Thank you for the part you're playing in ending this scandal. Vulnerable kids are in dire need of this integrity and courage against zealous, incompetent trans activism.
You need to kick them in the money bags. Morally fluid surgeons will go where the bread is. Surely the insurance companies would be the ones to hit. How much money would they save if this became medically unnecessary? In fact, what the heck is their incentive to not lose that money in the first place? Untangle that web, snip the base of the cord, and the whole thing comes down. Admittedly this isn't the easiest quarry to hunt, pragmatically speaking.
The Federal gov? I'm in Canada, so such things are covered by our provincial gov. That's pretty crazy that the gov is 100% reimbursing that. Almost like an incentive.
Ordinary woman is incorrect. The law she referenced mandated insurers to cover gender care at the same level at which they cover other medical and psychiatric services. There is no mandate that it be 100% reimbursed, and in any case the federal gov is not the one paying except for people covered the military or Medicare (which is our program to provide partial coverage to seniors and the disabled).
Thank you for your courage! I’m sure there are many doctors who see this an immoral and against their oath of “Do no harm” but are too afraid to stand up against it! I hope the Supreme Court takes the case before more children are harmed.
So you support not just the mutilation of kids, but the torture of people who oppose it. Got it. I bet you think you're fightin' Nazis. I also bet once the worm turns,, you'll lie about where you stood.
No, I do not support the mutilation of kids, or torture.
But if believing that I do makes you happy, feel free to believe what you like :)
What I think is that I do not know more than people who live these experiences or those experts who spend significant portions of their lives studying and helping them. I think I am in no place to judge anyone. I am trying to have open factual discussions and find perspectives and ideas that broaden my own, that give me a deeper appreciation and knowledge of other's perspectives. I hope that I am doing the same to those who are open to it.
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
Then I recommend you familiarize yourself with reality. "The Blank Slate" is a good place to start.
There is variation between men and women - for those traits that differ between them, they're typically overlapping bimodal distributions. The average man is taller than the average woman, but not all men are taller than all women. Not all women like pink. Not all men like football.
Denying this and reifying stereotypical traits with crackpot theories about "gender" is bad enough on its own. Drugging and sterilizing kids (many of them gay, FWIW) because of the belief that feelings over-ride objective reality is insane, anti-scientific barbarism.
Mutilating kids is flat out evil, and the fact you don't "feel" evil doing it makes it that much worse.
Your arguments presume facts not in evidence and make questionable leaps in logic that research and ethical analysis do not support regarding the judicious use of transition care for dysphoric youth. There may be room for debate around implementation, but the fundamentals have strong grounding.
Your argument conflates sex and gender. Sex refers to biological attributes while gender refers to social/cultural roles and identity. Affirmative care recognizes the biologic differences you are referring to, while validating gender identity. No one denies that variation exists, and we also have to allow that exceptions exist. Lest we fall into biological essentialism.
You seem to assume that treatment is pushed on kids who aren't dysphoric when standards require persistent distress. Most robust research shows appropriately-assessed youth benefit from care.
Transition-related relief of suffering aligns with medical ethics, especially with gradual and reversible interventions that all major pediatric institutions endorse.
Ok folks, even if someone has strong medical credentials on paper, having extreme ideological views or overt prejudice generally undermines their ability to offer objective expert perspectives. So when we see such credentials being waved around that are paired with clear prejudice which subsumes reason, such as has been unequivocally demonstrated and as evidenced by Dr. Zywiec himself, then they may no longer warrant the "expert" label. Credentials indicate *potential expertise* - temperament, integrity, and impartiality are required to achieve it.
Dr. Zywiec's demonstrably rigid ideology subsumes ethical patient care and scientific objectivity required for expertise. Sweeping opposition to proven standards, discriminatory and demeaning language about trans people, and endorsement of violence over evidence-based care disqualify claims of expertise, regardless of titles and degrees. Dr. Zywiec's clearly stated views appear too extreme for fair-minded analysis. Prejudice undercutting medical best practices forfeits such standing.
Do not be fooled folks - he crucified himself and his credibility on a cross of intolerance.
You continue to attack me, rather than attacking my position on the pharmacological castration and surgical mutilation of children. You're saying a lot, without saying anything of substance. Happy to have an open debate on the topic, when would you like to schedule it? I'll wait....
Dr. Zywiec, the publicly documented facts seem misaligned with your assertion of being the only U.S. doctor challenging transgender youth healthcare at the Supreme Court. Initially I was intrigued, as certainly this would have made some news and waves, so I started to look into this.
I started by looking for the court case that you filed "against this madness". It turns out it was not a Supreme Court lawsuit but a *New York State* Supreme Court case in Kings County. Well, ok, still a "Supreme Court", so an easy mistake to make, I suppose. Maybe this was about fighting the NY State on medical standards of care and associated policies governing trans youth healthcare? Maybe you were suing the state to take your moral stance before the courts?
Well, not really. I read the public court documents, and it turned out to be more about saving your position in the residency program than it was anything else. Based on public court documents, evidence provided by the hospital and your fellow interns shows a documented history of disciplinary issues and warnings for unprofessional conduct, offensive speech, and attendance/absence problems since you started the residency program. A complaint letter signed by all the second year residents in 2021 alleging inappropriate and racist comments made by you, among other evidence documented evidence. Trans health care was only brought up *after* you were made aware of your pending termination in an injunction for a temporary restraining order against the hospital, to prevent them from terminating you. Here is the public record of the court case in case anyone is interested:
Naturally, as I was googling around trying to find out about this case, it flagged a series of posts on twitter in relation to the above case. It seems you sent a series of threatening emails and letters when the hospital sought to fire you for the aforementioned absenteeism, unprofessional and inappropriate behavior as a resident?
Seemed hard to believe a doctor of such moral turpitude would engage in such behavior, but then I found this letter from the hospital on twitter:
Which naturally led me to some other twitter posts that I will not link here, that alleges you threatened to hang trans people and the doctors who provide them care? Was this why you were banned from twitter?
How can you square being a doctor with an oath to do no harm while calling out for violence and death against your fellow human beings?
Whereas I have no doubt in your convictions, misrepresenting yourself and the facts at hand do you and those who believe you at face value a grave disservice, and threatening people with violence or other harm is deplorable behavior.
You were not crucified for taking a moral stand, you were hung by your own petard.
So, now that I have a moment to dive into this, let's start. We will take your response piece by piece.
"Dr. Zywiec, the publicly documented facts seem misaligned with your assertion of being the only U.S. doctor challenging transgender youth healthcare at the Supreme Court. Initially I was intrigued, as certainly this would have made some news and waves, so I started to look into this. I started by looking for the court case that you filed "against this madness". It turns out it was not a Supreme Court lawsuit but a *New York State* Supreme Court case in Kings County. Well, ok, still a "Supreme Court", so an easy mistake to make, I suppose. Maybe this was about fighting the NY State on medical standards of care and associated policies governing trans youth healthcare? Maybe you were suing the state to take your moral stance before the courts?"
Response: NY Supreme Court is indeed, a Supreme Court... did you make an assumption of what level it was, then accuse me of lying, even though you just said it was the Supreme Court? What court was it? What court is on the documents? The Supreme Court. It seems odd that you would make a false assumption, find out it's false, and then accuse me of being the reason for your assumption. Are you literally delusional? What I said is factually true. Not exactly a good start for you. To end, as evidenced in the very first filing, I explicitly state in north of 50 points that it is regarding my both my moral and my scientific stance on gender affirming care, as well as the discriminatory treatment I faced for several years for being a white, heterosexual, conservative, Christian male. You should probably start at the beginning, because you are already deeply mistaken. Not exactly a strong start for you. Let's tackle your next bit.
"Well, not really. I read the public court documents, and it turned out to be more about saving your position in the residency program than it was anything else. Based on public court documents, evidence provided by the hospital and your fellow interns shows a documented history of disciplinary issues and warnings for unprofessional conduct, offensive speech, and attendance/absence problems since you started the residency program. A complaint letter signed by all the second year residents in 2021 alleging inappropriate and racist comments made by you, among other evidence documented evidence. Trans health care was only brought up *after* you were made aware of your pending termination in an injunction for a temporary restraining order against the hospital, to prevent them from terminating you. Here is the public record of the court case in case anyone is interested:
Response: Everything here is pretty fallacious. You start off by stating that I filed a lawsuit to "save" my position. Interesting, I was in perfectly good standing, then filed a lawsuit. Several months into the lawsuit I was threatened with termination, which by definition is retaliatory, and became the start of an EEOC lawsuit, which is another matter. So you either lied, or are misinformed, either way, you're incorrect. You bring up disciplinary action, however, I have never faced any disciplinary action, again, patently wrong. You are, however, correct about numerous complaints made on me, not by patients, but by JUNIOR physicians, who all wear rainbow pins and support the pharmacological castration and surgical mutilation of children, along with genocidal COVID mandates. Did you look at their complaints? I said men and women have different biology, such as muscle mass, fat percentage, brain size, bone structure, etc. They claimed I was calling women stupid and being racist for pointing out basic biological differences. Par for the course for liberals. Next, I stated that only heterosexuals can reproduce, IE men cannot get pregnant, I was called a homophobe, and transphobe, and a bigot. Sounding familiar to every liberal commentary yet? I was accused of a whole slew on nonsense, including throwing a clipboard at someone, which again was false, has video footage showing it was false, and eye witness accounts. It seems there is no depths these people won't sink. In the lawsuit, there was also a patient that came in and threatened to kill me, had to be escorted out by police, there are multiple 911 calls and bodycam footage of this, and the lawyer and hospital DENIED IT EVEN HAPPENED in the court documents. I would think this madness, but look at the courts in NYC, they are corrupt beyond imagination. Lying is the native tongue, even with clear evidence against it. You then assert that trans gender healthcare is brought up later, however, it was a main reason for the lawsuit, and is the first filing, explicitly. Did you read any of this case? Apparently not. I notice you overlook the fact that a judge literally imposed a restraining order on my hospital, as they were attempting to block my email access so my attorney could not gather or show evidence, and they were trying to force me to see psychiatrists of their choosing for my refusals to adhere to their standards of care. Maybe you should consider reading the case, as it is full of insanity. Once again, you have displayed how disingenuous you are. Let's keep moving.
"Naturally, as I was googling around trying to find out about this case, it flagged a series of posts on twitter in relation to the above case. It seems you sent a series of threatening emails and letters when the hospital sought to fire you for the aforementioned absenteeism, unprofessional and inappropriate behavior as a resident? Seemed hard to believe a doctor of such moral turpitude would engage in such behavior, but then I found this letter from the hospital on twitter:
Which naturally led me to some other twitter posts that I will not link here, that alleges you threatened to hang trans people and the doctors who provide them care? Was this why you were banned from twitter? How can you square being a doctor with an oath to do no harm while calling out for violence and death against your fellow human beings?"
Response: You again make false claims. The lawyer apparently received anonymous threatening emails, and implied that I was sending them, however, thousands of people were following the case on Twitter. As you said, my Twitter account was then banned, and a year later, after the case, was restored. Apparently, Twitter made a "mistake" banning it. I have all the receipts. I never sent any emails to the DEFENDING attorney, keep in mind that it was the hospital on trial, not me. Obviously while suing my hospital, I wouldn't be contacting the defending attorney. Interesting that you appear to have a one sided argument that defies all logic, color me shocked. You then reference a random and anonymous Twitter user who stalks me, and are using their post as some sort of evidence? Try harder, although "belikethecheese" sounds very trustworthy... Last, I have never said to hang trans people, but I can see how that might help your narrative. Very hyperbolic. I stated that those doctors who pharmacologically castrate and surgically mutilate children and call it gender affirming care under the guise of empathy, for profit, deserve life in prison or DEATH. Personally, I think they deserve the death penalty. The castration and butchery of children is beyond evil. I won't budge on this stance. Let's move to your next piece of brilliant commentary.
"Whereas I have no doubt in your convictions, misrepresenting yourself and the facts at hand do you and those who believe you at face value a grave disservice, and threatening people with violence or other harm is deplorable behavior.
You were not crucified for taking a moral stand, you were hung by your own petard."
Response: I'm glad you have no doubt in my convictions, as I stand up for our most innocent population. I am also a free speech absolutist, pro life from conception, and against all COVID mandates and "vaccines." You can call my deplorable all you'd like, I've been called worse things by better people. I was slandered for years, bullied for years, and although I was the highest scoring doctor, with the most publications, most research, most awards, and most degrees in my entire program, I was treated like less than human because I believe in God, I refuse to use pronouns or affirm the delusions of children who are victims of abuse, and I won't recommend a poison vaccine to my patients. You should probably take a look at my resume. God bless.
Thanks for confirming that was you, and what is and is not demonstrably false. Thankfully, the evidence and data speaks for itself. Reasonable people can disagree, and whereas you do give me some cause to walk back and re-evaluate some points, I still cannot, in good faith, extend the benefit of the doubt.
Your claims in your response are demonstrably false in light of the science, data, and evidence. Thank you for a well worded and mostly polite and respectful response. At the very least, it has taught me to give greater scrutiny in my research and conclusions before asking the questions. I still stand by the facts presented, until proven otherwise. If you have any evidence to the contrary, I will happily reevaluate and reassess.
Biggs (2023) The Dutch Protocol for Juvenile Transsexuals: Origins and Evidence, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, vol. 49, no. 4, 348-368 https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2121238
Dhejne, Cecilia - Lichtenstein, Paul - Boman, Marcus - Johansson, Anna L. V. - Långström, Niklas - Landén, Mikael, (2011) Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden. PLOS ONE, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016885
Levine, Stephen B. - Abbruzzese, E. (2023) Current Concerns About Gender-Affirming Therapy in Adolescents. Current Sexual Health Reports, vol 15, no. 2, 113-123, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-023-00358-x
Littman, Lisa - O’Malley, Stella - Kerschner, Helena - Bailey, J. Michael (2023) Detransition and Desistance Among Previously Trans-Identified Young Adults. Archives of Sexual Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02716-1
The science is crystal clear. No benefit. Serious harms. WPATH's own words condemn what they are doing. WPATH is an illegitimate organization. This is a massive RICO case, not medicine.
Science is quite clear. There is no benefit. There is damage.
I don't actually need to prove anything to you. You fail to see that I sued my hospital, over gender care, harassment and safety, won the settlement, and proved much of what you said to be false, intentionally or erroneously. While I am a well respected and extremely well educated medical doctor, with a very distinct resume to and experience to prove it, you are an anonymous internet user pretending to know both medicine and law. Given your interaction I would suggest you know neither. If a rape victim filed charges against a rapist, and won, would you have the same approach? Use the rapists arguments in the lawsuit they lost to pass your judgment. Fallacy pf false inference? At this point I have thousands of trolls messaging daily. Get in line, we're all done here, as I've already afforded you enough time. If you support the pharmacological castration of children, or the violation of patient autonomy and vaccine mandates, I assure you, history will not be kind. God bless.
One of the most insane things to me about this, is my medical issue. I have severe diastisis from three pregnancies. Causes me great pain and several hernias, but surgery to fix it is about 20,000 because it's considered "cosmetic". Amazing to me that I could go to the doctor tomorrow, tell them I wanted to be a man, and get it later this year for $200.00. That's beyond backwards and absolutely infuriating.
And yet just about every Democrat I know IRL is horrified but afraid to speak up. I can't tell you how angry it makes me that grown adults are too scared to say what they see, while young people's bodies are damaged beyond repair.
Scary, isn't it? Never understood how the Germans were wooed by Hitler's insanity, but when you see all these people going along with this agenda because they are scared to go against it, makes you realize just how weak we humans really are.
Yes, we absolutely need to speak up about this! My wife and I and some other lesbian feminists are actively practicing having these conversations in our liberal circles. It’s a fucking disaster in there. We personally have and really need the ACA, yet I find myself wishing that some aspects of it would be repealed so we can remove the subsidies for gender “affirmation” cosmetic surgery.
Could you tell me more about how Obamacare encourages transitioning? What’s the difference between allowing for it and encouraging it? I’m genuinely confused.
Also, the ACA sets the standard for what insurance companies are required to cover by law. It’s a blessing since the ACA allows those of us with preexisting conditions to actually get affordable insurance. But then there’s this nonsense of paying for cosmetic surgery in one case (gender reassignment), with negligible gatekeeping, because gender identity is some kind of sacred cow that should never be questioned. It’s madness.
That's disgusting. A condition that causes severe pain is not just cosmetic. This is no different than when surgeons refuse to do a hysterectomy on a woman in her 20s, 30s or 40s who has severe symptoms of endometriosis because "what if you or your husband want a child someday?" yet will do it on an 18yo for gender dysphoria.
Thank you for exposing this madness. We need to name, shame, and punish all doctors, health system, and donors that butcher children. Check out plume health and the Pritzker family for profiting from trans drugs and surgeries: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-do-no-harm-part-2
The messed up thing with Kaiser is these unnecessary treatments are taking dollars away from other insured people who are getting less than adequate care.
Can confirm. I’m a Kaiser employee( dental) for 35 years. I’ve hung on because of the “ velvet handcuffs”.. ie disgust at working for a company I’ve grown to despise in the last 10 years in exchange for promise of a decent pension and lifetime healthcare when I retire. Which will be in 58 months. The healthcare I receive, should I ever need it, will be substandard. It already is substandard. It takes close to 75 days to get an appointment for routine care, meanwhile this shit is fast tracked. Decent clinicians are leaving healthcare in droves. The scary thing is that this is not unique to Kaiser, thus my hesitation in leaving ( reducing my pension when I am so close to the end) for employment with a different insurance company. They have all been infiltrated. Be very, very afraid.
I can support this. I was with Kaiser for three years during which time I had two issues--torn muscle in my upper back and the start of tinnitus. In both cases, I could not get my PCP to authorize my seeing a specialist. No matter how many times I emailed or called, they just refused. Yet this is a slam dunk.
In fairness, I don't think we can blame gender clinics for the many major problems in our healthcare system. It's not just Kaiser-many if not most payors have all kinds of prior authorization requirements for way too many things, and primary care clinics frequently can't see anyone for weeks regardless of their insurance coverage. Hell, even walk in clinics sometimes are only by appointment now! We have many serious problems that predate the gender craze. Not that the gender stuff helps anything.
Exactly... good point to mention the other folks getting harmed by the sucking of resources away from what is medically necessary in order to support trans people's "embodiment goals".
Naming and shaming are pointless when they aren't ashamed of what they're doing, and no one's going to get punished unless activists publicize, organize and push the people responsible for handing out the punishment to act.
Right now everyone is saying "This is outrageous! Someone has to do something! Then doing nothing. And as a result, not much is happening.
Yes. We need some folks with deep pockets to step up and fund Protect Kids CA ballot initiative ASAP. Without an injection of cash to hire paid signature gatherers it's hard to see how we'll reach the 1 million signatures needed.
As a 30-year qualified DClinPych I am appalled at what is the biggest medical crime in history. 'Gender Dysphoria' is NOT real. I call it FNGD (Fake News/Factually Nonexistent Gender Dysphoria). In my entire practice as a clinical psychologist I encountered ONE child with gender issues. This is a generational medical scandal. It is a Crime Against Humanity. A proper clinical assessment of something like this should take about 2 YEARS. I have no words to describe my horror and disgust at my 'profession' of psychology. These people should be in prison. You can see my threads on X, (where I am Dr P), @Psychgirl211.
Thank you for speaking out as a professional in the field, Dr. Williams! I am very fortunate to have had two brilliant clinical psychologists providing me with co-parenting guidance who are also critical of the gender industry. It helped keep me sane when so many others around me here in Nor Cal were captured. I will follow you on X.
Thank you! I admire your courage in speaking the truth! I always like what you write in exposing this crime! How can it be stopped when so much money is behind this? It’s as criminal as drug and sex trafficking in that it ruins lives forever! But you don’t see this exposed like the former .lThe trans ideology has been very successful in keeping this underground.
Nazi-level crimes against humanity. But so was injecting the Tuskegee Airmen with Syphilis. Both before and after we fought the Germans for doing the exact same thing.
It was difficult because I was working as a sole practitioner in the Middle East. I did a combination of couples work with his parents, systemic work with the whole family and a complete psychological assessment of the child. Including IQ, mood, personality tests, projective tests (drawing, Incomplete Sentences, interpretation of pictures, therapeutic board games, therapeutic story-telling etc) I also looked at family functioning and his internal world. I met with each parent separately a number of times and assesed their mood, the quality of the marital dyad etc. I also met with his school and interviewed his teachers who also did assessments of his functioning and I did observations of him in class. I looked at his school reports going back from nursery. I even surreptitiously observed him in his compound playing with his friends at the pool!
I got my colleague a Paediatric Endocrinologist to assess him physically too.
My goal was to determine whether there was dysfunction in any other part of his life that could be causing his Gender Identity Disorder (I do not accept Gender Dysphoria as a legitimate clinical condition). Had I been working in an MDT I would have got a psychiatric assessment of him as well. ( But the local psychiatrists simply advise Muslim patients to read the Koran. They're completely useless!)
In the end we (myself and an Ed Psych) determined that his GID was real and I advised the parents to allow him to wear girls' clothes when he came home from school. The family were Muslim and they were OK with that. But it wouldn't have been tolerated in public.
I'm going to be shortly doing a Twitter thread about what a proper psychological assessment of a child presenting with gender issues SHOULD look like. Not the disgraceful malpractice that currently pertains.
My X handle is @Psychgirl211. You can see it there soon.
I'm not a psychologist, but it seems to me that such a through assessment has become vanishingly rare in assessing any psychological complaint. I'm sure this is partly because, in the US at least, a diagnostic code is required right from the first session for insurance to pay. I imagine some is also due to similar types of constraints placed by insurance companies, as well as the incredibly high demand for limited appointment spots. But I also, personally, think that nearly everyone-especially kids and adols but adults too-is getting barely adequate or inadequate evaluation when they have a psych issue, at least one that is at all complex.
I do find myself wondering if perhaps you might have seen more cases such as this boy, who you would have found to have legitimate gender issues, in a culture where it would have been more tolerated? Of course, that also would have increased the risk that you would have seen kids latching on to it as a quick and trendy answer to why they have troublesome emotions, but I imagine there may have been some families who wouldn't have dreamt of having their child evaluated for such issues in a culture like that, or perhaps also families who, like the local psychiatrists, would have simply doubled down on religion for any psych or behavioral concern? I'm curious if you ever practiced in a similar role in Western Europe or North America? I am someone who believes that "real" gender issues (I personally don't put much stock in the name, as names of medical conditions and especially psychiatric diagnoses are constantly changing and often pretty meaningless) do exist rarely but not in nearly the quantity that we are seeing now, and while I'm old, for much of my adult life "trans" has at least not been a totally unheard of concept, so I am pretty interested in how things were before it started to take off. I wonder if you followed the family for any length of time? If so, would you mind sharing whatever you know about how the boy did over time, and if he seemed to do better in terms of overall functioning and adjustment after the family started allowing some "feminine" behaviors at home? Thank you again for sharing!
Calling medically-indicated care 'castration' or 'mutilation' is factually incorrect - gender-affirming treatment involves scientifically-guided interventions to improve wellbeing, not harm.
Like I said elsewhere hiding behind a euphemism like "scientifically-guided interventions to improve wellbeing" doesn't change the reality of castration and mutilation.
The people promoting lobotomies would also have described they're procedures as "scientifically-guided interventions to improve wellbeing, not harm".
What if her daughter thought she was Jesus? Give her a crown of thorns? What if she thought she was Napoleon? Stick her in an island prison? It is not kind to reinforce delusions. Saying a girl is a boy is just cruel because the truth is never far away, and will come back with a vengeance later in life.
your oversimplistic view is saying far more about you than it is anyone or anything else. There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Not Jenny, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Nothing philosophical there. Just plain reality. You can dress and act however you want, but you can't change sex, and pretending that you can will lead to a life-time of mental ill-health.
I understand where you are coming from, but the research does not support your claim. Studies consistently show that allowing transgender people to socially and medically transition improves their mental health and quality of life.
For example, a 2021 study found that access to puberty blockers for transgender youth significantly reduced rates of depression and suicide ideation (Travers et al. 2021). And a 2010 meta-analysis showed that 78% of transgender people who transitioned reported significant overall improvement in dysphoria and mental health (Murad et al. 2010). The 2010 Murad study provided early systematic evidence, but the pool of data supporting this conclusion has only grown since then.
So while I appreciate your perspective, the existing evidence contradicts the notion that recognizing a transgender person's identity leads to worse mental health outcomes. On the contrary, acceptance and access to appropriate care seems to dramatically improve wellbeing for transgender individuals.
Of course there is still more research needed. But so far, the consensus of the medical community is that supporting transgender people in living as their identified gender is beneficial. These facts are supported by the evidence. I'm happy to provide more studies if you would like to discuss this further.
In as much as whether or not someone changes sex, that is a different topic and conversation all together. You are oversimplifying things with the notion that you "can't change sex". Medical transition for transgender individuals does impact physiological sex characteristics, both primary and secondary, through hormones and surgical procedures to better align with one's gender identity. While chromosomes remain unchanged, many anatomical aspects of sex can be shifted along the spectrum. So in reality, transitioning enables transgender people to physically transform various sex-linked traits towards their affirmed gender. Of course there is not much we can do with DNA (yet), but that is just a minor detail, really. We are more than just our DNA or the sum of our body parts, right?
Hi thrown away, Actually I don't think you can outdo me here with references, but I don't have time to write you an essay at the moment. The types of studies you refer to generally have these features: (1) short time follow up (2) large loss to follow up (3) high risk of bias (4) no control untreated group (5) reliance on subjective assessment of patient rather than assessing how well they are coping with life (6) no consideration of honeymoon period for getting what you desired so earnestly, and the mood-boosting effect of testosterone. However, that was referring to attempts at clinical studies. A lot of the studies are based on useless anonymous surveys responded to by adolescent activists wanting to paint transgenderism in a rosy light. These studies are worthless because of poor methodology. They are generally done by activist doctors wanting to support what they are doing (like the infamous Jack Turban). I will instead rely on the systematic reviews of the evidence from Sweden and the UK (also Finland) that found there was no clear evidence of benefit, and certainly and absolutely no long term evidence for the safety of cross sex hormones. In fact we know already some of the health risks.
The supposed 'consensus' of the medical community that you refer to is not a consensus. It is merely what medicine generally does - there are supposed experts in a field, and people trust them. Doctors can't learn about all fields, and so they trust 'experts' to have properly assessed the literature and the evidence. Sadly, with gender 'medicine' they are being led astray by activist ideologue doctors. The AAP, the endocrine society, who support gender affirming 'care' have not done systematic reviews, they just have policies driven by a few activists who get themselves in positions of power. (Can't wait for the court case where the AAP is a defendent against a detransitioner). The countries where they have done reviews KNOW that the evidence is not there. There was a paper in the NEJM (Chen 2023) that was trying very hard to prove that treatment was helpful. Their methodology has been harshly criticised, as they did not report all the parameters that they pre-registered as collecting. However, whilst trying to present transition in a rosy light, 2 out of 337 participants in that study committed suicide within one year of commencing hormone treatment. Appreciate there is no control group, but maybe not so life-saving?
And you can not change sex. You can change your clothes, you can cut off body parts and stitch rather sad ones on, you can mess up your metabolism with the wrong hormones, but that is not changing sex. A Swedish study found that born male transsexuals maintain male pattern criminality long after their supposed transition. You can change outward appearance, but you cannot change the developmental program. And no, we are not more than our DNA and our body parts. That is what we actually are, other than the experiences which have shaped our brain development. Anything else is just mysticism or a religious belief in some kind of soul.. You are welcome to believe that, but there is no evidence for it.
Feb 26·edited Feb 26Liked by Beth Bourne, Colin Wright
Thank you for sharing this. Everyone in the United States should read it, now.
It's hilarious that you were able to so easily bamboozle these people, and horrifying that there are medical professionals out there who are almost eager to be bamboozled. And we're trusting these people to know what *children* need?
I absolutely want doctors and medical folks to be gatekeepers, because some gates *should* be kept. These people, however, haven't just abandoned the gate; they're handing out the keys to anyone who asks!
of course medical people are gatekeepers. They handle potent drugs, many of which can be misused. I can't get T for my teenage boy just because he seems deficient. Why can I get it for my teenage girl?!
I think "bamboozled" is too kind an interpretation for these people. They obtained the consent they wanted, that's all. I don't think the doctors and therapists are the ones being fooled.
Not only are the med professionals eager to get bamboozled. I've heard detransitioners say they were actually pursued by medical professionals. One young man who was struggling with a pretty serious drug problem was cold called by a doctor wanting to perform an orchiechtomy on him. Apparently, the doctor had been encouraged by an older "friend" of this young man's to call him.
Yep. This medical organization's official motto and website banner is "Gatekeeping Sucks". They offer free recommendation letters on demand, for hormones and surgery, anywhere in the country:
Yeah, childbirth *is* covered, and when medically necessary, a c section is as well.
Four surgeries at once is not that unheard of. If you are already under, and the work is related, it makes sense from a recovery point of view. But let's not let things like medical science or facts become inconvenient barriers to your worldview and sensibilities.
Your accusation of gaslighting appears to be an intimidation tactic to discredit my comment without actually addressing the substance of my points. It fits the pattern of previous comments you have made, where you are making inflammatory accusations to distract from evidence-based discussion.
Accusations and name-calling divide rather than unite. We all want what is best for young people. Perhaps we could have a respectful discussion about medical policies and science while trying to understand where each other is coming from.
Regardless of what your intent, the fact remains that, broadly speaking, the large majority of women in America have pregnancy and childbirth covered to some degree by either private health insurance or public programs like Medicaid. Because childbirth is considered an essential health benefit in the United States and covered by most health insurance plans, to include c-sections when medically necessary.
> Your accusation of gaslighting appears to be an intimidation tactic to discredit my comment without actually addressing the substance of my points.
The substance of your point is that you're telling Robin that what she experienced interacting with her insurance company did not happen.
> Accusations and name-calling divide rather than unite.
If you don't want to get called a scumbag, stop acting like one.
> We all want what is best for young people.
Your behavior in this thread has not been consistant with that claim.
> Regardless of what your intent, the fact remains that, broadly speaking, the large majority of women in America have pregnancy and childbirth covered to some degree by either private health insurance or public programs like Medicaid.
"To some degree" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
Where did Robin state that she was denied coverage? Where does she share that she had this experience when interacting with her insurance company? She did not, she made a broad generalized statement. I am providing a factual statement to counter it.
This is not gaslighting.
My words have been trying to bridge gaps and give pause for thought and critical thinking. I do not believe that my words or behavior can be qualified as "scumbag". I would reserve that title for those who not only see the world in absolutes, but would force others to live their lives as they think is right, and not to be free to make their own choices and have self-determination in their own life.
"To some degree" is indeed doing a lot of work in that sentence, because I am hesitant to paint with a broad brush. Since I am speaking in generalities in this instance, I tend to hedge my words to allow for edge cases. I believe speaking specifically about specific things is helpful, and speaking broadly requires careful language.
> I do not believe that my words or behavior can be qualified as "scumbag".
You cover your support for mutilating and castrating children behind marketing speak. The word "scumbag" very much applies, or would you prefer "bullsh*ter"?
Do you have personal experience, or a link to an article, about high risk childbirth not getting covered? I have never heard of this. Seems it would be against EMTALA and could be ripe ground for a lawsuit.
Wow. That's terrible. I do think things have changed now, definitely with the ACA but in this case perhaps even before, at least with some insurance companies. I do remember when one had to purchase more expensive insurance to have such things covered, but as far as I know that is a thing of the past with the ACA.
Some more potential inspiration. 37 year old Kayla Pollock of Ontaria stated that she was offered MAID after having suffering paralysis from the neck down subsequent to COVID jabs, and that she refused the offers. Canadian independent at SubStack is where that story can be found.
This medical killing business can be an efficient way to silence noisy and disgruntled patients, kill the placebo effect, depopulate the earth a bit faster.....
Nope, just realists, living in the real world, not the fantasy world of gamers with their little anime avatars with cat ears and cute little maid outfits, or their furry suits.
To see the full spectrum, it would be fascinating if someone out there would stage wanting to de-transition “to become their authentic self” and see if that process is as easily supported by the system.
It absolutely would not be. It would be considered cosmetic surgery, do all out of pocket costs would apply. Although there is no coming back from gender affirming surgery. Therein lies the horror. None of that was discussed in the OP’s “ consultations” . The medical term is PARQ and they are not doing it. P( procedure) A(adverse outcomes) R(risk) Q( questions). I work in dental and we are nailed to the wall if this is not done before every procedure including routine cleanings. Which are considerably less life altering. It’s beyond fucked up
Feb 26·edited Feb 26Liked by Beth Bourne, Colin Wright
Any who would go along with this is capable, imo, of going along with building extermination factories to get rid of those they don't like. Another thought I have is there are many people who have to struggle and wait to get actual medical care, while there are so-called counselors, doctors and other medical personnel, and politicians who grease the skids out there using their extensive education and influence to keep this cesspool overflowing. I hope you were able to help your daughter.
So many historical horrors are less alien now. It really is just ordinary people, walking among us, who are able to carry out hideous acts without even blinking.
I learned this at the ripe old age of 12-yrs-old when expose to Mengele and Gestapo archive pictures, and then delved more into how this stuff happened. There's a very apropos quote from the economist John M. Keynes in The General Theory, 1964 edition, pg 374. "Dangerous human proclivities can be canalized...by the existence of opportunities for money-making...which, if they cannot be satisfied in this way, may result in cruelty, the reckless pursuit of personal power and authority, and other forms of self-aggrandizement. It is better that a man should tyrannize over his bank balance than over his fellow citizens." Keynes was referring to some of the wealthy and powerful, but there are lesser demons.
A mother knows her own child far better than does any doctor, teacher, social worker or friend. If the child was gender dysphoric early on, she would know this, and she would seek psychological help for her child. But if her daughter develops ROGD, that is another matter all together.
You raise a fair point - mothers often do have deep insight into their children's psychology from an early age. However, the experience of transgender people suggests development of gender identity and dysphoria can be complex, and often this means it manifests in complex ways that are often internalized for significant periods of time before sharing or exhibiting any signs.
The medical community has moved away from the term "ROGD" (rapid onset gender dysphoria) because substantial research has proven that gender identity tends to form early in life. But the expression of that identity can be delayed for many reasons, like lack of language, fears of non-acceptance, religious norms, social and familial expectations, etc. We can look at research from 2019 [Ashley, Gülgöz et al], '20 (Restar), and '21 (Tannehill) that really delves into so called "ROGD".
So while a child's gender related distress may seem "rapid" from the outside, it often builds over years before they have the words or courage or a safe space in which to articulate it. That's why many parents are surprised, despite being close to their kids. I can totally understand how this seems like a "rapid onset" to the outsider, and like all things, it should be treated carefully, and everyone should proceed with caution, care, and compassion first and foremost.
The most compassionate response is to see this as the child finally sharing their authentic self, making themselves vulnerable to you by exposing the very core of who they are, and not some random "new" identity. They need support, affirmation and appropriate healthcare, not assumptions of confusion or influence.
In the end, we must believe people when they describe their deeply felt gender identity and experiences of dysphoria. No one knows an individual better than they know themselves. That's why "transition regret" is around 1% - this self-knowledge makes most trans folks extremely certain.
With empathy and trust on all sides, even seemingly "sudden" realizations can be navigated with care and good outcomes - and a good outcome does not always mean transitioning! But dismissing a child's identity crisis often deepens trauma and causes more harm than good. I'm happy to dig into helpful resources if you'd like!
It is possible but unlikely that a parent of a transgender child would be unaware of the child's gender dysphoria until the child's adolescence. Most cases of transsexualism (as it was known in the past) began with an early onset of gender dysphoria. But that's not often the case today. Why the surging numbers of adolescents seeking gender affirming care? For the data, check this out: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-data/
You cannot rule out the social contagion (via the internet) theory, though many researchers are eager to disprove Lisa Littman's research. Attention-seeking, lonely adolescents can quickly find online (if not in-person) communities that support and encourage their transgender identification, and that lavish praise on these kids for their bravery while on their "gender journey." Check out this story as a case in point:
I suggest you read a sample of parent stories on the PITT Substack to help you understand the disconnect many parents feel between the knowledge of their own child and their child's sudden identification as trans. These are parents who care deeply about their children, and do want their kids to be their authentic selves. They just question whether their children are being authentic when they present as trans. Could their children be going through a phase? Might these adolescents outgrow their gender dysphoria? If there is even a remote chance that the child is simply confused and misled by online trans enthusiasts, then that child's parents will want to hold off on gender affirming care.
You raise thoughtful concerns that warrant further discussion. The surging numbers of transgender youth and questions around social contagion versus dysphoria persistence absolutely need more research. Every child's situation is complex.
However, current evidence still does not support dismissing medical consensus on gender affirming care or the validity of people's identities. Most data shows the vast majority of youth receiving such care after proper assessment maintain identities over time without regret.
So while more study on the nuances you note is needed, it does not mean we revert to assumptions of confusion or denial of care. Most transgender youth remain so for life. The goal should be balancing caution with compassion, not overriding medical guidelines due to societal assumptions.
More long term research will shed light on the issues raised. In the meantime, we must recognize the depth of individual situations. If some socially influenced cases do surface, it should not color assumptions about all. Nor allow limiting others’ access to necessary care. Not all questioning youth are just seeking attention or necessarily going through temporary phases. Many have lifelong biological foundations unseen.
In the end, only the individual can determine if transition feels authentic for them or not. Parent skepticism is understandable and should be part of evaluation. But it does not invalidate the child’s identity or proven approaches. With care, nuance and trust on all sides, support can be provided when evidence and persistence merit it. If doubts still linger over time, more reflection is warranted before permanent interventions. The goal should be understanding these complexities, not denial of rights or identities.
I'm not interested in denying rights or identities. I'm only raising concerns about whether some trans identities may be transitory. If you know any parent of an adolescent today, you are likely familiar with how common it is for today's teens to adopt different names and pronouns, often on a temporary basis. These kids are quite familiar with the idea that some people have brains and bodies that are a mismatch, and that gender is fluid. Honestly, it is a confusing time to be a teen, and I feel for them. But that's a topic for another day. The social contagion theory of ROGD is my focus here, and we ignore this phenomenon at our own risk. You know teens are impressionable, easily influenced, and have identities in flux. That is why gender affirming care is a questionable practice, because it assumes that kids "know themselves" and what they want, when in fact we all know that's not true. Hormones and surgeries may be the right option for a small number of gender dysphoric patients, but we absolutely must avoid sending teens down a lifelong path of medical care if it can be avoided.
We should learn from the countries in Europe that are now taking a more cautious approach to gender care, because I suspect this is where the US is headed.
> The medical community has moved away from the term "ROGD" (rapid onset gender dysphoria) because substantial research has proven that gender identity tends to form early in life.
While further research is always warranted, there is no evidence of corruption influencing conclusions on ROGD. Multiple peer-reviewed studies by reputable academics and health organizations have disproven the validity of rapid onset claims. If you have any evidence of actual undue influence, I'm willing to look at it. Otherwise, rejecting a theory due to factual deficiencies is simply proper science - not a sign of questionable incentives. Evidence should determine what we accept, not ungrounded speculation about researcher motives.
I don’t see that connection. What this particular scenario looks like is a respect for self-autonomy run amok, not forcing something on the reluctant. There may be other elements of the ideology which involve punishment or retribution, but greasing the medical skids on simple request isn’t the same thing.
OMG OMG! This is like the worst horror story that I can think of. Thank you for doing this to expose the medical scandal that this is. How can any doctor with any moral compass do something like this? I know they tell themselves that they are doing this for your good, but basically they are doing it for their own greedy Reasons. They must be getting hundreds of thousands of dollars in income from this. It has to be stopped. It has to be outlawed totally. I admire your courage of following through on this. You must’ve had some really nightmarish thoughts as you found out how easy it was for you to be permanently disfigured physically, and even mentally. Didn’t you feel like you were on the edge of a precipice about to fall into a black hole? Anyway, thank you so much for showing us the real face of this medical scandal.
Thanks Reni. The first appointment was the hardest. I was nervous and afraid I'd give away my cover. But then when I saw how eager the therapists and doctors were to give me referrals for the surgery and hormones it became more of just a chore to get through each horrific appointment and not feel too depressed afterwards knowing there was no safeguarding in place.
And the teachers could simply not have encouraged her daughter to have herself mutilated and you could have chosen not to spew your vileness all over the comments, but here we are.
Calling medically-indicated care 'castration' or 'mutilation' is factually incorrect - gender-affirming treatment involves scientifically-guided interventions to improve wellbeing, not harm.
>No matter how many times you copy-paste your euphemism, that doesn't change the underlying reality.
Medical terminology conveys care’s intent accurately. Dismissing facts for emotional rhetoric poisons discourse.
If you have statistical evidence that accepted standards of care cause more harm than good, present it logically. Otherwise this seems more about confirmation bias than truth-seeking.
When my wife & I first moved to California in 2012 we had Kaiser Permenante health insurance from my employer. I came to loathe them. The service was bureaucratic and awful. And never helpful or cheap when one of us was ill. So imagine my surprise to read this article and see how KP bent over backwards to supply this gender reassignment treatment with so little scrutiny?!? It’s bad enough that it was for a consenting adult, but to do the same for a teenager is simply beyond the pale.
In what way? Typically, cardiac and cancer care are the big money makers, along with orthopedic surgery. Emergency and psychiatric services tend to be money losers.
I don't know how you could have gone through all that and not started yelling at these so-called doctors who were so willing to mutilate your body and put you on mood altering hormones. I applaud your restraint in the name of investigative journalism.
I refuse to collude with the delusional mental illness that is trans. Delude yourself all you want, but stay away from my fucking kid. As in all deviant behavior, you will reap what you sow. And you will be the first to decry the thing YOU HAVE DONE TO YOURSELF when the going gets hard through these medical procedures as you have zero coping skills. Isn’t that what trans is? A maladaptive coping skill .
Leading medical organizations define gender diversity as a normal, non-pathological human variation, not a mental disorder or deviance." (https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/transgender)
Eugine, do you have more expertise than the combined medical consensus? If not, I will trust the facts and data (as should we all). Contrarian opinions don't outweigh rigorous research.
Unless you can systematically refute the scientific mainstream, your stance looks more like dogmatic sophistry than reasoned disagreement. Armchair critiques rarely trump subject matter expertise.
I'm open to evidence if you have it. But absolutism and blanket dismissals don't cut it against the current professional consensus. Offer substance or I see no reason to favor your stance over medical expertise. Condemnation is easy - constructive solutions are hard.
Calling medically-indicated care 'castration' or 'mutilation' is factually incorrect - gender-affirming treatment involves scientifically-guided interventions to improve wellbeing, not harm.
Not incorrect, it is fact. WPATH are marching kids, young and vulnerable people to irreversible surgeries and wrong sex hormones. One of the biggest scandal of our time.
Equating affirming care to castration is false equivalence. Such treatment is scientifically guided to improve wellbeing, not randomly harm.
Claiming a "scandal" appeals only to emotion - do you have proof of systemic issues with standards of care? Evidence shows treatment relieves dysphoria when properly managed.
If you have statistics showing widespread negligence or malpractice, share them. But anecdotes shouldn't outweigh extensive peer-reviewed research.
I am the only US doctor to file Supreme Court lawsuits against this madness. And I was crucified for it. Thanks for continuing to expose it.
Thank you for the part you're playing in ending this scandal. Vulnerable kids are in dire need of this integrity and courage against zealous, incompetent trans activism.
You need to kick them in the money bags. Morally fluid surgeons will go where the bread is. Surely the insurance companies would be the ones to hit. How much money would they save if this became medically unnecessary? In fact, what the heck is their incentive to not lose that money in the first place? Untangle that web, snip the base of the cord, and the whole thing comes down. Admittedly this isn't the easiest quarry to hunt, pragmatically speaking.
"Morally Fluid" = BRILLIANT!
The Federal gov? I'm in Canada, so such things are covered by our provincial gov. That's pretty crazy that the gov is 100% reimbursing that. Almost like an incentive.
Ordinary woman is incorrect. The law she referenced mandated insurers to cover gender care at the same level at which they cover other medical and psychiatric services. There is no mandate that it be 100% reimbursed, and in any case the federal gov is not the one paying except for people covered the military or Medicare (which is our program to provide partial coverage to seniors and the disabled).
Ty
Nope, not exactly. See my comment to Matt below.
There's a permanently designed connection between spirit and body that people are diddling with, and harming themselves irreparably.
Thank you for standing up for medicine as a healing art.
Thank you for your courage! I’m sure there are many doctors who see this an immoral and against their oath of “Do no harm” but are too afraid to stand up against it! I hope the Supreme Court takes the case before more children are harmed.
It costs $100 copay to get one month asthma inhaler necessary for living.
It is harder to get a referral for a shoulder injury.
Outstanding! (spoken like Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket).
"You look like a modern art masterpiece!" haha
you obviously were not "crucified" long enough, sadly.
So you support not just the mutilation of kids, but the torture of people who oppose it. Got it. I bet you think you're fightin' Nazis. I also bet once the worm turns,, you'll lie about where you stood.
No, I do not support the mutilation of kids, or torture.
But if believing that I do makes you happy, feel free to believe what you like :)
What I think is that I do not know more than people who live these experiences or those experts who spend significant portions of their lives studying and helping them. I think I am in no place to judge anyone. I am trying to have open factual discussions and find perspectives and ideas that broaden my own, that give me a deeper appreciation and knowledge of other's perspectives. I hope that I am doing the same to those who are open to it.
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
Then I recommend you familiarize yourself with reality. "The Blank Slate" is a good place to start.
There is variation between men and women - for those traits that differ between them, they're typically overlapping bimodal distributions. The average man is taller than the average woman, but not all men are taller than all women. Not all women like pink. Not all men like football.
Denying this and reifying stereotypical traits with crackpot theories about "gender" is bad enough on its own. Drugging and sterilizing kids (many of them gay, FWIW) because of the belief that feelings over-ride objective reality is insane, anti-scientific barbarism.
Mutilating kids is flat out evil, and the fact you don't "feel" evil doing it makes it that much worse.
Your arguments presume facts not in evidence and make questionable leaps in logic that research and ethical analysis do not support regarding the judicious use of transition care for dysphoric youth. There may be room for debate around implementation, but the fundamentals have strong grounding.
Your argument conflates sex and gender. Sex refers to biological attributes while gender refers to social/cultural roles and identity. Affirmative care recognizes the biologic differences you are referring to, while validating gender identity. No one denies that variation exists, and we also have to allow that exceptions exist. Lest we fall into biological essentialism.
You seem to assume that treatment is pushed on kids who aren't dysphoric when standards require persistent distress. Most robust research shows appropriately-assessed youth benefit from care.
Transition-related relief of suffering aligns with medical ethics, especially with gradual and reversible interventions that all major pediatric institutions endorse.
I am a pediatrician, I am one of the experts. What are you on about?
Ok folks, even if someone has strong medical credentials on paper, having extreme ideological views or overt prejudice generally undermines their ability to offer objective expert perspectives. So when we see such credentials being waved around that are paired with clear prejudice which subsumes reason, such as has been unequivocally demonstrated and as evidenced by Dr. Zywiec himself, then they may no longer warrant the "expert" label. Credentials indicate *potential expertise* - temperament, integrity, and impartiality are required to achieve it.
Dr. Zywiec's demonstrably rigid ideology subsumes ethical patient care and scientific objectivity required for expertise. Sweeping opposition to proven standards, discriminatory and demeaning language about trans people, and endorsement of violence over evidence-based care disqualify claims of expertise, regardless of titles and degrees. Dr. Zywiec's clearly stated views appear too extreme for fair-minded analysis. Prejudice undercutting medical best practices forfeits such standing.
Do not be fooled folks - he crucified himself and his credibility on a cross of intolerance.
You continue to attack me, rather than attacking my position on the pharmacological castration and surgical mutilation of children. You're saying a lot, without saying anything of substance. Happy to have an open debate on the topic, when would you like to schedule it? I'll wait....
Dr. Zywiec, the publicly documented facts seem misaligned with your assertion of being the only U.S. doctor challenging transgender youth healthcare at the Supreme Court. Initially I was intrigued, as certainly this would have made some news and waves, so I started to look into this.
I started by looking for the court case that you filed "against this madness". It turns out it was not a Supreme Court lawsuit but a *New York State* Supreme Court case in Kings County. Well, ok, still a "Supreme Court", so an easy mistake to make, I suppose. Maybe this was about fighting the NY State on medical standards of care and associated policies governing trans youth healthcare? Maybe you were suing the state to take your moral stance before the courts?
Well, not really. I read the public court documents, and it turned out to be more about saving your position in the residency program than it was anything else. Based on public court documents, evidence provided by the hospital and your fellow interns shows a documented history of disciplinary issues and warnings for unprofessional conduct, offensive speech, and attendance/absence problems since you started the residency program. A complaint letter signed by all the second year residents in 2021 alleging inappropriate and racist comments made by you, among other evidence documented evidence. Trans health care was only brought up *after* you were made aware of your pending termination in an injunction for a temporary restraining order against the hospital, to prevent them from terminating you. Here is the public record of the court case in case anyone is interested:
https://casetext.com/case/zywiec-v-the-brooklyn-hosp-ctr
Naturally, as I was googling around trying to find out about this case, it flagged a series of posts on twitter in relation to the above case. It seems you sent a series of threatening emails and letters when the hospital sought to fire you for the aforementioned absenteeism, unprofessional and inappropriate behavior as a resident?
Seemed hard to believe a doctor of such moral turpitude would engage in such behavior, but then I found this letter from the hospital on twitter:
https://twitter.com/blikethecheese/status/1644774074751524867/photo/1
Which naturally led me to some other twitter posts that I will not link here, that alleges you threatened to hang trans people and the doctors who provide them care? Was this why you were banned from twitter?
How can you square being a doctor with an oath to do no harm while calling out for violence and death against your fellow human beings?
Whereas I have no doubt in your convictions, misrepresenting yourself and the facts at hand do you and those who believe you at face value a grave disservice, and threatening people with violence or other harm is deplorable behavior.
You were not crucified for taking a moral stand, you were hung by your own petard.
So, now that I have a moment to dive into this, let's start. We will take your response piece by piece.
"Dr. Zywiec, the publicly documented facts seem misaligned with your assertion of being the only U.S. doctor challenging transgender youth healthcare at the Supreme Court. Initially I was intrigued, as certainly this would have made some news and waves, so I started to look into this. I started by looking for the court case that you filed "against this madness". It turns out it was not a Supreme Court lawsuit but a *New York State* Supreme Court case in Kings County. Well, ok, still a "Supreme Court", so an easy mistake to make, I suppose. Maybe this was about fighting the NY State on medical standards of care and associated policies governing trans youth healthcare? Maybe you were suing the state to take your moral stance before the courts?"
Response: NY Supreme Court is indeed, a Supreme Court... did you make an assumption of what level it was, then accuse me of lying, even though you just said it was the Supreme Court? What court was it? What court is on the documents? The Supreme Court. It seems odd that you would make a false assumption, find out it's false, and then accuse me of being the reason for your assumption. Are you literally delusional? What I said is factually true. Not exactly a good start for you. To end, as evidenced in the very first filing, I explicitly state in north of 50 points that it is regarding my both my moral and my scientific stance on gender affirming care, as well as the discriminatory treatment I faced for several years for being a white, heterosexual, conservative, Christian male. You should probably start at the beginning, because you are already deeply mistaken. Not exactly a strong start for you. Let's tackle your next bit.
"Well, not really. I read the public court documents, and it turned out to be more about saving your position in the residency program than it was anything else. Based on public court documents, evidence provided by the hospital and your fellow interns shows a documented history of disciplinary issues and warnings for unprofessional conduct, offensive speech, and attendance/absence problems since you started the residency program. A complaint letter signed by all the second year residents in 2021 alleging inappropriate and racist comments made by you, among other evidence documented evidence. Trans health care was only brought up *after* you were made aware of your pending termination in an injunction for a temporary restraining order against the hospital, to prevent them from terminating you. Here is the public record of the court case in case anyone is interested:
https://casetext.com/case/zywiec-v-the-brooklyn-hosp-ctr"
Response: Everything here is pretty fallacious. You start off by stating that I filed a lawsuit to "save" my position. Interesting, I was in perfectly good standing, then filed a lawsuit. Several months into the lawsuit I was threatened with termination, which by definition is retaliatory, and became the start of an EEOC lawsuit, which is another matter. So you either lied, or are misinformed, either way, you're incorrect. You bring up disciplinary action, however, I have never faced any disciplinary action, again, patently wrong. You are, however, correct about numerous complaints made on me, not by patients, but by JUNIOR physicians, who all wear rainbow pins and support the pharmacological castration and surgical mutilation of children, along with genocidal COVID mandates. Did you look at their complaints? I said men and women have different biology, such as muscle mass, fat percentage, brain size, bone structure, etc. They claimed I was calling women stupid and being racist for pointing out basic biological differences. Par for the course for liberals. Next, I stated that only heterosexuals can reproduce, IE men cannot get pregnant, I was called a homophobe, and transphobe, and a bigot. Sounding familiar to every liberal commentary yet? I was accused of a whole slew on nonsense, including throwing a clipboard at someone, which again was false, has video footage showing it was false, and eye witness accounts. It seems there is no depths these people won't sink. In the lawsuit, there was also a patient that came in and threatened to kill me, had to be escorted out by police, there are multiple 911 calls and bodycam footage of this, and the lawyer and hospital DENIED IT EVEN HAPPENED in the court documents. I would think this madness, but look at the courts in NYC, they are corrupt beyond imagination. Lying is the native tongue, even with clear evidence against it. You then assert that trans gender healthcare is brought up later, however, it was a main reason for the lawsuit, and is the first filing, explicitly. Did you read any of this case? Apparently not. I notice you overlook the fact that a judge literally imposed a restraining order on my hospital, as they were attempting to block my email access so my attorney could not gather or show evidence, and they were trying to force me to see psychiatrists of their choosing for my refusals to adhere to their standards of care. Maybe you should consider reading the case, as it is full of insanity. Once again, you have displayed how disingenuous you are. Let's keep moving.
"Naturally, as I was googling around trying to find out about this case, it flagged a series of posts on twitter in relation to the above case. It seems you sent a series of threatening emails and letters when the hospital sought to fire you for the aforementioned absenteeism, unprofessional and inappropriate behavior as a resident? Seemed hard to believe a doctor of such moral turpitude would engage in such behavior, but then I found this letter from the hospital on twitter:
https://twitter.com/blikethecheese/status/1644774074751524867/photo/1
Which naturally led me to some other twitter posts that I will not link here, that alleges you threatened to hang trans people and the doctors who provide them care? Was this why you were banned from twitter? How can you square being a doctor with an oath to do no harm while calling out for violence and death against your fellow human beings?"
Response: You again make false claims. The lawyer apparently received anonymous threatening emails, and implied that I was sending them, however, thousands of people were following the case on Twitter. As you said, my Twitter account was then banned, and a year later, after the case, was restored. Apparently, Twitter made a "mistake" banning it. I have all the receipts. I never sent any emails to the DEFENDING attorney, keep in mind that it was the hospital on trial, not me. Obviously while suing my hospital, I wouldn't be contacting the defending attorney. Interesting that you appear to have a one sided argument that defies all logic, color me shocked. You then reference a random and anonymous Twitter user who stalks me, and are using their post as some sort of evidence? Try harder, although "belikethecheese" sounds very trustworthy... Last, I have never said to hang trans people, but I can see how that might help your narrative. Very hyperbolic. I stated that those doctors who pharmacologically castrate and surgically mutilate children and call it gender affirming care under the guise of empathy, for profit, deserve life in prison or DEATH. Personally, I think they deserve the death penalty. The castration and butchery of children is beyond evil. I won't budge on this stance. Let's move to your next piece of brilliant commentary.
"Whereas I have no doubt in your convictions, misrepresenting yourself and the facts at hand do you and those who believe you at face value a grave disservice, and threatening people with violence or other harm is deplorable behavior.
You were not crucified for taking a moral stand, you were hung by your own petard."
Response: I'm glad you have no doubt in my convictions, as I stand up for our most innocent population. I am also a free speech absolutist, pro life from conception, and against all COVID mandates and "vaccines." You can call my deplorable all you'd like, I've been called worse things by better people. I was slandered for years, bullied for years, and although I was the highest scoring doctor, with the most publications, most research, most awards, and most degrees in my entire program, I was treated like less than human because I believe in God, I refuse to use pronouns or affirm the delusions of children who are victims of abuse, and I won't recommend a poison vaccine to my patients. You should probably take a look at my resume. God bless.
When I read the case summary above, I thought "this sounds like cancelling what you don't like."
Seems Dr. Zywiec agrees.
Thanks for confirming that was you, and what is and is not demonstrably false. Thankfully, the evidence and data speaks for itself. Reasonable people can disagree, and whereas you do give me some cause to walk back and re-evaluate some points, I still cannot, in good faith, extend the benefit of the doubt.
Your claims in your response are demonstrably false in light of the science, data, and evidence. Thank you for a well worded and mostly polite and respectful response. At the very least, it has taught me to give greater scrutiny in my research and conclusions before asking the questions. I still stand by the facts presented, until proven otherwise. If you have any evidence to the contrary, I will happily reevaluate and reassess.
The science:
Biggs (2023) The Dutch Protocol for Juvenile Transsexuals: Origins and Evidence, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, vol. 49, no. 4, 348-368 https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2121238
Dhejne, Cecilia - Lichtenstein, Paul - Boman, Marcus - Johansson, Anna L. V. - Långström, Niklas - Landén, Mikael, (2011) Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden. PLOS ONE, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016885
Levine, Stephen B. - Abbruzzese, E. (2023) Current Concerns About Gender-Affirming Therapy in Adolescents. Current Sexual Health Reports, vol 15, no. 2, 113-123, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-023-00358-x
Littman, Lisa - O’Malley, Stella - Kerschner, Helena - Bailey, J. Michael (2023) Detransition and Desistance Among Previously Trans-Identified Young Adults. Archives of Sexual Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02716-1
Mia Hughes (2024) The WPATH Files. https://environmentalprogress.org/s/U_WPATH-Report-and-Files.pdf
The science is crystal clear. No benefit. Serious harms. WPATH's own words condemn what they are doing. WPATH is an illegitimate organization. This is a massive RICO case, not medicine.
Science is quite clear. There is no benefit. There is damage.
I don't actually need to prove anything to you. You fail to see that I sued my hospital, over gender care, harassment and safety, won the settlement, and proved much of what you said to be false, intentionally or erroneously. While I am a well respected and extremely well educated medical doctor, with a very distinct resume to and experience to prove it, you are an anonymous internet user pretending to know both medicine and law. Given your interaction I would suggest you know neither. If a rape victim filed charges against a rapist, and won, would you have the same approach? Use the rapists arguments in the lawsuit they lost to pass your judgment. Fallacy pf false inference? At this point I have thousands of trolls messaging daily. Get in line, we're all done here, as I've already afforded you enough time. If you support the pharmacological castration of children, or the violation of patient autonomy and vaccine mandates, I assure you, history will not be kind. God bless.
You are right, you do not need to, but then Hitchens's razor applies.
"That which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence." May you find peace and joy in life :)
I have significant evidence, which is why I won. Cheers.
Get back to hell, where you belong, demon.
One of the most insane things to me about this, is my medical issue. I have severe diastisis from three pregnancies. Causes me great pain and several hernias, but surgery to fix it is about 20,000 because it's considered "cosmetic". Amazing to me that I could go to the doctor tomorrow, tell them I wanted to be a man, and get it later this year for $200.00. That's beyond backwards and absolutely infuriating.
Yeah, I wonder how they got the insurance folks agree to pay so generously on this topic.
it's in the Obamacare (ACA) legislation
Yes, Democrats are all-in on transification. EVERY Democrat in Congress fully supports it, and ~98% of Democrats in state legislatures support it.
And yet just about every Democrat I know IRL is horrified but afraid to speak up. I can't tell you how angry it makes me that grown adults are too scared to say what they see, while young people's bodies are damaged beyond repair.
Scary, isn't it? Never understood how the Germans were wooed by Hitler's insanity, but when you see all these people going along with this agenda because they are scared to go against it, makes you realize just how weak we humans really are.
That’s exactly the analogy I used when discussing this with my daughter.
Yes, we absolutely need to speak up about this! My wife and I and some other lesbian feminists are actively practicing having these conversations in our liberal circles. It’s a fucking disaster in there. We personally have and really need the ACA, yet I find myself wishing that some aspects of it would be repealed so we can remove the subsidies for gender “affirmation” cosmetic surgery.
Could you tell me more about how Obamacare encourages transitioning? What’s the difference between allowing for it and encouraging it? I’m genuinely confused.
Obamacare subsidizes it.
Also, the ACA sets the standard for what insurance companies are required to cover by law. It’s a blessing since the ACA allows those of us with preexisting conditions to actually get affordable insurance. But then there’s this nonsense of paying for cosmetic surgery in one case (gender reassignment), with negligible gatekeeping, because gender identity is some kind of sacred cow that should never be questioned. It’s madness.
That's disgusting. A condition that causes severe pain is not just cosmetic. This is no different than when surgeons refuse to do a hysterectomy on a woman in her 20s, 30s or 40s who has severe symptoms of endometriosis because "what if you or your husband want a child someday?" yet will do it on an 18yo for gender dysphoria.
lol I guess?
Thank you for exposing this madness. We need to name, shame, and punish all doctors, health system, and donors that butcher children. Check out plume health and the Pritzker family for profiting from trans drugs and surgeries: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-do-no-harm-part-2
The profit that these people are making from this horrific medical scandal is worse than the profit from drug traffickers
The messed up thing with Kaiser is these unnecessary treatments are taking dollars away from other insured people who are getting less than adequate care.
Can confirm. I’m a Kaiser employee( dental) for 35 years. I’ve hung on because of the “ velvet handcuffs”.. ie disgust at working for a company I’ve grown to despise in the last 10 years in exchange for promise of a decent pension and lifetime healthcare when I retire. Which will be in 58 months. The healthcare I receive, should I ever need it, will be substandard. It already is substandard. It takes close to 75 days to get an appointment for routine care, meanwhile this shit is fast tracked. Decent clinicians are leaving healthcare in droves. The scary thing is that this is not unique to Kaiser, thus my hesitation in leaving ( reducing my pension when I am so close to the end) for employment with a different insurance company. They have all been infiltrated. Be very, very afraid.
I can support this. I was with Kaiser for three years during which time I had two issues--torn muscle in my upper back and the start of tinnitus. In both cases, I could not get my PCP to authorize my seeing a specialist. No matter how many times I emailed or called, they just refused. Yet this is a slam dunk.
In fairness, I don't think we can blame gender clinics for the many major problems in our healthcare system. It's not just Kaiser-many if not most payors have all kinds of prior authorization requirements for way too many things, and primary care clinics frequently can't see anyone for weeks regardless of their insurance coverage. Hell, even walk in clinics sometimes are only by appointment now! We have many serious problems that predate the gender craze. Not that the gender stuff helps anything.
Exactly... good point to mention the other folks getting harmed by the sucking of resources away from what is medically necessary in order to support trans people's "embodiment goals".
I meant Profiteering!
Jennifer (née James) Pritzker is a major source of funding for quite a few of the institutions engaged in the effort to trans away the gay.
https://open.substack.com/pub/geraldposner/p/the-transgender-money-pipeline?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=7x0yn
Naming and shaming are pointless when they aren't ashamed of what they're doing, and no one's going to get punished unless activists publicize, organize and push the people responsible for handing out the punishment to act.
Right now everyone is saying "This is outrageous! Someone has to do something! Then doing nothing. And as a result, not much is happening.
Yes. We need some folks with deep pockets to step up and fund Protect Kids CA ballot initiative ASAP. Without an injection of cash to hire paid signature gatherers it's hard to see how we'll reach the 1 million signatures needed.
Ah, leftist bots. So compassionate.
As a 30-year qualified DClinPych I am appalled at what is the biggest medical crime in history. 'Gender Dysphoria' is NOT real. I call it FNGD (Fake News/Factually Nonexistent Gender Dysphoria). In my entire practice as a clinical psychologist I encountered ONE child with gender issues. This is a generational medical scandal. It is a Crime Against Humanity. A proper clinical assessment of something like this should take about 2 YEARS. I have no words to describe my horror and disgust at my 'profession' of psychology. These people should be in prison. You can see my threads on X, (where I am Dr P), @Psychgirl211.
Thank you for speaking out as a professional in the field, Dr. Williams! I am very fortunate to have had two brilliant clinical psychologists providing me with co-parenting guidance who are also critical of the gender industry. It helped keep me sane when so many others around me here in Nor Cal were captured. I will follow you on X.
Thank you! I admire your courage in speaking the truth! I always like what you write in exposing this crime! How can it be stopped when so much money is behind this? It’s as criminal as drug and sex trafficking in that it ruins lives forever! But you don’t see this exposed like the former .lThe trans ideology has been very successful in keeping this underground.
Nazi-level crimes against humanity. But so was injecting the Tuskegee Airmen with Syphilis. Both before and after we fought the Germans for doing the exact same thing.
I’m going to go look up your profile on X, but can you help us make sense of the APA resolution supporting affirmative care?’
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2024/02/policy-supporting-transgender-nonbinary
So, genuine question: how would/did you diagnose the one child with gender issues?
It was difficult because I was working as a sole practitioner in the Middle East. I did a combination of couples work with his parents, systemic work with the whole family and a complete psychological assessment of the child. Including IQ, mood, personality tests, projective tests (drawing, Incomplete Sentences, interpretation of pictures, therapeutic board games, therapeutic story-telling etc) I also looked at family functioning and his internal world. I met with each parent separately a number of times and assesed their mood, the quality of the marital dyad etc. I also met with his school and interviewed his teachers who also did assessments of his functioning and I did observations of him in class. I looked at his school reports going back from nursery. I even surreptitiously observed him in his compound playing with his friends at the pool!
I got my colleague a Paediatric Endocrinologist to assess him physically too.
My goal was to determine whether there was dysfunction in any other part of his life that could be causing his Gender Identity Disorder (I do not accept Gender Dysphoria as a legitimate clinical condition). Had I been working in an MDT I would have got a psychiatric assessment of him as well. ( But the local psychiatrists simply advise Muslim patients to read the Koran. They're completely useless!)
In the end we (myself and an Ed Psych) determined that his GID was real and I advised the parents to allow him to wear girls' clothes when he came home from school. The family were Muslim and they were OK with that. But it wouldn't have been tolerated in public.
I'm going to be shortly doing a Twitter thread about what a proper psychological assessment of a child presenting with gender issues SHOULD look like. Not the disgraceful malpractice that currently pertains.
My X handle is @Psychgirl211. You can see it there soon.
Thank you for the detailed answer!
I'm not a psychologist, but it seems to me that such a through assessment has become vanishingly rare in assessing any psychological complaint. I'm sure this is partly because, in the US at least, a diagnostic code is required right from the first session for insurance to pay. I imagine some is also due to similar types of constraints placed by insurance companies, as well as the incredibly high demand for limited appointment spots. But I also, personally, think that nearly everyone-especially kids and adols but adults too-is getting barely adequate or inadequate evaluation when they have a psych issue, at least one that is at all complex.
I do find myself wondering if perhaps you might have seen more cases such as this boy, who you would have found to have legitimate gender issues, in a culture where it would have been more tolerated? Of course, that also would have increased the risk that you would have seen kids latching on to it as a quick and trendy answer to why they have troublesome emotions, but I imagine there may have been some families who wouldn't have dreamt of having their child evaluated for such issues in a culture like that, or perhaps also families who, like the local psychiatrists, would have simply doubled down on religion for any psych or behavioral concern? I'm curious if you ever practiced in a similar role in Western Europe or North America? I am someone who believes that "real" gender issues (I personally don't put much stock in the name, as names of medical conditions and especially psychiatric diagnoses are constantly changing and often pretty meaningless) do exist rarely but not in nearly the quantity that we are seeing now, and while I'm old, for much of my adult life "trans" has at least not been a totally unheard of concept, so I am pretty interested in how things were before it started to take off. I wonder if you followed the family for any length of time? If so, would you mind sharing whatever you know about how the boy did over time, and if he seemed to do better in terms of overall functioning and adjustment after the family started allowing some "feminine" behaviors at home? Thank you again for sharing!
Says the person claiming a woman can become a man.
Thanks Eugine. I get this all the time. Only because I disagree with them. I just ignore them now.
I hope your daughter is able to leave the cult without lifelong damage.
Because she has shown how irresponsible a medical insurer is?
Absolutely. This lady is toxic and her son deserves better.
Ah yes. Only a liberal would call a mother "toxic" for trying to stop her daughter from castrating herself.
Calling medically-indicated care 'castration' or 'mutilation' is factually incorrect - gender-affirming treatment involves scientifically-guided interventions to improve wellbeing, not harm.
https://www.wpath.org/policies and https://www.wpath.org/publications/soc
Like I said elsewhere hiding behind a euphemism like "scientifically-guided interventions to improve wellbeing" doesn't change the reality of castration and mutilation.
The people promoting lobotomies would also have described they're procedures as "scientifically-guided interventions to improve wellbeing, not harm".
That comparison ignores key distinctions. Unlike lobotomies - experimental procedures lacking rigorous scientific grounding and ethical patient safeguards - guidelines for gender-affirming care developed over decades require extensive clinical evaluation and fully informed consent protecting wellbeing.
Yes, comparing transgender healthcare to lobotomies constitutes a false equivalence logical fallacy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_equivalence
What if her daughter thought she was Jesus? Give her a crown of thorns? What if she thought she was Napoleon? Stick her in an island prison? It is not kind to reinforce delusions. Saying a girl is a boy is just cruel because the truth is never far away, and will come back with a vengeance later in life.
your oversimplistic view is saying far more about you than it is anyone or anything else. There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Not Jenny, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Nothing philosophical there. Just plain reality. You can dress and act however you want, but you can't change sex, and pretending that you can will lead to a life-time of mental ill-health.
I understand where you are coming from, but the research does not support your claim. Studies consistently show that allowing transgender people to socially and medically transition improves their mental health and quality of life.
For example, a 2021 study found that access to puberty blockers for transgender youth significantly reduced rates of depression and suicide ideation (Travers et al. 2021). And a 2010 meta-analysis showed that 78% of transgender people who transitioned reported significant overall improvement in dysphoria and mental health (Murad et al. 2010). The 2010 Murad study provided early systematic evidence, but the pool of data supporting this conclusion has only grown since then.
So while I appreciate your perspective, the existing evidence contradicts the notion that recognizing a transgender person's identity leads to worse mental health outcomes. On the contrary, acceptance and access to appropriate care seems to dramatically improve wellbeing for transgender individuals.
Of course there is still more research needed. But so far, the consensus of the medical community is that supporting transgender people in living as their identified gender is beneficial. These facts are supported by the evidence. I'm happy to provide more studies if you would like to discuss this further.
In as much as whether or not someone changes sex, that is a different topic and conversation all together. You are oversimplifying things with the notion that you "can't change sex". Medical transition for transgender individuals does impact physiological sex characteristics, both primary and secondary, through hormones and surgical procedures to better align with one's gender identity. While chromosomes remain unchanged, many anatomical aspects of sex can be shifted along the spectrum. So in reality, transitioning enables transgender people to physically transform various sex-linked traits towards their affirmed gender. Of course there is not much we can do with DNA (yet), but that is just a minor detail, really. We are more than just our DNA or the sum of our body parts, right?
Hi thrown away, Actually I don't think you can outdo me here with references, but I don't have time to write you an essay at the moment. The types of studies you refer to generally have these features: (1) short time follow up (2) large loss to follow up (3) high risk of bias (4) no control untreated group (5) reliance on subjective assessment of patient rather than assessing how well they are coping with life (6) no consideration of honeymoon period for getting what you desired so earnestly, and the mood-boosting effect of testosterone. However, that was referring to attempts at clinical studies. A lot of the studies are based on useless anonymous surveys responded to by adolescent activists wanting to paint transgenderism in a rosy light. These studies are worthless because of poor methodology. They are generally done by activist doctors wanting to support what they are doing (like the infamous Jack Turban). I will instead rely on the systematic reviews of the evidence from Sweden and the UK (also Finland) that found there was no clear evidence of benefit, and certainly and absolutely no long term evidence for the safety of cross sex hormones. In fact we know already some of the health risks.
The supposed 'consensus' of the medical community that you refer to is not a consensus. It is merely what medicine generally does - there are supposed experts in a field, and people trust them. Doctors can't learn about all fields, and so they trust 'experts' to have properly assessed the literature and the evidence. Sadly, with gender 'medicine' they are being led astray by activist ideologue doctors. The AAP, the endocrine society, who support gender affirming 'care' have not done systematic reviews, they just have policies driven by a few activists who get themselves in positions of power. (Can't wait for the court case where the AAP is a defendent against a detransitioner). The countries where they have done reviews KNOW that the evidence is not there. There was a paper in the NEJM (Chen 2023) that was trying very hard to prove that treatment was helpful. Their methodology has been harshly criticised, as they did not report all the parameters that they pre-registered as collecting. However, whilst trying to present transition in a rosy light, 2 out of 337 participants in that study committed suicide within one year of commencing hormone treatment. Appreciate there is no control group, but maybe not so life-saving?
And you can not change sex. You can change your clothes, you can cut off body parts and stitch rather sad ones on, you can mess up your metabolism with the wrong hormones, but that is not changing sex. A Swedish study found that born male transsexuals maintain male pattern criminality long after their supposed transition. You can change outward appearance, but you cannot change the developmental program. And no, we are not more than our DNA and our body parts. That is what we actually are, other than the experiences which have shaped our brain development. Anything else is just mysticism or a religious belief in some kind of soul.. You are welcome to believe that, but there is no evidence for it.
> I understand where you are coming from, but the research does not support your claim.
Well the current state of psychology research is such that it's claims are indistinguishable from BS, especially when they align with leftist dogma.
https://www.experimental-history.com/p/im-so-sorry-for-psychologys-loss
Thank you for sharing this. Everyone in the United States should read it, now.
It's hilarious that you were able to so easily bamboozle these people, and horrifying that there are medical professionals out there who are almost eager to be bamboozled. And we're trusting these people to know what *children* need?
I absolutely want doctors and medical folks to be gatekeepers, because some gates *should* be kept. These people, however, haven't just abandoned the gate; they're handing out the keys to anyone who asks!
of course medical people are gatekeepers. They handle potent drugs, many of which can be misused. I can't get T for my teenage boy just because he seems deficient. Why can I get it for my teenage girl?!
This! Kaiser also won’t give HRT to another population of people who actually need it: menopausal women.
But I imagine they cover treatment for men with erectile problems...
I think "bamboozled" is too kind an interpretation for these people. They obtained the consent they wanted, that's all. I don't think the doctors and therapists are the ones being fooled.
Well, I just really like the word "bamboozle." It's fun to say!
Not only are the med professionals eager to get bamboozled. I've heard detransitioners say they were actually pursued by medical professionals. One young man who was struggling with a pretty serious drug problem was cold called by a doctor wanting to perform an orchiechtomy on him. Apparently, the doctor had been encouraged by an older "friend" of this young man's to call him.
Yep. This medical organization's official motto and website banner is "Gatekeeping Sucks". They offer free recommendation letters on demand, for hormones and surgery, anywhere in the country:
https://www.prospecttherapy.com/hrt-and-gcs-letters
This is one of the best Gender Industrial Complex whistleblower pieces I've read. Let's hope it leads to media interviews, news articles, etc.
I think I know who is insane "Penis Faceman"
That would be Kaiser who will be humiliated by this story
Good gawd this is horrifying. These “docs” wanted to put you through FOUR major surgeries at once???
And the fact that Kaiser pays for all this with tiny copays! - meaning everyone buying their insurance would pay of course!
And a woman can’t get her childbirth covered or a c section because they’re “high risk?” WTAF!
It's insane isn't it?!
Yeah, childbirth *is* covered, and when medically necessary, a c section is as well.
Four surgeries at once is not that unheard of. If you are already under, and the work is related, it makes sense from a recovery point of view. But let's not let things like medical science or facts become inconvenient barriers to your worldview and sensibilities.
Stop gaslighting, scumbag.
Your accusation of gaslighting appears to be an intimidation tactic to discredit my comment without actually addressing the substance of my points. It fits the pattern of previous comments you have made, where you are making inflammatory accusations to distract from evidence-based discussion.
Accusations and name-calling divide rather than unite. We all want what is best for young people. Perhaps we could have a respectful discussion about medical policies and science while trying to understand where each other is coming from.
Regardless of what your intent, the fact remains that, broadly speaking, the large majority of women in America have pregnancy and childbirth covered to some degree by either private health insurance or public programs like Medicaid. Because childbirth is considered an essential health benefit in the United States and covered by most health insurance plans, to include c-sections when medically necessary.
> Your accusation of gaslighting appears to be an intimidation tactic to discredit my comment without actually addressing the substance of my points.
The substance of your point is that you're telling Robin that what she experienced interacting with her insurance company did not happen.
> Accusations and name-calling divide rather than unite.
If you don't want to get called a scumbag, stop acting like one.
> We all want what is best for young people.
Your behavior in this thread has not been consistant with that claim.
> Regardless of what your intent, the fact remains that, broadly speaking, the large majority of women in America have pregnancy and childbirth covered to some degree by either private health insurance or public programs like Medicaid.
"To some degree" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
Where did Robin state that she was denied coverage? Where does she share that she had this experience when interacting with her insurance company? She did not, she made a broad generalized statement. I am providing a factual statement to counter it.
This is not gaslighting.
My words have been trying to bridge gaps and give pause for thought and critical thinking. I do not believe that my words or behavior can be qualified as "scumbag". I would reserve that title for those who not only see the world in absolutes, but would force others to live their lives as they think is right, and not to be free to make their own choices and have self-determination in their own life.
"To some degree" is indeed doing a lot of work in that sentence, because I am hesitant to paint with a broad brush. Since I am speaking in generalities in this instance, I tend to hedge my words to allow for edge cases. I believe speaking specifically about specific things is helpful, and speaking broadly requires careful language.
> I do not believe that my words or behavior can be qualified as "scumbag".
You cover your support for mutilating and castrating children behind marketing speak. The word "scumbag" very much applies, or would you prefer "bullsh*ter"?
Do you have personal experience, or a link to an article, about high risk childbirth not getting covered? I have never heard of this. Seems it would be against EMTALA and could be ripe ground for a lawsuit.
It’s been a long time since babies came out of my body, and as I remember childbirth was not covered AT ALL c section or otherwise - this was pre ACA.
Wow. That's terrible. I do think things have changed now, definitely with the ACA but in this case perhaps even before, at least with some insurance companies. I do remember when one had to purchase more expensive insurance to have such things covered, but as far as I know that is a thing of the past with the ACA.
sorry not to ignore your article
but i've always wanted to pretend to chronically fatigued or something to receive MAID and see how it easy to get government-provided suicide
this is good inspiration for that investigation
This experience made me really sad and frightened for mentally ill/ vulnerable people in countries where there are government provided suicides.
Some more potential inspiration. 37 year old Kayla Pollock of Ontaria stated that she was offered MAID after having suffering paralysis from the neck down subsequent to COVID jabs, and that she refused the offers. Canadian independent at SubStack is where that story can be found.
This medical killing business can be an efficient way to silence noisy and disgruntled patients, kill the placebo effect, depopulate the earth a bit faster.....
Nope, just realists, living in the real world, not the fantasy world of gamers with their little anime avatars with cat ears and cute little maid outfits, or their furry suits.
Says the person advocating for doctors killing patients.
'Health care professionals' providing treatments that generate long-term ill-health
Real health care professionals don't kill their patients or mutilate children.
I do not see any doctors doing this, have you? Proof or it didn't happen.
So now we have the implausible denials.
Are you saying Canada's MAiD program doesn't exist?
We should organize a horde of patients to do this all over the country and document it all like you have.
To see the full spectrum, it would be fascinating if someone out there would stage wanting to de-transition “to become their authentic self” and see if that process is as easily supported by the system.
I would bet NOT!
It absolutely would not be. It would be considered cosmetic surgery, do all out of pocket costs would apply. Although there is no coming back from gender affirming surgery. Therein lies the horror. None of that was discussed in the OP’s “ consultations” . The medical term is PARQ and they are not doing it. P( procedure) A(adverse outcomes) R(risk) Q( questions). I work in dental and we are nailed to the wall if this is not done before every procedure including routine cleanings. Which are considerably less life altering. It’s beyond fucked up
Any who would go along with this is capable, imo, of going along with building extermination factories to get rid of those they don't like. Another thought I have is there are many people who have to struggle and wait to get actual medical care, while there are so-called counselors, doctors and other medical personnel, and politicians who grease the skids out there using their extensive education and influence to keep this cesspool overflowing. I hope you were able to help your daughter.
So many historical horrors are less alien now. It really is just ordinary people, walking among us, who are able to carry out hideous acts without even blinking.
I learned this at the ripe old age of 12-yrs-old when expose to Mengele and Gestapo archive pictures, and then delved more into how this stuff happened. There's a very apropos quote from the economist John M. Keynes in The General Theory, 1964 edition, pg 374. "Dangerous human proclivities can be canalized...by the existence of opportunities for money-making...which, if they cannot be satisfied in this way, may result in cruelty, the reckless pursuit of personal power and authority, and other forms of self-aggrandizement. It is better that a man should tyrannize over his bank balance than over his fellow citizens." Keynes was referring to some of the wealthy and powerful, but there are lesser demons.
The best way to help her child is to respect their boundaries and love them for who and what they are, not for who and what you want them to be.
A mother knows her own child far better than does any doctor, teacher, social worker or friend. If the child was gender dysphoric early on, she would know this, and she would seek psychological help for her child. But if her daughter develops ROGD, that is another matter all together.
You raise a fair point - mothers often do have deep insight into their children's psychology from an early age. However, the experience of transgender people suggests development of gender identity and dysphoria can be complex, and often this means it manifests in complex ways that are often internalized for significant periods of time before sharing or exhibiting any signs.
The medical community has moved away from the term "ROGD" (rapid onset gender dysphoria) because substantial research has proven that gender identity tends to form early in life. But the expression of that identity can be delayed for many reasons, like lack of language, fears of non-acceptance, religious norms, social and familial expectations, etc. We can look at research from 2019 [Ashley, Gülgöz et al], '20 (Restar), and '21 (Tannehill) that really delves into so called "ROGD".
So while a child's gender related distress may seem "rapid" from the outside, it often builds over years before they have the words or courage or a safe space in which to articulate it. That's why many parents are surprised, despite being close to their kids. I can totally understand how this seems like a "rapid onset" to the outsider, and like all things, it should be treated carefully, and everyone should proceed with caution, care, and compassion first and foremost.
The most compassionate response is to see this as the child finally sharing their authentic self, making themselves vulnerable to you by exposing the very core of who they are, and not some random "new" identity. They need support, affirmation and appropriate healthcare, not assumptions of confusion or influence.
In the end, we must believe people when they describe their deeply felt gender identity and experiences of dysphoria. No one knows an individual better than they know themselves. That's why "transition regret" is around 1% - this self-knowledge makes most trans folks extremely certain.
With empathy and trust on all sides, even seemingly "sudden" realizations can be navigated with care and good outcomes - and a good outcome does not always mean transitioning! But dismissing a child's identity crisis often deepens trauma and causes more harm than good. I'm happy to dig into helpful resources if you'd like!
The best thing a parent can do is keep their children away from brain washers and science deniers.
I agree completely!
Except you seem to be on the side of the biology deniers.
It is possible but unlikely that a parent of a transgender child would be unaware of the child's gender dysphoria until the child's adolescence. Most cases of transsexualism (as it was known in the past) began with an early onset of gender dysphoria. But that's not often the case today. Why the surging numbers of adolescents seeking gender affirming care? For the data, check this out: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-data/
You cannot rule out the social contagion (via the internet) theory, though many researchers are eager to disprove Lisa Littman's research. Attention-seeking, lonely adolescents can quickly find online (if not in-person) communities that support and encourage their transgender identification, and that lavish praise on these kids for their bravery while on their "gender journey." Check out this story as a case in point:
https://lacroicsz.substack.com/p/by-any-other-name?s=r
I suggest you read a sample of parent stories on the PITT Substack to help you understand the disconnect many parents feel between the knowledge of their own child and their child's sudden identification as trans. These are parents who care deeply about their children, and do want their kids to be their authentic selves. They just question whether their children are being authentic when they present as trans. Could their children be going through a phase? Might these adolescents outgrow their gender dysphoria? If there is even a remote chance that the child is simply confused and misled by online trans enthusiasts, then that child's parents will want to hold off on gender affirming care.
You raise thoughtful concerns that warrant further discussion. The surging numbers of transgender youth and questions around social contagion versus dysphoria persistence absolutely need more research. Every child's situation is complex.
However, current evidence still does not support dismissing medical consensus on gender affirming care or the validity of people's identities. Most data shows the vast majority of youth receiving such care after proper assessment maintain identities over time without regret.
So while more study on the nuances you note is needed, it does not mean we revert to assumptions of confusion or denial of care. Most transgender youth remain so for life. The goal should be balancing caution with compassion, not overriding medical guidelines due to societal assumptions.
More long term research will shed light on the issues raised. In the meantime, we must recognize the depth of individual situations. If some socially influenced cases do surface, it should not color assumptions about all. Nor allow limiting others’ access to necessary care. Not all questioning youth are just seeking attention or necessarily going through temporary phases. Many have lifelong biological foundations unseen.
In the end, only the individual can determine if transition feels authentic for them or not. Parent skepticism is understandable and should be part of evaluation. But it does not invalidate the child’s identity or proven approaches. With care, nuance and trust on all sides, support can be provided when evidence and persistence merit it. If doubts still linger over time, more reflection is warranted before permanent interventions. The goal should be understanding these complexities, not denial of rights or identities.
I'm not interested in denying rights or identities. I'm only raising concerns about whether some trans identities may be transitory. If you know any parent of an adolescent today, you are likely familiar with how common it is for today's teens to adopt different names and pronouns, often on a temporary basis. These kids are quite familiar with the idea that some people have brains and bodies that are a mismatch, and that gender is fluid. Honestly, it is a confusing time to be a teen, and I feel for them. But that's a topic for another day. The social contagion theory of ROGD is my focus here, and we ignore this phenomenon at our own risk. You know teens are impressionable, easily influenced, and have identities in flux. That is why gender affirming care is a questionable practice, because it assumes that kids "know themselves" and what they want, when in fact we all know that's not true. Hormones and surgeries may be the right option for a small number of gender dysphoric patients, but we absolutely must avoid sending teens down a lifelong path of medical care if it can be avoided.
We should learn from the countries in Europe that are now taking a more cautious approach to gender care, because I suspect this is where the US is headed.
See: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11930-023-00358-x
Well psychology barely even pretends to be a science these days (https://www.experimental-history.com/p/im-so-sorry-for-psychologys-loss).
Thus I think we should stick to the system that worked well for millenia.
Especially since the people who advocate changing it are mostly coming up with ever more creative euphemism for castrating children.
> The medical community has moved away from the term "ROGD" (rapid onset gender dysphoria) because substantial research has proven that gender identity tends to form early in life.
I believe you meant "$ub$tential re$earch".
While further research is always warranted, there is no evidence of corruption influencing conclusions on ROGD. Multiple peer-reviewed studies by reputable academics and health organizations have disproven the validity of rapid onset claims. If you have any evidence of actual undue influence, I'm willing to look at it. Otherwise, rejecting a theory due to factual deficiencies is simply proper science - not a sign of questionable incentives. Evidence should determine what we accept, not ungrounded speculation about researcher motives.
Well the fact that any researcher questioning the conclusion is immediately canceled does not incline one to take the field seriously.
Also studies have repeatedly shown that most medical research reaches conclusions that support the interests of its main funding source.
I don’t see that connection. What this particular scenario looks like is a respect for self-autonomy run amok, not forcing something on the reluctant. There may be other elements of the ideology which involve punishment or retribution, but greasing the medical skids on simple request isn’t the same thing.
OMG OMG! This is like the worst horror story that I can think of. Thank you for doing this to expose the medical scandal that this is. How can any doctor with any moral compass do something like this? I know they tell themselves that they are doing this for your good, but basically they are doing it for their own greedy Reasons. They must be getting hundreds of thousands of dollars in income from this. It has to be stopped. It has to be outlawed totally. I admire your courage of following through on this. You must’ve had some really nightmarish thoughts as you found out how easy it was for you to be permanently disfigured physically, and even mentally. Didn’t you feel like you were on the edge of a precipice about to fall into a black hole? Anyway, thank you so much for showing us the real face of this medical scandal.
Thanks Reni. The first appointment was the hardest. I was nervous and afraid I'd give away my cover. But then when I saw how eager the therapists and doctors were to give me referrals for the surgery and hormones it became more of just a chore to get through each horrific appointment and not feel too depressed afterwards knowing there was no safeguarding in place.
And the teachers could simply not have encouraged her daughter to have herself mutilated and you could have chosen not to spew your vileness all over the comments, but here we are.
Calling medically-indicated care 'castration' or 'mutilation' is factually incorrect - gender-affirming treatment involves scientifically-guided interventions to improve wellbeing, not harm.
https://www.wpath.org/policies and https://www.wpath.org/publications/soc
No matter how many times you copy-paste your euphemism, that doesn't change the underlying reality.
>No matter how many times you copy-paste your euphemism, that doesn't change the underlying reality.
Medical terminology conveys care’s intent accurately. Dismissing facts for emotional rhetoric poisons discourse.
If you have statistical evidence that accepted standards of care cause more harm than good, present it logically. Otherwise this seems more about confirmation bias than truth-seeking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_the_well
When my wife & I first moved to California in 2012 we had Kaiser Permenante health insurance from my employer. I came to loathe them. The service was bureaucratic and awful. And never helpful or cheap when one of us was ill. So imagine my surprise to read this article and see how KP bent over backwards to supply this gender reassignment treatment with so little scrutiny?!? It’s bad enough that it was for a consenting adult, but to do the same for a teenager is simply beyond the pale.
The gender “ affirming care” is probably the most lucrative medical (mal) practice there is, so others can wait.
In what way? Typically, cardiac and cancer care are the big money makers, along with orthopedic surgery. Emergency and psychiatric services tend to be money losers.
I don't know how you could have gone through all that and not started yelling at these so-called doctors who were so willing to mutilate your body and put you on mood altering hormones. I applaud your restraint in the name of investigative journalism.
I dreaded every single appointment and would often have nightmares after them.
But during the appointments it was easy to go along with what I knew the doctor, nurse, therapist wanted me to say.
I refuse to collude with the delusional mental illness that is trans. Delude yourself all you want, but stay away from my fucking kid. As in all deviant behavior, you will reap what you sow. And you will be the first to decry the thing YOU HAVE DONE TO YOURSELF when the going gets hard through these medical procedures as you have zero coping skills. Isn’t that what trans is? A maladaptive coping skill .
Leading medical organizations define gender diversity as a normal, non-pathological human variation, not a mental disorder or deviance." (https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/transgender)
Doesn't say good things about the state of our "leading medical organizations" that they're willing to endorse such BS.
Eugine, do you have more expertise than the combined medical consensus? If not, I will trust the facts and data (as should we all). Contrarian opinions don't outweigh rigorous research.
Unless you can systematically refute the scientific mainstream, your stance looks more like dogmatic sophistry than reasoned disagreement. Armchair critiques rarely trump subject matter expertise.
I'm open to evidence if you have it. But absolutism and blanket dismissals don't cut it against the current professional consensus. Offer substance or I see no reason to favor your stance over medical expertise. Condemnation is easy - constructive solutions are hard.
> Do you have any idea how insane this sounds to people outside of your cult?
Says the person defending the mutilation and castration of children.
Calling medically-indicated care 'castration' or 'mutilation' is factually incorrect - gender-affirming treatment involves scientifically-guided interventions to improve wellbeing, not harm.
https://www.wpath.org/policies and https://www.wpath.org/publications/soc
Not incorrect, it is fact. WPATH are marching kids, young and vulnerable people to irreversible surgeries and wrong sex hormones. One of the biggest scandal of our time.
Equating affirming care to castration is false equivalence. Such treatment is scientifically guided to improve wellbeing, not randomly harm.
Claiming a "scandal" appeals only to emotion - do you have proof of systemic issues with standards of care? Evidence shows treatment relieves dysphoria when properly managed.
If you have statistics showing widespread negligence or malpractice, share them. But anecdotes shouldn't outweigh extensive peer-reviewed research.
> Equating affirming care to castration is false equivalence.
No it's not since one is designed to lead to the other.
'Cult' - look in a mirror mate.
And this is the state that takes away your child and transes them if the parents don’t agree to this madness?
We are fighting it. Many in California disagree. But the cities are cultural wastelands.