An op-ed in The New York Times calls for pumping the brakes on immediately affirming an increasing number of children’s new gender identities.
The article published Friday criticizes the “ideological extremism” of transgender activists, saying they have pushed a model of treatment that has faced increased scrutiny in recent years.
“Under that model of care, clinicians are expected to affirm a young person’s assertion of gender identity and even provide medical treatment before, or even without, exploring other possible sources of distress,” the article says.
Detransitioners are flipping the narrative.
The truth of our experiences can no longer be denied. https://t.co/vnaJJMuFGy
— Chloe Cole ⭐️ (@ChoooCole) February 2, 2024
The article adds that “right-wing demagogues” have also inflamed the debate around child transgender medical interventions, but they are not the only ones.
Meanwhile, parents have a hard time finding “dispassionate discussion” of the risks involved with “gender-affirming care,” the article notes, and healthcare professionals who do not think children should be immediately affirmed are “often afraid to speak out.”
“Trans activists have fought hard to suppress any discussion of rapid onset gender dysphoria, despite evidence that the condition is real,” the article says, and “the doctrinal rigidity of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party is disappointing, frustrating and counterproductive.”
The Times article also notes that Europe, where gender ideology took hold before it became popular in the U.S., has changed course and backed away from the “affirming” model for gender dysphoric children.
The Dutch studies that the “affirming” model was largely based on had “flaws” and “there was no evidence that any intervention was lifesaving,” the article charges.
Friday’s article strikes a different tone than previous articles published by the Times on this issue.
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Back in May, the Times published an article saying that detransitioners — people who regret their transgender medical interventions — are just a small group that activists Republicans are using to skew public opinion.
Another article from late 2022 started to question the merits of puberty blockers. However, this week’s article appears to contain the strongest criticism yet of fast-tracked transgender medical interventions for minors.
Critics of gender ideology reacted to the Times article on social media.
“We’re taking down a cult and it’s glorious to watch. Even the New York Times is telling the truth about trans,” posted Chris Elston, who is known as “Billboard Chris.”
Some critics wondered if the driving force behind such direct criticism appearing in the Times could be the lawsuits detransitioners are filing against the medical providers who provided them with hormone treatments and surgery.
“Detransitioners are flipping the narrative. The truth of our experiences can no longer be denied,” Chloe Cole, a detransitioner who has been outspoken about her experience, posted on X.
Cole sued Kaiser Permanente last year over her medical gender treatments.