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Abigail Shrier: Irreversible Damage (2020, Regnery Publishing) 2 stars

The "trans" epidemic sweeping teenage girls. Until just a few years ago, gender dysphoria -- …

Review of 'Irreversible Damage' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Once you go beyond the false pearl clutching and cancel culture hysterics this book actually has a lot to offer. Shrier isn't an expert on psychology nor pretends to be, but allows those who shared their stories to be heard. This work was far less a look at transgender culture and dysphoria itself and focuses on those that instead manipulate both, turning them in to a social subculture with harsh and rigid stereotypical ideals. "Transtrenders" as I've heard people call it. The argument being made is simply: Because you, as a female, don't fit in to prescribed gender roles or what people perceive as feminine it just means you're you. You don't have to rush out to give yourself a title and subculture just because you prefer sports over tea parties and dolls. Be yourself. Shrier also gives space to pointing out the pressure to conform and how cancel culture plays such a deep role in pushing this boxed in sex role stereotype at growing girls and young women trying to navigate the world. How it often tries to negate both lesbians and a more natural emotional/mental progression of identity and maturity through false psychology and peer pressure. There's also the broaching of the problem with girls and women's spaces and outlets being taken away more and more often by overreaching identity politics and the need for safe spaces that aren't subject to pop culture whim.

Overall it wasn't a deep investigation of transperson issues but an honest look at things in a twisting of trans identity issues, largely from those whom have gone through it themselves, family members dealing with the phenomena, the bullying and cancel culture mindset that goes on inside, the ostracizing done on those who don't conform and even those persons ostracizing their own friends and family for not conforming. There is a lot of flap over this one by cancel culture fainting couch pseudo intellectuals but at the end of the day these are issues that need talking about and censorship doesn't accomplish anything versus people willing to speak up.