Episode 4: Adult Elephant Woman

This week, Ben, Cori, Eliza, Jamie, and Lisa discuss their theories about gender dysphoria and why the concept of gender identity speaks so deeply to many lesbian and gay people. Plus, Jamie shares her origin story, and Lisa tries not to get eaten by a lion (really!).Notes:Jamie's February 2023 piece in The Free Press: “I Thought I Was Saving Trans Kids. Now I’m Blowing the Whistle.”Jamie's tweet about gender as a "ruminating death trap for gay people."Cori's working definition of gender identity: "Gender identity is a phenomenon arising from an individual's personal experience of feeling estranged from members of their own biological category, which can lead to psychological distress, and may involve the belief that changing their biological category could provide relief."Cori's tweet about the motivations of adult male transitioners: "I really wish I could make everyone understand that adult males who transition have persistent fantasies that they’d transitioned as children, and that the strain of activism aimed at boys is to experience this fantasy vicariously."Those who want to read ahead for next week might want to check out Annelou De Vries' latest article: Gender-affirming medical treatment for adolescents: a critical reflection on “effective” treatment outcomesEliza watches old home videos and realizes she's always been fidgety on camera, so it's fine, actually:A favorite chili recipe of Ben’sAnd Lisa keeps sending unsolicited dik-dik pics: We also wanted to wish you all a happy new year! See you in 2025! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe