Janice Turner The Times 21/2/20 Giving puberty blocker to ‘trans’ children is a leap into the unknown

[AnotherNightWatering]

Looks like there'll be more in The Times this weekend!

Weekend Essay: A landmark legal review will examine claims that confused young people are being subjected to a giant medical experiment, says Janice Turner

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/giving-puberty-blocker-to-trans-children-is-a-leap-into-the-unknown-x3g37sb7f

(Sorry, I still can't get that free link to work.)

It's an outstanding article. I also don't regret for a moment swapping my subscription from the toxic Guardian to the Times. It's been fascinating to see the increase in comments under all these articles and very pleasing to see so many men as well as women understanding and debating the nuances. On occasions the discussions happening below the article can be as powerful / informative as the main article.

It’s painful to read this. As someone who has 2 young people in my family who are going through gender questioning.
My Godson came out as a Trans Woman (early twenties) and has now changed his mind and is non-binary. Pronouns changed 3 times over 7 years. He/him to She/Her, and now They/Them. I worry so much about them but thankfully they have stopped taking hormones so we as a family feel we can breathe. No surgery, hopefully no long term damage to their body.
My beautiful cousin.A young Lesbian who had mental health problems and a very chaotic upbringing. She is now post mastectomy, post hormones a very unhappy Trans Man. I cannot say what her future will be. The transition hasn’t addressed or helped any of her mental health issues, it’s so much worse for her. She doesn’t pass, she feels more judged for her appearance than before. It’s heartbreaking.
I wonder if all of their issues could have been addressed with a properly funded mental health service.
Trans sometimes feels to me that it is a bandaid covering much deeper issues.
Anyway...thanks to Janice. Finally someone brave enough to tell it like it is. Off for a glass of wine, so depressing.

And l misgendered my Godchild above. Don’t want to be reported. Honestly this is so bloody difficult. Three different sets of pronouns and three different names over 7 years. I can be forgiven that !

I also misgendered my cousin. Honestly l am so upset.
This whole issue is a minefield.

Janice - its official - I love you.

Wow and thank you .... so darn clear. The kind of article which should have been written uncontroversially years ago - a gentle exploring of what was being to happen.

But no - not possible in current climate - so years later it takes a brave (yes, genuinely brave) journalist to do this.

Thank you!

And loving the comments underneath too - people really getting it! Wow!!!!!

Fantastic article, probably the best I've read to date.

@RubyViolet I'm so sorry your family is going through this. Exactly why there needs to be a more rigid process at best. Hoping for both your people to find some peace x

I can't help but be reminded of the words of one "professional" in the area of gender dysphoria

Dr. Spack recalled being at a meeting in Europe about 15 years ago, when he learned that the Dutch were using puberty blockers in transgender early adolescents.

"I was salivating,” he recalled. “I said we had to do this.”

The puberty-blocking protocol gained legitimacy in 2009, when it was endorsed by the Endocrine Society

These people would make Frankenstein turn in his grave.

I'm really trying to give leeway for a poor choice of words.

But I'm failing. That is properly chilling.

An outstanding article there Janice.
It lays everything out so clearly, it makes it very powerful.

An incredibly important article, a must-read.

Yes, Qcng. Spack has been very influential:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3469374-Dr-Norman-Spack-evangelist-in-chief-for-early-medical-intervention

Janice....thank you! ♥️♥️♥️
But we've still got lots of work ahead on woman = adult human female and our single sex spaces.

RubyViolet

I sincerely hope they time and maturity helps your family member to resolve their issues.

Many people have been through this and the darkness does lighten.

*that

"Salivating"? That doesn't sound very professional, does it, "Dollmaker"?

(No smiting, mods, the name The Dollmaker was given to Spack by trans people, not evil mean women who should stop talking.)

It is excellent to see this getting such prominent coverage in the national press. It is almost unbelievable that the medical profession are involved in putting children on a medical pathway which can have such life altering consequences. The Keira Bell case is heartbreaking. How many more young girls are going through this? The lawsuits which will be the inevitable result will make grim reading.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7926675/Witness-court-battle-against-gender-clinic-reveals-happened-cry-help.html

Janice Turner knows her onions! An excellent article. Thank you Janice.

The only part of the article I have issue with is the very last sentence. I have been asking serious questions. I have asked all the relevant authorities and clinics and have received nothing back. So has everyone else. Janice needs to qualify that by saying it’s time for some answers to the repeated questions.

Yes, and why regulatory authorities have done nothing.

Fantastic article, probably the best I've read to date.

Same here. Incredibly important and impossible to ignore. It's just heartbreaking for the kids and parents for whom it is too late, who followed the Pied Piper and will inevitably have bitter regrets a few years later.
Ruby

These articles will go down as the warnings that everyone pushing this wilfully ignored to drive their agenda of sterilisation and stunting development of children, when the day of reckoning comes (which it will).

The comments are going up and they are excellent - thoughtful and concerned.

My comment took ages to be approved but is there now. Good to see the Times being brave and allowing criticism of the fishy charity in the comments.

This is such a good article. Much love Janice!

There are comments under all of the articles and they are superb. I'm off out now and will also buy a paper copy in support.