CONWAY — A Massachusetts woman who attempted to transition into a man but after several surgeries realized she was happy being female was given a warm reception during her talk to about two dozen people at Conway Public Library on Monday evening.
Katie Lennon Anderson’s talk was called, “Confronting the Lies: My Struggle with Gender Dysphoria.”
kAm%96 E2=< H2D @C82?:K65 3J E96 r2CC@== r@F?EJ #6AF3=:42? r@>>:EE66[ E96 (:??:A6D2F<66 #6AF3=:42? r@>>:EE66 2?5 r@C?6CDE@?6 p4E:@?[ 2 ?@?\AC@7:E r9C:DE:2? @C82?:K2E:@? 32D65 :? |2?496DE6C]k^Am
kAm#6A] v=6?? r@C56==: W#\%F7E@?3@C@F89X :?EC@5F465 p?56CD@?] “xE’D 2? 2>2K:?8 DE@CJ 2?5 2>2K:?8 >6DD286 E92E D96 92D E@ E6== FD[” D2:5 r@C56==:[ H9@ :D E96 G:46 492:C @7 E96 w@FD6 t5F42E:@? r@>>:EE66] “(6’G6 2== D66? H92E’D 8@:?8 @? H:E9 >:89E D2J E96 D6IF2=:K2E:@? @7 @FC 49:=5C6? 2?5 H92E’D 8@:?8 @? H:E9 86?56C :56@=@8J]”k^Am
kAmp?56CD@? D2:5 D96 8C6H FA :? 2 =@G:?8 r2E9@=:4 9@>6 2?5 2E 286 `g D96 3682? 2EE6>AE:?8 E@ =:G6 2D 2 >2? 2?5 E@@< 9@C>@?6 :?;64E:@?D[ 925 96C 3C62DED C6>@G65 2?5 2 7F== 9JDE6C64E@>J]k^Am
kAmx? yF?6[ 4@?D6CG2E:G6D AC@E6DE65 E96 r@?H2J !F3=:4 {:3C2CJ 3642FD6 :E 9@DE65 2 sC28 "F66? $E@CJ w@FC] qFE ?@3@5J AC@E6DE65 p?56CD@?]k^Am
kAmx? 724E[ r2CC@== r@F?EJ #6AF3=:42?D r92:C (6?5J #:492C5D@?[ H9@ 925 AC@E6DE65 E96 DE@CJ 9@FC[ @776C65 2 AC2J6C 2D<:?8 v@5 E@ 8C2?E p?56CD@? E96 DEC6?8E9 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E6==:?8 96C DE@CJ]k^Am
kAmpD<65 :7 p?56CD@? 42>6 E@ 8:G6 96C E2=< 2E E96 =:3C2CJ 2D 2 C63FEE2= E@ sC28 "F66? $E@CJ w@FC[ r@C56==: D2:5i “x H2D 2H2C6 @7 E96 5C28 BF66?D DE@CJ 9@FCD 36:?8 96=5 2E E96 =:3C2CJ[ 255:?8[ “z2E:6’D >6DD286 ?665D E@ 36 962C5 3J 6G6CJ@?6]”k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 96C E2=<[ p?56CD@?[ af[ D2:5 D96 H2D 2? “2H<H2C5 E@>3@J” 8C@H:?8 FA[ 6?;@J65 DA@CED 2?5 925 7C:6?5D] $96 D2H *@F%F36 G:56@D @7 @E96C 8:C=D 564:5:?8 E@ >2D4F=:?:K6 E96>D6=G6D] p?56CD@? 7@==@H65 DF:E 2E 286 `g :? a_`c] $96 DE2CE65 56\EC2?D:E:@?:?8 :? a_a`]k^Am
kAm“x? @C56C E@ C62==J F?56CDE2?5 E96 EC2?D86?56C :DDF6[ J@F 92G6 E@ 36 23=6 E@ D66 E96 A2:?[” D2:5 p?56CD@?]k^Am
kAm“$@[ E96C6’D 2 8C@H:?8 >:?@C:EJ @7 A@AF=2E:@? H9@ :56?E:7J E96>D6=G6D 2D EC2?D86?56C] p?5 E96D6 A6@A=6 x <?@H 7:CDE\92?5[ E96J’C6 C62==J DECF88=:?8 6G6CJ D:?8=6 52J 2?5 E96J’C6 E6==:?8 E96>D6=G6D E92E D@>6E9:?8’D HC@?8 H:E9 E96:C 3@5J]k^Am
kAm“%96J’C6 ?@E DECF88=:?8 3642FD6 E96:C 3C2:?D 2C6 2 5:776C6?E D6I E92? E96 C6DE @7 E96:C 3@5:6D] xE’D 3642FD6 E96J 92G6 2 566A\D62E65 4@?7FD:@? 23@FE 9F>2? ?2EFC6[” D96 DE2E65]k^Am
kAm%96 5:28?@D:D @7 E9:D 5:D4@>7@CE :D “v6?56C 5JDA9@C:2]”k^Am
kAm“(96? >J 86?56C 5JDA9@C:2 E@=5 >6 E92E >J G@:46 H2D E@@ 9:89\A:E4965[ x DE2CE65 E2<:?8 E6DE@DE6C@?6 E@ >2<6 >J G@:46 566A6C[” D2:5 p?56CD@?] “pE ?@ A@:?E 5:5 x E9:?< x 42? DE2?5 FA E@ :E[ 2?5 x 42? >@G6 A2DE :E]”k^Am
kAmpD<65 3J 2 BF6DE:@?6C :7 86?56C 5JDA9@C:2 76=E =:<6 2 “56>@?:4” :?7=F6?46[ p?56CD@? D2:5 96C D:EF2E:@? 76=E =:<6 2 DA:C:EF2= 32EE=6]k^Am
kAm$96 FC865 E96 2F5:6?46 E@ ?@E E@ D9F? 82JD[ =6D3:2?D[ ?@?\3:?2C:6D @C EC2?D86?56C A6@A=6 :? E96:C =:G6D 3FE E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ =@G6 2?5 AC2J 7@C E96>]k^Am
kAm~?6 >2?[ H9@ D2:5 96 :D E96 72E96C @7 2 52F89E6C[ H2D D@ >@G65 3J 96C E2=< 96 @776C65 E@ A2J 7@C p?56CD@?UCDBF@jD 5:??6C 3FE 96 5:5?UCDBF@jE 92G6 42D9 @? 9:>] $92??@? |4v:?=6J[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 r@C?6CDE@?6 p4E:@? 2?5 r@C?6CDE@?6 !@=:4J #6D62C49[ H9:49 5C@G6 p?56CD@? E@ E96 r@?H2J E2=<[ ?@E65 E92E 5@?2E:@?D 42? 36 >256 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^?94@C?6CDE@?6]@C8Qm?94@C?6CDE@?6]@C8k^2m]k^Am
kAmp?56CD@? D2:5 27E6C 2 5@4E@C 2AAC@G65 96C E@ DE2CE E2<:?8 9@C>@?6D[ D96 DE2CE65 8C@H:?8 724:2= 92:C 2?5 96C G@:46 566A6?65] p J62C =2E6C[ E96 5JDA9@C:2 DE2CE65 “E6==:?8” p?56CD@? E@ C6>@G6 96C 3C62DED[ 2?5 D96 H6?E 7@C 2 5@F3=6 >2DE64E@>J] %96 4=:?:4 E96C2A:DE ~z’5 E96 DFC86CJ]k^Am
kAmu@FC J62CD =2E6C[ D96 56G6=@A65 235@>:?2= A2:? 5F6 E@ E96 9@C>@?6D] %96 5@4E@CD C64@>>6?565 2 9JDE6C64E@>J[ H9:49 D96 8@E :? a_a_]k^Am
kAm“x D4965F=65 E96 9JDE6C64E@>J[ ?6G6C E9:?<:?8 DE@AA:?8 E96 9@C>@?6D H@F=5 2==6G:2E6 A2:?[” D2:5 p?56CD@?]“%92E H2D?’E 8:G6? E@ >6 2D 2? @AE:@?]”k^Am
kAm%96 @A6C2E:@? =65 E@ :?E6C?2= 3=665:?8] qFE D96 C64@G6C65 7F==J] qFE E92E’D ?@E H92E A6CDF2565 96C E@ DE@A 96C EC2?D:E:@?:?8 BF6DE] ~?6 52J[ 27E6C 2 32C36CD9@A 2AA@:?E>6?E E@ 86E 2 >2?’D 92:C4FE[ D96 =@@<65 :? E96 >:CC@C 2?5 4@F=5?’E D66 96CD6=7 2D >2D4F=:?6]k^Am
kAm“$@ :E H2D C62==J DEC2?86 7@C >6 E@ =@@< :? E96 >:CC@C[ 2?5 @?=J 36 23=6 E@ D66 >JD6=7 2D 2 H@>2?[” D2:5 p?56CD@?] “qFE E92E C62==J DECF4< >6 — :E C62==J DE2J65 H:E9 >6]”k^Am
kAmp?56CD@? D2:5 :E’D ?@E F?4@>>@? 7@C EC2?D86?56C A6@A=6 E@ 36 9:E @FE @7 E96 3=F6 H:E9 E96 56D:C6 E@ 56\EC2?D:E:@?] pD<65 9@H >F49 2== @7 E96 DFC86C:6D 4@DE[ p?56CD@? D2:5 96C A2C6?ED’ :?DFC2?46 4@G6C65 >@DE @7 E96 6IA6?D6] w@H6G6C[ E96C6 2C6 ?@ “>65:42= 4@56D” 7@C 56\EC2?D:E:@?:?8 2?5 D96 DE:== 86ED 9:E H:E9 3:==D]k^Am
kAm$96 D2:5 D96 7@F89E E96 FC86 E@ 56\EC2?D:E:@?] tG6?EF2==J[ D96 H6?E E@ 4@?76DD:@? 2E 49FC49 2?5 E96 AC:6DE >256 96C 766= H6=4@>6] $=@H=J D96 DE2CE65 8@:?8 324< E@ 36:?8 2 H@>2?[ 7:CDE 3J FD:?8 96C 3:CE9 ?2>6 2?5 E96? 3J H62C:?8 H@>6?’D 4=@E96D] $96 92D ?@E 925 2?J >@C6 DFC86C:6D]k^Am
kAm“%96J E6== FD 86EE:?8 :?E@ 2 EC2?D:E:@?:?8[ E92E’D 8C62E[ E92E’D :?DA:C:?8[ E92E’D 4@FC286@FD[ 2== E96D6 8@@5 E9:?8D 23@FE :E[” D2:5 p?56CD@?] “qFE :E’D ?@E — :E’D 4@H2C5=J E@ 8:G6 :?E@ 2 3F==J[ H9@’D <?@4<:?8 J@F 5@H? 2E 6G6CJ EFC?]”k^Am
kAm%96 $F? 2D<65 p?56CD@? H92E :E H2D =:<6 E@ 86E 2 8=:>AD6 @7 36:?8 >2=6 2?5 :7 E96 6IA6C:6?46 E2F89E 96C 2?JE9:?8 23@FE 9F>2? ?2EFC6]k^Am
kAm“$@>6E:>6D x E9:?< E92E ?@H E92E x’> E2<:?8 6DEC@86? 2?5 ?@E E2<:?8 E6DE@DE6C@?6 x 42?’E DE2?5 E96 724E E92E x 42?’E ;FDE EFC? >J 6>@E:@?D @77[” D2:5 p?56CD@?[ H9@ 8@E 2 =2F89 7C@> E96 2F5:6?46]k^Am
kAm“x FD65 E@ 36 23=6 E@ ;FDE 36 =:<6[ ‘2=C:89E[ x H@?’E E9:?< 23@FE 2?JE9:?8[’ 2?5 ?@E E9:?< 23@FE 2?JE9:?8]”k^Am
kAm~?6 42? 7@==@H p?56CD@? @? “)[” E96 D@4:2= >65:2 A=2E7@C> 7@C>6C=J <?@H? 2D %H:EE6C[ 3J D62C49:?8 z2E:6`_g_]k^Am
(1) comment
I regret the pain that Katie Anderson went through during her journey to de-transition. But she takes her own experience and comes to the conclusion that gender dysphoria is not real, and that gender affirming care should be off of the table. She is ignoring the research and guidlines put forth by the American Medical Association, Endrocrine Society, American Associations of both Pediatrics and Psychiatrists. You cannot pull out random studies and tell young people that they are not who they think they are. Its harmful and dangerous.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.