24 June

Can we take a step back from ‘supporting’ every person’s fantasy life as an actual real-world identity (I know a teacher who thinks he’s a Jedi), and actually unpack the ideas? To cut back on the ‘feels’ and actually think? The best support you can be for any person is to be honest with them. Some delusions kill, it’s not OK to just believe whatever you want because it makes you feel good. Greer labelled trans women as ‘pantomime dames’. As usual her brilliant mind was identifying the root of what was actually going on. It’s role-playing. And the roles are so often regressive sexual stereotypes, as Rowling notes here. Just look at what passes for ‘woman’ in trans culture. In social media culture, your role becomes your actual identity. What was previously playful experimentation in adolescence now becomes hardened essentialism, people genuinely come to believe they are the roles they’re playing. Because in social media culture, if it trends, it’s real. The line between reality and fantasy is collapsing. Do we not notice the explosion of ‘cosplay’ culture?