Hello again you lovely people of The Social. My name's Kate and this week we are talking
about trans youth.
Now in the past few years there’s been a significant rise in children and families
seeking support as more and more kids come out. And before you start no it's not because
they’re being brainwashed by some secret Illuminati trans agenda.
But because there’s been a significant change in attitudes especially amongst younger people
allowing them to be more open and discuss their gender issues.
Which can only be a good thing because what parent doesn’t want their child to be able
to come to them and speak about issues that are troubling them in their life and even
younger than that children sometimes as young as 3 or 4 are starting to express discomfort
with the gender that they are assigned at birth.
Now I know what you’re saying "how can a child know anything children are too young
to understand. Mine still believes in Santa, the Easter bunny and that there is only 2 genders."
None of these things are true.
There’s actually a tonne of research out there that shows that gender is determined
before birth and that children as young as 3 or 4 are very aware of their own gender
identity but because society is still enforcing such a strict gender binary many children
might not speak up about this or suppress their feelings because they believe that they
are wrong because that is what they hear around them.
So listen to me trans kids there is nothing wrong with being yourself and there is nothing
wrong with being trans you do you OK? Good.
Others however might just come out and say it bluntly. They might say something like
"mummy I'm not a boy I'm a girl.” They might even show discomfort around single gendered
groups of friends or stereotypically gendered toys.
This isn’t to say a girl wanting to play with an action man means that she must be
a trans guy. Toys are toys after all, everyone can play with whatever they want.
But typically trans children may be more vocal about this and there’s evidence to show
that parents are noticing more and more gender variance in children when they’re still
in nursery or primary school and if you speak to many a trans person they might tell you
that they felt that there was something different about themselves and their gender from around
the same age.
In fact figures show that there has been a steady rise in referrals in young people to
gender identity clinics year on year.
Now this doesn’t mean that children are being referred, going to a gender clinic, being
thrown through some sort gender-o-matic having hormones and surgery and being papped on their
merry way before their 18th birthday.
Doesn’t work like that.
The facts are that for trans children up until puberty there is no medical intervention past
talkative therapy. A counsellor will speak and listen to them. They may even be offered
as a family support and advice on social transition if that's what they wish to do.
Because remember rule number one when dealing with a trans child is listen to the child.
Now as puberty begins medical intervention may take place around the age of 12 and even
then they won’t be prescribed hormones or ANY surgical options whatsoever.
They may be prescribed puberty blockers.
These drugs are nothing more than a pause button to buy more time for the child because
there is nothing more distressing for a trans kid than going through the wrong puberty and
anything we can do to help kids feel less distress in life is a good thing right?
For many kids this extra time bought is a lifesaver and for a small number they may
choose not to continue. In which case they just stop taking the puberty blockers and
puberty continues as is but for many this is just the stop gap until they’re legally
old enough to start hormone replacement therapy.
So that's it.
There is no secret agenda, no parents enforcing anything on their child. Actually if any parents
are enforcing anything it's the ones that enforce the assigned at birth gender on their
child no matter what.
Trans youth need support. Not to be told they’re wrong.
I know it's a dramatic change and I’m not telling you it will be easy but as a parent
you have to ask yourself a question.
Do you want an unhappy child likely to have issues in later life due to unchecked gender
dysphoria? Because as we know there is a high number of attempted suicide rates amongst
trans teens and adults.
Or would you like to have a child that you’re able to support and helping them feel a little
bit less distressed in their younger lives? Without having to deal with the heavy complex
situation of gender?
Choice is up to you.
Till next time social folk.