Satire as a Mirror: Responding to Rene Jax's Criticism of 'ROGD Awareness Day'

Dear Rene Jax,

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to the satirical piece on "ROGD Awareness Day." While I appreciate you sharing your perspective, I must respectfully disagree with the main points you raised.

Dismissing the article as "LGBT clap trap" fails to engage with the serious issues it highlights. The piece uses satire and exaggeration to critique the very real harm caused by the spread of misinformation and anti-trans rhetoric, particularly the way in which concepts like ROGD are weaponized to undermine the rights and well-being of transgender individuals.

Ultimately, this piece is not an attack on "normal society" (whatever that means) or an attempt to paint the entire cisgender world as hostile to transgender people. It is a critique of the specific individuals, organizations, and ideologies that contribute to the spread of harmful misinformation and the perpetuation of anti-trans discrimination. This is quite clear in who and what groups are called out.

Your characterization of gender-affirming care as "medical quackery and butchery" is not only inflammatory but also exemplifies the very point this satire is making. In case you missed it in the article, there is an over-arching theme of these folks either indoctrinating others, or their behavior as those who are indoctrinated into this 'gender critical' ideology.

While you may not have personally heard anyone say "let's kill all the trans," the reality is that transgender individuals face disproportionately high rates of violence, discrimination, and harassment. This is not a matter of living in a "bubble," but a well-documented fact supported by numerous studies and statistics.

Furthermore, you ignore the broader context of anti-trans rhetoric and its potential to contribute to a climate of hostility and violence. You conveniently ignore, or refuse to acknowledge, that influential figures like Michael Knowles have openly called for the "eradication" of "transgenderism" from public life.

While Knowles may claim he is not advocating literal genocide, his attempt to couch this statement in a ridiculous argument about the nature of genocide only serves to make his words more offensive and troubling. It is clear that his call for 'eradication' is precisely what it sounds like: a call for the elimination of transgender people from public life.

Such extreme and dehumanizing language undeniably contributes to a climate of prejudice and discrimination against the transgender community. These are not difficult dots to connect, and studies have shown that such rhetoric increases violence towards the targeted groups accordingly. It has a very real impact in the world. To deny this is to deny the reality we live in.

I have not heard anyone call for "let's figure out what is going on here" only that "we must stop gender affirming care' and that, as you so elegantly put it, the 'medical quackery and butchery' must end! This is what the satire is highlighting, and the dangers of such rhetoric brings forth in the world.

Denying trans people the gender-affirming care they need is not only inhumane but also goes against the recommendations of major medical organizations and the best available scientific evidence. The vast majority of transgender individuals who seek and receive gender-affirming care report improved mental health, quality of life, and overall well-being. Experiences like yours, while important, should not be used to justify denying care to the many people who benefit from it. They should be listened to, understood, and are crucial to improving diagnostic criteria and treatment approaches to better identify and support those who should not transition. This should not come at the cost of the majority of those it helps and saves.

As for your claim that the satire suggests that every individual who opposes gender-affirming surgery is directly responsible for acts of violence, that is patently false. It shows that you completely missed the point of the satirical piece. The article highlights the pattern of increased harassment, threats, and violence against the transgender community that coincides with the spread of anti-trans misinformation and rhetoric. There is no denying this; the numbers and studies speak for themselves.

Dismissing the experiences of discrimination and prejudice faced by LGBTQ+ individuals as a "victim bubble" or "trans victim mentality" is a form of gaslighting. It minimizes the very real challenges and threats faced by the transgender community, and places the onus on them to isolate themselves rather than on society to address the root causes of anti-trans prejudice.

To turn your own argument around, if you personally need to believe that the entire trans community and trans healthcare system misled you in order try to capture you and your money and trick you into paying for surgeries you did not truly want/need, then that's your prerogative. That sounds like quite the victim bubble/mentality to me - but don't let your personal experiences and beliefs ruin access to necessary and life-saving care for the countless individuals who truly benefit from it. Just like parents who engage in behaviors that reject their children for who they are, then cry about how they were estranged by their kid because of their own toxic behaviors. You do not get to create your own rainstorm only to be mad when it rains, and then cry about getting wet.

If you have a problem with this satire, so much so you felt compelled to write such a response, then it's worth considering that the issue may lie with you as the reader, rather than with the article or its author. Satire is meant to hold up a mirror to society and expose uncomfortable truths. If it strikes a nerve, that's an indication that it's touching on something that requires deeper reflection and introspection on the reader's part.

To be clear, I believe that conversations like these are important, and we should all be engaged in conversations, not arguments. We should be listening to one another, not talking at each other. Such conversations must be grounded in facts, empathy, and the well-being of trans folks, transitioners and detransitioners alike. I believe that in order to break free from the effects of staying too long in an echo-chamber or victim bubble is through the use of compelling articles that fact check and debunk pseudoscience, myths, and disinformation and failing that, satire.

Respectfully,

PITT

@astralqueen

Author of the article in question

Admin of People With Inconvenient Truths about Transphobes (PITT)

P.S. He Responded! Read it here