I believe in Canada, possibly some American states, probably Germany and Spain he'd have been committing a crime.
Yes.
In the UK, I would urge all parents to look at their schools' safeguarding policy. In particular, does it a) adequately reference and make sense of paragraphs 205-209 of the new statutory KCSIE guidance (which separate LGB from T/gender questioning and reference the Cass Report) and b) risk framing parents as a domestic abuse risk to their children if they don't actively affirm a child who is either declaring a trans identity or is in some way "exploring their identity".
We're a whisker away from "conversion therapy" being written into law, which could criminalise anyone who tries to unpick someone's distress - including children. If you combine it with badly written school safeguarding policies, parents could easily find themselves on the wrong side of the law when they are actually doing something sensible like this dad. Obviously PBs are now illegal for under 18s but cross-sex hormones aren't.
there's such a reluctance of the media to openly explore the roots and reality of all this.
The idea we've let a generation of children believe their bodies are wrong, that the most appalling experimental drugs and surgery are a positive with the press simpering in the background about "trans children" is quite unbelievable.
It's gradually being exposed. The BBC is one of the biggest disappointments as they should have the capacity and drive to investigate it, but they aren't doing that. I suspect it's a combination of ineptitude and active editorial control that is keeping it from full exposure. However, we've got ex-BBC journalists like Hannah Barnes, Deborah Cohen and now Nick Wallis on the case. Other investigative journalists that are still on the BBC books, like Louis Theroux and Stacey Dooley are going to end up looking pretty exposed if they don't wisen up and start actively investigating it without the current bias towards "being kind" to "trans children".
When the BBC does finally get around to writing about this medical scandal, they'll no doubt credit themselves for their occasional good journalism. They'll presumably gloss over the fact that they limited its reach (Hannah Barnes talked about how little promotion her Newsnight expose got, for example) and waited until it was safe to start talking openly about it. Before going full guns on this, they'll also presumably gradually tidy up all their programme and website material to remove or dampen down their evangelising of gender identity belief, particularly to children. However, there will be plenty of people with receipts who can contribute to what will inevitably be a huge inquiry in the future.
Sadly, I don't think heads will roll at the BBC or in any other media organisation though. They'll find a gaslighting way to avoid blame, saying it was just "too toxic" to talk about it all and that they acted in an "impartial" way.
Edited to add: I've just seen your comment too about the conversion therapy Bill @TheywontletmehavethenameIwant I'm concerned that dots aren't yet being joined up quickly enough on this.