So wonderful! I do hope it helps parents craft a strategy for dealing with an institution they cannot easily escape.
Now (asks the ever greedy for more reader) can you craft a template for parents of children who are not children legally, but who are still immature, from the standpoint of evidence that brain development is not "complete" until closer to age 25? I want to at least protest with a letter to the staff of a clinic who I know has dosed my 18-year-old with Testosterone after one visit . . . and no vetting for mental conditions or exploratory therapy - none of the guardrails or screening to protect a woman seeking radical cosmetic surgery or getting her tubes tied, no IRB oversight to protect people from unethical and uncontrolled experimentation on human beings. My daughter thinks if she gets her liver checked every once in a while, she's doing this "responsibly." Perhaps less soft in tone. I at least would like to inspire in the business end of such clinics a little more caution or curiosity, perhaps a slight worry over the possibility of future litigation from hundreds of former patients . . .
Yes, the 18-25 year olds, many of whom are far less mature than the 17-20 year olds of 30 years ago. They desperately need a clarification letter. Their brains are still developing. They are so vulnerable and no one cares because they are “of age.”
I feel like the argument that they can do whatever they want when they turn 18 or even 25 is a very poor concession if they’ve been provided with bad or incomplete information, steeped in online cultures, and only affirmed for all the years before they are adults.
Lisa, it used to be mainstream to protect children from pornography and inappropriate exposure to sexual issues. The concept of protecting immature humans and largely deferring to parents and their belief systems were common sense. The transgender issue has turned this upside down despite alarming evidence of the uncertainty of the trajectory of the feelings of ten year olds who mention some gender confusion. This is outrageous and the response of the pediatric endocrinology community is the greatest medical malfeasance of my 40+ year career in pediatrics.
This is great! Thank you so much Lisa for putting it together. I can think of ways to use your letter to generate thinking amongst my peers and neighbors.
My ask is that you elaborate more on “the fear that trans people will suffer” in the second to last paragraph. I keep hammering home that “harm” can be done in lots of ways besides misgendering or not affirming. I would appreciate extending the thinking about what harm can be done by keeping the affirmative model.
Thank you so much for putting this out there. I think your template provides a really strong base for those who have struggled to figure out how to peaceably approach this conversation.
I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am for this. I am working up the courage to share this out, as I am an educator currently working in a public school. This is written so well, it’s just the thing I need.
What do you think about a mention of parental thought that social transition may harm their particular child? So it’s explicitly stated in the event of legal action. I’m thinking of parents of autistic kids especially because there may be increased protections for them. Just where my social worker brain goes? 😊
And for your relentless efforts to reach people and help us do it!
I was wondering about 3 things:
1. There is a huge controversy going on in the medical community.
Right here:
"But doctors and psychologists aren’t sure if social transition is an appropriate intervention for children with gender dysphoria, or if we should present any child with the option to choose their sex category."
I think a problem is that many doctors and psychologists are **quite** sure it is appropriate, and many people will have heard that "all major medical associations" support the affirmative model, either from one of those associations or HHS.
I'm not sure if there is a way to say that social transition is actually now being realized to be such a serious intervention, after looking at studies (maybe cite Levine et al., 2022), that the new guidelines by the UK are saying it needs informed consent, and that even early researchers were wary of childhood social transition? And that several countries have done evidence reviews and changed their policies and that the AAP says it is reviewing the evidence, too, now, or something like that? I don't know how to make it as lean and clear as what you've written, but maybe you do?
"overstate the possible benefits of transition to kids’ mental health" can also link to Levine et al, 2022.
2. For suicide, sadly being LGB also I think has higher suicidality.
3. Maybe mention somehow that trans is not the new gay? Maybe right when you say most grow out, say this is a problem, people don't know how to predict which ones? Say that it is unknown how to tell when someone's trans-identification will persist, again this is a point of contention how one can tell, maybe this would be something one could say when saying that medical professionals are all on different pages about it? Underlying all of this are a bunch of professionals assuring a bunch of kids and their families they will feel this way forever and that there is one treatment....?
When something is complex I do not want to trust my intuition or even excellent writing like yours, I want to know what the evidence says and what the experts say--you give references but maybe also point out the disagreement, giving references for that?
Thank you! So well expressed and researched. I will share with clinicians, teachers and also other parents with kids younger than mine. How I wish that I had had access to arguments like this when we were on this path. Thank you.
Thank YOU Lisa! This is great! And while I very much want to send this to my kids' entire parent and staff community - I probably cant, as I've already been so tarred and feathered as a transphobic bigot (lifelong deep Blue Dem that refuses to drink the gender ideology Kool-aid) and I could be at risk of getting our family thrown out while my kid has 2 years left - after having been there for 10 years now (older kid, too)! (It's a "Progressive ed" (their term, certainly not mine any more!) private k-8 school in Cambridge, MA.)
Anyways - I think this is a terrific resource and can only hope that parents everywhere find this and send it along to their schools and others who wield strong influence on our kids!
So wonderful! I do hope it helps parents craft a strategy for dealing with an institution they cannot easily escape.
Now (asks the ever greedy for more reader) can you craft a template for parents of children who are not children legally, but who are still immature, from the standpoint of evidence that brain development is not "complete" until closer to age 25? I want to at least protest with a letter to the staff of a clinic who I know has dosed my 18-year-old with Testosterone after one visit . . . and no vetting for mental conditions or exploratory therapy - none of the guardrails or screening to protect a woman seeking radical cosmetic surgery or getting her tubes tied, no IRB oversight to protect people from unethical and uncontrolled experimentation on human beings. My daughter thinks if she gets her liver checked every once in a while, she's doing this "responsibly." Perhaps less soft in tone. I at least would like to inspire in the business end of such clinics a little more caution or curiosity, perhaps a slight worry over the possibility of future litigation from hundreds of former patients . . .
Yes, the 18-25 year olds, many of whom are far less mature than the 17-20 year olds of 30 years ago. They desperately need a clarification letter. Their brains are still developing. They are so vulnerable and no one cares because they are “of age.”
I feel like the argument that they can do whatever they want when they turn 18 or even 25 is a very poor concession if they’ve been provided with bad or incomplete information, steeped in online cultures, and only affirmed for all the years before they are adults.
This is really excellent, thank you.
Lisa, it used to be mainstream to protect children from pornography and inappropriate exposure to sexual issues. The concept of protecting immature humans and largely deferring to parents and their belief systems were common sense. The transgender issue has turned this upside down despite alarming evidence of the uncertainty of the trajectory of the feelings of ten year olds who mention some gender confusion. This is outrageous and the response of the pediatric endocrinology community is the greatest medical malfeasance of my 40+ year career in pediatrics.
This is great! Thank you so much Lisa for putting it together. I can think of ways to use your letter to generate thinking amongst my peers and neighbors.
My ask is that you elaborate more on “the fear that trans people will suffer” in the second to last paragraph. I keep hammering home that “harm” can be done in lots of ways besides misgendering or not affirming. I would appreciate extending the thinking about what harm can be done by keeping the affirmative model.
Thanks again!
Thank you so much for putting this out there. I think your template provides a really strong base for those who have struggled to figure out how to peaceably approach this conversation.
I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am for this. I am working up the courage to share this out, as I am an educator currently working in a public school. This is written so well, it’s just the thing I need.
Great letter. The task will be more difficult, and fraught, in the wake of the horrific mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs.
What do you think about a mention of parental thought that social transition may harm their particular child? So it’s explicitly stated in the event of legal action. I’m thinking of parents of autistic kids especially because there may be increased protections for them. Just where my social worker brain goes? 😊
Just a BIG thank you! Parents need this so badly. Shared with my community 🙏🏽
Thank you for this!!!
And for your relentless efforts to reach people and help us do it!
I was wondering about 3 things:
1. There is a huge controversy going on in the medical community.
Right here:
"But doctors and psychologists aren’t sure if social transition is an appropriate intervention for children with gender dysphoria, or if we should present any child with the option to choose their sex category."
I think a problem is that many doctors and psychologists are **quite** sure it is appropriate, and many people will have heard that "all major medical associations" support the affirmative model, either from one of those associations or HHS.
I'm not sure if there is a way to say that social transition is actually now being realized to be such a serious intervention, after looking at studies (maybe cite Levine et al., 2022), that the new guidelines by the UK are saying it needs informed consent, and that even early researchers were wary of childhood social transition? And that several countries have done evidence reviews and changed their policies and that the AAP says it is reviewing the evidence, too, now, or something like that? I don't know how to make it as lean and clear as what you've written, but maybe you do?
"overstate the possible benefits of transition to kids’ mental health" can also link to Levine et al, 2022.
2. For suicide, sadly being LGB also I think has higher suicidality.
3. Maybe mention somehow that trans is not the new gay? Maybe right when you say most grow out, say this is a problem, people don't know how to predict which ones? Say that it is unknown how to tell when someone's trans-identification will persist, again this is a point of contention how one can tell, maybe this would be something one could say when saying that medical professionals are all on different pages about it? Underlying all of this are a bunch of professionals assuring a bunch of kids and their families they will feel this way forever and that there is one treatment....?
When something is complex I do not want to trust my intuition or even excellent writing like yours, I want to know what the evidence says and what the experts say--you give references but maybe also point out the disagreement, giving references for that?
Thank you!!
Thank you. I would probably cut and paste depending upon if sending to a pediatrician or a teacher, but Helpful
Thank you Lisa!
Thank you! So well expressed and researched. I will share with clinicians, teachers and also other parents with kids younger than mine. How I wish that I had had access to arguments like this when we were on this path. Thank you.
This is amazing and should be published everywhere.
Thank you! This is great. I will send it out this morning.
Thank YOU Lisa! This is great! And while I very much want to send this to my kids' entire parent and staff community - I probably cant, as I've already been so tarred and feathered as a transphobic bigot (lifelong deep Blue Dem that refuses to drink the gender ideology Kool-aid) and I could be at risk of getting our family thrown out while my kid has 2 years left - after having been there for 10 years now (older kid, too)! (It's a "Progressive ed" (their term, certainly not mine any more!) private k-8 school in Cambridge, MA.)
Anyways - I think this is a terrific resource and can only hope that parents everywhere find this and send it along to their schools and others who wield strong influence on our kids!