Iserotope Extras #71: My President Was Black
Sorry that Extras #71 is a day late. But it is here, and it is good! Let’s please welcome new subscribers Tony and S. Active! This week, the first two articles contrast President Obama’s departure with President-elect Trump’s arrival. Then, after the photo break, there are two excellent articles about identity, about being stuck. Please enjoy!
My President Was Black
Ta-Nehisi Coates writes this beautiful tribute to Barack Obama. Take your time with it, savor it, reflect on it. As usual, Mr. Coates understands American history, and as a result, helps us appreciate the magic of the past eight years. At the same time, Mr. Coates reminds us, “The idea that America would follow its first black president with Donald Trump accorded with its history.” I highly encourage you to read this article.
Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America
During the campaign, the popular words were “surrogate” and “traffic,” as in, Donald Trump had his surrogate go on CNN to dispute that he traffics in conspiracy theories. The new word is “gaslighting.” Lauren Duca writes this brilliant op-ed in Teen Vogue to challenge us to remain alert in this new and dark world.
What happens when you transition genders and then decide you want to go back?
This is the story of Crash, who transitioned from living as a woman to living as a man, and then reconsidered the decision and chose to detransition. About 2.2% of people who transition experience transition regret. Author Rachel Monroe writes, “When detransition is mentioned at all, it’s often by someone arguing that people shouldn’t be allowed to transition, or even that trans people don’t really exist. And so when detransitioned people talk about how they regret their transitions, some worry that they’re giving ammunition to the enemy.”
The Last Unknown Man
In our surveillance state, where our birth and death — and everything in between — is recorded and cataloged, is it possible to remain anonymous? For Benjaman Kyle, the answer is yes. Perhaps as a result of mental illness, Mr. Kyle remembers almost nothing, and despite a nationwide search for his identity, he remained unknown for more than 20 years.
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