The Imitation Game

I blogged recently about Sexuality and Suicide.

I have been continuing to think about this, as I find suicide very troubling.

Of course, the accepted wisdom is that the reason for the very high rates of suicide and attempted suicide among people who self-identify as transgendered is the discrimination they face.

However, reading some of the research that highlights this as a factor, one also finds that whilst such experiences increase the risk of suicide (as one would expect) that increase is from a very high base level.

That of course raises the question about a direct link between self-identifying as transgendered and increased likelihood of attempting suicide. Given the established link between psychological disorder and suicide, that again raises the question whether being transgendered is a psychological disorder.

If it is, if thinking oneself to be 'in the wrong body' is delusional, that raises serious questions about the best help and support: I think it is unlikely to be affirming the delusion. It is certainly not likely to be any kind of persecution, either. But when LGBTQetc groups and their sympathisers teach people that any refusal to affirm is ipso facto persecution, things get very difficult.

There is of course at least one other very obvious possibility. The phenomenon of suicide epidemics within particular groups is well-documented.

So it could be that it is associating with other LGBTQetc people that is (at least in part) an explanation for the high suicide rate.

Of course, if people are prepared to imitate others in something as serious as suicide, as it seems they are, there is also the possibility that they imitate others in defining their sexuality.

One way or the other, young impressionable people associating with LGBTQetc people could well be a high-risk activity.

What is troubling is that none of this is being debated, or researched, because of the political position that we must 'accept' such abnormalities as positive.

Indeed, the research landscape is particularly interesting: guess who is most likely to dedicate their career to researching LGBTQetc issues?...