Top NYT pick :
Full disclosure: I am a transgender woman who works in healthcare and
transitioned as a young adult. I have been following “the battle of
gender therapy” for youth/adolescents for many years now. I know
virtually every one of the organizations and/or individuals in this
article and have been in communication with at least several of them
over the years.
First, I want to point out this is the best and most nuanced article I
have ever read on this incredibly complex and hot-button topic. All of
the usual suspects from both sides of the “debate” appear to be
mentioned, which is great for achieving balance.
From my own perspective as I have watched this all play out over the
years, it is clear to me that we need to achieve a nuanced evidence
based middle ground between the extremes of “ban gender care for
everyone under 25” to “immediate gender affirmation and fast track to
medicalization of young people.” My inclination is that more robust
evidence is needed at this time, and in the interim we should proceed
conservatively out an abundance of caution for these still developing
youth. To me, that looks like: no surgery under the age of 18,
extensive/prolonged mental health evalualations before interventions,
and puberty blockers should be used in only severe cases in folks with
prolonged history of gender dysphoria.
Transition should be seen as a last resort to alleviate gender
dysphoria. For all others, extreme caution should be taken before
embarking on this path.