Wow, Emily. This was some cis-het drek. Way to interview a hater from an alt-right christian and anti-trans website that uses reactionary, pseudo sciences, and not even interview a single trans person. Sites like that are like those Christian "abortion" "crises pregnancy centers" but for trans people. I can see where your bias lies. Also, has anyone else notice Emily's writing swinging to the right? Yikes.
As a Jewish trans woman from Seward Park, I can tell you that in a world that actively hates or looks down upon trans people, where trans people have no/little autonomy, and our bodies are constantly being questioned that the need for confidentiality and safety is of great importance. Kids might not feel safe at home -- I never felt safe in my transphobic, orthodox household, and because of that I attempted suicide for the first time at the age of 7. And just because a kid comes out in private as non-binary or trans, that doesn't mean that they will be medicated or choose to do so. You all give kids too little credit. If only I had the knowledge that kids have (and should have) today, perhaps I would have had a happier childhood that wasn't riddled with dysphoria and depression.
PS Emily, it looks like you've attracted a really nice crowd here @forthekids, who get their news from the GCC, that anti-trans rightwing reactionary. No one is telling masc-lesbians that they are men or vice versa.
Hi Schmooz. I'm sorry you had a rough childhood and attempted suicide so young. This is tragic.
I'm not sure which website is alt-right and what is pseudo-science here. I link to a few studies and reputable publications in addition to some parent sites where documentation is emerging about kids getting rushed into the medical system. Is this all just not true?
I'm also curious what you mean when you say you didn't feel safe growing up, and also what you mean by trans people having no autonomy.
Hey, I would respond to you but it doesn't feel like you are engaging me in good faith -- especially regarding your last question. You can just google that, and I'm not going to tell you about my childhood -- that's not something you ask someone, especially in a public forum. In fact, your linking HRT with sex offenders in your newsletter is a classic homophobic/transphobic dogwhistle. If you want to know more about that you can google that too. You are a journalist, no? Honestly, it's just a bummer that someone who I grew up with and went to shul with could be such a bigot.
Hey there. Please feel free to email me privately and confidentially at thecholentseattle@gmail.com. I'm not sure who you are - apologies for not being able to figure it out by this post. I didn't grow up here.
But look, when you post about your life in a public forum, then get follow up questions, you really can't be too offended. The link between puberty blockers (not HRT) and chemical castration is a fact. The point is not about linking trans people with sex offenders. The question is, is it ok to treat children with a drug that was used to castrate men? Where does "do no harm" start and end?
A great place to look at the evidence behind these interventions (it's low and very low quality, meaning it is hard to estimate outcomes, in particular , benefits, if you do medical intervention, with high risk) is a recent investigative report, peer reviewed, by Jennifer Block , "gender dysphoria in young people is rising—and so is professional disagreement" https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p382
And the great investigation by Reuters (youth in transition). Also Klotz in the Atlantic and Helen Lewis in the Atlantic.
And a ton of medical articles. Experts are in disagreement....us medical societies are at odds (!!) with the groups following the evidence reviews.
Basically, being trans identified can be temporary and there's a huge unexplained rise (some say more acceptance is why but the rise is mostly young people! And some who are no longer trans, detransitioners, point to social influence, as do some therapists who treat them) but medical interventions have permanent effects, and studies trying to show benefit are unreliable - too short term (there's a honeymoon period for many), or lose track of people, or measure the wrong thing, or an irrelevant group.
Social transition appears to make gender dysphoria persist, and so is an psychological intervention. Countries following the systematic outcome review findings prioritize psychotherapy, not social transition and us affirmation. The us is in a bubble!
UK Cass review, Segm, genspect, lots of info out there.
I have found it useful to keep the experience of intersex people in mind when thinking about transgender issues; not everyone who comes to camp might fall cleanly into the "bio boy" or "bio girl" categories. Creating space for people to find a home for themselves with gender expression is generally a positive thing, and doesn't need to mean coddling suicidal teens nor encouraging surgeries. There are lots of reasons why creating accepting space is good for everyone.
"For those late to this: In April I published a very long post laying out the severe flaws in a study about puberty blockers and hormones University of Washington researchers published in JAMA Network Open, and how they exaggerated the results when describing them to the media and to UW’s own PR apparatus. The very short version is that the study has so many flaws that it does not provide us with any evidence whatsoever supporting the idea that kids who went on gender-affirming medicine (GAM) experienced beneficial outcomes relative to the kids who did not. "
Among other concerns, WPATH removed all minimum ages for irreversible gender-affirmative treatments and they added a chapter on a new gender identity, eunuchs, based in part on “research” on fetish sites where men fantasize about castrating young boys, to their new “standards of care”. Please don’t hold them up as some kind of standard. They are largely an activist organization. Consider the actions of progressive countries — Sweden, Finland, and now Norway, in addition to the UK, who have completed or are starting systematic evidence reviews and have determined that the benefits are questionable and the risks high, and are limiting these evidence-free treatments for minors. Consider the words of Dr. Erica Anderson, a transwoman and child psychologist, who said parent involvement is crucial to the well/being of kids who adopt a trans identity. Consider the open letter published in the WSJ signed by 21 experts in the field of gender and pediatric medicine who are not under the sway of tribal US politics and ideologically- and profit- driven medical associations (https://www.wsj.com/articles/trans-gender-affirming-care-transition-hormone-surgery-evidence-c1961e27). They state that US clinicians are “exaggerating the benefits and minimizing the risks,” and urge clinicians to align their recommendations with the best evidence. Consider the Cass interim report, which highlights the glaring dangers of the affirmative care model that were ignored by the discredited and disgraced Tavistock clinic (https://cass.independent-review.uk/publications/interim-report/). This is a medical scandal wrapped up in thin social justice movement skin. It’s appalling that these camps, trusted to take care of the kids in their charge, are instead willfully undermining those who have dedicated their lives to their health, safety, and lifelong success. There is nothing in Jewish tradition that says dishonor the mother and father. And shame on those supposed adults who accept a patently absurd premise and a medical pathway that introduces irreversible harm into perfectly healthy young bodies — in a population over-represented by those on the autism spectrum and those with long-standing mental health issues and a history of trauma. A few minutes on https://www.reddit.com/r/detrans/ or a few videos of detransitioners about the societal forces that made a trans identity appealing to these vulnerable young people should straighten you out.
This should be discussed with the doctors at UW and there should be fact gathering about exactly what their practice is. I don't have an opinion. I would like to know what the experts at UW Medicine think.
Dr. Susan D. Reed, an OBGYN professor at UW Medicine, was head of the women's clinic and is now heading a unit to address the issue of earlier puberty. I would encourage visiting that clinic and interviewing the doctors there and looking up what they are publishing in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Please do read Jesse Singal's article - on gender, UW did not correct the public record about its study, which is now being quoted for helping prevent suicide. (Gam is kids who got medical intervention)
"It’s not just that we can’t say the GAM kids improved, and that we can’t say that they did better than the no-GAM kids. We also can’t say the no-GAM kids worsened. This isn’t much more accurate than the original claim of the kids who received treatment experiencing “plummeting” rates of depression and suicide.
Just to be clear, because there were 92 kids in the no-treatment group at baseline, and just six left at the 12-month mark…
…WE KNOW APPROXIMATELY NOTHING ABOUT HOW THE NO-TREATMENT KIDS WERE DOING 12 MONTHS LATER. "
Thank you for devoting attention to the important matters addressed in this post and for presenting the range of perspectives that can help all of us to be thoughtful in honoring the dignity of all human beings, of all ages. As noted in passing, we, at the Seattle Jewish Community School, proudly partner with Thrive: The Jewish Coalition to Defend Trans and LGBTQ+ Youth, as we proudly partner with many organizations. Our school also operates, of course, as an independent entity that makes its own determinations of how we can best serve our students, their families, and the wider community. The consistent practice at SJCS is to maintain forthright, open dialogue with parents, in a true spirit of partnership.
Wow, Emily. This was some cis-het drek. Way to interview a hater from an alt-right christian and anti-trans website that uses reactionary, pseudo sciences, and not even interview a single trans person. Sites like that are like those Christian "abortion" "crises pregnancy centers" but for trans people. I can see where your bias lies. Also, has anyone else notice Emily's writing swinging to the right? Yikes.
As a Jewish trans woman from Seward Park, I can tell you that in a world that actively hates or looks down upon trans people, where trans people have no/little autonomy, and our bodies are constantly being questioned that the need for confidentiality and safety is of great importance. Kids might not feel safe at home -- I never felt safe in my transphobic, orthodox household, and because of that I attempted suicide for the first time at the age of 7. And just because a kid comes out in private as non-binary or trans, that doesn't mean that they will be medicated or choose to do so. You all give kids too little credit. If only I had the knowledge that kids have (and should have) today, perhaps I would have had a happier childhood that wasn't riddled with dysphoria and depression.
PS Emily, it looks like you've attracted a really nice crowd here @forthekids, who get their news from the GCC, that anti-trans rightwing reactionary. No one is telling masc-lesbians that they are men or vice versa.
Hi Schmooz. I'm sorry you had a rough childhood and attempted suicide so young. This is tragic.
I'm not sure which website is alt-right and what is pseudo-science here. I link to a few studies and reputable publications in addition to some parent sites where documentation is emerging about kids getting rushed into the medical system. Is this all just not true?
I'm also curious what you mean when you say you didn't feel safe growing up, and also what you mean by trans people having no autonomy.
Hey, I would respond to you but it doesn't feel like you are engaging me in good faith -- especially regarding your last question. You can just google that, and I'm not going to tell you about my childhood -- that's not something you ask someone, especially in a public forum. In fact, your linking HRT with sex offenders in your newsletter is a classic homophobic/transphobic dogwhistle. If you want to know more about that you can google that too. You are a journalist, no? Honestly, it's just a bummer that someone who I grew up with and went to shul with could be such a bigot.
Hey there. Please feel free to email me privately and confidentially at thecholentseattle@gmail.com. I'm not sure who you are - apologies for not being able to figure it out by this post. I didn't grow up here.
But look, when you post about your life in a public forum, then get follow up questions, you really can't be too offended. The link between puberty blockers (not HRT) and chemical castration is a fact. The point is not about linking trans people with sex offenders. The question is, is it ok to treat children with a drug that was used to castrate men? Where does "do no harm" start and end?
I am here in good faith, are you?
Thank you for this article!
A great place to look at the evidence behind these interventions (it's low and very low quality, meaning it is hard to estimate outcomes, in particular , benefits, if you do medical intervention, with high risk) is a recent investigative report, peer reviewed, by Jennifer Block , "gender dysphoria in young people is rising—and so is professional disagreement" https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p382
And the great investigation by Reuters (youth in transition). Also Klotz in the Atlantic and Helen Lewis in the Atlantic.
And a ton of medical articles. Experts are in disagreement....us medical societies are at odds (!!) with the groups following the evidence reviews.
Basically, being trans identified can be temporary and there's a huge unexplained rise (some say more acceptance is why but the rise is mostly young people! And some who are no longer trans, detransitioners, point to social influence, as do some therapists who treat them) but medical interventions have permanent effects, and studies trying to show benefit are unreliable - too short term (there's a honeymoon period for many), or lose track of people, or measure the wrong thing, or an irrelevant group.
Social transition appears to make gender dysphoria persist, and so is an psychological intervention. Countries following the systematic outcome review findings prioritize psychotherapy, not social transition and us affirmation. The us is in a bubble!
UK Cass review, Segm, genspect, lots of info out there.
Here's another reference: https://genspect.org/to-help-trans-identifying-kids-follow-the-science/
I have found it useful to keep the experience of intersex people in mind when thinking about transgender issues; not everyone who comes to camp might fall cleanly into the "bio boy" or "bio girl" categories. Creating space for people to find a home for themselves with gender expression is generally a positive thing, and doesn't need to mean coddling suicidal teens nor encouraging surgeries. There are lots of reasons why creating accepting space is good for everyone.
PS I'm looking forward to seeing this film on Intersex Identity that just came out a few weeks ago, but I haven't seen it yet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoNvk5N-MKo
Intersex is entirely different, that's a physically diagnosed condition. And it doesn't change.
Bring trans identified is how you see yourself, physically most are not intersex.
UW Medicine uses this standard. https://wpath.org/publications/soc
Unfortunately UW is unreliable, as Lg is noting.
"For those late to this: In April I published a very long post laying out the severe flaws in a study about puberty blockers and hormones University of Washington researchers published in JAMA Network Open, and how they exaggerated the results when describing them to the media and to UW’s own PR apparatus. The very short version is that the study has so many flaws that it does not provide us with any evidence whatsoever supporting the idea that kids who went on gender-affirming medicine (GAM) experienced beneficial outcomes relative to the kids who did not. "
https://open.substack.com/pub/jessesingal/p/the-university-of-washington-is-putting?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Among other concerns, WPATH removed all minimum ages for irreversible gender-affirmative treatments and they added a chapter on a new gender identity, eunuchs, based in part on “research” on fetish sites where men fantasize about castrating young boys, to their new “standards of care”. Please don’t hold them up as some kind of standard. They are largely an activist organization. Consider the actions of progressive countries — Sweden, Finland, and now Norway, in addition to the UK, who have completed or are starting systematic evidence reviews and have determined that the benefits are questionable and the risks high, and are limiting these evidence-free treatments for minors. Consider the words of Dr. Erica Anderson, a transwoman and child psychologist, who said parent involvement is crucial to the well/being of kids who adopt a trans identity. Consider the open letter published in the WSJ signed by 21 experts in the field of gender and pediatric medicine who are not under the sway of tribal US politics and ideologically- and profit- driven medical associations (https://www.wsj.com/articles/trans-gender-affirming-care-transition-hormone-surgery-evidence-c1961e27). They state that US clinicians are “exaggerating the benefits and minimizing the risks,” and urge clinicians to align their recommendations with the best evidence. Consider the Cass interim report, which highlights the glaring dangers of the affirmative care model that were ignored by the discredited and disgraced Tavistock clinic (https://cass.independent-review.uk/publications/interim-report/). This is a medical scandal wrapped up in thin social justice movement skin. It’s appalling that these camps, trusted to take care of the kids in their charge, are instead willfully undermining those who have dedicated their lives to their health, safety, and lifelong success. There is nothing in Jewish tradition that says dishonor the mother and father. And shame on those supposed adults who accept a patently absurd premise and a medical pathway that introduces irreversible harm into perfectly healthy young bodies — in a population over-represented by those on the autism spectrum and those with long-standing mental health issues and a history of trauma. A few minutes on https://www.reddit.com/r/detrans/ or a few videos of detransitioners about the societal forces that made a trans identity appealing to these vulnerable young people should straighten you out.
This should be discussed with the doctors at UW and there should be fact gathering about exactly what their practice is. I don't have an opinion. I would like to know what the experts at UW Medicine think.
https://open.substack.com/pub/jessesingal/p/the-university-of-washington-is-putting?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thank you for reminding me of this study! It recalled another one with what appeared to me to be huge conflicts of interest and skewed results: https://news.nm.org/study-top-surgery-significantly-improves-quality-of-life-in-transmasculine-and-nonbinary-teens-and-young-adults/
Dr. Susan D. Reed, an OBGYN professor at UW Medicine, was head of the women's clinic and is now heading a unit to address the issue of earlier puberty. I would encourage visiting that clinic and interviewing the doctors there and looking up what they are publishing in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Please do read Jesse Singal's article - on gender, UW did not correct the public record about its study, which is now being quoted for helping prevent suicide. (Gam is kids who got medical intervention)
"It’s not just that we can’t say the GAM kids improved, and that we can’t say that they did better than the no-GAM kids. We also can’t say the no-GAM kids worsened. This isn’t much more accurate than the original claim of the kids who received treatment experiencing “plummeting” rates of depression and suicide.
Just to be clear, because there were 92 kids in the no-treatment group at baseline, and just six left at the 12-month mark…
…WE KNOW APPROXIMATELY NOTHING ABOUT HOW THE NO-TREATMENT KIDS WERE DOING 12 MONTHS LATER. "
Thank you for devoting attention to the important matters addressed in this post and for presenting the range of perspectives that can help all of us to be thoughtful in honoring the dignity of all human beings, of all ages. As noted in passing, we, at the Seattle Jewish Community School, proudly partner with Thrive: The Jewish Coalition to Defend Trans and LGBTQ+ Youth, as we proudly partner with many organizations. Our school also operates, of course, as an independent entity that makes its own determinations of how we can best serve our students, their families, and the wider community. The consistent practice at SJCS is to maintain forthright, open dialogue with parents, in a true spirit of partnership.