Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Mary Margaret hast Seen, the reportercovering culture and politics for The Daily Signal.
She is the proud eldest daughter ofan Irish Catholic family of eleven children,
and she's not that old. Sothat must have been something your family
must have been the one that everybodytalked about. Oh my gosh, Yeah,
it's so much fun. I'm numbertwo and my youngest brother is twelve,
(00:20):
so it is so much fun.Still. We have a friend that
has nine kids and when you seethem coming, they're you know, it's
but what a joyful family they have. What's your family like? That's so
joyful, so happy, you know. Holidays are the best. Even cleaning
the kitchen is a good time.Yes, well you can company my kitchen
with your siblings, paytime you want. You've recently written a book called d
(00:43):
trans Two True Stories of Escaping genderideology cult. Why did you choose that
subject? Why is this something thatyou are paying attention to? Well,
you know, I'm a reporter.I cover culture issues and have for a
while now, and you know myinterests are mainly in the life and faith
family area, on particularly kids andthe protection of kids' innocence, And so
(01:03):
when I started getting kind of awareof how kids are being targeted by these
gender activists and surgeons and therapists andcounselors. It really bothered me. And
so, you know, it cameon my radar that there were a lot
of young people that were attempting theseprocedures and the mainstream media was saying,
no, that's not happening, andthat really irked me because I knew it
(01:25):
wasn't true. And the more Idug into it and the more research I
did, the more I realized thisis a lie and it's being perpetrated by
our media, and more and morekids are succumbing to this from content on
social media. And so I listenedinto a bunch of different live chats from
detransitioners, young people who tried totransition and then realize that's impossible. And
(01:45):
when I got the opportunity to writea book, I said, this is
a perfect place to do it,because I want to tell their stories from
start to finish. I want toinclude a lot of these vulnerable, intimated
details that you can't really include ina news hit, you know, or
in a quick story. And sowe really dug in and it's reported it's
not commentary. It's really their stories. You know, their thoughts, their
(02:06):
their feelings, and I just amputting it out there for the world to
see. Did you feel or refinedany common threads that these kids went through?
Was where's there kind of a narrativethat started to emerge? Oh?
For sure, I would say that, you know, I should hedge and
say that everyone's story is unique,right, and especially unique in their own
(02:28):
suffering. Right. But I willsay that a lot of these young people
came from a family where you know, one parent was struggling, or both
parents were struggling, you know,whether it's alcoholism, or they're going through
a divorce, or the mother isemotionally absent, things like that. And
then I will also say that alot of these kids are on the spectrum,
on the autism spectrum, and they'renot diagnosed, so they don't know
(02:49):
that like certain you know, certainemotions or issues they might be having,
might have a clinical reason to explainthem. And instead they just feel like
there's something wrong with them and theydon't understand and why. And unfortunately,
we know the gender activists look forkids with autism to tell them, oh,
because you have autism, you're morelikely to be transgender, which is
a very horrible, horrible thing totarget a child in this way based on,
(03:15):
you know, such a thing happeningin their lives, but that is
in fact what happens. And soyou know a lot of these kids are
lonely, they're feeling awkward at school, they don't know what to do,
and when they encounter this gender content, they think this is the answer,
right, And because these activists aretelling them, oh, you feel weird,
you don't feel like you're a woman, or you don't like going through
(03:35):
puberty, it's because you're actually nota woman, you're a man. We
have seen a huge uptick in teengirls that have decided they are now boys.
And I just found out within likemaybe the last week that the last
that females are diagnosed at a farlower rate than boys because they present differently.
(03:57):
They have women or girls on thespectrum, they have a whole different
range of symptoms. Right, Sodoes that kind of compound is like maybe
we're missing this over here, ordo these people already have diagnoses and this
just kind of makes it easier forthem to be victimized. You know,
a lot of these kids don't havediagnoses, and the problem is that they
do have serious mental health issues,Like across the board, everybody I talked
(04:19):
to had serious mental health issues.But when they go for help to a
counselor or a therapist, their actualissues are ignored and they're told, oh,
you're transgender, that's why you haveall these problems. Or if they
say I think I'm a guy,the therapist says, Yep, you're a
guy, that's why you're struggling.And so they go into this with depression,
with anxiety, with interrexia, andyet then they undergo these procedures and
(04:44):
at the end they still have sucha severe problem from their mental health issues
that were never addressed. Yeah.One of the things that's happening right now
at this very moment, the CASTreview came out. That was a lengthy
review by a pediatrician in the UKthat essentially she examined all of the science
and came out and said, we'renot using good science here, right,
(05:06):
there's no good science to support amedical transition with a child, or even
a social transition of a child.Yeah. Have you started to notice I've
now seen in major news media outletswhere they are now saying, yeah,
we why are we doing this?And so do you think the tide maybe
turning a little bit. I believethe type tide is absolutely turning on this
(05:30):
issue, in large part due tothe detransitioners who've been brave enough to speak
out, because when they were undergoingthese things, they didn't have anyone saying,
right, you're gonna regret this.So I think their stories are huge.
But also, you know, someof them have sued that scares these
doctors a lot. I know good, and it also I think helps people
understand that this is real. Youknow, if there's no lawsuits, it's
just kind of anecdotal. But oncethe lawsuits show up, then that's scary
(05:55):
for these medical practitioners. But also, I think mainstream media has been absolutely
complicit in pushing this gender ideology.And I'm not just saying that they use
the style guides of leftist groups.They use the euphemisms gender firming care is
a euphemism, right, and theydon't explain what it means, and they
want the American public to think ofit as something nice and caring. Or
(06:15):
they'll say anti trans laws when they'retalking about a law banning transfergeries for kids
who are minors. So there's anactive attempt here to confuse the American public
about this and to impact the wayour culture looks at innocence and sexuality and
gender. And so when the mainstreammedia outlets do accurately report on this,
(06:35):
it's not because they're seeing the light. It's because they're being forced to or
they'll be exposed as frauds. Andso, you know, I've seen the
New York Times and the Washington Pollsboth recently do some legitimate reporting on this
topic, and I'm happy, butI think that it's long overdue. And
even in these stories, they'll saythings like most people don't regret their gender
(06:57):
transitions, or less than one percentof people don't regret their gender transition,
citing manipulated and false data on this. So you know, I have probably
I have so little respect for themainstream media that when they actually report what
they're supposed to, it's usually monthsbehind, and they do it as badly
as possible. Well, the onlyreason I bring that up is because I
(07:18):
have friends who are farm they're they'reliberals. Yeah, and even they are
saying, wait a minute, wemight need to pump the brakes on this,
right. So that group of peopleis now moving in a different direction,
which is which is very exciting.My guest is Mary Margaret Olahan.
She's a senior reporter covering culture andpolitics. Her new book d trans True
(07:38):
Stories and Escaping the Gender Ideology Cultis out now. I put a link
to it on the blog. MaryMargaret, thank you so much. Thanks
for tiing me. I appreciate that. Of course,
Mary Margaret hast Seen, the reportercovering culture and politics for The Daily Signal.
She is the proud eldest daughter ofan Irish Catholic family of eleven children,
and she's not that old. Sothat must have been something your family
must have been the one that everybodytalked about. Oh my gosh, Yeah,
it's so much fun. I'm numbertwo and my youngest brother is twelve,
(00:20):
so it is so much fun.Still. We have a friend that
has nine kids and when you seethem coming, they're you know, it's
but what a joyful family they have. What's your family like? That's so
joyful, so happy, you know. Holidays are the best. Even cleaning
the kitchen is a good time.Yes, well you can company my kitchen
with your siblings, paytime you want. You've recently written a book called d
(00:43):
trans Two True Stories of Escaping genderideology cult. Why did you choose that
subject? Why is this something thatyou are paying attention to? Well,
you know, I'm a reporter.I cover culture issues and have for a
while now, and you know myinterests are mainly in the life and faith
family area, on particularly kids andthe protection of kids' innocence, And so
(01:03):
when I started getting kind of awareof how kids are being targeted by these
gender activists and surgeons and therapists andcounselors. It really bothered me. And
so, you know, it cameon my radar that there were a lot
of young people that were attempting theseprocedures and the mainstream media was saying,
no, that's not happening, andthat really irked me because I knew it
(01:25):
wasn't true. And the more Idug into it and the more research I
did, the more I realized thisis a lie and it's being perpetrated by
our media, and more and morekids are succumbing to this from content on
social media. And so I listenedinto a bunch of different live chats from
detransitioners, young people who tried totransition and then realize that's impossible. And
(01:45):
when I got the opportunity to writea book, I said, this is
a perfect place to do it,because I want to tell their stories from
start to finish. I want toinclude a lot of these vulnerable, intimated
details that you can't really include ina news hit, you know, or
in a quick story. And sowe really dug in and it's reported it's
not commentary. It's really their stories. You know, their thoughts, their
(02:06):
their feelings, and I just amputting it out there for the world to
see. Did you feel or refinedany common threads that these kids went through?
Was where's there kind of a narrativethat started to emerge? Oh?
For sure, I would say that, you know, I should hedge and
say that everyone's story is unique,right, and especially unique in their own
(02:28):
suffering. Right. But I willsay that a lot of these young people
came from a family where you know, one parent was struggling, or both
parents were struggling, you know,whether it's alcoholism, or they're going through
a divorce, or the mother isemotionally absent, things like that. And
then I will also say that alot of these kids are on the spectrum,
on the autism spectrum, and they'renot diagnosed, so they don't know
(02:49):
that like certain you know, certainemotions or issues they might be having,
might have a clinical reason to explainthem. And instead they just feel like
there's something wrong with them and theydon't understand and why. And unfortunately,
we know the gender activists look forkids with autism to tell them, oh,
because you have autism, you're morelikely to be transgender, which is
a very horrible, horrible thing totarget a child in this way based on,
(03:15):
you know, such a thing happeningin their lives, but that is
in fact what happens. And soyou know a lot of these kids are
lonely, they're feeling awkward at school, they don't know what to do,
and when they encounter this gender content, they think this is the answer,
right, And because these activists aretelling them, oh, you feel weird,
you don't feel like you're a woman, or you don't like going through
(03:35):
puberty, it's because you're actually nota woman, you're a man. We
have seen a huge uptick in teengirls that have decided they are now boys.
And I just found out within likemaybe the last week that the last
that females are diagnosed at a farlower rate than boys because they present differently.
(03:57):
They have women or girls on thespectrum, they have a whole different
range of symptoms. Right, Sodoes that kind of compound is like maybe
we're missing this over here, ordo these people already have diagnoses and this
just kind of makes it easier forthem to be victimized. You know,
a lot of these kids don't havediagnoses, and the problem is that they
do have serious mental health issues,Like across the board, everybody I talked
(04:19):
to had serious mental health issues.But when they go for help to a
counselor or a therapist, their actualissues are ignored and they're told, oh,
you're transgender, that's why you haveall these problems. Or if they
say I think I'm a guy,the therapist says, Yep, you're a
guy, that's why you're struggling.And so they go into this with depression,
with anxiety, with interrexia, andyet then they undergo these procedures and
(04:44):
at the end they still have sucha severe problem from their mental health issues
that were never addressed. Yeah.One of the things that's happening right now
at this very moment, the CASTreview came out. That was a lengthy
review by a pediatrician in the UKthat essentially she examined all of the science
and came out and said, we'renot using good science here, right,
(05:06):
there's no good science to support amedical transition with a child, or even
a social transition of a child.Yeah. Have you started to notice I've
now seen in major news media outletswhere they are now saying, yeah,
we why are we doing this?And so do you think the tide maybe
turning a little bit. I believethe type tide is absolutely turning on this
(05:30):
issue, in large part due tothe detransitioners who've been brave enough to speak
out, because when they were undergoingthese things, they didn't have anyone saying,
right, you're gonna regret this.So I think their stories are huge.
But also, you know, someof them have sued that scares these
doctors a lot. I know good, and it also I think helps people
understand that this is real. Youknow, if there's no lawsuits, it's
just kind of anecdotal. But oncethe lawsuits show up, then that's scary
(05:55):
for these medical practitioners. But also, I think mainstream media has been absolutely
complicit in pushing this gender ideology.And I'm not just saying that they use
the style guides of leftist groups.They use the euphemisms gender firming care is
a euphemism, right, and theydon't explain what it means, and they
want the American public to think ofit as something nice and caring. Or
(06:15):
they'll say anti trans laws when they'retalking about a law banning transfergeries for kids
who are minors. So there's anactive attempt here to confuse the American public
about this and to impact the wayour culture looks at innocence and sexuality and
gender. And so when the mainstreammedia outlets do accurately report on this,
(06:35):
it's not because they're seeing the light. It's because they're being forced to or
they'll be exposed as frauds. Andso, you know, I've seen the
New York Times and the Washington Pollsboth recently do some legitimate reporting on this
topic, and I'm happy, butI think that it's long overdue. And
even in these stories, they'll saythings like most people don't regret their gender
(06:57):
transitions, or less than one percentof people don't regret their gender transition,
citing manipulated and false data on this. So you know, I have probably
I have so little respect for themainstream media that when they actually report what
they're supposed to, it's usually monthsbehind, and they do it as badly
as possible. Well, the onlyreason I bring that up is because I
(07:18):
have friends who are farm they're they'reliberals. Yeah, and even they are
saying, wait a minute, wemight need to pump the brakes on this,
right. So that group of peopleis now moving in a different direction,
which is which is very exciting.My guest is Mary Margaret Olahan.
She's a senior reporter covering culture andpolitics. Her new book d trans True
(07:38):
Stories and Escaping the Gender Ideology Cultis out now. I put a link
to it on the blog. MaryMargaret, thank you so much. Thanks
for tiing me. I appreciate that. Of course,
The Mandy Connell Podcast News
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