From my perspective as a neuroscientist, let me make explicit some simple facts that those reading this essay understand intuitively: For all sexually reproducing organisms, sexual maturation is a central, overriding set of developmental processes. These processes involve all physiological systems, including, I might add, the central nervous system — that is, the brain. All drugs administered will have side effects, or unintended consequences. Some are minor; some can be fatal. The consequences of these side effects may not be evident for decades, as the organism ages. You cannot reach into a system pharmacologically and simply tweak a discrete process in which you are interested. Systemically administered hormones, for instance, have body-wide effects. To think otherwise is both willful ignorance and profound arrogance. Put simply, anyone with even the most rudimentary understanding of physiology is aware of the real and unavoidable consequences of hormone administration, especially to children. As a scientist, it is unclear to me why this issue remains debatable. As a biological psychologist, I do not understand why it is assumed that hormones will solve what is, in many cases, a set of psychological and cognitive challenges faced by young people. Unfortunately, the history of psychology is rife with such tragic misunderstandings. My heart goes out to those affected.
I am in Ontario Canada and I have a 22 yo daughter on testosterone. She injects herself once a week. She was given a prescription by a nurse practitioner in a gender clinic. They test her blood every quarter to “monitor” her testosterone levels.
Everything about this is a tragedy. And every medical professional who goes along with this is criminally incompetent.
And sorry, I realize this article is about girls — those under 18. My daughter is an adult. But this transition brain worm crawled into her head when she was about 14.
And, of course, at the bottom of all this is the reality that doctors really don't know just what is being treated here. Depression? We have other treatments for that, treatments that do not involve hair growth and voices breaking and the other problems that arise when women take synthetic hormones. Gender dysphoria? We are told again and again that one does not have to have gender dysphoria to be trans, so that's out as well.
The fact is, activists believe that anyone, of any age, who demands cross-sex hormones should be able to get them, with or without parental approval. They won't normally state this so baldly, although Ben Ryan has published some recordings of internal discussions amongst activists, recordings that make clear what they usually obfuscate. So we shouldn't be surprised at any of this.
Yet another example of the "it's not happening; okay it's happening but it's rare; okay it's not rare and that's good and you're bigoted for objecting" chain of the MO of queer ideology.
It's remarkable how many parents are enthusiastic supporters of transing their kids. In Oregon, true believing parents seem more common than the ones who are devastated.
From my perspective as a neuroscientist, let me make explicit some simple facts that those reading this essay understand intuitively: For all sexually reproducing organisms, sexual maturation is a central, overriding set of developmental processes. These processes involve all physiological systems, including, I might add, the central nervous system — that is, the brain. All drugs administered will have side effects, or unintended consequences. Some are minor; some can be fatal. The consequences of these side effects may not be evident for decades, as the organism ages. You cannot reach into a system pharmacologically and simply tweak a discrete process in which you are interested. Systemically administered hormones, for instance, have body-wide effects. To think otherwise is both willful ignorance and profound arrogance. Put simply, anyone with even the most rudimentary understanding of physiology is aware of the real and unavoidable consequences of hormone administration, especially to children. As a scientist, it is unclear to me why this issue remains debatable. As a biological psychologist, I do not understand why it is assumed that hormones will solve what is, in many cases, a set of psychological and cognitive challenges faced by young people. Unfortunately, the history of psychology is rife with such tragic misunderstandings. My heart goes out to those affected.
I am in Ontario Canada and I have a 22 yo daughter on testosterone. She injects herself once a week. She was given a prescription by a nurse practitioner in a gender clinic. They test her blood every quarter to “monitor” her testosterone levels.
Everything about this is a tragedy. And every medical professional who goes along with this is criminally incompetent.
And sorry, I realize this article is about girls — those under 18. My daughter is an adult. But this transition brain worm crawled into her head when she was about 14.
IMO it’s all bad, at every age.
And, of course, at the bottom of all this is the reality that doctors really don't know just what is being treated here. Depression? We have other treatments for that, treatments that do not involve hair growth and voices breaking and the other problems that arise when women take synthetic hormones. Gender dysphoria? We are told again and again that one does not have to have gender dysphoria to be trans, so that's out as well.
The fact is, activists believe that anyone, of any age, who demands cross-sex hormones should be able to get them, with or without parental approval. They won't normally state this so baldly, although Ben Ryan has published some recordings of internal discussions amongst activists, recordings that make clear what they usually obfuscate. So we shouldn't be surprised at any of this.
Yet another example of the "it's not happening; okay it's happening but it's rare; okay it's not rare and that's good and you're bigoted for objecting" chain of the MO of queer ideology.
Precisely.
It's remarkable how many parents are enthusiastic supporters of transing their kids. In Oregon, true believing parents seem more common than the ones who are devastated.