particularly sexual nonconformists, into the minority category. These favored groups — transgender people are the flavor of the month — are compared explicitly to African-Americans, and thus any accomplishment is celebrated as progress for them personally and for our society for shedding its prejudice.
This is not to say that we should treat transgender people with anything but tolerance and understanding. If grownup Americans choose to surgically alter their bodies and inject themselves with hormones to resemble the opposite sex, fine. That’s their business. And people deserve to be called what they choose to be called. If someone born a man now wears a dress and has breast implants and wants me to call him “she,” I will respect that. It’s important to be polite and respectful.
But the celebration of transgender people doesn’t stop with adults. In the blink of an eye — and with no scientific consensus — honoring the “cross-gender identities” of even small children is becoming commonplace. The great portcullis of political correctness has slammed down on those who plead for a little common sense when it comes to kids. Tiny children too young for kindergarten are being dressed and groomed as the opposite sex. Older children are being given puberty blocking hormones in preparation for surgical transition.
Parents are counseled by “experts” that if they do not ratify their child’s gender identity, they may be consigning him or her to depression or suicide. Look, there is a tiny minority of kids who have genuine gender dysphoria and they deserve compassionate care. But the vast majority of children who express a desire to be the other sex are going through a stage. I know. I was one of them. When I was about 6, I played with trucks, climbed trees and asked my friends to call me “Timmy.” My parents shrugged it off. I’ve since married and had three children. Thank God I was a tomboy before it became dangerous.