The TLC Network is not exactly shy about proudly carrying the banner of radical transgenderism into your family’s living room. On Wednesday night’s TLC lineup, following something unfortunately titled Transgender Kids, was a sneak peek edition of I Am Jazz: More Jazz. The behind-the-scenes, inside look at The Learning Channel’s reality show about a 14-year old boy, Jazz Jennings, who is convinced that he’s a girl.
One of the things about this show that jumps out immediately is the use of the word “authentic.” It was used multiple times throughout the show to describe Jazz’s decision to live his life as a girl. That being transgendered is his “authentic” self.
The dictionary defines the word “authentic,” as being ‘of undisputed origin; genuine.’
Watch this clip and ask yourself what exactly is authentic or genuine about any of this:
Snow: It's the family's least-favorite subject and a very personal one, but it's something they know everyone is curious about -- the medical side of jazz's transition. It began when she was 11.
Doctor: The hormone blockers are working brilliantly.
Snow: The hormone blockers suppress male puberty. Then estrogen was added to her daily regimen.
Mom: You're blocked.
Jazz: No mustaches, no beards.
Anyone laying claim to authenticity, when they’re resorting to extreme, invasive treatment regimens, which block the natural processes that his body wants to go through, is engaged in high-level delusion. Far from “authentic,” the blockers are administered via a metal tube that is stuck in Jazz’ arm, which also left scarring.
There seems to be no one in Jazz’ life willing to point out the obvious hypocrisy in his claim of authenticity. At one point, Jazz’ parents admit they embraced the medical side of his transgender conversion out of fear.
Snow: Why not just let nature take its course and deal with this when she's an adult?
Mom: Because she might not be alive. She might not make it to adulthood. And she'll tell you that herself. Going through male puberty would probably be the worst, most devastating thing that could happen to her, and then undoing male puberty is very difficult. You can't take the height away. Your brow juts out like this. You can't take that away. You have to get rid of the beard, which is very, very painful, getting your Adam's apple shaved, everything. It's a huge cost, too. Not everybody can afford that. You can get female feminization of your face and you can look like a completely different person, but the cost of that's exorbitant. So to have to put her through that would be cruel. Cruel.
Snow: Now the clock is running a little bit, right? You're maybe four years away from a really big decision about surgery.
Dad: So, that decision, to me, is a decision that jazz will make. And that will be something that -- you know, we'll support her in whatever decision she makes.
Snow: You guys take a lot of criticism. You've heard it all, right? You've heard people say, "How could you possibly know?" "Parents can't possibly know when a kid is that young." "Parents are pushing their kids."
But those people haven't walked in our shoes as parents. And they haven't walked in jazz's shoes as a child. And they really don't know what they're talking about. In fact, you know -- and I wouldn't know what they're talking about if they were telling me their family's story.
Mom: You know, I don't say anything, but I'm like, "If somebody told you your kid had a 50% chance to attempt suicide if you allow them to go down the path that you think is right, then, you know, what would you do?" You want to go the other path, the path where your kid is happy. I mean, who wants to play with those odds? I wasn't about to.
No parent wants their kids to die, and I can’t lay claim to being the world’s greatest parent. However, is it really good parenting to sit there and say, “Well, our child is engaged in something that is morally reprehensible and recognized as a serious psychiatric disorder. But hey, he might kill himself if we try to talk him out of it. So, let’s buy him a tiara?”
Not that Jazz’s parents are morally opposed to his lifestyle, as we will see in the next clip. But I could have sworn that a big part of being a parent is telling your child when he’s wrong. Not just letting them do whatever they want out of fear of rebellion or confrontation.
Also, this scene implies that the risk of suicide in Trans people is only really there if you try to suppress their trans urges, and not allow them to be who they really are. That is completely wrong. In 2003, a Swedish study found that the post-op mortality and suicide rates for transsexuals were infinitely higher than for the population as a whole.
And these are people who had gone through the reassignment surgery, which Jazz hasn’t even done yet. In other words, these people were ten times more “authentic” than Jazz, and were still so riddled with grief that they killed themselves.
Of course, the left will whine that these rates aren’t high because of mental illness. But because of the ostracism and hate that Trans people get on a regular basis.
However, note that this study was done in Sweden. Which has been one of, if not the most overtly accepting Western nation when it comes to transgenderism. So the idea that social ostracism is responsible for these tragic numbers is highly suspect.
Point being, embracing transgenderism can be every bit as dangerous, if not more, than suppressing it. Which again, lends credence to the fact that what we’re dealing with here is a mental disorder, and not merely a sexual identity crisis.
But as for where Jazz’ parents were really coming from, her father made it all too clear in a closing plea to dictatorial government intrusion that would have made Khrushchev blush:
Snow: We were talking earlier about, sort of, this moment that we're in, right? The conversation is definitely started on transgender issues. People are talking. What happens next?
Dad: Well, the conversation really needs to start at the top. You know, rather than everybody in different communities having to fight little battles, if the real leadership would just come down and just say, "This is the way it is," then everybody will follow.
And there you have it.
Forget all this business about different people, with different beliefs from all over the country, getting together and discussing issues and coming to decisions consistent with their own shared values, and respect for the rights and beliefs of others. All under the framework of the law and the Constitution.
Oh no, what we really need is a Transa Carta. Passed down from on high, directing all knaves and simpletons on how not to let her our superstitions and folksy bigotry offend the sensibilities of the Enlightened.
That’s a pretty terrible outlook on our political discourse. What’s worse, is it appears to be working.