AMA with UK gender specialist on Reddit today

[Terfinator]

www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/5z4et8/science_ama_series_im_dr_helen_webberley_i_am_a/

(You don't have to be a member to read it)

I'm posting as it is quite a lively, and ongoing, thread with lots of references, etc. I am enjoying reading and posting in it.

I haven't read the full thread yet, but Helen Webberley is the one who sterilised a 12-year-old with cross sex hormones.

"This child has always been a boy, never worn a dress, always played with boys"

She also treats her patients over the phone.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/11/transgender-nhs-doctor-prescribing-sex-hormones-children-uk

Did anyone else see this post:

Some Mums tell me that they noticed something wasn't right from as early as 6 months old!

Yes, you read that right. SIX months old.

I can't even...

This quack needs to be struck off.

FORMER NHS Gp.

ONLINE clinic.

Red flags anyone?

I can understand an online clinic for, say, malaria medicine for travellers, or for old men wanting a Viagra prescription, but for transgender?

WTF

Some people feel that they fit more in the middle of the gender spectrum than at one end or the other. Some feel they are both female and male to a varying degree, and some feel that they are neither male nor female. From a medical point of view, it is massively important to have some hormones, so having no hormones should not be an option. However, if people wish to balance their hormones and have both male and female hormones then that should be a discussion open to them.

Basically, however you present to me, I'mma gonna sell ya some hormones!

Omg! Love the precise medical explanation of a doctor! Just throw in a few 'likes' and it's complete!

"However, if people wish to balance their hormones and have both male and female hormones then that should be a discussion open to them."

This is ridiculous. If I get it into my head that I need more, say, thyroxine, due to dysphoria of some description, would any medical profession in their right mind whip up a prescription for me?

"Some Mums tell me that they noticed something wasn't right from as early as 6 months old!"

And you didn't think "this mother has serious issues around gender and is projecting her own mental health problems onto a baby"?

She also said that people who are trans should not be discriminated against because they also present with autism (i.e. Are they transs or merely autistic?). This was after someone said they discovered they had autism at about the same time they thought they were trans and they weren't sure which one they were. Sheused the word bigot if someone was going to use autism discriminate against a transperson.

There was also a recurring theme of someone asking her to define the word gender. Which she was unable to do. She just kept saying it was on a spectrum. And he kept saying yeah, but what is it?

Plus she said that autogynephilia was irrelevant!

As regards autogynephilia, always handy to have this:

www.annelawrence.com/

who writes extensively on autogynephilic transsexuality and is one. And who is also quite scathing about the political machinations of late transitioning men and the redefinition of gender dysphoria. And who is a bit more qualified than some ex NHS gp running an internet 'clinic' for kiddies and confused parents.......

I'm stunned that you can run such a clinic when so ill-qualified and get away with it!

Cao
If you google "private GP thyroxine" you'll find links to private GPs who will do just what you said. Interestingly the GMC don't seem have any interest in Helen Webberley, particularly as they seem keen to jump on the rest of us for everything.

SomeDyke - the Lawrence stuff is excellent. So refreshing to read research that is sociological in nature (or social psychological?) that is rich and does not fall into misguided political correctness.

link to recent blog by GenderGP (Dr Webberley)
gendergp.co.uk/why-are-trans-teenagers-resorting-to-diy-trans-pills-from-cowboy-chemists/
includes comment,
"The chatrooms and forums that discuss the medication regimes and monitoring are in many cases well-informed and correct. They offer experience and advice for those who are desperate. They offer information and treatment plans that people should be getting from their GP, but they’re not. The medical management of gender dysphoria is regarded as so specialist that it can only be provided for in a few NHS tertiary referral centres in the UK, yet the transgender community have done their own research and share it widely to those who are in need."

which is interesting in light of comments in Times article
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trans-teenagers-in-online-drug-danger-qbqhxp8ps

The Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust, the only NHS facility specialising in child gender identity, said they had a waiting time of 14 months for under-18s, and 14 to 15 months for adults. “There is all manner of different advice across the web and social media regarding self-medication, and we wouldn’t endorse any of it,” a spokesman said.

“We are concerned that potentially vulnerable young people could be misadvised by the discussions and resources online and act hastily.”

Advice from the charity Mermaids, which raises awareness about gender nonconformity in children and young people, suggests that while “the internet is the best resource out there” to learn more about trans people and find information, “don’t believe everything you read! There is lots of inaccurate information and people tend to have biased opinions, particularly on forums”.

ANOTHER ZOMBIE THREAD