Thank you, Ritchie, for your bravery and openness. As a parent of a young man who is on the path you once followed, my heart breaks. I will hold onto hope that he will survive and acknowledge all the gifts he had that "womanhood" has stifled. Fight the good fight beautiful soul.
Ritchie. Thank you for using your voice and not just quietly recovering and living your life, like you certainly deserve to do. Without your voice, I do not think I would be as cautiously optimistic as I am about my son. And I may have done things to "help" him, but actually would have been hurting him. This has been the most difficult thing to navigate, but your voice has helped me more than any other. Thank you.
Richie, is there an alternative way to contribute? I cancelled my PayPal in protest to the many great voices they cancelled. (Mainly those challenging gender ideology.)
I found myself locked in my own little war against the cult and have to admit for the time being at least I've definitely lost the battle though hopefully thanks to people such as yourself not the war.
Stupid thing is there wasn't a trans person in my household. My high functioning autistic gay daughter is in the cult hook line and sinker.
The things she would say and I would try and counter whilst constantly tip toeing around her mental health. The times I would point out that women shouldn't be cancelled for their beliefs only to be told that terfs weren't being cancelled it was instead consequence culture and those pesky believers in reality get what they deserve.
Trying to point out her friend should seek proper therapy and stay away from affirmation was greeted with accusations of transphobia and besides they knew what they were doing so they ignored therapy altogether, bypassed the NHS and flew to Turkey where top surgery was available no questions asked just pay your money.
Finally sickened by the events of the let women speak event in Auckland New Zealand I asked how a bearded man in a dress punching an old lady repeatedly was in any way going to help Trans people just trying their best to get through life?
Apparently those women were spreading hate and deserved the hate they received.
This time I took a stand, this time I said exactly what was wrong with the whole ideology. I wasn't horrible, I wasn't transphobic in fact I have a friend who is trans which my family know but to no avail.
I was apparently making my daughter feel unsafe in her own home.
Any other time I probably would have shrugged this off but I was beaten, my partner well and truly siding with my daughter, my will broken it was the worst thing they could have thrown at me.
I found myself in the woods with every intention of ending it all. My own daughter who I had spent 2 decades protecting no longer felt safe in my presence.
As I opened the door of my van a voice in my head asked if I could do this to my own father? He had already lost my brother to cancer and it had truly devastated him. If my brother was still alive I would no longer be here, if my father had already passed I would no longer be here but it was the reason I found to carry on.
I now live elsewhere, no longer able to fight. I often wonder why I walked away from the woods, my family no longer a place I can feel safe or welcome I often feel truly lost but it's getting easier.
People like yourself have been through so much more and that gives people like me strength, what right do I have to feel hard done by when others suffer more?
Keep up the fight, and keep up the writing, as others have said you have a talent for it.
Most of all know that you make a difference even if you don't realise it
This gave me chills. When gender ideology is defeated, we'll have to keep a wary eye on the terms. I'm concerned about the war criminals (e.g. medical battery, pharma executives ducking responsibility, etc).
Mar 6, 2023·edited Mar 6, 2023Liked by @TullipR / Ritchie
Ritchie you are on your way to becoming a writer if it hasn't happened already. I admit that I absolutely love the warfare analogy as I often think in this manner.
My own family was torn apart, eldest son stands in the opposition, eldest daughter is trans or non binary and had me arrested by police on multiple allegations. She's got my youngest daughter so far. Yet i cannot wait for the words i quoted on FB from your piece to strike and take hold.
Ritchie you have a gift with words. There is a book in you if you can find the right topic.
Thank you, Ritchie, for your bravery and openness. As a parent of a young man who is on the path you once followed, my heart breaks. I will hold onto hope that he will survive and acknowledge all the gifts he had that "womanhood" has stifled. Fight the good fight beautiful soul.
Powerful and eloquent. You’ve got a talent x
Ritchie. Thank you for using your voice and not just quietly recovering and living your life, like you certainly deserve to do. Without your voice, I do not think I would be as cautiously optimistic as I am about my son. And I may have done things to "help" him, but actually would have been hurting him. This has been the most difficult thing to navigate, but your voice has helped me more than any other. Thank you.
Richie, is there an alternative way to contribute? I cancelled my PayPal in protest to the many great voices they cancelled. (Mainly those challenging gender ideology.)
Just wow! So viscerally eloquent and bittersweet. Ritchie, we’re in this with you. 👊🏻
This is excellent writing, as well as very true.
Brilliant!
Beautiful allegory
What a wonderful piece of writing! Think you need to write a book, or a newspaper column.
I found myself locked in my own little war against the cult and have to admit for the time being at least I've definitely lost the battle though hopefully thanks to people such as yourself not the war.
Stupid thing is there wasn't a trans person in my household. My high functioning autistic gay daughter is in the cult hook line and sinker.
The things she would say and I would try and counter whilst constantly tip toeing around her mental health. The times I would point out that women shouldn't be cancelled for their beliefs only to be told that terfs weren't being cancelled it was instead consequence culture and those pesky believers in reality get what they deserve.
Trying to point out her friend should seek proper therapy and stay away from affirmation was greeted with accusations of transphobia and besides they knew what they were doing so they ignored therapy altogether, bypassed the NHS and flew to Turkey where top surgery was available no questions asked just pay your money.
Finally sickened by the events of the let women speak event in Auckland New Zealand I asked how a bearded man in a dress punching an old lady repeatedly was in any way going to help Trans people just trying their best to get through life?
Apparently those women were spreading hate and deserved the hate they received.
This time I took a stand, this time I said exactly what was wrong with the whole ideology. I wasn't horrible, I wasn't transphobic in fact I have a friend who is trans which my family know but to no avail.
I was apparently making my daughter feel unsafe in her own home.
Any other time I probably would have shrugged this off but I was beaten, my partner well and truly siding with my daughter, my will broken it was the worst thing they could have thrown at me.
I found myself in the woods with every intention of ending it all. My own daughter who I had spent 2 decades protecting no longer felt safe in my presence.
As I opened the door of my van a voice in my head asked if I could do this to my own father? He had already lost my brother to cancer and it had truly devastated him. If my brother was still alive I would no longer be here, if my father had already passed I would no longer be here but it was the reason I found to carry on.
I now live elsewhere, no longer able to fight. I often wonder why I walked away from the woods, my family no longer a place I can feel safe or welcome I often feel truly lost but it's getting easier.
People like yourself have been through so much more and that gives people like me strength, what right do I have to feel hard done by when others suffer more?
Keep up the fight, and keep up the writing, as others have said you have a talent for it.
Most of all know that you make a difference even if you don't realise it
Brilliant!
This gave me chills. When gender ideology is defeated, we'll have to keep a wary eye on the terms. I'm concerned about the war criminals (e.g. medical battery, pharma executives ducking responsibility, etc).
Ritchie you are on your way to becoming a writer if it hasn't happened already. I admit that I absolutely love the warfare analogy as I often think in this manner.
My own family was torn apart, eldest son stands in the opposition, eldest daughter is trans or non binary and had me arrested by police on multiple allegations. She's got my youngest daughter so far. Yet i cannot wait for the words i quoted on FB from your piece to strike and take hold.
You are gifted. Keep writing. Thank you so, so much. <3
I love this! 🤗