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Trans bodily autonomy
Each person has the fundamental right of bodily autonomy unless the State intervenes and says they are legally unable to make decisions about themselves. This is a fundamental right all humans enjoy, and is at the heart of the modern conception of rights. Without autonomy we would have no rights over what happens to our bodies, and are at the mercy of the State in what happens to us. This cuts to the heart of abortion rights, disability rights, and trans rights. Without bodily autonomy trans people are left at the mercy of others in deciding their future, leaving them at the whims of gatekeepers and others who potentially hold gender critical views.
Much ofthe current argument about trans medicine, especially for under-18s, revolves around the idea that trans people lack agency in making medical decisions for themselves without fully considering the long-term consequences. This is patently a logical fallacy when bodily autonomy is considered, especially because any paediatric medicine carries lifelong risks that may not be inherently understood at the time of the medical intervention. Cancer, genetic defects, dentistry, broken limbs, organ transplants, and other conditions all have significant consequences on a patient’s health, potentially including infertility, stunted growth, and autoimmune disorders. That anti-trans activists rail against puberty blockers and HRT ignores the side-effects of a vast…
