The Cass Review- Interim Report

[rogdmum]

The Cass Review Interim Report has been released. 112 pages long and it’s such a bloody relief to read common sense.

cass.independent-review.uk/publications/interim-report/

There’s so much in it, but emphasis on taking a holistic approach with a great chart on page 57 showing the complex presentations in and complex pathways.

And social transitioning has been recognised as an active intervention!

“Social transition – this may not
be thought of as an intervention or treatment, because it is not something
that happens within health services. However, it is important to view it as an active intervention because it may have significant effects on the child or young person in terms of their psychological functioning. There are different views on the benefits versus the harms of early social transition. Whatever position one takes, it is important to acknowledge that it is not a neutral act, and better information is needed about outcomes.” Pages 62/63

So much in it. So much. And there’s more to come as the review continues to work on the issues.

Interesting reading. The report has a list of things they will look at next:

The important role of schools and the challenges they face in responding appropriately to gender-questioning children and young people.

The complex interaction between sexuality and gender identity, and societal responses to both; for example, we have heard from young lesbians who felt pressured to identify as transgender male, and conversely transgender males who felt pressured to come out as gay rather than transgender. We have also heard from adults who identified as transgender through childhood, and then reverted to their birth-registered gender in teen years.

The issues faced by detransitioners highlight the need for better services and pathways for this group, many of whom are living with irreversible effects of transition but for whom there is no clear access to services as they fall outside the responsibility of NHS gender identity services.

The age at which adult gender identity clinics can receive referrals, with concerns about the inclusion of 17-year olds. The service offer in adult services s perceived to be quite different from that of GIDS, and young people presenting later may therefore not be afforded the same level of therapeutic input under the adult service model. There is also concern about the impact on the young person of changing clinicians at a crucial point in their care. The movement of young people with special educational needs between children’s and adult services raises particular concerns.

It's good to see schools and detransistioners in this list.

It seems that no one had advance sight of the report as many of the usual voices (SW, Mermaids, Gendered Intelligence) only did variations on "we are reading it".

Catching up, this all sounds v positive

It seems that no one had advance sight of the report as many of the usual voices (SW, Mermaids, Gendered Intelligence) only did variations on "we are reading it".

Yes - they're all sounding very cautious at the moment.

@EmpressaurusWitchDoesntBurn that's the sound of them shitting their collective selves.

Roll on the summer and the full report.

Resister absolutely brilliant to see the specific issues of detransitioners and the gap in services identified there, and the issue of people with SEND falling down the hole between childrens and adults services. Some really positive things being drawn out.

I agree.

Another observation is that no one has made time to come over here and scold us. Or to play the man, not the ball and derail this thread. That is telling.

an excellent point, @ResisterRex.

Its refreshing.

This is the bit that always boggles me. TRAs are adamant you can have “a female penis” and yet you can’t have a female Adam’s Apple or male breasts. Bizarre.

Sorry, that was meant to be in response to the posts about Jolyon showing he doesn’t really understand any of this either, but the quote function didn’t work.

Leafstamp

Datun

And yes. I cannot wait for this to be banned in schools. It will make all the difference.

Sorry I’m being lazy and not feeling well, what is ‘this’ that you cannot wait to be banned on schools? Thank you in advance.

As others have said, it's gender ideology in general.

It's promoted in schools as a rights and discrimination issue, not necessarily a medical one. (Until treatment is suggested, then suddenly it's a medical one.)

It's also used as a catch all for whatever is ailing the child. As the report points out, there are a multitude of comorbid issues that are never addressed, because the answer is always well you must be trans - and once that is asserted, clinicians are frightened to challenge it. Affirmation only.

Gender dysphoria is a real mental health issue. But it's incredibly rare. Children are coming out as trans left, right and centre. Many on the assumption that if they are masculine they must be male and if they are feminine they must be female.

Mermaids taught a gender spectrum in schools, using pictures. With Barbie at one end and GI Joe at the other. They invited children to pick the one that best suited their personality, and hey presto that is their gender identity.

Now lots of boys who like sparkles think they're a girl, and lots of girls who like combat trousers think they're boys.

On this very site, a few weeks ago a woman's seven-year-old child, came home having been told they could have operations when older to turn them into the opposite sex.

I realise this is not the most coherent post, but to be honest, every time I start writing about it, I'm so bloody flabbergasted that grown people could buy into this absolute bull, I lose the power of articulation.

Children are actually being given bloody drugs because an ideology is being taught that makes them think they're the wrong sex.

And I've yet to see a single bloody person promoting those drugs, who has the slightest concern about why they are needed in the first place.

Covered in the Times today, comments off.

Tavistock gender clinic not safe for children, report finds

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a607fa24-a09a-11ec-b38e-10b333e9179b?shareToken=57e922d8950bccf7adbfeaaa505b1403

Thank you @Datun and others re what you’d like to happen in schools etc. I wasn’t sure if you just meant social transition.

FWIW I totally agree about wanting the promotion of gender ideology to be banned. As far as I’m concerned it already is but schools are ignoring the guidance/don’t understand the guidance.

I swing between wanting stuff banned altogether to wanting it ‘taught’ in a way that points out all of its horrible sexist, homophobic, racist, disablist messages. It’s probably age dependent. I’d like to see older secondary school students being encouraged to realise the full extent how harmful it is. And obviously younger children being taught that you can be anything if you’re a girl but you can’t be a boy.

Thanks for all the expert commentary on here and useful links.

@Leafstamp

Thank you *@Datun* and others re what you’d like to happen in schools etc. I wasn’t sure if you just meant social transition.

FWIW I totally agree about wanting the promotion of gender ideology to be banned. As far as I’m concerned it already is but schools are ignoring the guidance/don’t understand the guidance.

I swing between wanting stuff banned altogether to wanting it ‘taught’ in a way that points out all of its horrible sexist, homophobic, racist, disablist messages. It’s probably age dependent. I’d like to see older secondary school students being encouraged to realise the full extent how harmful it is. And obviously younger children being taught that you can be anything if you’re a girl but you can’t be a boy.

Yes indeed. I've said before that feminism should be taught in schools. Equipping girls, and boys, with the means to recognise sexism, understand how it manifests and why, and the means to combat it, would change society profoundly.

Ironically, the unpicking of transgenderism is a lesson in feminism.

So yes, future analysis of why and how minds were lost to this damaging ideology will be invaluable.

[quote McDuffy]Covered in the Times today, comments off.

Tavistock gender clinic not safe for children, report finds

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a607fa24-a09a-11ec-b38e-10b333e9179b?shareToken=57e922d8950bccf7adbfeaaa505b1403[/quote]
I wrote to the Times a few weeks ago about their increasing stance of turning comments off on articles discussing sex / gender identity. I never received a response. I wonder what is going on, too much moderation required possibly? I'm presuming only subscribers can comment. Would it be good if other people could raise this?

"Yes indeed. I've said before that feminism should be taught in schools. Equipping girls, and boys, with the means to recognise sexism, understand how it manifests and why, and the means to combat it, would change society profoundly. "

I thinking the other day that schools should unpick the meanings of these 3 words; FEMinism, misoGNY and SEXism. The b*stardisation of feminism (in the name of 'intersectional' feminism) to include trans identifying males my blood boil. When I pointed out those letters in caps of those 3 words to my woke teenager (who believes TWAW and they suffer from misogyny too) she want a bit quiet.

It's a very interesting read. I know someone who was part of the interviews and who always felt this would be a good result - for everyone.

Because there are still going to be a lot of children in distress and the gender lens being used to view that. Spreading the responsibility around from GIDS is probably the only way, and at least has more chance of rooting the response in a more generalist understanding of child development and mental health. Less of GIDS being a focus for everyone, including GC people like me. Perhaps it will be less of the situation we have now where organisations like Mermaids can name individual clinicians who they think are insufficiently enthusiastic about child transition in a vaguely threatening way (still can't believe they did that).

Did anyone see the Guardians take on this? Their headline is there aren’t enough gender clinics to satisfy demand and patients are waiting an unacceptably long time. The parts about there being very little clinical evidence for gender treatment were hidden away! That’s certainly an interesting take on the report.

I'd also like teenage girls to be taught that discomfort with a rapidly changing body doesn't mean you're trans, just that we're living in a hyper sexualised world where breasts signify the transition from person to object for men. And that's a profoundly frightening experience to live through.

@WeeBisom

Did anyone see the Guardians take on this? Their headline is there aren’t enough gender clinics to satisfy demand and patients are waiting an unacceptably long time. The parts about there being very little clinical evidence for gender treatment were hidden away! That’s certainly an interesting take on the report.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/mar/10/nhs-gender-identity-service-for-children-cant-cope-with-demand-review-finds?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

A biased review, however, less so than their usual!

@Clymene

I'd also like teenage girls to be taught that discomfort with a rapidly changing body doesn't mean you're trans, just that we're living in a hyper sexualised world where breasts signify the transition from person to object for men. And that's a profoundly frightening experience to live through.

Yes. Taught to girls - and boys.

All part of RSE.

The Guardian is following Stonewall's line. But the comments about insufficient evidence and chilling effect on clinicians are right there for anyone to read. Which they will if they are interested because it isn't a long read

@WeeBisom @bellinisurge thought the same about the Guardian. It's like they read to half of some of the sentences and reported that (!)

I agree and also think that parents will read this. Finally, something independent and authoritative - it's useful in lots of ways.

Thank you for Times share token.