For Anyone Who Likes a Little Compassion with Their Gender Politics
Issue 27
Some Kansas lawmakers sought last week to make it a felony for a doctor to help anyone under the age of 18 obtain gender reassignment treatment. Nobody here is going to take a position on that today. Everybody here is going to use some comments about the proposed legislation as an exercise in deciphering judgment from compassion because conscious politics practitioners gonna do what conscious politics practitioners gonna do.
The comments are purposely unattributed quotes and reports of quotes about the legislation by a few of those involved. They are followed by my own observations and inquiries. Those quoted are co-sponsors of the legislation, lawmakers opposed to the legislation, and/or activists. I am a conscious politics practitioner intent on creating an America that works for everyone. You are encouraged to play along at home and weigh in via Comments below. Ready to roll? Excellent.
“I’m fine with adults making their own decisions, but I feel like we have an age requirement for a lot of other things.”
First of all, it’s just mushy communication to say “I feel…” and then not express a feeling. “We have an age requirement for a lot of other things” is not a feeling. But, I digress.
This commenter seems actually to be expressing an opinion. Specifically, that age requirements for treatment of gender variance or gender non-conformity among minors are — or should be — on a par with age requirements for things like voting, drinking alcohol, getting married, driving a car/truck/motorcycle, and joining the military. I’m guessing.
We are talking about legislation which, to my conscious politics mind, is always about improving people’s lives. Opinions have their places, but I am eager to decide whether or not to support this legislation so feelings and opinions are not enough, particularly from unknown/untrusted sources. Most importantly, opinions are judgments and judgment and compassion do not coexist. We must continually choose one or the other, to be in judgment or to be in compassion.
So I’m thirsty here to know if it’s true about age requirements. Truth, of course, is the lifeblood of conscious politics. If this opinion is based on truth, great. If not, wah wah. Nobody cares.
“He believes often times children are manipulated or forced by parents or other adults to have gender reassignment surgeries…”
Here, one believes. Alrighty then. Every single one of us has the right to believe whatever we believe based on who we are and the information we have at any given time. We are always choosing what to believe. So, I’m curious: What is the basis for this commenter’s belief?
This is a bill to take something that exists away from a class of people and to criminalize another class if they begin or continue to provide it. Sure sounds like something awful must be happening. If preventing children from being manipulated by unscrupulous adults is the/a value that the legislation is creating, I’ll assume there’s some data about how children who experience gender variance are being manipulated or forced into treatment they don’t want or need. Absent that, again, sorry/not sorry, what is believed here is politically meaningless.
“They haven’t matured emotionally. They haven’t matured psychologically.”
Says who? Opinion? Judgment? Fact? Truth?
“The recorded suicide rates of trans kids has actually gone down some. But part of that is because we have access to things like puberty blockers to help pause puberty to give people a chance to develop who they are and then make those choices when they’re at the legal age to move forward.”
Oh look! Data! At least that’s what “recorded suicide rates of trans kids” sounds like to me. This comment also explains something about the experiences of transgender youth including that suicide is an issue. Learning about the experiences of others is compassion in action. My desire for an America that works for everyone compels me to want to understand much more about the experiences of people whose lives we are purporting, through legislation, to improve. I especially want to know if this is really data/fact/truth or if it is opinion/judgment.
The 58-year-old transgender woman said she knew who she was before she was in kindergarten and would have welcomed a pill that would have prevented her from growing facial hair.
Oh look! Lived experience! Here is someone with actual personal experience with the issue at hand. This is someone I can learn from. My intention to be compassionate compels me to do so.
She said age does not determine when someone will know whether or not they identify as trans. “I knew who I was before I was in kindergarten. Most trans kids are like me, they know, they know early on.”
More lived experience! Is hers unique? The norm? I want to know! I’m personally far more inclined to dive into what this person is saying than to inquire anymore about the one who feels something about age requirements for minors who experience gender variance.
“The emotional stress, the emotional exhaustion that comes out of being trans when you think the whole world does not like you, when they think that you’re wrong takes its toll,” the state’s first transgender lawmaker, said. “Being able to take that stress away by showing that you’re affirmed, that you’re believed in, that you’re somebody we value, this does just the opposite.”
Now we’re talking! People with lived experience in positions of political power engenders, facilitates, and deepens compassion. It’s also necessary for a healthy society. Just sayin’.
“Give people the best shot at being their true self that they possibly can be.”
Well that’s the definition of compassion right there so I will follow that lead.
There is always so much more to say. For today, though, let’s remember that it is our never-ending job, as conscious politics practitioners, to not only distinguish between judgment and compassion, but to choose compassion. Every time.
NOTE: A little algorithm-tickling never hurt anyone. Feel free, then, to Comment, Like, and/or Share to your heart’s content.
NOTE: Mark your calendar: the next Spiritual Workout for Politics & Current Events will take place on Tuesday, February 16. Sign-ups will be available next week.
That was an interesting exercise. I found myself kind of agreeing with the first statement without giving it much thought since 8 seemed (opinion/judgement) a little young. After reading the whole article I changed my mind. Thank you for giving me steps to be more discerning when reading articles.