respectfully, may I ask what age you think people should be allowed to chemically and surgically begin transitioning from their birth gender? Maybe those 2 categories at different ages?
this is beautiful to see 💜
https://www.tmz.com/2023/11/13/marlon-wayans-daughter-transgender-son-rainbow-child/
Discussion
first, it's important to note that not all trans people seek to medically transition. however, for many it is a lifesaving necessity. children start to get a sense of their gender identity around the age of 2 1/2 to 3 years old, and considering the attempted suicide rate of trans people is over 40% (highest of any demographic) i generally support current us national guidelines. puberty blockers can be started at the onset of puberty. this only delays puberty AND IS TOTALLY REVERSIBLE. with hormone replacement therapy can typically beginning at 16. the Endocrine Society says that adolescents typically have the mental capacity to participate in making an informed decision about gender-affirming hormone therapy by age 16. surgeries are taken on a case by case basis, but most genital-affirming surgeries should not happen before the age of 18
I appreciate your perspective. Genital-affirming surgeries appear like a delicate and very high stakes topic. I’ve seen a handful of heartbreaking stories detailing young people with post-surgery regret that also involve suicidal ideation or worse. Self-harm on both sides of the non-reversible decision makes this very difficult. Perhaps there should be some sort of required interview + education process for committed 18-25 yr olds. 25 marking prefrontal cortex completion for most. To be clear, after the interview I don’t think any authority should be able to stop surgery for an 18+ yr old. Maybe that could be a jurisdictional decision 🤷🏻
ofc. i appreciate your respectful discourse. yes, around 1 % of individuals that undergo transition do express some sort of regret. the overwhelming majority do not and the biggest regret ~75% is wishing they would have transitioned sooner. to speak to your point, yes...there are already many medical and psychological evaluations before both hrt (hormone replacement therapy) and surgical therapy. in states without informed consent, this process is very gate-keepy and there is typically a requirement to socially transition for a year before even hrt is an option. this is a painful period where the person usually does not "pass" as their gender and is not yet able to begin gender affirming medical care. sadly, people can be cruel and too many do not make it out if this period alive. where there is informed consent, this gatekeeping 1 year requirement is forgone, but one still needs a letter from a doctor and typically two letters of recommendation from two separate psychologists before any gender affirming surgeries can be performed