This post is inspired by a recent user I interacted with accusing me of being transphobic due to disagreeing with the concept of “xenogenders”
Without going too in depth, this user identified as “swarmgender”, and believed they are part of a literal hive mind. This led me down a path of reflection, wanting to be accepting of someones identity while trying to understand it rationally, and I came to a pretty firm conclusion:
They’re fucking nuts.
I’m not saying this in a transphobic sense, there is nothing wrong with being trans. (Original statement: But the medical terminology for what’s being experienced is gender dysphoria. It’s a mental illness.) It was pointed out to me by a commenter that this statement is inaccurate as of the updated DSM-5 definition, which sorta complicates my view here but doesn’t subtract from the overall point.
It’s important to acknowledge this because there’s a bit of a slippery slope going on where individuals with more severe mental issues are using gender politics to either
A: make themselves the bestest most specialist snowflake
Or
B: Obfuscate how fucking insane they actually are under the guise of anyone disagreeing being transphobic.
Anyway, this thread’ll be fun
Edit: the aforementioned Swarmgender joker has started posting about people in this thread on their own little community dedicated to how much of a victim they are lol
I’ll agree that it’s a mental illness, but no more than being left handed or gay. Sure it’s a deviation from the statical “norm” but who does it harm and what does it matter? Let people conceptualize themselves however they like. Lots of “born again Christians” out there who talk about their relationship with an imaginary friend.
What does it matter to you how anyone perceive themselves or the world around them? They still deserve respect. You’re allowed to think whatever you want about others, but using what you perceive as illness as a reason to mock or belittle them then that’s just active cruelty. In your A or B scenario, both of those situations are someone deserves respect and that you yourself don’t need to concern yourself with. Who tf cares if they feel special? Good for them. If you wanna think them crazy, I mean… okay? Just don’t be shitty to 'em.
Besides, if you really want to get in to the philosophy of it. Where exactly is the “you” in your body? We are all a collection of living cells that are controlled by a not yet entirely determined part of thr brain. Sure parts of the brain can be damaged and that causes personality changes, but where the “you” in you truly resides is hard to say. Sounds like a swarm to me.
Essentilism is a philosophy use without realizing, but it is also a inherently immposible to prove concept, and saying “X is absolutely and only X” really doesn’t allow for the messiness that is the world, or the human experience. If they are happiest as a swarm. Well rock on!