Original 1979 NY Times book review of 'The Transexual Empire'-could have been written yesterday (but now they wouldn't dare)

That, and half a dozen other flawless quotes. It’s a little spooky to see our exact arguments in such a familiar yet distant context. Not to mention how aggravating to think TRAs were clocked so accurately 40 years ago... Did no one listen??

WOW

So the wider question for me is how do we stop this cycle, and stop forgetting everything women say and do every few generations?

Teaching it to your daughters and trying to reach to a younger audience. But this happens because it's not taught in the public education system. At most you get a paragraph or two about legal battles and that's it. No mention of why it was like that, how it is now (and not just in 'third world' countries), prominent works and arguments, etc. With that in mind it's not surprising that it falls on a few women to spread the knowledge on their own.

It seems like it is such a small number of people who write history - who really care, who have the money, who invest time and effort to make sure people are remembered for what they do. And that's often why someone becomes part of the storyline. Sometimes it happens spontaneously but so often after someone dies, their work is remembered by their fans or students, but then those people move on to new things, or just die themselves, and if they haven't spread knowledge and excitement about the person's accomplishments then it will just wither away - even someone fairly popular can be forgotten soon enough.

In some circles there are prizes and memorials for people, grants, conferences, buildings and special days to celebrate, that make it more likely that they are kept in memory. Quoting, dedicating, referring to those who came before, revering what was produced and pointing it out regularly, is important to making someone part of history... men may be more involved in the public sphere, talking more consistently about their mentors and influencers, more likely to spend the end of their life dedicating new trusts and fellowships rather than playing with the grandchildren, starting charities and funds to "secure a legacy". It can work, and it can affect who else is remembered since the people they talk about are automatically part of that group.

"History" isn't one absolute line, it's just the endless memories people repeat and record about what happened, so what gets told the most and the most loudly is most likely to be heard.

I agree wholeheartedly. It’s a repulsive paraphilic sickness and sense of entitlement masquerading as a human rights issue.

I don’t think it’s a mental illness. It’s a perversion - obscene male supremacy, as he says - riding on the back of narcissism and assorted paraphilias.

Ding ding ding, you hit the nail on the head.

I understand what you mean, but paraphilias are categorised as mental illnesses. And, honestly, I don't think a mentally healthy person could be trans (regardless of how it's defined).

Absolutely this. TRAs get very angry when we point it out.