Good.
Any child who is experiencing gender identity distress should be supported by a loving family, by at least one qualified therapist, and by other medical professionals who can aid their family in making the best decision for them. Some children will need puberty blockers, others will not. Some children will turn out to be transgender, some will not.
Without being too pessimistic, I hope nobody leaves ignorant comments in response to this article.
Any child who is questioning their gender identity is not put on hormone blockers willy-nilly. The decision is, and should always be, made with the assistance of qualified medical professionals. This is something that I, and other transgender people, passionately campaign for. Please do not panic in response to trans articles, and assume that the trans community wants to pump hormones into kids, or recruit cis children into the trans community. I took my own medical transition very seriously, and I extend this seriousness to any instance of a person medically transitioning. Especially children.
I am a trans man. I do not want people to transition who are not transgender. It happens sometimes; rarely, but it does sometimes happen. These stories get heaps of attention because the media likes to sensationalise and demonise transgender people, but such hysteria is actually unhelpful and inhumane. The only way of preventing de-transitioners is to help children (and society overall) develop a more nuanced understanding of gender. Children need to be supported as they are questioning their gender, so that they can understand where their gender distress is coming from, and if a transition is genuinely the best option for them. You literally cannot stop children from experiencing gender confusion. Such explorations are not uncommon. What such children need is an educated, non-judgemental group of people who can make such a journey easier.
Hormone blockers offer a reversible way to delay a person's puberty, so that they might be able to avoid irreversible changes which could cause severe gender dysphoria. I was not afforded hormone blockers. I went through a female puberty, which was (obviously) absolute hell for a male. Prior to my mastectomy, I bound my chest daily, had fantasies of cutting my breasts off, and suffered bruised ribs for months on end. This is what dysphoria does to a person who goes through a puberty which does not match his internal gender identity. This is why I advocate for the use of hormone blockers, in situations where a child is confirmed (or strongly suspected to be) transgender. More research is needed into the long-term effects of hormone blockers. Myself, and others, campaign so that this research can occur.
Gender non-conforming children have always existed. I believe we need to support gender-questioning butch girls and feminine boys, as well as trans boys and trans girls. This is possible. Hormone blockers and educated medical professionals are a huge part of this process.
I have heard numerous transgender women describe their childhoods, reporting the desire (or attempts) to cut off their penises. This experience is deeply explored in the 2012 documentary
TRANS, which is quite outdated, but still valuable. That is the kind of life many transgender children live, and such experiences can be somewhat avoided if they are allowed to socially transition, and delay their puberties. Gender dysphoria to the point that a person might mutilate their body... I'd say that needs to be taken seriously. Especially as this kind of body dysphoria is so common among trans people.
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