Debunking tired transgender claims
Dismiss
Debunking tired transgender claims
Save
Normal text size
Advertisement
As the parent of a transgender teen, the views in this piece do not accord with my experience or those of other parents I know (âMy child is transitioning gender, but I feel the system makes it too easyâ, December 16). In no other field of medicine would the claim that âit is too easy to get medical care for childrenâ be a criticism. Access to care in accordance with government-approved guidelines should be applauded not derided. However, in most states of Australia, access to healthcare for transgender teens is anything but âeasyâ. Clinics are woefully underfunded and there is a real shortage of specialists to see transgender children. The public healthcare system is failing families at a time when they need support and expert advice most. The piece also repeats the tired claim that being transgender is a teenage âfadâ. This has been widely debunked in the medical literature and is totally illogical. What teenager would risk rejection by family and friends, and a life of challenges for the sake of a fad? In my experience, teenagers spend months if not years weighing their decision to come out. I do agree that if we get it wrong ''the results will be devastating in the long run, and the sense of damage to relationships will be incredibly deepâ. Transgender teens need the love of their parents, and the support of the health and education systems if they are to stay safe and thrive.