Honestly with Bari Weiss

Courage in the Face of Book Burners

Sep 8, 2021

Abigail Shrier, a lawyer and author of the provocative book Irreversible Damage, delves into the heated topics surrounding gender dysphoria in teenage girls. She discusses the rise in transgender identification linked to social media's influence and the implications on youth mental health. The controversy surrounding medical treatments for transgender youth is explored, alongside the challenges of navigating identity in today’s culture. Shrier advocates for open dialogue and courage amidst censorship, highlighting the importance of protecting vulnerable children.

55:36

Episode guests

Abigail Shrier

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

5min

Exploring Overlooked Narratives in Gender Identity

3min

The Social Contagion of Gender Identity

8min

Controversies in Transgender Youth Care

16min

Defending Controversial Research in a Censored Climate

3min

Navigating Detransition: Stories and Statistics

7min

Courage in the Face of Conformity

10min

Abigail Shrier is a lawyer, a reporter and author of Irreversible Damage. One way to describe her book would be: controversial. She has been accused of spreading misinformation by GLAAD. A prominent ACLU lawyer called for her book to be banned. A favorable review of the book in Science-Based Medicine ignited an online mob, which led to the journal disappearing that first review and replacing it with a negative one. Amazon and Target have also been pressured to stop carrying Shrier's book.

But it hasn’t worked. Despite being ignored by outlets like the New York Times Book Review, Irreversible Damage is an enormous bestseller. Some readers felt so passionately about this book that they took out billboards advertising it on their own dime.

Both the subject that Abigail writes about and the treatment of her book deserve your attention.

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