One of the things that the APA talked about was protest and advocacy. Those don't happen in a private space one on one with a therapist. Despite some frustrations and occasional emotional cost, I do think you have your heart in the right place and so I do dip back in and out as I need to - with you and with Medium in general.

And you're right, we don't have to agree, but I don't see the purpose of dialogue as to simply showcase different points of view. I see it as a way to try to gain greater understanding, even if I still ultimately don't agree with the other person. It's not an intellectual exercise when we're talking about other people's lives -yours or mine.

I'm glad you see trans-inclusion happening, because what I hear about in the UK is a huge upsurge in random violence against trans folks simply for daring to exist. Two friends of a friend were viciously attacked simply for walking down the street in two separate instances. I'm also completely disheartened that nobody did anything about known sexual harassers in the Metro police until there was actual rape and murder and that in the wake of that so many men, particularly younger men are up in arms about women being angry and frightened by that. A full 50% of young men in the UK are anti-feminist. I'm going to guess that's up considerably from 30 years ago. That means that the needle is moving in the completely wrong direction. In the US 350 new anti-LGBTQ laws were introduced just in the month of March alone. Right-wing nut jobs are banning books and essentially trying to bring on the Fourth Reich with the help of the gerrymandered political landscape.

One can hope it's the last dying gasps of antiquated systems, which will improve once more of the dinosaurs finally die off, but I don't know... The Andrew Tates of the world have mass appeal. It's hard at times to not be completely disheartened.