The Drug Commercial of the Era
Imagine this drug commercial:
It begins with a depressed looking 15 year old girl sitting on a park bench alone, her head hanging low, a frown on her face, a baggy sweatshirt draping over her developing breasts.
An androgynous voice says, “do you struggle to fit in with your peers? Have you ever felt awkward in your body? Did you play with Legos or climb trees as a kid? Do you worry that you won’t be able to have sex with boys the same way that the women on PornHub do? Or have you ever thought you might be attracted to girls?”
She looks up to see a glowing light in the sky. Emerging from the halo, a winged Pegasus-unicorn descends down a rainbow, as sparkles fly everywhere. A chorus of deepened female voices resounds from smiling, bearded female faces, their arms outstretched to embrace her.
The voice continues, “Have no fear! TESTOSTERONE is here! Come join your glitter family and experience your true self living the life you were always meant to live. With one simple routine of weekly injections for the rest of your life, you will never feel lonely again!”
Now you see the same girl with a slap-happy look on her increasingly masculinized face: a big grin, eyes full of wonder. A “they/them” pin adorns the flannel shirt that flatters her now-flat chest. She and her glitter family are riding unicorns next to the ocean. Now they are dancing in a springtime meadow, where the flower heads are replaced by cute boy anime faces.
Meanwhile, a low voice rushes through the obligatory warnings:
“Side effects may include vaginal atrophy, painful sex, inability to orgasm, infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome, permanent vocal changes, baldness, excess body hair, acne, weight gain, clitoral enlargement, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, liver cancer, jaundice, hepatitis, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, menstrual problems, fatigue, confusion, brain damage, mood swings, aggression, depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, heart attack, regret, and suicide.”
Back to the cheerful voice: “talk to some nurse at Planned Parenthood about testosterone today!
