The horrific reality of child MtF transition

[StellaAndCrow]

I've just watched this video of Buck Angel interviewing Scarlett, a 19 yr old transwoman. She was given puberty blockers at 13 then cross-sex hormones.

I’m referring to Scarlett as “she” as Buck does in the title - I’m not sure what she prefers, but she does point out that her peers avoid talking to her for fear of offending her.

Scarlett tells her story of realising as a boy that she liked guys, hating her body at puberty, and thinking that she had to be “pretty” to attract guys. She went to a therapist to try to figure things out - was asked how she felt about long hair and dresses “I didn’t understand what gender identity was. I just knew I had effeminate mannerisms and liked guys". “They wanted to make it all about clothes”

I found the video absolutely gutting. She comes across as a lovely and thoughtful person, in such a difficult situation. She talks about how, when starting blockers:

• she was told she could go back at any time
• she was told that she ould be sterile, but didn’t know she would be castrated, lose her sexual function and suffer from atrophy
• she wasn’t told about the social and relationship difficulties:

“it’s the exact awkward existence I was trying to avoid as a feminine gay guy”

She also mentions “because my puberty was paused, the people who do want to be with me are not the most savoury of people”

From the very beginning Scarlett talks about how being a gay, feminine boy (ie gender nonconforming) was viewed by the adults around them as a problem, something to be treated, something to be changed.

And when Scarlett self-diagnoses and finally gets counselling and wants to explore their past and current confusion, it doesn't happen - everything is explored only through the 'trans' lens.

So dammed sad. So screwed up.

Thanks for this share OP, I have saved and will watch. I expect the last part of your post/quote from Scarlett, about unsavoury to remind me of Ben GNC's accounts of being in trans support groups.

She also mentions “because my puberty was paused, the people who do want to be with me are not the most savoury of people

Jesus, poor Scarlett. I would not like to hear the stories behind that sentence.

I can’t help but wondering how different Scarlett’s life would be if Scarlett had been encouraged to embrace being a gay male.

@allmywhat

She also mentions “because my puberty was paused, the people who do want to be with me are not the most savoury of people

Jesus, poor Scarlett. I would not like to hear the stories behind that sentence.

I’m also very struck and saddened by that sentence. I naively hadn’t made the connection.

Gosh OP, was this the thread you said elsewhere had been taken down by MNHQ? If so, I'm glad to see it's been reinstated.

It’s one of the worries that medical professionals at the Tavistock, that a parent would put a child on puberty blockers to keep them ‘young’. Yuk.

When I read these threads I always think about my mum telling me about her hairdresser.

When he was small he used to attend the nursery that my auntie worked at and he loved the wendy house dressing in princess dresses and being 'girly'. If his dad was picking him up they'd have to change his clothes quickly before he arrived because he really disliked this aspect of his son's personality. He wasn't the 'laddish' boy he'd wanted. Now hes a very out and proud, effeminate gay man who was allowed to grow and develop at his own pace.

I know that a lot of trans people know they're trans from a young age. I'm just sad for the non conforming gay men and lesbians who have got caught up in this and will never be able to be their true selves.

Let kids be kids without pressure to conform, they'll find their own way eventually.

I’ve tried watching the link on u tube ,but that old man ,doesn’t bloody shut up ,to let scarlet talk ....constantly interrupting her ...let her bloody speak man

@Summersnake Buck Angel is a trans man.

I think back to my yoof.
All the butch lesbians in women’s committee. Women who presented as male but knew with every cell in their body that they were women.
All the screaming queens in Heaven in their spangly hot pants. Loving being men who loved men.

These days would they fuck up their beautiful bodies? Be convinced that they were somehow wrong?

Buck is quite a character... any yes is trans... was a female fashion model back on the day (posts old photos once in a while).

What

Important video - makes me admire and respect Buck Angel even more.

Well ,
He still needs to stop interrupting her ..he talks over her constantly,it’s irritating

I don’t think he should be saying ,I’m bringing you a real life kid here who’s life is ruined,fucking ruined ,...
He’s making her feel worse ,than she already does .

@nauticant

Gosh OP, was this the thread you said elsewhere had been taken down by MNHQ? If so, I'm glad to see it's been reinstated.

Yes, they said they took it down to check the quotes I'd used from the video. I thought it might be because I'd used the word horrific, but that was how I felt. It was so sad to hear Scarlett say that she'd ended up in the exact awkward situation she'd been trying to avoid as a feminine gay boy.

I think that she meant she'd had difficulty "fitting it" as an effeminate gay boy from a very religious background, and had a hard time at school. She sought therapy to help come to terms with it, given the "trans" explanation, and no one mentioned the potential social and relationship difficulties post-transition, and she'd ended up having even more difficulty "fitting in".
And on top of that, she has medical problems that everyone says is someone else's problem.

And the medics weren't even good at the hormone treatment bits.
They gave no testosterone at all, leading to significant loss of muscle mass, then said this must be due to something else. They did not look into related kidney problems, saying that wasn't their area.

I've heard/read a lot of child FtM accounts, but fewer MtF. People need to know what is being done to children.

And I was interested that she said she was encouraged to isolate herself, not to put herself out in society, because "society is dangerous for trans people". The process made her focus more on her body and parts she wasn't happy with, as she didn't think she was attractive enough.

She mentions older transexuals who transitioned later in life envying her early transition, and pushing for it to go ahead.

Really, I was just gutted for her, and so angry that this is allowed to happen. And presumably is happening to many more children who may not be able to articulate the issues so clearly.

I got the impression that she didn't know any gay peers, so when she found she liked guys, she compared herself to the girls around her, seeing herself as not as attractive as them (to boys) and so needing to change herself.
(Incidentally Scarlett is actually really beautiful, but that's by the by. And I get the impression that might be causing some issues, with her mention of unsavoury people)

Ds1said that he was glad he wasnt a few years younger as he would probably be caught up in this

And i do believe that some people are gender dysphoric and that transitioning may help them, but i also think a lot of young people see transitioning as the answer to their problems when its not

Its the ‘encouraging’ of such young people i have problems with

Apologies

I think some young people are TOLD that its the answer to their problems