Hardening of our trans hearts
Ten years ago I was ambivalent about puberty blockers and paediatric trans healthcare. My concerns were an abstraction of many things, mainly based on what ifs and future regrets. Yes, as a trans teenager myself I benefited from empathy and support from my GP in allowing me informed consent HRT, so it was not a clear cut situation. However, since 2016 my attitude has hardened to the point where I am a fierce proponent of allowing trans kids the right to choose their own pathway with the support of their parents and qualified medical personnel. It is not for me or any unqualified person to project our own beliefs onto that child, least of all to deny them the opportunity of a quiet and happy adulthood.
Medical ethics is complicated by many factors, though usually comes down to what treatment will provide the best quality of life for the patient at hand. Being trans is not something you can easily handwave away, especially if you rely on psychotherapy to deny a person their innate identity. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind, having periods of your life as one gender then another then another, or simply affirming your core identity as you see fit. What does matter is the societal conditioning we are all forced to go through, and many of the ethical qualms about trans identities are based on those societal assumptions about self.
