Detransitioners
Transition Regret
With so much emphasis on “affirming care”, including support for the medical transition of children and a ballooning number of paediatric gender clinics, it is no surprise that many young people are now regretting their decisions and choosing to detransition. Increasing numbers of young adult detransitioners are now coming forward, saying they weren’t informed of the risks, that they were too young to consent to the trans treatments, and now their lives and bodies are damaged beyond repair.
Many detransitioners say that their underlying mental health conditions were not adequately explored – things like anxiety, eating disorders and sexual abuse trauma went ignored. Many female detransitioners report they are actually lesbians.
A large number of detransitioners are young women, but there are also male detransitioners. What they all have in common is that they did not find healing or wholeness by altering their bodies and denying reality.
One important case is Bell v. Tavistock. Keira Bell is a young woman who transitioned as a teen. She was instantly affirmed and rapidly moved through the system toward medical transition. She sued the Tavistock Clinic and won. The Court’s decision was that it is “highly unlikely” that children under 13 are competent to give consent to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. For children 14 to 15 years old, it is “doubtful” they have competency to make such a decision. For 16 to 18 year-olds, it was recommended clinicians seek the authorization of the court. Click on the emblem below to read the full decision by the High Court of Justice on December 1, 2020. It is unfortunately the case that the ruling was overturned on Sept 17, 2021 by a Court of Appeal. However, Keira Bell will be seeking permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.