This video of my impromptu speech is accompanied by a short essay, further reading about the topics mentioned in the speech, and some extra announcements for those who read until the end.
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The algorithm will bring it to more parents, clinicians, concerned citizens and researchers (like yourselves) who are interested in learning how best to safeguard the young people in their lives.
Now, onto the essay….
Here’s why I brought my old breast binder to a gubernatorial campaign rally.
I am 26. By now, the word “transgender” has occupied a significant amount of my brain space over the past 14 years of my life. For 12 of them, when I was between the ages of 12 and 24, ‘transgender,’ was both my self-concept, and increasingly as I got older, the zeitgeist of my generation. For these last two of the 14 years, since having quit my gender transition, I have developed a different relationship to the word “transgender.” Rather than seeing it as an aspect of how I understand myself, I find myself equal parts disillusioned with the notion and simultaneously quite curious about how I managed to change my mind about something I was convinced was true about myself for half of my life. My intellectual musings about my own journey and the advice I have for parents of kids who are grappling with the same kinds of questions about their own gender, are the subject of this blog.
But, when I’m not on this Substack, providing you with an incredibly time-consuming autistic analysis of the transgender phenomenon which has taken my generation by storm, I find myself itching for a bit of social interaction with the ‘normies’ who don’t spend their days and nights fixating on the gender topic. But, just like many of you who read my incredibly autistic analysis on Substack (either for fun or for information), I sometimes cannot resist an opportunity to bring this one topic up. It has, after all, profoundly impacted my life in ways that will live with me forever— both in mind and in body. And crucially, the “born in the wrong body” lie that I was sold as a 12 year old in 2011/2012, has over the course of the last decade and a half, been sold to an entire generation of autistic kids and young people.
After the horrific murder of Charlie Kirk, someone whose life mission I have been personally inspired by, I decided to attend one of the thousands of vigils across the country commemorating his life and legacy.
There, an opportunity for those in attendance to speak about the impact of Charlie Kirk’s life upon ours, came up. And not knowing anything about one another, a tall dude with a spiffy fade who I would later learn was named David Medina, gave me the microphone. So, I told my life story. I discussed my gender transition, detransition and the role played by Charlie Kirk’s work in allowing me to question my own understandings. I quite enjoyed David’s energy and enthusiasm. He planned an incredibly moving event.
Then, several months passed.
Out of the blue, less than a week ago, I got a DM on X from David Medina, the citizen journalist turned gubernatorial candidate, inviting me to speak at his upcoming rally. He told me to just show up for a casual chat on a stage about my story, and told me that I didn’t need to prepare anything specific. Within 48 hours of that phone call, I found myself in a church, with my old breast binder and no real time limit for how long I could speak, or much of a plan for what I was going to say. About half an hour before the event, I asked David if there was anything specific he’d like me to discuss.
His response was “just speak from the heart.”
I hope you all enjoy the little impromptu speech I came up with. And I hope it teaches you something you may not have learned before. I am so grateful to David Medina for giving my concerns a voice. Hopefully, protecting youth from dangerous medical practices and destructive ideological orthodoxies will become bigger issues not just on the national level, but in local politics too.
For more on the harms of breast binding, you can read these essays I’ve written on the topic:
Breast Binding is a Medical Transition Intervention.
(This written essay will also be accompanied by an audio recording of me reading it. Those listening should scroll through to see any relevant images or links. At the end of this essay there are some announcements.)
Breast Binding, Genital Tucking, & the Lie of ‘Safe Gender Affirmation’.
Following Trump’s Executive Order suspending the use of federal funding for “Gender Affirming Care” for young people under the age of 19, interventions such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and transgender surgeries will become less easily accessible to young people. While this Executive Order has the immense potential to spare many youngsters fr…
More Announcements:
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To support my work:
Become a paid subscriber to support my work, so I can continue bringing my insights to you. My essays take a lot of time and effort to produce and to bring to you. As a 26 year old independent writer, your $8 a month is very much appreciated.
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Have a fantastic week,
Maia.
