What often impairs judgment? Many people work their lives to overcome severe prejudices and learned biases so they can become more accepting. However, landing on the wrong side of history is not always the individual’s fault.
Who’s to Blame
In some cases, external factors must be considered to fully comprehend the situation. Horrific side effects of disease or other neurological impurities can be one of these factors. This is the case with presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Concerning Comments
Kennedy has recently expressed some less than palatable opinions about the healthcare needed for trans people. Medical experts state that gender-affirming care is vital, especially when weighing its impact for transgender youth well-being.
Not Backed By Science
These doctors and other healthcare providers strongly support the treatments, understanding their key role in creating all around health for trans individuals. High-ranking affiliations like American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society underscores their importance.
Pushing the Numbers
The significance comes with not only helping mitigate gender dysphoria, but it also diminishes the shockingly high rates of suicide and mental illness often plaguing the queer community.
Blocking Blockers
One of the key pieces to gender affirming care, puberty blockers, conjure an image on the outside that matches the inside. For trans youth, navigating gender identity with medical assistance helps answer questions they could not find on their own.
Defamation to the Highest Degree
However, many people are misguided in their assessment of the medical experience for gender. Robert F. Kennedy is one of these individuals. Rather than recognizing the critical role this care plays, he defames the experience to a damaging level.
Future President?
RFK Jr., who is in the running for president in the upcoming 2024 election, has made some incendiary comments. The former Democrat referred to the process as “surgical mutilation” and “repurposed castration drugs.”
Not Quite Listening
This description not only incorporates a large degree of bias against the community. His rhetoric also undercuts the harsh reality that many trans people and expert medical professionals know to be true
Nothing New
This is not the first time that RFK JR. has placed himself in a less than savory light. The silver spooned politician has weakened the pull of his family name through a variety of comments ranging from mildly biased to completely unhinged.
Not a Doctor
RFK Jr. has blended the dirty business of politics with the fear mongering of conspiracy theories. He has dabbled heavily into the anti-vaccine narrative, which likely contributes to his misinformed outlook on other medical treatments.
Uninformed and Uncaring
What the potential POTUS fails to recognize is the lifesaving efforts of these treatments. Without sufficient support, trans youth denied access to specialized care are at a risk of being diagnosed depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
Farther Apart
Statements like the ones made by Kennedy offer little comfort to the trans community. In fact, Kennedy and other anti-trans legislators perpetuate harsh stigma while constructing marginalization to an underserved demographic.
Earworm
It might be easy to dismiss these comments as pure hate speech, but RFK Jr. has extenuating circumstances. He revealed that in 2012, doctors found a worm that had crawled into his brain, potentially leading to vicious cerebral damage.
Portion Serving
As noted in his comment when speaking with The Times, he informed journalists that his fatigue and memory loss were “caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died,”
Slow to Treat
Doctors had previously misdiagnosed the worm as having a brain tumor. Neurologists noted a dark spot in brain scans. RFK Jr is unsure of where he acquired the parasite, but points to his time spent in Asia.
Question the Questionable
These developments certainly put some aspects of Kennedy’s political tirades into perspective. However, despite Kennedy’s questionable rhetoric and neurological impairments, one cannot help but scrutinize his credibility.
A Not So Good Plan
Motivations for his comments seem unclear, as it does not fall in line with standard Democratic dogma. Additionally, when campaigning to be the next leader of the free world, brandishing such harangues is an odd political strategy to take on.
A Little More Study
In this case, when referring to incorporating science with politics, it is best practice to speak with experts. At the very least, it might be wise to trade out one’s bedtime reading with an up to date medical journal.
The post RFK Jr.’s Transphobic Tirade Blamed on Brain Worm first appeared on Pulse of Pride.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Ringo Chiu.
