With $35k in surgery, man turns self into elf

Yes. All the internet pints to you on that.

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So “Elfing”, good. “Jacksoning”, bad.

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Why is he escaping St. Louis?

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How about not putting pressure on people how they must look like to like themselves (and be socially “successful”) in the first place?

Health reasons for socially acceptable bodies (aka fat shaming) are something I somehow could come to term with, I have to admit. But I’m working on it.

But bloody billboards telling me that “my thingies, my thing”, coming along as “empowerment”?

http://imgur.com/qCkAA3j

I have doubts regarding the “power to you” idea.

http://imgur.com/YXuKrmQ

Practically all of them except D&D.

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FTFY.

(Even though “the fantasy realms (with elves) derived from Tolkien” seem, in turn, to be “practically all of them.”)

Exactly. Since this guy is obviously going for the “tall and willowy” style rather than the “Santa/Keebler” style, I didn’t think that needed to be said.

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The kicked him out of the tree.

Where is this, may I ask?

Around here you have to listen to a surgeon drone on tediously about how it doesn’t always work and there may be complications and now you have to go home and think about it before you get an appointment which he won’t give you anyway because he didn’t like the cut of your jib or something.

Oh, um, just asking for a friend, right?

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I didn’t know they made a Leatherman with that attachment. [crosses legs]

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That’s kind of what I was going for with “adapt[ing] the mind to accept the body that it’s in, rather than chang[ing] the body to fit.”

I don’t think that I can come to terms with fat shaming, regardless of supposed good intentions behind it. Shaming and other forms of othering are far too often wrapped in the cloak of “it’s for their own good” that I simply don’t trust that it’s really the logic behind this.

I think that the approach to health problems like obesity and drug addiction should be similar: use rigorous scientific study to determine what constitute “better choices,” and then give people the tools and support that they need to make those better choices, but don’t try to force them or shame them into it.

Change only ever works when it comes from within. You can help people get to the point where they’re willing to decide to change, but if you try to make their choices for them, they’re probably going to fight you and end up further from where you want them to be.

My mantra is “Do what you need to do to stay sane.” If looking like an elf is what this guy needs to stay sane, then I think that’s a good thing. And I don’t think that anyone can make that determination for him (although a resounding “Are you sure?” from friends, family, doctors, etc. is probably in order).

As I said previously, if this is what he needs, then I’m happy he’s getting it - I just hope that he’s right about this being what he needs.

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That psych letter is a good thing, though, right? If there are people who want to become animals dragons, mermaids, amputees and whatnot, doesn’t it stand to reason that there’ll be a proportion of people whose transgender feelings come from the same place?

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The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began.

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The data doesn’t really bear that out. Statistically the vast majority of us are certain at a very young age and therapy is often one of those things that lets us make peace with it. Sometimes therapy is useful because it helps us deal with cultural stigmas and shame.

Me personally? I’m a middle aged man. I know what I’m about, and have for decades. Therapy letter requirements are just more gatekeeping hoops for me. It’s more expense and appointments to keep. Not everyone has the money or time.

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Those people will just lie to the psychiatrist though.

Maybe things are better now than when you had to lie about being LGB if you were to get any treatment at all, refusal to treat non-heterosexuals was still going on in late 90s UK. There was one doctor who would ignore those guidelines (because they were heterosexist bullshit), and he ended up getting struck off after they had found enough people who regretted their choice.

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Two words: “Doctor Snip”

Google can take it from there.

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Elves are hairless?

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Is it rude to say that that tongue freaks me out a little?

Which seems to confirm the need to be very careful.