I worked with a self described “twink” who specifically said that he had decided to transition because, and I quote “The gay men in the Castro hate twinks.” He was under the belief that “becoming a woman” would open his world to dating opportunities with heterosexual men. All of this discourse happened on instagram with an audience of our coworkers who all applauded his bravery. I had previously worked at a gender clinic and saw firsthand that transitioning narrowed these folks dating pool significantly instead of opening it up. But I felt this information would not be received well. In any case, yes, there are men who transition to sleep with straight men.

Dr. Blanchard is such a likable person.

Please don't be afraid to interview Michael Bailey and James Cantor again. I know that some people dislike them, but they are truly the world's foremost experts on these topics.

As a doctor and a person, I firmly believe that the role of medicine is to cure diseases, not to make anyone happier.
Thank you very much for the interesting conversation!

Ray Blanchard comes across as incredibly reasonable, thoughtful and ethical. He did the research, he listened to people in distress and whether you agree with his cateory of autogynephilia or not, he was not using it to 'shame' people, but to create a medical category, where if the person's distress was all-consuming, he thought 'sex-reasignment' would help. I really admire him for thoughtfully answering Mia and Stella's leading questions, showing that he really did not have an 'agenda' to push; yes, some people with gender dysphoria have other 'paraphilias' but they are not causative.  He will not be led to agree with Mia and is pointing out Mia's very political agenda in a kindly way. I think this interview demonstrates to us all so clearly how politicised these subjects are and how it is almost impossible to do research that is nuanced and reasoned now because of the seismic political gap. I know people will criticise my response from both 'sides' but I am trying to understand the 'evidence' not go on what I 'feel'.

This is a phenomenal channel, I’ve learned so much from you ladies and your guests. Mia I’ve been following your work for a while and you are just brilliant.

This was fantastic.  Dr. Blanchard really comes across as a good person and scientist.  Shame a man who really was trying to just figure things out got demonized in the trans community so much.  Sexual shame is a powerful thing.

Elmer Fudd was not an anthropomorphised pig, that was Porky Pig, Elmer was just an inept human hunter.

I loved this discussion from you all. It was so good to see Mia being challenged and her rising to the occasion in her excellent way. Stella was a good referee! Thank you all. ❤️🇬🇧❌❌

I've always thought that the modern AGP rights movement has used children and the idea of rights as a way to ameliorate their shame (I'm not saying they should feel shame, only that many do).

By getting children involved, the TRAs were saying, "see, it's innate; some people really are born in the wrong body; look at all these kids who know who they are". And if the kids are valid, we're valid too... It's not a psychological condition but a physical one, and that means the remedy to the problem is also physical " (can be treated with surgery and medication).

... ah, just like Mia's saying now that I've listened further

Very interesting idea that a lot of these people give false information about themselves because one of the obsessions that comes with these kinds of people is a desire to be seen as unique, not classifiable with any standard system. So a lot of what they say might be a lie, because they want to be seen as something totally unexplained

A great discussion. Blanchard is balanced and insightful, and Mia is so well informed and researched and able to counter his arguments well. I think it is in everyone's interest to have robust discussions and to have their views challenged!

Outstanding interview, ladies. Thank you!

I very much enjoyed this conversation, and admired the way you pushed back at some of Dr Blanchards positions. I've had 25 years of dealing with professionals in the psychiatric field of medicine, as my daughter has schizophrenia. I've rarely met two physicians who agree on her treatment plan. I can't help feeling that it often comes down to egos!

Great episode - thanks all I think Stella is right on the anorexia - Anorexics have a negative, dismorphic, delusional self impression about their bodies and Autogynophiles a euphoric, positive, delusional self impression stemming from the same kind of skewed self image perception.

Thanks for the effort ini this series of interviews.
As a veteran psycotherapist in adolescentes (in Spain) your channel has been very useful, since there was not much training about this topic in my carreer.
I have treated about 10 adolescents that showed “gender dysforia” as one among other traits in their the clinical profile. Most of them showed some level of autistic traits, some level of “pre psychotic traits”, usually high level of anxiety and depression in daily life. The most salient clinical problem was usually not going to school, due to avoidant anxiety, no matter how “trans friendly” their classroom  had been tailored by teachers to fit them. In my experience, their treatment was very complex, due to multilple factors: I had to deal with severe avoidant behavior to school (a real problem when prolonged by months or years). Suicidal behavior was not uncommon, as well as hospital admissions. Very small social network was the norm, reduced to similarly disfunctional friends. They were informed in the internet that according to spanish law, they could apply for hormone blockers without parents consent, to the horror of their parents.
In my understanding, “identity problems” were not the most concerning. At first sight, what is the problem about what gender youn identify, if everybody was compliant to address them with the name, pronouns, etc. they preferred? (Compare to social withdrawal, suicide, depression).
But I came to understand that “identity issues” explained the most, once I realised that I no matter everybody was compliant to that kind of social treatment they were keen to receive, most people didn’t really truly believed in it. I mean, i.e., a young lady 16 years old that soclally transitioned into a boy, was “treated as a boy”, her male name was used in social intercourse, etc., but in practical terms she did not succeed in including herself in “boyish” issues, was not “really” recognized as a boy in dating issues, etc. I came to the suspect that she herself was aware of the kind of simulation that she went into.
Some other cases were similar: a 18 years old boy that apparently succeeded in social transition to a lady since his 13years, after a very prolonged isolation period succeeded in inclining herself again in school training UNTIL she romantically approached a boy in her classroom, after a delusional period of erotomaniac belief that he was in love with her. When she realized she was wrong, she again went to isolation for months.

Worth mentioning that the online communities that flourished from ~2015 till today actively would give advice on what to say to clinicians in order to get the diagnosis they wanted.

A similar thing has happened with autism diagnoses now that neurodivergence is in vogue also.

"People say more than their prayers." Your mother is brilliant.

This is a most intelligent, thoughtful, and honest discussion.  Great questions!  And humorous.  Ray is a brilliant scientist/clinician and very caring.  I worked with him closely for 20 years and he is so informed and measured in his expression!  Fantastic episode.

Fascinating conversation.  Thank you for finding and speaking with Dr. Ray Blanchard.