I have no faith that the AAP will do an honest review process. When asked about the reviews that in Europe, their response (after doubling down on their 2018 position and saying they feel confident it’s correct) was: “They gave their process, we have our process.”
The way the AAP (and the APA for that matter) has completely cut out the family and encouraged lying, secret keeping, and triangulation should be major red flags to anyone who knows anything about child and adolescent development. Even if not affirming was abuse (I’m not saying it is, I’m making a point), the goal of social workers, pediatricians, and CPS has always been to do everything possible to support and preserve the family and not rupture it except in the most extreme cases. Yet on this one issue, the policy is to triangulate and go straight to rupture. This is extraordinary, and to paraphrase, extraordinary policies require extraordinary evidence.
Our now desisted minor daughter was routinely told by professionals to go no contact with us the moment she turned 18. They never once considered what that would realistically look like for her and they certainly weren’t going to be there to offer her financial or emotional support or even follow up to see what happened when she was suddenly alone with no high school diploma, no housing, no job, no family, and untreated depression and anxiety because they never treated that - they only talked about her gender identity.
One other point about how parents are cut out: This also happens in the online autism/neurodiversity activism movement, which of course has huge overlap with LGBTQIA+ activism because of the high rates of autism in the recent adolescent spike in gender dysphoria. Parents with any concerns or who try to offer any perspective for their autistic child are routinely told to sit down and shut up. It is vicious.
I am a recently retired pediatric specialist. I was a member of the AAP with my membership fees paid by my academic pediatric department, likely a deal to increase the membership numbers artificially. I too have little faith in this organization. The literature is clearly inadequate to support the kind of position that the AAP, AMA, and Endocrine Society have taken. The procedures of transgender clinics in children's hospitals have employed include highly biased coaches who only encourage transition to another gender is appalling and unethical. The issue of informed consent and the impossibility of assent have rarely been addressed.
I keep wondering, how on earth the radical trans ideologues and their straight "cis" allies have gotten away with characterizing "watchful waiting" as tantamount to "conversion therapy". Isn't it obvious that so-called "gender affirming" treatment is the most aggressive, not to mention irreversible, sort of conversion therapy? "Okay, we're not allowed to try to change the kid's unacceptable same-sex attraction to acceptable opposite sex, but hey! now we can modify his 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 to make the unacceptable attraction into an acceptable opposite sex attraction, well, sort of. And for heaven's sake, don't tell him or the parents the details of the best outcome we can possibly offer for our treatment plan."
It's horrifying to see reports that medical pros may be taking expression of same-sex attraction as a symptom of GD. It's heartbreaking to see cases of youngsters seeking transition because they see it as an escape from the emerging same-sex attraction they themselves find unacceptable. I'm especially alarmed by the real possibility that pubescent kids just don't have the concepts or vocabulary or experience to understand their same-sex urges are fine, just the way God made them, and not some sign they are "really" the opposite sex, or want to be. I know it's a real possibility; it's one of the many competing crazy ideas I struggled with at about 12 years old. (I finally settled on "It's just a phase you're going through. You'll outgrow it.)
This all seems so obvious. Why would anyone just assume that parents are the "bad guys" without even knowing who they are, or having any evidence that they have caused physical harm to, or neglected their children? I guess the answer is that any parent who doesn't climb aboard the trans-train must be evil because it is so clearly beneficial to all individuals who express any wish to transition to receive immediate affirmation and encouragement to chemically and surgically alter their bodies. Quite clearly, these medical interventions are not only life-saving, but allow any individual who expresses a desire to transition to experience their true authentic self. Of course, I am being sarcastic, and there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that these medical interventions are either life-saving or allow one to express one's true, authentic self, and common sense dictates that we must be, at the least, cautious about medical interventions altering healthy bodies in order to treat psychological conditions. Once again, I have to ask what I am missing when otherwise obvious logical, rational points are turned on their head by the vast majority of individuals. Why are we ignoring parents who know and love their children, in favor of non-sensical reckless medical interventions?
I’m still mystified why pediatricians as opposed to child and adolescent psychologists are relevant to the discussion. As I’ve said in other forums, their remarks are as interesting as those of dentists, or podiatrists. They are not qualified to speak or operate as child and adolescent psychiatrists. The press, who are atrocious generally at science or medicine editorial management, assign them relevance they haven’t earned. I may listen to the APA, but as another writer above pointed out, they are a trade association, not a research association or child welfare advocates. A trade association.
Thought this would be of interest.....I suspect you will hear more about this. The person who wrote the article below has about 200,000 twitter followers and articles tend to follow the pattern below. Thoughts from anyone?
"The Myth Of "Low Quality Evidence" Around Transgender Care
Recent discussions among legislators and think tanks opposed to gender-affirming care highlight a recurring claim: "There is no high-quality evidence." It's time to address this misconception."
Yes, this is EXACTLY what happened to our family when we took our daughter to the pediatric eating disorders clinic in our city. They’re now in the same building as the gender clinic so I’m sure it’s even worse now. Complete and utter shirking of responsibility. We healed her with the help of a private dietitian and learning about ARFID. Our daughter is now physically and mentally healthy again, all without hormones, of course. She’s still gender non conforming but no longer uses the popular phrases she was taught online and distrusts all doctors now.
I have no faith that the AAP will do an honest review process. When asked about the reviews that in Europe, their response (after doubling down on their 2018 position and saying they feel confident it’s correct) was: “They gave their process, we have our process.”
The way the AAP (and the APA for that matter) has completely cut out the family and encouraged lying, secret keeping, and triangulation should be major red flags to anyone who knows anything about child and adolescent development. Even if not affirming was abuse (I’m not saying it is, I’m making a point), the goal of social workers, pediatricians, and CPS has always been to do everything possible to support and preserve the family and not rupture it except in the most extreme cases. Yet on this one issue, the policy is to triangulate and go straight to rupture. This is extraordinary, and to paraphrase, extraordinary policies require extraordinary evidence.
Our now desisted minor daughter was routinely told by professionals to go no contact with us the moment she turned 18. They never once considered what that would realistically look like for her and they certainly weren’t going to be there to offer her financial or emotional support or even follow up to see what happened when she was suddenly alone with no high school diploma, no housing, no job, no family, and untreated depression and anxiety because they never treated that - they only talked about her gender identity.
One other point about how parents are cut out: This also happens in the online autism/neurodiversity activism movement, which of course has huge overlap with LGBTQIA+ activism because of the high rates of autism in the recent adolescent spike in gender dysphoria. Parents with any concerns or who try to offer any perspective for their autistic child are routinely told to sit down and shut up. It is vicious.
I am a recently retired pediatric specialist. I was a member of the AAP with my membership fees paid by my academic pediatric department, likely a deal to increase the membership numbers artificially. I too have little faith in this organization. The literature is clearly inadequate to support the kind of position that the AAP, AMA, and Endocrine Society have taken. The procedures of transgender clinics in children's hospitals have employed include highly biased coaches who only encourage transition to another gender is appalling and unethical. The issue of informed consent and the impossibility of assent have rarely been addressed.
I keep wondering, how on earth the radical trans ideologues and their straight "cis" allies have gotten away with characterizing "watchful waiting" as tantamount to "conversion therapy". Isn't it obvious that so-called "gender affirming" treatment is the most aggressive, not to mention irreversible, sort of conversion therapy? "Okay, we're not allowed to try to change the kid's unacceptable same-sex attraction to acceptable opposite sex, but hey! now we can modify his 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 to make the unacceptable attraction into an acceptable opposite sex attraction, well, sort of. And for heaven's sake, don't tell him or the parents the details of the best outcome we can possibly offer for our treatment plan."
It's horrifying to see reports that medical pros may be taking expression of same-sex attraction as a symptom of GD. It's heartbreaking to see cases of youngsters seeking transition because they see it as an escape from the emerging same-sex attraction they themselves find unacceptable. I'm especially alarmed by the real possibility that pubescent kids just don't have the concepts or vocabulary or experience to understand their same-sex urges are fine, just the way God made them, and not some sign they are "really" the opposite sex, or want to be. I know it's a real possibility; it's one of the many competing crazy ideas I struggled with at about 12 years old. (I finally settled on "It's just a phase you're going through. You'll outgrow it.)
As a pediatrician I don’t trust my colleagues to do this right. The institution was totally captured
This all seems so obvious. Why would anyone just assume that parents are the "bad guys" without even knowing who they are, or having any evidence that they have caused physical harm to, or neglected their children? I guess the answer is that any parent who doesn't climb aboard the trans-train must be evil because it is so clearly beneficial to all individuals who express any wish to transition to receive immediate affirmation and encouragement to chemically and surgically alter their bodies. Quite clearly, these medical interventions are not only life-saving, but allow any individual who expresses a desire to transition to experience their true authentic self. Of course, I am being sarcastic, and there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that these medical interventions are either life-saving or allow one to express one's true, authentic self, and common sense dictates that we must be, at the least, cautious about medical interventions altering healthy bodies in order to treat psychological conditions. Once again, I have to ask what I am missing when otherwise obvious logical, rational points are turned on their head by the vast majority of individuals. Why are we ignoring parents who know and love their children, in favor of non-sensical reckless medical interventions?
I’m still mystified why pediatricians as opposed to child and adolescent psychologists are relevant to the discussion. As I’ve said in other forums, their remarks are as interesting as those of dentists, or podiatrists. They are not qualified to speak or operate as child and adolescent psychiatrists. The press, who are atrocious generally at science or medicine editorial management, assign them relevance they haven’t earned. I may listen to the APA, but as another writer above pointed out, they are a trade association, not a research association or child welfare advocates. A trade association.
Thought this would be of interest.....I suspect you will hear more about this. The person who wrote the article below has about 200,000 twitter followers and articles tend to follow the pattern below. Thoughts from anyone?
"The Myth Of "Low Quality Evidence" Around Transgender Care
Recent discussions among legislators and think tanks opposed to gender-affirming care highlight a recurring claim: "There is no high-quality evidence." It's time to address this misconception."
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/the-myth-of-low-quality-evidence
Yes, this is EXACTLY what happened to our family when we took our daughter to the pediatric eating disorders clinic in our city. They’re now in the same building as the gender clinic so I’m sure it’s even worse now. Complete and utter shirking of responsibility. We healed her with the help of a private dietitian and learning about ARFID. Our daughter is now physically and mentally healthy again, all without hormones, of course. She’s still gender non conforming but no longer uses the popular phrases she was taught online and distrusts all doctors now.
Excellent post, Lisa, and thanks also to the person who made the prompt on which it’s based. Thank you.