In our society, gender-related issues are increasingly discussed in schools and also more often lead to heated discussions and even violent incidents in everyday life. Take, for example, last year's incident where a student attacked a janitor. This happened because the student, who considered himself a boy, insisted on being addressed as "he" and "him."
Body Integrity Identity Disorder
The condition in which a person feels the urge to chop off his or her limbs is called "Body Integrity Identity Disorder"(BIID). It refers to a mental disorder in which people feel that certain parts of their body do not belong to them and they have a strong desire to amputate these limbs to feel themselves complete.
Minority
What many people do not realize, however, is that in the Netherlands, children as young as 16 may decide for themselves whether they want to undergo this procedure, without the parents having any say in the matter. There is even a case where the parents tried to stop this procedure but lost in court. Imagine that you have a child who cannot understand what this means, then you as a parent have no say in the matter. There are also cases where people regret gender-affirming surgery or hormonal therapy afterwards.
Hormone therapy
There are significant risks when using hormone medication for sex change. This medication can lead to various health problems, including heart problems,increased blood pressure, negative effects on the liver and mood swings.In particular, the artificial administration of testosterone can cause more aggressive behavior.
Sorry
The term "mutilation" generally refers to the severe damage or impairment of the body or a body part. Whatever one may think of it, when surgically healthy reproductive organs are removed or irreversibly altered in teenagers, this can be considered mutilation.
The urge to be different
But what exactly is gender dysphoria? Gender dysphoria falls under the category of mental disorders. However, it is important to note that the term "gender disorders" is no longer used in diagnostic terminology. In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and StatisticalManual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the term "gender disorders" has been replaced by the term "gender dysphoria." Gender dysphoria refers to the feeling of dissatisfaction that some people experience when their feelings do not match the gender assigned to them at birth.Gender dysphoria is considered a mental disorder in the DSM-5, but it is important to note that this classification does not mean that the identity of transgender persons is considered "abnormal".Instead, it recognizes the emotional and psychological stress that some people may experience as a result of their gender identity.
Autism
Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit subject variations in gender identity and gender behavior than adolescents without ASD.Research shows that boys who experience gender diversity during their teenage years have a thicker cerebral cortex in their brains. In contrast, teenage girls who experience gender diversity have a smaller thalamus. Interestingly, however, the cortex is close to the brain area involved in autism and this could possibly explain why gender dysphoria is more common in teenagers with autism. What is remarkable about this issue is that autism is considered a disorder but gender dysphoria is not, at least until recently. After all, we live in a society where minorities who can make a lot of noise exert influence on academics and teachers through political pressure. These minorities dictate how such issues should be viewed from within science and education. Today, academics are afraid to speak out publicly on this issue. After all, their jobs and reputations are at stake.
Pseudoscience
The world of gender studies is all about understanding gender-related issues, such as what it means to be male or female,how people identify and how society deals with these identities. However, this field has been the subject of debate in recent years because it sometimes tends toward pseudoscience, meaning it does not always meet scientific quality standards.
No room for criticism
Gender studies examines complex issues of gender and identity, leading to criticism. In this field, many ideas seem to be based on beliefs rather than hard evidence. Some ideas withingender studies tend more toward ideology than science.
Pseudoscience occurs when people claim that something is scientific, but it does not meet the strict standards of science. Examples include horoscopes, stories about alien abductions or conspiracy theories. In the case of gender studies, there is often a lack of concrete evidence. In addition, it is essential in science to have room for critical thinking about theories.
We need to ask questions, seek evidence and question ideas. One problem in gender studies is that critical thinking is often seen as transphobic or homophobic. This makes it almost impossible for academics and teachers to speak out critically on the subject without fear of repercussions. For example, this happened to sociologist LaurensBuijs last year, who published an article in which he fiercely criticized dewoke culture and was critical of several topics, including gender diversity.
Conclusion
If the opportunity for critical dialogue about gender studies is suppressed and critics cannot express themselves unhindered, this field cannot be considered pure science, but tends more toward an ideological current. In academic circles, it is important to analyze issues and test conclusions from a spectrum of perspectives. In the absence of such academic freedom, gender studies transforms from a potentially scientific discipline into a dogmatic and potentially harmful ideology, threatening the foundation of academic freedom and integrity.
Ing. Arash Mashadi (1985) holds a degree in Construction Engineering with a specialization in real estate economics. He is an active investor and rents residential and office spaces in the cheaper segment.