An Addendum

In my most recent post, I may have given the impression that young kids don't know that they are transgender, and I want to make sure that my statement is clear.

I do believe that most transgender people know they are different from a very young age. My concern is with what we do with and to them in the interim before they become adults.

I've recently had a chance to speak with some lovely trans youths, most around the age of 17-25, and it saddens me to see how they are struggling with making the enormous changes in their lives. Many of them are now seeking hormone therapy to help them become their true selves, and I try to offer resources to competent professionals whenever I can.

But oddly, it's the Anti-vaccine people who stick in my head throughout all of this. I do believe in vaccinations for children, although I'm not entirely sure that a massive dose of combination drugs is good for any child, and that the schedule needs some revision. I feel the same way about hormone blockers, or puberty blockers.

AND again, from my own experience...My son had to sit through a litany of potential side effects, some fatal, as explained by his endocrinologist, before receiving testosterone therapy. That was downright scary for a parent! If you're not concerned that these medications (which are fairly new) can cause harm to your child, then maybe you DO need more time to spend with therapists, and with trained professionals who can help better assess the risks. And there are many risks.

If a young girl who identifies as a boy, begins puberty blockers, and subsequently begins Testosterone therapy, she has a good chance of permanent damage to her reproduction system. If she changes her mind, she may never be able to have children. If a male child begins estrogen treatment, he may never be able to father a child. These are the issues that young children, are not able to fully comprehend, which is why I advocate for therapeutic treatment before hormone treatment.

Ok, let the hate speech begin.