Even in a time of culture wars and controversy about everything, there are few subjects as difficult to discuss as transgender rights. In less than a decade the number of young people identifying as trans has exploded, and with it the number of arguments about the subject.  In British schools nearly 80% of teachers report trans-identified or non-binary students in their classroom. 

Supporters say being trans is innate, like being gay, and that this is like the gay-rights movement of 30 years ago, with lots of trans kids coming out of the closet to be themselves. Critics say being trans is not innate and that many kids are identifying as the opposite sex because it is cool, and because they are being indoctrinated by a new ideology, fed to them on social media and by activist teachers. 

The debates have become most heated when it comes to actual medical transitioning.  In all of the disagreement, what frequently gets lost is the need for compassion for anyone struggling with dysphoria. But how far should compassion go? Should it allow any teenager who says they are trans to medically transition? What about the increasing number of studies showing that many such kids have other serious mental-health issues?  

Laura Perry Smalts who was born female, and lived as a young man for almost 9 years. She took cross-sex hormones for years and had two major surgeries. She now regrets ever having done it, has detransitioned, and wants to warn others of the dangers. She is here to tell her story. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Transgender-Transformed-Story-Transition-Truly/dp/1933591307

This is a helpful article on the Living Out website on how to parent a child who is questioning their gender identity https://www.livingout.org/resources/articles/111/parenting-a-child-questioning-their-gender-identityThe Bayswater Support group helps parents whose children have some form of transgender of nonbinary identity https://www.bayswatersupport.org.ukA quick guide to the issue written for the Christian Medical Fellowship https://www.cmf.org.uk/resources/publications/content/?context=article&id=27357The Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine https://segm.orgTransgender Trend campaign against medical interventions for gender-questioning children https://www.transgendertrend.comGenspect is an international coalition of professionals and others critical of transgender treatment for gender dysphoria https://genspect.orgThe Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender https://can-sg.org/

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