In this third and final post, I want to explore some thoughts about the impact of the gender ideology movement on young people, consider some of the research regarding “gender affirming care” and suicide before or after transition, and celebrate some trans joy. (Yup, you read that last part right!)
As always, I welcome comments on this post and/or via my contact form, and will engage in respectful conversation with those who may have perspectives that differ from my own. I will not entertain derogatory slurs or comments, and I encourage anyone wishing to engage to do so using respectful tone and in a manner that centers critical thinking and dialogue.
I got in trouble last year for reposting research studies and links to articles on my social media that highlight concerns about the long-term effects of puberty blockers and other so-called “gender affirming care” on children as they grow into adults.
Apparently, reposting these sorts of things is “transphobic”, and makes trans people feel “unsafe”.
Public comments and private messages from those who accuse me of being transphobic by virtue of posting information about the impact of female hormones on natal males or vice versa however are balanced out by those from others – including parents of so-called “trans children”—who message me privately, thanking me for sharing this information, and expressing anxiety about the ability to speak openly about their concerns for fear of repercussions at work and in their social circles (i.e. "cancel culture").
There’s lots of research (here’s just one study) surrounding the dangers of using hormone therapy for the opposite sex. As just one example, female detransitioners (i.e. women who transitioned to become men and then detransitioned back to their natal sex) often talk about the early hair loss/male pattern balding they have to endure as a result of being on testosterone. Even when they stop taking it, the damage has already been done.
While it’s still relatively rare, a nevertheless alarming number of young women are having surgery to remove perfectly healthy breasts in order to look more masculine. In some places, girls as young as 16 can get “top surgery”, as it’s known, and in countries like Canada, it’s at least partially funded by the government! This is an irreversible procedure – once your boobs are gone, it doesn’t matter if you realize -- after puberty -- that you were just going through a phase, they’re still gone forever.
I’m not opposed to adult women who choose for whatever reason to undergo a double mastectomy, even if I don't understand it. Hey, it's their body, they are adults, let them do what they like, so long as it doesn't harm others. But it seems strange to me that when you are too young to vote, drink or even get a tattoo, you can make a permanent, life-altering choice like this. After all, we know that puberty is a stage when children/youth continue to be very easily influenced by others, and the brain is not fully developed until around age 25!
Puberty Blockers
Drugs such as Lupron are sometimes prescribed to “buy more time” while a gender dysphoric young person tries to figure out who they are. The intended use in this context is to delay the onset of puberty. Some readers may be interested to learn that Lupron is the same drug used to chemically castrate male sex offenders. Use for longer than 6 months is typically not reversable.
While endocrinologists initially claimed that such medications were very safe, the results of longitudinal studies that are just now emerging are bringing to light that polycystic ovarian disease, metabolic syndrome, and future bone density, among other things, are very real concerns. So much so, that most countries in Europe have put a stop to these treatments for young people.
Call me crazy, but I don’t feel like it’s transphobic to share this information.
Suicide Myths
“But they’ll kill themselves if you don’t affirm their gender”, some cry. And it’s true – those with gender dysphoria tend to have comorbid mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. However, as a number of research studies (including this one ) now clarify, there is no evidence that gender affirming care reduces the suicide risk, and in fact, there IS evidence to suggest it may increase it.
It’s important to look at the longitudinal studies, because initially, in most cases, transition does create some euphoria and therefore offer temporary relief. Alas, in most cases this is short-lived, and if you follow the individual for a few years, you find that have either detransitioned or are in the process of doing so, or that they are once again expressing suicidal thoughts.
It’s important for parents to listen to their children suffering from gender dysphoria, and to get them the mental health supports they need. This has become increasingly challenging in the past decade as “transing kids” seems to be more in vogue, and actual mental health supports everywhere (both for those experiencing gender dysphoria and for other mental health concerns) have been cut.
In light of the desperation many children and their parents experience, medical intervention can seem like a tempting quick fix, but the research generally does not support that path.
True Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
If it hasn’t been clear from my previous writing both on this topic and in my approach to differentiated teaching and assessment and other paid and volunteer work I do, I have a great deal of empathy for youth who don’t “fit in”. I especially relate to those who struggle with their gender identity, as I know from personal experience how cruel the world can be to children whose looks and behaviour don’t align with the gender stereotypes society has assigned to their sex.
If we REALLY care about being inclusive, my line of questioning always returns to this gender non-conforming behaviour. Why are we pigeon holing people, especially young people (who are still figuring out who they are), based on how they look or what they want to wear, do or say?
I yearn for a world where boys and men can wear lipstick, nail polish, dresses and heels if they want to, without being made fun of or called sissies, and where women can cut their hair short, girls play with trucks or on baseball teams without everyone assuming they were “born in the wrong body”! Some will grow out of various phases and into others… and others won’t. Some will turn out to be gay, and others won’t. And that’s okay!!
Tales of Joy
People are sometimes surprised to learn that I follow accounts on social media of some trans identifying individuals, or that there are people close to me who identify as trans. I find it odd that in some people’s minds, asking critical questions or sharing factual information that may challenge their belief system is somehow equal to committing “literal violence” towards trans folks. It’s as though they can't wrap their heads around the possibility that someone could both love and support trans identifying folks AND ALSO raise concerns about the impacts of gender ideology on women and children. Can these not co-exist?
And so, in summary, I feel compelled to share two stories of “trans joy”:
TRUE LOVE & FRIENDSHIP
The first, about a musical colleague, someone I used to play in a band with: Over the past year, I have watched this individual fall in love with a trans person. Their trans partner (now fiancé) has come out to various concerts to support my colleague’s musical endeavors, and I don't know them well, but I have admired their leggings and other cool outfits, and their confidence in wearing said outfits regardless of what other people may say or think. But especially I admire this couple’s love for one another. In a world where it’s hard to stand out for various reasons, they have found one another, and are very clearly in love. I don't need to personally understand their love to appreciate that the smiles on their faces when they are together are infectious.
This summer, they are getting married. I wish them a long and happy marriage, and much joy!
PERSONAL REBIRTH
The second tale of joy is about a stranger who has become a friend through glamping on the property I co-own in PEI over the past several years.
I remember the dark green polish on his toenails the first time my friend came to stay with us. An introvert, he mostly kept to himself, but was appreciative of a safe place where he could wear his nailpolish and enjoy the solitude of nature. The space we'd created on our property provided my friend with an opportunity to get away for a few days and just be.
Over the subsequent years, he began to experiment more with his “female side”, and when I asked his preferred name, he shared the female one he’d been using, and invited me to use that or his given name. I hyphenated the two, and although s/he primarily goes by her female name now, it will always be the hyphen for me in my mind, because I “knew him when…”
After a few years of social transition and medical care, my friend has decided to fully transition. Her friends recently threw her a “vagina shower” – my friend shared some photos with me, and it looked like a pretty awesome celebration!!
The next time I see her, my friend will have undergone bottom surgery as well. I don’t understand it, but I don't need to understand it to be happy for them and their support network, and I genuinely wish them all the joy they hope for with this surgery, and into the future.
Summary
Not wanting humans with a male advantage on women’s sports teams or intact males in women’s prisons, and not supporting children having life altering medical intervention in an already gender stereotyped world that is stacked against them doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate when transitioning and gender affirming care might make an adult who is suffering, has suffered for a long time, happy.
So, am I a transphobe? That’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself after reading my three blog posts and learning a little more about who I am as a whole person. I hope these three essays have given you some of that insight.
Happy Pride!