I’m happy to announce the launch of Transgender Trend, an international organization created by and for parents who are questioning the accelerating trend to diagnose children and adolescents as “transgender.”
Transgender Trend, started by parents from the UK, the US, and Canada, aims to be a source of information and support for anyone who wants to challenge the pediatric “transition” narrative that has swept the Western world in the last several years. In addition, the organization intends to issue press releases, and to be a voice for parents, family members, and supportive friends who have been seeking–so far without success–to reach others who share their doubts and concerns.
The website (still in development) features an FAQ, links to and synopses of research studies, quotes from doctors, researchers, and psychologists, and a blog. It’s expected that the site will grow over time. Comments and questions are very welcome, but please note: Transgender Trend is not intended as, nor will it ever be, a place for trans activists to harass and harangue the parents and supportive others who congregate there.
Stephanie Davies-Arai, mother of four and the author of Communicating with Kids, will be the UK spokeswoman for Transgender Trend. Stephanie has recently given written evidence to the UK Parliament on the issue of pediatric transgender issues. She also wrote a powerful piece, “The Transgender Experiment on Kids” for the Wales Arts Review (now published on her own blog), critiquing the increasingly worrying child and adolescent “transition” narrative.
Stephanie has this to say about the launch of Transgender Trend:
I’m really happy to be working in collaboration with 4thWaveNow and a global group of parents to launch Transgender Trend. Our site is dedicated to evidence-based research and information which I hope will become a resource not only for parents, but for the press and the media too. For too long, we’ve only been hearing one side of the argument: that ‘gender nonconforming’ children should be socially and medically ‘transitioned’ as young as possible; that teenagers who suddenly announce they are ‘trans’ should be taken at their word with no questions asked.
Disguised as progressive liberalism, transgender theory depends on the reactionary and conservative belief in rigid gender stereotypes which now increasingly inform our interpretations of children’s behaviour. In the absence of any rigorous analysis of this theory, we are playing with children’s futures in the name of political correctness. Ultimately, the move to reclassify ‘male’ and ‘female’ not as biological sexes but as gender types, disproportionately harms women and girls.
I hope Transgender Trend goes some way to balance the overwhelmingly uncritical celebration of ‘transgender kids’ throughout the mainstream media, and that we can provide reassurance to parents who are struggling with this issue: You are not alone.
Parents and supportive others from around the world are welcome. Please visit Transgender Trend at:
www.transgendertrend.com/
Reblogged this on Radfem Repost.
Reblogged this on Stop Trans Chauvinism.
So happy to hear this.
Me, too. So happy! What a lot of hard work, and personal pain, to get to this point where parents will finally have a sane place to turn for moral support and information. Thank you to 4thwavenow, Stephanie, and everyone else involved in this project.
YES! OMG I support you!
Yes! Me, too! A huge thanks and congratulations to those responsible for getting this off the ground. I agree it is much needed.
Fantastic. So very pleased to hear this. The time is right and I am sure that the public will be behind you once your message gets out there. I can’t wait for the first press release. With Stephanie-Davies Arai in the UK and you at the helm in the US then Trangender Trend will be a force and alternative voice to be reckoned with.
While I think that more information is great, and that support networks for parents are vastly important, I can’t help but notice that some of the language contained in the launch notice is grossly oversimplifying trans theory and activism. Trans activism does not seek to pressure people into transition, not to pressure others to follow along with it in the name of political correctness: it seeks to secure rights for trans individuals who, out of their own volition, seek transition.
Children who come out as trans should of course have access to mental health care, support, and dialogue; gender is vastly complex, and talking to your gender non-conforming child and asking them questions is certainly an important part of parenting. Questions should be asked. But nobody should pressure a child either way: either into transitioning or away from it.
As someone who questioned gender for a while and then decided not to pursue any steps toward transition, while also knowing others whose questioning paths did lead them toward seeking physical changes, I can somewhat understand how complex an issue this is. But ultimately gender-nonconformity is different for every child: just because some girls grow out of G.I. Joes and cargo shorts doesn’t mean all do, and just because some women still like G.I. Joes and cargo shorts doesn’t mean all of them are transmen. Trans theory does seek to make these distinctions, rather than simply prop itself up against staunch traditionalism.
(It’s worth noting that male and female may be biological sexes to some, but for others, for whatever reason (genetics, hormone exposure in the fetus, environmental changes to the DNA) there is a very physical discomfort that comes with the sex they were born with.)
I support the sentiment behind the group, but I would advise staying away from polarizing language such as “transgender theory disguised as radical liberalism”. The mainstream media may choose to glorify a particular slice of trans experiences; but the reality is not the same as the portrayal, and this distinction should be kept in mind.
Gender dysphoria is a real experience, but what to do about it is where I (and many of my readers) would disagree with you. And it would be nice if trans activists didn’t “pressure” anyone, but the reality is that they have pushed the idea of a “transgender child” to the point that parents and providers are rushing to diagnose kids as young as 4 years old. I invite you to read more of this site to understand why many of us are concerned. And of course, I hope others will respond to your comment as well.
Plain T– I’m glad to know that you felt no pressure to transition, and that those close to you felt no pressure to support your potential transition. And I have to say as well–if you think there is no pressure-to-transition coming from transactivism, and that transactivism has no intention “to pressure others to follow along with it in the name of political correctness”–well, you’re missing quite a bit.
I speak as the mother of a MTF trans teen as well as a gender-critical radical feminist, and I have seen in both areas of my life–and both online and IRL–a staggering degree of pressure to transition placed on gender-dysphoric people, and a massive, often viciously aggressive (to the point of death threats) pressure on others to accept their loved-ones’ transitioning without question. You said, also: “talking to your gender non-conforming child and asking them questions is certainly an important part of parenting. Questions should be asked.” And yet my experience with my son was that I–a GNC womyn and a mother who raised my kids not to attach concern to following gender-rules– was not allowed to ask *any questions. My son was being taught by transactivists and their allies to use only 2 standard responses to all questions: “I’ve always been female” and “you’re transphobic” (and this from a teen with whom *everything under the sun had always been discussed thoughtfully, including sex, sexual orientation & gender, up til the time he transitioned). I have heard much the same from other families–and I have spent some time perusing the online sources of info and discussion among trans people. The evidence is very very clear, and deeply disturbing.
Finally, there is no solid evidence whatsoever that there is any *physical* reason for gender dysphoria (as you said it, “genetics, hormone exposure in the fetus, environmental changes to the DNA” or the ever-popular ‘brain sex’). For every new study seeming to show such links, there is another that debunks it. Also, before you dismiss things like some people pointing to a misguided “radical liberalism”, you should probably look more deeply into that, so you can speak from a place of more authority on the topic.
The Trans Trend is enormously dangerous to our children, and to our families–this cannot be emphasized enough! Gender dysphoria is obviously very real–but the reasons for it, and the solutions for it, cannot be found in attempts to re-cast reality in terms of a mental dis-ease nor especially in chemical and surgical mutilation of people.
Well, we wouldn’t need polarizing language if we felt that mental health professionals and others weren’t one-sided about this. I was actually called a transphone by a mental health professional I was interviewing to help my daughter because I told her I wanted someone to teach my kid CBT for her anxiety and depression and she said, per California law she could only deal with my child’s trans-identification, not her long-standing mental health issues. I have encountered this attitude so much that I can’t trust any mental health professional AT ALL.
So, it’s all well and good for you to accuse US of being polarized, but many of us have experienced being treated and spoken to as if we are hateful and evil while we are trying to honestly help our kids.
I can understand that. Thanks for your thoughtful response. I think the issue is that people on both sides, those seeking transition immediately and those seeking to discuss alternatives before jumping to transition, distrust mental health professionals. This is clearly an issue that needs to be addressed. The problem is that some trans individuals find their depressive symptoms are alleviated when they medically transition and others find that depression persists despite transition; and given the complexity of mental health care during adolescence (or during any period of time in one’s life), clearly we need more information before we can dismiss all trans activists or all anti-transition advocates.
PlainT: According to this study kids who desist from their gender dysphoria don’t grow out of G.I. Joes and cargo shorts. They are still gender non-conforming, although they may add new interests and friends. http://bit.ly/1ZUZ8eW
I’m delighted to hear the news. This has been way overdue.
We’ve got to the point where even asking a genuine question can be construed as aggression, and shouted down accordingly.
The new site should serve as a useful hub for gender-critical feminists, parents and interested others to share information and work together. There are enough of us.
asking a question IS seen as aggression so often–because the questioner is not simply accepting whatever the trans person (or ally) says, as pure gospel truth that brooks no questions and should need no explaining. “it’s true because we say it is, now go DIAF, TERF”.
I also wanted to transition as a teenager and ended up not. I think that a site like this would have been helpful for someone like my dad – our relationship was irreversibly damaged by that stage of my life, not so much because he opposed to my transitioning but because he had little information and felt he had no help or recourse and so he lashed out. With a site giving facts and resources and understanding his perspective maybe things would have been better for both of us. I hope it helps some families …
What advice would you give parents who want to support their children but also be cautious?
Congratulations on the new much needed group and website. You do excellent work!
Wonderful! Thank you for launching this. With the ever increasing amount of teens identifying as trans, there are a lot of distressed parents. Providing them with scientific research and clear-headed logic will help. Being informed and asking questions is not transphobic, it is good parenting.
There’s a moving post on one of the gender critical subreddits put up recently — a natal female, a lesbian, about a year into FTM transition, recounting about four years’ worth of “intense pressure” from people to transition since she is sex-role-nonconforming. She did this but reports “disgust” and shame about what she now sees in the mirror — yet fear of stopping the process and losing her entire community, and being accepted as a lesbian woman in her transformed state. This is a person in her early 20s. I’ve heard this story a LOT since researching these things. The media act like it never happens. But it does.
The transition pressure is absolutely there, these days, for anyone who will not go into the restricted gender boxes. Anybody who thinks it’s not, is kidding themselves. The years of deep exploration and lengthy real-world experiences before sex changes are apparently long gone.
So grateful for the new site, 4thwave and Stephanie. Keep up the great work.
Thank you, puzzled. I’m pretty sure I read that account you mention earlier today. Here it is:
https://www.reddit.com/r/GenderCritical/comments/3tcufr/just_a_hi_there_and_a_thank_you/
Wow, how I would love for my daughter to read this reddit, but I know if I send it to her, she would only be furious at me.
4th Wave and Stepannie, I am so grateful for your hard work and tenacity to get this site up. I hope this is the beginning of a shift in the trans trend.
When is the book coming out???
I think I’ve already written a book of essays…;-)
And thank you, Dorothy, for all you’ve done as part of this community of parents.
It’s sad this person continues to do things that make her miserable for fear of losing a “community”. I find the whole idea that a “trans” person’s community is trans people awfully constricting. I certainly don’t consider my “community” to consist only of childless married women who are self-employed artists.
One’s community is family, friends, acquaintances, shopkeepers, teachers, neighbors, postal carriers, bus drivers, etc. Perhaps this perspective could help people resist trans pressure.
The sad thing is that frequently the decision to “transition” results in rifts and alienation from those other sources of support and community you list here. Then the “trans” person feels they have no one other than other “trans” folk to turn to. That terrible loss is never discussed in the media or amongst activists, except to shame the “transphobes.” It is ALWAYS assumed that loss of friends and family is worth it. Yet one of the many assumptions about transgenderism that are so damaging and painful to all involved.
This is very heartening news, long overdue and handled in just the right spirit. It is vital to undermine the claim of trans activists to the language of openness, progress and liberalism. Well done.
Maybe a book of essays are also needed. And a history of gender….
This gives me hope. Ssince I found this site, I have been so relieved that others feel the same way as me, and have such similar experiences – eg. suddenly being portrayed as abusive and transphobic just for loving your child so much that you want to protect them from making life changing decisions- especially when they are vulnerable because of their age and anxieties. Thank you
Thank you thank you thank you! This has been greatly needed, and I look forward to watching the growth of the website.
One technical issue: when I click on the link, it says “page not found.” It then offers the option to click on Recent Post, and I can get into it that way.
I know the website has been experiencing some technical problems off and on that are being worked on. Please keep trying.
Thanks so much for providing a voice of reason in what has become the upside down world of Trans Inc. So many great comments above.
To date, it has been nearly impossible to get accurate, science-based information on this topic as it relates to children and adolescents and parents are surely feeling the pressure to make decisions they know in their hearts will ultimately be harmful to THEIR children. In a world where we try to protect children by posting the addresses of sex offenders and pedophiles, it is more remarkable to me that the Trans, Inc. particular brand of child abuse has been allowed to flourish unabated.
Your work here will unquestionably save peoples’ lives!
Kayaker: “Your work here will unquestionably save peoples’ lives!”
This is no exaggeration, and I don’t think it can be emphasized enough.
Also, 4th Wave– since I haven’t yet, I, too, add my deep appreciation for your work.
Thank you so much. The community that has been gathering here sustains me–each and every one of you.
Reblogged this on myheartandhope and commented:
Prayerfully hopeful that the pendulum will start to swing back.
Thank you so much for your work on this issue!
As the site adds content, would you consider including sample letters for parents to send to schools, etc.?
There was a recent news story about a school giving parents a single business day’s notice before teaching trans politics (“girl brains in boys’ bodies”) to young children. A very conservative law firm stepped in and wrote a letter, and the school has (so far) backed down.
I think a lot of parents who are uncomfortable with (for example) “transgender” boys using girls’ changing rooms don’t know about the federal courts that have decided against transgender plaintiffs in similar cases, and a single business day isn’t much time for parents to read up on the law! A sample letter mentioning legal precedents might make school administration think twice about pushing these policies.
Similarly, a letter explaining out the poor science and discriminatory implications of “pink = girl brains” could be useful if a school is presenting this sort of pseudoscientific sexism as fact.
These are excellent suggestions. We just talked about this idea after reading your comment, and plan to implement it. Thanks so much.
check out my post on Gender https://journeytonewyorkcity.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/gender/
This all reminds me of a trend that occurred in the in the 80’s and 90’s where psychologists got way out of hand with diagnosing trauma survivors with Multiple Personality Disorder or (later) Dissociative Identity Disorder. In the beginning, it was considered a very rare condition but before long, it seemed that anyone who had survived abuse was getting shoved into the “Dissociative” spectrum box. Serious harm came out of this negligence and eventually parents fought back and started suing the clinics that were exploiting patients. They sued on the basis of “False Memory” syndrome … a syndrome that results when a therapist asks leading questions. Almost over night, the clinics were closed down and guess what?? … The reckless practice of diagnosing people with DID or MPD became another twisted page in Psychiatry’s history. The diagnosis remains in the DSM (or at least i think it does??) but the label is seldom applied to patients today. So, what happened to all of these patients with multiple personalities?? One has to wonder.
You add to the pain of the first 17 years of my son’s life. Thankfully that is over, and he is incredibly happy now having transitioned last year. Thank goodness you and your organization are not the future. Just like anti-abolitionists, you have had your day, and the rest of us all look forward to a brighter more accepting future.
So, providing the only place on the Internet for parents who refuse to swallow whole the idea that young girls who don’t fit gender stereotypes should become lifelong medical patients is causing your child pain? Why would critical thinking in the face of an obvious cultural and medical trend be a source of pain, given that you and your child feel you have made the right decision? You don’t have to visit this website, and neither does your child. The very existence of dissent bothers you?
As far as what history will show, we will have to disagree that the transgender trend is a beacon of progress. Convincing girls, many of whom could have grown up to be happy lesbian or bisexual women if given the proper support, that they must submit to a surgeon’s knife and a lifetime of injecting testosterone will likely go down in history the way of lobotomies and eugenics.
At the very least, history will record that there was a resistance to the social contagion gripping so many of our young people. That there were parents who tried to protect their children’s healthy body and minds from an ideology and medical practice bent on enforcing gender stereotypes and profiting handsomely in the bargain.
I would add … and not to be insulting to Mr. Sambrook but… what his son thinks he wants at age 17 may not, in fact, be what he wants at ages 27, 37 or beyond. I have had four 17 year olds of my own (in fact I have one right now!) and as bright and sharp as they were, I would never have assumed that they were capable of making the extremely adult and final decision of undergoing surgery and signing up for life-long hormone treatment, much less of deciding never to bear children, and to sharply curtail the range of potential romantic partners, future job and social opportunities, etc. I do understand the impulse to be supportive and try to help your child be as happy and fulfilled as he can be. I do feel, though, that permitting or encouraging your child to go through a “trans-ing” experience necessarily involves intentionally ignoring the lifetime of consequences you and he are buying. For both of their sakes, I hope that this father and child do not come to regret this massive decision, but I guess I’m not betting on it. Our views of the future are really different: I think that in 10 or 20 years, just as with “recovered memory” syndrome, a lot of this is going to be shown to have been a massive delusion, and it will be the young ones who suffered the most.
Reblogged this on FeistyAmazon and commented:
Excellent to counter the dominant narrative!!