My thoughts on article UK case resets the rules on children’s gender transition

This is a very important case. Children should be children.

There are many things we don’t allow our teenagers to do as we believe that they should be of certain age before signing contracts and giving consent. How is permanently butchering healthy body different?

Number of studies showing that the therapy doesn’t work as good as it was initially expected by some experts, because the problem is much more complicated.

If we are honest with ourselves, transgender is psychiatric problem, which requires all life support. The buzz word like “spectrum” is not useful for sufferers of any disorder. That includes phobia, ADD, ADHD and much more.

We as society have to make many decisions for children. Not every hiccup in their education or development requires medication. We set out certain targets for our children and they are not achievable by everyone. Yet we need doctors to be able to read with comprehension and cleaners don’t need the skill (although many do it). Healthy society needs both and much more (not equal pay).

So why do we treat gender like a game? Choose your gender is not wheel of fortune. How many definitions do we have? 15 to 71 – pick the number. And why does it a matter for celebration? If people are capable of working, they should have equal opportunity, regardless of genitals and gender (including using cubicles in the toilet). And if they can’t work, they can’t do it regardless.

And now back to our education system – teenagers are having problems with hormones. Every teenage has it (remember spectrum?). Yet we are trying to teach them how to control yourself, as the changes will happen and they grow up. Majority of teenagers overgrow these changes and support makes it easier. Unfortunately for some it becomes the problem which requires much bigger support. In rare cases, support will be ongoing. Transgender is one of these cases.

So what should be available? Depends on case by case situation. However it should be age appropriate. Teenagers need to grow up before making any drastic changes to their bodies, especially surgical procedures. Even hormone replacement therapies are not that simple – look at all the problems known to us, even when administered at the time of menopause. Yet we use it on teenagers, where bodies and minds are still developing? And celebrating it as achieving something good?

Allow children to be children. Not each girl wants to wear a skirt and not each boy wants to play with guns. None of the above requires therapy. Teach children how to use their talents, teach children how to behave, teach children how to appreciate themselves and others. Allow children to grow up.

Maybe later on some will not overgrow certain things. In rare cases specialists will get involved. Yet drastic changes should be only available to grown up people and only as a last resort.