Do Not Duplicate

DIY HRT and the disastrous implication on Women and Children.

The full video essay of “Do Not Duplicate” aired on June 3, 2023 and can be viewed here:

But if you don’t have time or would prefer to read it, then carry on below.

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It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is, than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.

-Carl Sagan.

Sagan emphasizes the importance of seeking the truth about the universe. Rather than holding on to comforting delusions, he encourages the pursuit of knowledge based on evidence and reason, valuing a clear understanding of reality over temporary reassurances.

By embracing reality, we can make informed decisions and solve and appreciate the inspiring wonders of the natural world. Natural wonders don't just exist all around us, they also exist within us.

The human form has long been admired as a work of art. But the human body is a remarkable creation that, in all its wonder, is also a work of natural science. It is complex, with trillions of cells working together to keep us alive, to experience the world, to heal, and to adapt our bodies.

These amazing machines accomplish great feats yet are held in a perpetual and delicate balance.

Modifying genes, excessive chemical use, and invasive procedures can disrupt that balance with unforeseen consequences. Adult bodies are better equipped to mitigate disruption. But a child's body is already in constant flux.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has emerged as an alleged lifeline for people seeking to align their physical characteristics with their mental image. It has been heavily argued as a medically necessary and lifesaving medical practice with only anecdotal evidence to support it.

Doctor St.Amand is a board-certified physician and psychologist working with the Mayo Clinic and holds a certification from W-PATH on best practices for transgender care.

Here, St. Amand asserts HRT is lifesaving and avoids giving a direct answer to whether she would sidestep Texas law¹ for gender-affirming care (GAC) if the state enacted a law that restricts HRT and surgeries to adults.

Sadly, these claims are more common than can be shown here.

The quest for self-ID has led to a concerning trend known as do-it-yourself hormone replacement therapy (DIY HRT). DIY HRT is self-administering hormones without prescription or proper medical supervision.

This dangerous path has been promoted to minors by community groups and encouraged by social media influencers, putting the health and well-being of these minors at risk.

Picture this: Your child venturing into the murky waters of DIY HRT, navigating the Internet under the direction and influence of unqualified and often anonymous voices, and encouraged into the unknown by familiar faces.

In this self-styled experiment, consequences are far from superficial as the delicate balance of their internal interconnected systems and external relationships is tested and disrupted; a Siren's call coaxing people to jump overboard, knowing they can't swim.

The Charlatans

“A charlatan makes obscure what is clear; a thinker makes clear what is obscure.”

- Hugh Kingsmill

Eli Erlick, a prominent advocate for trans and trans youth, caused a stir with a public announcement on Twitter in response to legislative action directed at prohibiting HRT for minors.

Erlick proclaimed that he would distribute HRT to anyone who requested it, quote, no questions asked.

This alarmist message promotes a do-it-yourself approach to HRT, neglecting the importance of medical advice and tailored care that he and others constantly demand.

Clara Sorrenti, known as Keffals, actively promotes the use of HRT for minors and directed them to the DIY HRT website through various channels, including Twitch streams, their Twitter account, and allegedly the now defunct CatBoy Ranch Discord Server.

Sorrenti has been at the center of several controversies in recent years but his advocacy of DIY HRT and whether he has encouraged minors to do it is the longest-running.

On the podcast Red Planet, in Episode 11, Sorrenti participated in a panel discussion about DIY HRT. Co-host Eric Sophia, going by Sophie from Mars in most public interactions, defines DIY HRT with Sorrenti nodding in agreement.

The discussion continues with Sophie giving out information on obtaining hormones, using them without a prescription from gray market resources such as stockpiling and sharing drugs, using hair loss products with hormones to dose himself, and strong-arming doctors into prescribing HRT by threatening to do the DIY method if they didn't.

The panel spent time praising a website called Trans Feminine Science for being a solid and accurate resource for all things DIY, and showcasing another site, called HRT Café, now rebranded as HRT Coffee, the source of DIY HRT Gray market affiliates.

Trans Feminine Science is still referenced today, but its information lacks proper vetting, is circular, and uses self-citation, as well as ignores newer studies that don't support the author's narrative.

Further investigation into the listed gray market retailers reveals a revolving door of vendors. The reasons for these changes remain unclear whether it is due to a crackdown or an attempt to complicate potential penalties. Although HRT Coffee is a well-known gray market affiliate site, it is only one of several in a network listing the same vendors, and among them all, the most active online pharmacies listed are based in Hong Kong, Brazil, and Russia.

On September 9th, 2022, Sorrenti was a guest on the H3 podcast, After Dark #83. Co-host Ethan Klein asked Sorrenti about allegations of discussing DIY HRT with minors in private spaces.

Sorrenti claims that his discussions about HRT and DIY primarily occur on Twitch, a popular streaming platform among gamers.

Later in the show, Klein visits Sorrenti's website and navigates to the DIY HRT link, and gives Sorrenti the opportunity to explain and discuss it.

During the time the recording was made, the DIY HRT website was hosted on GitHub along with the previously removed turf account lists. Recently, the DIY HRT site underwent some modifications. These changes involved removing direct name affiliations and the donation banner, which previously acknowledged Serrenti's $10,000 donation. The site now includes a single age verification step where users simply need to claim they are over 18. However, despite explicitly stating that it does not offer medical advice, DIY HRT contains advisory language and is referred to as a resource for self-administering dosage and instructions in various Reddit threads.

Lauren McNamara, better known as Zinnia Jones, often promotes the use of puberty blockers, citing outmoded research in word games wrapped in philosophy.

McNamara argues, “If children cannot consent to puberty blockers with professional evaluation, how can they consent to the irreversible changes of natural puberty without any evaluation whatsoever?” However, McNamara's question equates consent to medical interventions with a natural process, rendering the question philosophically and linguistically meaningless.

Ludwig Wittgenstein’s anti-realist concept of Language Games supports this view.

Drawing on the ideas of Judith Butler and Michel Foucault, it can be argued that gender, according to Butler, is a performative act, while Foucault's analysis emphasizes social power and control over individuals to conform to established norms. Therefore, the natural process of puberty can be viewed as a mechanism that operates beyond an individual's control or consent; McNamara’s question is, to be blunt, bankrupt.

Although McNamara emphasizes equal consent for full autonomy when challenged, he quickly clarified his position as skeptical of the consent argument. Unfortunately, not before several of his weak arguments became uncritically repeated within influential circles of society for their perceived intelligence. These arguments fuel ongoing debates without proper evaluation and get woven into the advocacy of DIY HRT.

From Simone de Beauvoir and Luce Irigaray to Michel Foucault and Judith Butler, deep and cyclical examinations of identity and what defines us continue to surface as we delve into contemporary discussions on gender identity, including exploring and exposing DIY HRT, we can hear the distorted echoes of these historical inquiries into the nature of gender and the reality of sex.

Artifice Parody

Fake art is an abomination that pollutes the world with its mediocrity.

- Pablo Picasso

DIY HRT, as an attempt to shape physical appearance, parallels the historical process of imagining and reimagining the concept and image of a woman throughout millennia.

The ability of women to bring forth life is widely recognized, but their impact on culture and society extends beyond this. Women's influence has been examined in various ways, with art being particularly captivating in exploring these complexities and diverse perspectives.

The most thought-provoking themes and expressions are easily identified within artistic movements, such as the objective truth in Realism, the perceived truth in Impressionism, the perspective truth in Cubism, and the subconscious truth in Surrealism.

They explore consequence, defiance, mystery, eroticism, autonomy, and attainability. These are all part of the human experience, but we can see examples of a more confined exploration, something more intimate and real.

Camille Monet and A Child in the Artist's Garden, with bold strokes, and a bright, vivid palette, provides a deep sense of exhilarating grace and adoration. It celebrates love, motherhood, and the beauty of familial connections.

In sharp contrast is Camille Monet on Her Deathbed.

The desaturated tones and chaotic strokes invoke the sense of a somber and solemn moment, exploring themes of loss, empathy, the human experience of mortality, and the fragility of life.

It’s an acknowledgment of truth, shared experiences, and reality rather than a modification of them. HRT (DIY or otherwise) is an attempt to mirror art and convey a personal interpretation of something through mimicry and impersonation; forever inauthentic and unoriginal.

These gestures reduce the subject to trivial objects and shallow achievements - like comparing a velvet Elvis to Botticelli's Birth of Venus.

From the enigmatic to the problematic; the objectified, to the deified; and the imaginary to the cautionary - DIY HRT makes a mockery of the natural scientific and artistic wonder, their inherent value, and their meaning. It very well may be the most modern and most terrifying example of art imitating life, or perhaps, it’s merely a poor approximation of life and a meager attempt to imitate art.

1. TX AB 1686, Dr. Colt St. Amand Testiony.