An essay you should read, and some stuff about that survey.

Good morning, my Gz and my hustlaz. I have a brief newsy item for you, and then I want to share the results of the survey from last month, and talk about them, and then we're introducing a new feature to Having a Normal One, and then there will be a heart-stirring video, instead of a funny one, which you do not have to watch. (Everything in this newsletter is always optional; I want to be clear about that.)

Good morning, my Gz and my hustlaz. I have a brief newsy item for you, and then I want to share the results of the survey from last month, and talk about them, and then we're introducing a new feature to Having a Normal One, and then there will be a heart-stirring video, instead of a funny one, which you do not have to watch. (Everything in this newsletter is always optional; I want to be clear about that.)

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You should read this, though, unless you already have a good understanding of how transgender kids transition and why hormones are so important. It's about a 10-minute read, it's very clearly put and not at all aggressively political, and no matter where you personally stand on trans issues, I think you will come away feeling like you are better informed. (I think that because I did.) This is especially relevant because the Supreme Court just heard a case, United States v. Skrmetti, which looks like it will pave the way for a federal ban on gender-affirming care for minors—surgery, hormone treatments, and mental health care too. The essay linked up there, by Samantha Hancox-Li, explains why this is such a big deal for trans people in a way that will make you go, "Ohhhh, that makes sense."

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Okay, here are the results of the survey I sent out about three weeks ago, which I am sharing for a reason, which I will talk about in a moment. First, some context: 24 of you responded, which was great. Just so you know, this newsletter has about 60 subscribers right now. Of those, about half are paid subscribers, and half have complimentary subscriptions because they subscribed to the first newsletter I briefly did in 2017, or because they are, like, Julia. It would be silly for me to charge her. A number of you who had comped subscriptions did change yours to paid subscriptions, and that was really cool—thank you. One person (with a comped subscription) has unsubscribed so far, and it wouldn't surprise me if a few folks had set up filters in their email to auto-delete these, or aren't using the address they gave me in 2017 anymore. But I can see how many people at least open each day's edition, and it's consistently between 60 and 80 percent of you, which is quite heartening, because it tells me I'm generally not wasting people's time with this.

Of the 24 respondents (and you can still take the survey, too, if you haven't already), most said getting this newsletter every weekday(-ish) was "just enough Josh," which was a relief. The next-largest response was "too much Josh," and it was quite a bit lower—but I suspect the "too much Josh" folks are underrepresented. The people most inclined to say "just enough Josh"—the biggest fans, so to speak (or as I like to think of you, aficionados)—are also the people most inclined to take a survey if I ask you all to. My instincts, too, are that we could cut back on the Josh a bit. More on that in a moment.

The other responses were overwhelmingly positive too, and I got many kind, thoughtful, encouraging comments and some genuinely constructive criticism. Highlights included:

"I like the links to current political events along with your commentary, the humor at the end is unexpectedly nice."

"Your letter seems to be from a parent, a person in today's world, anxious, etc. Someone with legitimate concerns. I think that perspective is good."

"I love that you unapologetically share your very own perspective. Keep doing that."

"While I don’t agree with Josh on everything as it relates to politics and a broader worldview, in important ways our views are aligned. Where our views differ, I have enough respect for him that I appreciate being challenged to think differently. It’s nice for me to have him as a trusted source of information. I always appreciate his analysis, the background information he shares, and how he links to sources. And I appreciate his honesty and vulnerability when he discusses the challenges we face as a society. And I can’t forget to mention the Fun Parts. I love that section. Levity is essential!"

"I know you're smart and thoughtful but sometimes, you lose me because it's 'too much.'"

"I have read a few newsletters and enjoyed the news analysis, but getting them every single day M-F is too much in this era of newsletter fatigue. I'd prefer a well-crafted newsletter twice a month, tbh. Once a week would be OK too."

"My favorites have been when you comment a news story that I might not have already seen (the male loneliness one comes to mind), while drawing together a few interesting links on the topic. Especially since we'll soon be getting a lot of political news that enrages us, in the future, I'd probably appreciate having something to read that isn't on the same topic everyone else is ranting about that day."

"Perhaps too much rant sometimes."

"You are perfect, never change. Seriously, this newsletter is really the only reason I ever open my Gmail account at this point."

I did not make that last one up, either. And this reminder is from a close friend (who also gave me many big compliments):

As you once said, this newsletter shouldn't be about one man's quest to put out a newsletter.

I did say that, and it was true and extremely funny. But to be clear, that is not what I'm trying to do with this post today. I'm sharing this because you are all customers, and therefore, you've got a little stake in this ongoing project; and you are all readers, and if I'm sharing my thinking with you, I think it's helpful to give you context, like how large an audience I'm writing for, and what kind of feedback I'm hearing. I do plan to do more surveys like this in the future, but the next one would be in a matter of months, not any time soon.

There are two major changes I am making a result of the survey. First, it will continue to come out Monday through Friday (mostly), because that's just good structure for me. But for most of those days, it will be shorter—like, two to four paragraphs about something and maybe a few bullet points. Possibly even less than that. I want you to feel like you have had a flavorful, energizing snack for your mind and your soul. And then once a week (maybe twice, if it's warranted), something longer and (hopefully) better-crafted. (But maybe not even every single week, because I am old and have so many children and responsibilities.)

The second big change is the new feature we are introducing, which is a survey of the week. These will not be about this newsletter. They will be about topics that are in the news, or that are timely in some way, because I'm really interested in getting a sense of where people are at on various things.

📋 Survey of the Week

In connection with the news about the Skrmetti case (which the Supreme Court might not rule on until next summer), this first survey is about trans people and their legal rights—whether you are one, how you feel about transitioning, whether those feelings are different if they're kids or adults.

Take the survey: Where are you at on trans people?

You probably know where I stand—I am staunchly in favor of trans adults and kids having the same rights as everyone else, including the right to get all the medical care they need—but I cannot stress enough that I am not interested in shaming anyone who disagrees with me. It's not productive for me to do that. You can include your name at the end if you want, but as with everything else here, that is 100 percent optional.

😎 The Fun Part

Many of you said you enjoy the Fun Parts, which is good, because that is the entire point. For a change of pace, today I've got a movie clip that a Bluesky mutual posted this week, which is not humorous, but poignant, because I think that's okay too once in a while. (Is poignancy fun? Maybe?)

You've probably seen this, but I hadn't watched it since seeing the film, which was many years ago, when I was much younger. That is relevant. It hits different now, as the kids say.

Happy Monday! Get out there and have a great week.

Having a Normal One comes out Monday through Friday. Sign up for a free trial subscription. Posts are free to read after one day at normalnewsletter.net.

Hit me up at joshwimmer@gmail.com with questions, suggestions, thoughts and feelings, tips, and politely worded corrections and criticism. If you think someone would be interested in this newsletter, forward it to them.