Puberty Suppressing Hormones, House of Commons, Wes Streeting taking a firm and intelligent stand

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Wes Streeting is doing a good job of calmly holding his own in Parliament on this issue of puberty blockers being banned pending a trial.

Some MPs have been standing up and speaking about ‘trans kids’ and suicide and so on, and how young people currently taking puberty blockers will source drugs from other sources as they will be left so desperate. Certain MPs have shown no inkling of the wider issues concerning gender dysphoria among troubled young people.

WS read out report saying that suicide figures of trans people were skewed, and reporting of it dangerous.

Others have seemed to be more aware. Sir John Hayes has brought up those who were vilified for whistleblowing such as Kathleen Stock, the lives ruined by the Tavistock and how it could have happened? WS has just paid tribute to Hannah Barnes. Women’s concerns.

“I am very disappointed in behalf of our trans children….” Vikki Slade. She says there is no information on suicides for those on a gender waiting list. WS says all child deaths are monitored and reviewed.

Jim Allister asking about parental consent and age for the puberty blocker trial. WS ethical concerns are being taken very seriously.

“A breach of young people’s human rights” Carla Denyer (Green).

Robin Swann County Antrim asking about closing access to puberty blockers through loopholes.

Anyway, it is worth hearing WS. It seems to be the first time someone from Labour, who is allowed to speak, has seemed to have a depth of understanding about gender issues. He also speaks lucidly and with nuance.

I don’t know if he is just very clever, but in the end slippery, or actually someone who will make a difference for the better but was impressed.

Any video by any chance?

Go to Parliament TV and rewind to 1.30pm

www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/5c91805c-f151-45de-b806-816d8b7215d8

You can watch here, just scroll back to about 13:30

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbcparliament

I was really impressed with him in the bits I saw. I didn't see the actual statement, just alot of the questions from mps. A green lady told him he was discriminatory. A couple of MPs read out something from the council of europe saying that it would be unethical to do a trial if the drugs were otherwise unavailable. A man with a rainbow lanyard asked if they were banning the drugs for "cis children" as well as "trans children". Each time he replied calmly, in the latter case saying that there is a good evidence base for other uses so this is only about banning it for this specific use which has a poor evidence base and prescribing would be unsafe.

It sounds like there will be a clinical trial once ethical approval has been achieved (not sure how they will do that) but otherwise the treatment is banned in nhs and private clinics.

readers are currently losing their shit over at the guardian. Cass report a “farce” and “discredited” etc etc

Grown up contributions from many. Emotive, misleading and untrue from others.

Each step forward on this issue fills me with deep joy. We've been trying to get puberty blockers seen as the appalling medical scandal they are for so many years. Wonderful the children saved from this going forward!

Merry Christmas everybody!

The BBC reportly on this fairly, for once in its miserable existence. I can't see a journalist's name attached though - am I missing it?

The BBC reports Wes Streeting calling puberty blockers for gender dysphoric children 'a scandal'.

Indefinite ban on puberty blockers to be introduced

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2z0gx3p5o

I was slightly concerned that he still referred to transgender children and seemed to draw parallels with his 'coming out' as a gay man with transgender children 'coming out' as trans. However, banning puberty blockers is truly giving kids 'time to think' so this is a massive win.

Wow and they have quoted Helen Joyce 😮👏🏻

We Streeting's response to Sian Berry was superb. The Greens stance on this is shameful, and will definitely come to haunt them in the future.

The reporter is Nick Triggle, health correspondent, rather than some LBGT etc. person, I think that makes a difference.

Oooh thanks, bedtime watching 😍

Omg will HJ finally be allowed on WH??

Welcome news but. there's no such thing as trans kids.

The talk about trials of puberty blockers is worrying. I hope and expect that no trial for the use of these drugs on confused children without medical need never gets past any ethics committee.

there's no such thing as trans kids.

Yes, people need to stop pandering to the idea put about by adults with an ulterior motive that it's possible for children to be transsexual.

I made quite a mess of the negatives in this post, but the sentiment is there.

Well done Wes, really pleased to hear what he had to say.

W S seems to have actually read the Cass report, thought carefully about it, and to be person who can think
clearly in general. This did not seem to be the case with some of the other MPs arguing emotively from the
‘be kind to trans kids’ point of view. It was shocking to hear how they think actually though they must sincerely feel they are being good MPs showing empathy to their constituents.

What a time! A Labour MP talking about a boy who doesn’t want to get his period, or his breasts to grow. We are truly in a mystical level, anti scientific era.

Wes Streeting was head and shoulders above many of his fellow MP’s who seem to be not just believing in magic, but importantly making their public profession of this currently faddish belief. I won’t say bollocks. Out of politeness.

The second Green MP was a bit put out when WS said that any trial would have a robust scientific and ethics basis (paraphrasing). That didn’t seem to be what the Green MP had meant at all, judging by her expression. One could be forgiven for thinking that she was arguing for the opposite.

Surely all children deserve to be treated to good healthcare with a scientific and ethical basis.

It was Carla Denyer. She has repeated her q, on X:

I share concerns of experts at (Council of Europe) that removing access to Puberty Blockers except through clinical trials may breach “fundamental ethical principles governing research”, amounting to coercion and a breach of young people's human rights.

No, I don't understand her point

And this is Sian Berry on X, repeating the q she asked Streeting:

Continuing the blanket ban on puberty blockers is a worrying decision. The same medication continues to be used safely by young people for other reasons. By relying on the reason for prescription, is this simply discrimination against our #trans youth?

So it is discrimination that the same treatment is not given to a totally different cohort for a totally different reason🙄

Compared to some of the excellent input from other MPs, I would venture that this was not the Greens' finest hour.

This has been my slight niggle over the last few months. Is all of the delay so simply that trials can be set up? To provide "firm" evidence that all of this is OK? I hope not.

A Labour MP talking about a boy who doesn’t want to get his period, or his breasts to grow….

….and who, she said, therefore developed anorexia as a way of stopping ‘his’ periods.

While the MP was commendable in evidently caring very much for the well-being of her constituent, hers was the reaction I found exceptionally troubling. How many girls facing puberty have not been horrified by periods and breasts? And think how many girls have developed anorexia as a way to deal with such changes as well as other problems. It must be thousands every year.

Since when has the assumption arisen that the answer to their distress is puberty blockers with the rationale that the whole reason for their horror and distress is that they are really trans. How can this MP not question this at all?