Counterpoint: there’s a large overlap between kids who don’t get support to transition & those who end up in alt-right spaces. This is one way in which the crisis of identity that comes from being told you can’t be what you are manifests. I’d argue it’s a form of psychosis&should be treated as such
Oh, sure. Transitioning gender takes social capital resources like different clothes, hair care, and parents and a social circle who will listen and let people try different ways of being themselves. Most kids won’t have that capital. And the social pressure is immense to conform.
And that’s how any kid can wrapped up into a vicious circle of abuse from peers online. They are looking for people to adopt and indoctrinate in cruelty and mockery so they can rebuild their identity. They groom in the way they accuse us of doing, and that irony is part of the point for them
Precisely this. And I’m convinced that this is how the so-called GC movement captures so many cis women. Both offer the illusion of dignity and justice.
And strength. Having an other to oppose, an external threat, even if imagined, allows for group solidarity. And they can build a new hierarchy on that. They don’t actually support each other, but some higher ups can exploit it. The Klan was always a pyramid scheme.
Exactly this. And the Klan as the OG pyramid scheme — my god, you’re right. Terrifying.
It wasn’t the first by any means, but the system of paying dues and creating ridiculous titles and sending tithes to higher ups was all part of the organization. Hate was a key component, but the social circle was another sales point.
That happened bc they went to uni in a supportive environment where they obtained the tools to see thru pseudo-intellectual right-wing drivel, a vocabulary for understanding themselves, and a creative outlet. Things could have gone very differently had they not.
I can say as an academic and a Jewish trans woman who underwent an early version of conversion therapy as a kid, I flirted with libertarianism in undergrad, believing in meritocracy, but getting out and seeing different cultures got me to understand the evil of hierarchy and hegemony.
Oh I can absolutely see this trajectory! I’m glad you got out.
I keep thinking abt a student I had yrs ago who had severe mental health issues&was a huge fan of Jordan Peterson. They hated (what JP said was) postmodernism. They ended up writing their disso on postmodern fiction, getting into poetry, and coming out as trans. They’re thriving now.
I remember almost 20 years ago in bookstore in Japan killing time for three hours before getting on a train. They had Maps of Meaning. “Oh, it’s an advice book, let’s see what this guy has to say”. I was infuriated by the complete Gish gallop and absence of actionable advice.
Like, ok, there is some sort of sociology going on here, the guy cares a lot about mythology, but it doesn’t explain modern material conditions.
Yeah, come to think of it it’s basically how the Mafia operates, too…!
His family had connections to the Klan. And yes, Hair Furor has used connections to the mafia in his earlier career doing casino and music promos.
Wait who is “he” in this post? (Sorry if I’m being slow!)
Trump.
Exactly. And I keep thinking about how well far-right spaces are funded. Like their presence is huge. It’s kind of a miracle more kids don’t get sucked into them.
And to be clear I’m not saying trans people = far right. Quite the contrary. I’m saying that marginalised kids struggling to reconcile what they know of themselves w/a transphobic culture’s refusal to give it to them end up finding community where they can. Some end up on 4chan. 2/
Probably bc the narratives about gender that places like 4chan offer reassurance in the way that fascist and extremist,&evangelical narratives generally do: rules, scapegoats, clear lines&boundaries, etc. 3/
If our media class had any capacity for critical thought or, you know, hired trans people to write about these issues, this would be a great opportunity to explore the pull of far-right digital communities for kids who’ve been summarily rejected/alienated by mainstream culture. 4/
Instead we’re going to get a bunch of lowest common denominator, more or less transphobic takes (this isn’t a jab at OP btw, who isn’t a journalist, and is trans. They raise important points in their thread. This is an “and/but also,” not a rebuttal). END