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.
Yes, Puzzle! As well, the therapists collude with adult married men who crossdress and ideate a female persona, as they spend down the family savings and lie regarding their whereabouts and associations. Trans widows can tell it all, have had sessions with these "affirmative professionals" and been gaslit to our faces by those who say they know more than us, making light of the husband who stretches out all of his wife's lingerie, completely violating norms and boundaries. Lime Soda Films YT channel has trailers up for the documentary, Behind the Looking Glass, to be released in a couple of months.
Everything you write here is so perceptive and well stated. Can you say more about the “online autism/neurodiversity activism movement”? That is new to me, and very concerning also.
This article is a good place to start. Also, go to the Facebook group “Autism Inclusivity” and read its rules (it’s a private group but you don’t need to join to see the rules). Also notice that there are several smaller Facebook groups with names like “Actual Autism Inclusivity” created in reaction to the way neurotypical people - often parents - are shut out of discussions and too many topics and words are policed and not allowed in other groups. Among online activists Autism Speaks is often called a hate group and compared to the KKK. (AS has it problems and I won’t donate to it but to call it a hate group is absurd), and so much time and energy is spent on trying to stop the use of the puzzle piece symbol you would think there were no other issues affecting autistic children and adults.
Just finished reading the article, with grateful thanks to you for sending it on. The parallels with the gender identity activist movement are striking, and horrifying, like this: “In their zealous pursuit of autistic rights, some advocates have become authoritarian and militant, harassing and bullying anyone who dares to portray autism negatively, or expresses a desire for a treatment or cure. This extends to autism researchers in academia and the pharmaceutical industry, and also to the parents of severely autistic children. One widely used treatment is Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), which involves intensive one-on-one therapy sessions aimed to develop social skills. However, neurodiversity advocates consider ABA to be cruel and unethical, and campaign for withdrawal of government funding for the treatment.” While I’m not on any social media, I very much appreciate being alerted to this “movement.”
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.)
I think it’s because the possibility that a child may actually outgrow their gender dysphoria during a period of watchful waiting would then force them to admit that gender dysphoria can be temporary, which would then make their refusal to believe ROGD or social contagion exists a harder position to defend. Right now, every part of the affirmation only model of the AAP, the AMA, and the APA depends on the belief that a child or teenager could never get this wrong, that once they declare it, it is both correct and unchanging. The legal and ethical requirements of the informed consent and zero gatekeeping models that activists are pushing rely on this.
Often, people don't just give undue weight to confirming evidence and unduly discount contradicting evidence to something they already believe; confronted with refutation, they 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣! The more invested they are, the harder they double down. We humans do have an astonishing capacity for self-justification and rationalization. Imagine having to admit, if only to yourself, "I've participated in poisoning children and mutilating some of them." You'd have to surrender your medical licenses, change your name, and devote the rest of your life to anonymous service to the poor.
Yet even with the short term argument, they are acting like there are no well-researched, well-known, successful, non medicalized treatment options and parents should be informed of that if they are to make an informed choice.
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.
We have all forgotten, but having been used to our bodies slowly changing as children, puberty was very rapid and upsetting in many ways. That’s the crux of the problem, all children are more or less unhappy being forced into sexual contexts they didn’t want, among other things. To compliment what you wrote, I’d say they are distressed because they are trans - transitioning into adulthood. It’s nonsensical to be dysphoric about a body you have never possessed and cannot even comprehend.
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."
Yeah, I linked to it in this piece...they're conflating a bunch of things. Cornell is a literature review, not a systematic evidence review. We don't just need RCTs, etc. Just having low-quality evidence isn't always a problem. But it is, or should be, when it's this level of medical interference—and interference because of an identity, not a medical issue.
I missed clicking on that link in your piece. The writer of that piece tends to really use sins of omission and commissions frequently...almost always. But her readers, those who comment, seem to be thrilled with the articles.
It's hard for me to think that systematic review in question will be honest. Think how deeply medical organizations, academia, politicians have gone in supporting the transitioning of children. What will they say, "Sorry, we were wrong, let's try it again"?
The author of this article, Erin Reed, is a male to female trans activist who is engaged or married to Zooey Zephyr, also a male to female transgender, and a Montana state legislator. Of course, both of these individuals are in the business of pushing an agenda and this article reflects that.
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.
Yes, Puzzle! As well, the therapists collude with adult married men who crossdress and ideate a female persona, as they spend down the family savings and lie regarding their whereabouts and associations. Trans widows can tell it all, have had sessions with these "affirmative professionals" and been gaslit to our faces by those who say they know more than us, making light of the husband who stretches out all of his wife's lingerie, completely violating norms and boundaries. Lime Soda Films YT channel has trailers up for the documentary, Behind the Looking Glass, to be released in a couple of months.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH4XQ6Ie8O0
Everything you write here is so perceptive and well stated. Can you say more about the “online autism/neurodiversity activism movement”? That is new to me, and very concerning also.
This article is a good place to start. Also, go to the Facebook group “Autism Inclusivity” and read its rules (it’s a private group but you don’t need to join to see the rules). Also notice that there are several smaller Facebook groups with names like “Actual Autism Inclusivity” created in reaction to the way neurotypical people - often parents - are shut out of discussions and too many topics and words are policed and not allowed in other groups. Among online activists Autism Speaks is often called a hate group and compared to the KKK. (AS has it problems and I won’t donate to it but to call it a hate group is absurd), and so much time and energy is spent on trying to stop the use of the puzzle piece symbol you would think there were no other issues affecting autistic children and adults.
https://aeon.co/essays/why-the-neurodiversity-movement-has-become-harmful
Just finished reading the article, with grateful thanks to you for sending it on. The parallels with the gender identity activist movement are striking, and horrifying, like this: “In their zealous pursuit of autistic rights, some advocates have become authoritarian and militant, harassing and bullying anyone who dares to portray autism negatively, or expresses a desire for a treatment or cure. This extends to autism researchers in academia and the pharmaceutical industry, and also to the parents of severely autistic children. One widely used treatment is Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), which involves intensive one-on-one therapy sessions aimed to develop social skills. However, neurodiversity advocates consider ABA to be cruel and unethical, and campaign for withdrawal of government funding for the treatment.” While I’m not on any social media, I very much appreciate being alerted to this “movement.”
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.)
I think it’s because the possibility that a child may actually outgrow their gender dysphoria during a period of watchful waiting would then force them to admit that gender dysphoria can be temporary, which would then make their refusal to believe ROGD or social contagion exists a harder position to defend. Right now, every part of the affirmation only model of the AAP, the AMA, and the APA depends on the belief that a child or teenager could never get this wrong, that once they declare it, it is both correct and unchanging. The legal and ethical requirements of the informed consent and zero gatekeeping models that activists are pushing rely on this.
Often, people don't just give undue weight to confirming evidence and unduly discount contradicting evidence to something they already believe; confronted with refutation, they 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣! The more invested they are, the harder they double down. We humans do have an astonishing capacity for self-justification and rationalization. Imagine having to admit, if only to yourself, "I've participated in poisoning children and mutilating some of them." You'd have to surrender your medical licenses, change your name, and devote the rest of your life to anonymous service to the poor.
Yet even with the short term argument, they are acting like there are no well-researched, well-known, successful, non medicalized treatment options and parents should be informed of that if they are to make an informed choice.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/27/health/dbt-teens-suicide.html
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.
We have all forgotten, but having been used to our bodies slowly changing as children, puberty was very rapid and upsetting in many ways. That’s the crux of the problem, all children are more or less unhappy being forced into sexual contexts they didn’t want, among other things. To compliment what you wrote, I’d say they are distressed because they are trans - transitioning into adulthood. It’s nonsensical to be dysphoric about a body you have never possessed and cannot even comprehend.
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
Yeah, I linked to it in this piece...they're conflating a bunch of things. Cornell is a literature review, not a systematic evidence review. We don't just need RCTs, etc. Just having low-quality evidence isn't always a problem. But it is, or should be, when it's this level of medical interference—and interference because of an identity, not a medical issue.
I missed clicking on that link in your piece. The writer of that piece tends to really use sins of omission and commissions frequently...almost always. But her readers, those who comment, seem to be thrilled with the articles.
It's hard for me to think that systematic review in question will be honest. Think how deeply medical organizations, academia, politicians have gone in supporting the transitioning of children. What will they say, "Sorry, we were wrong, let's try it again"?
The author of this article, Erin Reed, is a male to female trans activist who is engaged or married to Zooey Zephyr, also a male to female transgender, and a Montana state legislator. Of course, both of these individuals are in the business of pushing an agenda and this article reflects that.
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.