Tag: Puberty Blockers

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The Marketeers

The Transgender Campaign, Part 3

From “It Feels Good to be Yourself” by Theresa Thorn

Can the transgender movement be simply explained?  Yes.  To be truly supportive of transgender children, activists demand that society believe gender is independent of biology.  In other words, any individual can be any gender on any given day regardless of chromosomes. 

A decade ago, and for eons prior, generally accepted reality dictated that males are men, females are women, men and women have limitless personality traits that often overlap and a very small proportion of the population had gender identity issues.  Until 2013 such issues were considered a mental disorder by the American Psychological Association (APA).    

While the silent majority had their collective head in the sand, a campaign percolated in academia to declare this human reality wrong.  The idea that “one’s gender is part of personal identity and not a disorder requiring treatment” exploded out of academia and is now supported by a large, well-funded coalition of progressives including politicians, their benefactors, private and public institutions, the APA, the Endocrine Society, teachers’ unions, woke corporations, big tech, big pharma, gender clinics, sex change surgeons, powerful LGBT+ NGOs and a cadre of social media influencers.  These are the marketeers who relentlessly promote their idea that the man/woman dichotomy is a false premise, gender exists on a spectrum to be decided at will and social and medical transition are the only appropriate courses of action for a gender confused youth.  

The marketeers’ campaign to change the definition of men and women under the guise of protecting our gender confused children has the potential to fundamentally change our society.  Equally important, success will fill their coffers which will solidify their power.  

We learned in the previous article, Snowballs, how the marketeers use compassion to manipulate society to accept their idea that gender is independent of biology.  They also use another classic trick, encourage folks to focus on the consequences of their ideas instead of the idea itself.  For example, society tears itself apart arguing over biological men who compete in women’s sports when we should be questioning whether we accept their ideas or not.  As our attention is diverted with one gender crisis after another (rapes in prison, sports, bathrooms) we unwittingly signal our tacit acceptance of the core concepts.  The result?  The marketeers’ underlying gender ideas continue to seep into our institutions with little resistance.  Genius.  

For those who don’t buy what they are selling, the marketeers employ another successful tactic – cancel public voices into oblivion.  They also rely on their fanatical acolytes to ostracize the disbelievers or anyone who questions their methods and motives.  This family’s story provides an excellent example.

Have the marketeers’ strategies been successful?  Yes, they have made significant progress.  Let’s examine the data.  

According to a recent Pew Research Center analysis “Adults under 30 are more likely than older adults to be trans or nonbinary. Some 5.1% of adults younger than 30 are trans or nonbinary, including 2.0% who are a trans man or trans woman and 3.0% who are nonbinary – that is, they are neither a man nor a woman or aren’t strictly one or the other.”  

A recent Gallup report stated “Roughly 21% of Generation Z Americans who have reached adulthood — those born between 1997 and 2003 — identify as LGBT. That is nearly double the proportion of millennials who do so, while the gap widens even further when compared with older generations.”  As Bill Maher famously said, at this rate we will all be gay by 2054.  

According to the Williams Institute as of June 2022, “among U.S. adults 18 and older, 0.5% (about 1.3 million adults) identify as transgender. Among youth ages 13 to 17 in the U.S., 1.4% (about 300,000 youth) identify as transgender.”  

The Williams institute estimates the number of transgender 13–17-year-olds is 300,000 today and was approximately 150,000 in the 2016/2017 report.  Note however better base data is available today and the earlier estimate could be inaccurate.  

The Williams study also examined prevalence at the state level, “At the state level, our estimates range from 3.0% of youth ages 13 to 17 identifying as transgender in New York to 0.6% in Wyoming.”  Is this disparity a result of how active the marketeers are in New York vs Wyoming?  The marketeers would have us believe that children are more comfortable coming out but geographic disparities call this theory into question.  In July 2015, to be more “inclusive” and stop kids from bullying those with gender dysphoria, New York implemented guidelines forcing schools to teach all kids they can be any gender they want at will.  The data shows that kids are listening.  So are their parents.  

Interestingly the Williams Institute report stated “overall, based on our estimates from 2016-2017, we find that the percentage of number of adults who identify as transgender has remained steady over time.”  Marketeer messaging to adults does not appear to seek their transition but instead the acceptance of the medical transition of young people.  The marketeers and their acolytes tell distraught parents “would you rather have a live son or a dead daughter” suggesting that if the child doesn’t start expensive, dangerous puberty blockers, which lead to a lifetime of drugs and serious health consequences, he or she might commit suicide.  Parents should dig a bit deeper before accepting such statements.    

While the accuracy of the studies above is unknown and they have different parameters and results, it appears transgender youth represent a very small part of the population.  Yet there is a significant upward trend especially in areas where the marketeers have control of the messaging.  Considering that US marketeers insist on immediate social affirmation and irreversible medical treatments in lieu of “watchful waiting” psychotherapy, the trend is also alarming for the physical and emotional health of any child (and their parents) who heed the call to social affirmation and medicalization.   

Before we examine the data regarding puberty blockers and surgery, it is important to restate key facts:

  • In the absence of social and medical transition, “Childhood-onset gender dysphoria has been shown to have a high rate of natural resolution, with 61-98% of children reidentifying with their biological sex during puberty.”  Source. 
  • “Historically, the small numbers of children presenting with gender dysphoria were primarily prepubescent males. In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in referrals of adolescents, and particularly adolescent females, to gender clinics. Many do not have a significant history of childhood gender dysphoria and a number suffer from comorbid mental health issues and neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The reasons for these changes are understudied and remain poorly understood.” Source  Are the increases a result of the marketeers’ attempt to redefine gender, inundate society with trans messaging making it “cool” and a way to “belong”?  
  • A recent study suggests desistance is rare when parents elect to socially transition a young child (6 or 7 years old).   
  • Once a child begins puberty blockers, desistance is very rare if at all.  Almost all will progress to cross sex hormones and the certainty of infertility and other lifelong health consequences.  
  • Regardless, the Biden Administration released standards of care for transgender children that include immediate social affirmation, puberty blockers at approximately 12, cross sex hormones at 16 and sex reassignment surgery if desired.  In some locales puberty blockers are encouraged at younger ages. 
  • President Biden signed an executive order on June 15, 2022 that appears to further prioritize medical transition over “watchful waiting” psychotherapy.  Note other Western countries are moving in the opposite direction and have put the brakes on the medical transition of youth.  

How many children in the US have been prescribed puberty blockers?  

Curiously this information is not readily available.  We do know the first gender clinic prescribed puberty blockers in 2007 and there are hundreds of prescribers now which suggests the number has increased dramatically.  

Lupron (Abbvie) and Supprelin (Endo) are the primary drugs prescribed off label to block puberty in children with gender dysphoria.  The charts below reflect total sales which include among other uses, prescriptions for palliative care for prostate cancer, endometriosis and precocious puberty.  Therefore, one cannot conclusively prove without additional data from Big Pharma how much of the increase is due to kids with gender issues.

Note Abbvie’s annual report explained the 2020 reduction in Lupron sales was due to pandemic related shortages while Endo’s annual report suggested the increase in Supprelin sales was due to supply shortages of a competitor.  Endo canceled production of Vantas in 2021, a cheaper alternate to Supprelin prescribed off label for puberty suppression.  Annual sales data for Vantas were not included in the online annual reports.  2022 annual sales reports will be interesting.

The long-term effects of prescribing these drugs to healthy kids have not been properly evaluated nor have Abbvie and Endo undertaken the rigorous testing necessary to obtain FDA approval for on label use to block puberty for healthy children.  However, there is evidence that these drugs can do serious damage especially in bone and brain development.  Equally important, almost all kids who start blockers progress to cross sex hormones which are irreversible and have many serious health consequences not the least of which is infertility.   

The marketeers’ assertion that puberty blockers are reversible is a blatant lie.  

The Swedish health authority sums up the concerns regarding puberty blockers best: “the risks of puberty suppressing treatment with GnRH-analogues and gender-affirming hormonal treatment currently outweigh the possible benefits, and that the treatments should be offered only in exceptional cases.” 

An older study in the Netherlands suggested that 65% of children referred to their primary gender clinic in 2010 progressed to hormone treatments by 2015.   If this trend holds in the US, without question the marketeers’ push for medical transition of kids will result in a greater number of transgender adults many of whom will fill Big Pharma’s pockets for the rest of their lives.  One cannot help but wonder if the marketeers hope the number of kids prescribed blockers stays hidden.  If this information were available along with an honest assessment of the risks, their acolytes and the silent majority might finally wake up.

How successful are the marketeers in encouraging minors to have sex reassignment or nonbinary surgery?  

Below are charts compiled from data released by The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) that represents the number of adult sex reassignments since 2015 performed by their members.  

Note the data does not include minors nor does ASPS have this data sorted by age but considering the Williams Institute and Pew Research data above, it is likely heavily tilted towards young adults.  The location of these surgeries is also key data necessary to evaluate the marketeers’ efforts.  Are procedures concentrated in areas where the marketeers have successfully redefined gender in K-12?  

Is the increase in female to male surgical transitions a result of the increase in rapid onset gender dysphoria in young girls that many believe is a result of social contagion? If so, we can draw a clear line between the marketeers’ messaging, “gender affirming care” and a surgeon’s knife.

While the increasing trend is clear, the number of people seeking surgery is very small compared to our population. This raises questions regarding intent.  Why did the California Department of Insurance direct all insurance companies in the Golden State to pay for the mastectomies of any gender transition patients under the age of 18?  Did California force this change because there was an existing market of young girls who were desperate to remove their breasts or to encourage market demand?  

The marketeers in western countries are gleefully counting their future dollars as demand for these surgeries grow.  Global Market Insights (GMI) estimated in 2019 that we “will witness 25.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during 2020 to 2026.”  They estimate sex change surgeries will be a billion-dollar industry by 2026.  The synopsis suggests that “increasing focus on the transgender issues through various studies will contribute to the sex reassignment surgery market growth.”  And not unexpectedly, “favourable government policies associated with gender transition surgeries is one of the major factors driving the industry demand.” 

As with puberty blockers sex reassignment surgery comes with serious risks and long-term health consequences.  According to some who have transitioned, these pesky details are not thoroughly discussed with patients.  This article will open one’s eyes to the brutality of male to female sex change surgeries as will Scott Newgent’s female to male experience during and after surgical transition.  

Let’s summarize.  A coalition was built to promote a new definition of gender under the guise of protecting a minute number of transgender youth relative to the population.  At no time did the marketeers offer an alternative method to assist our gender confused children that did not include reordering society at large.  

Through a variety of successful strategies, the idea that gender is independent of biology has been relentlessly pumped into mainstream culture via education, entertainment, legislation and social media.  Young people are listening.  Their parents suffer with nowhere to turn.  

Utilizing poor quality data, the marketeers including the APA, the Endocrine Society and the Federal Government encourage social and medical affirmation of gender confused children, a strategy that will likely result in their sterility, a lifetime of drugs and profound health issues with no guarantee of improved mental or physical outcomes.   Meanwhile the marketeers seek to suppress opposing views, deliberately lie about the side effects of the drugs they push and downplay the consequences of sex change surgery.  This should be deeply troubling to all.  

Unbelievably many, if not most, Americans are oblivious to the danger to our youth and therefore our country.  Society rages over consequences of this ideology (bathrooms, prisons, women’s sports) which have served as effective diversions.  Meanwhile, the ideology itself has taken root. This is striking since it is highly likely the silent majority believes that gender and biology are inexorably linked.

We the people let this happen and we the people are the only ones who can stop it.  We must.  

Details

  • Note this is the third article on the transgender campaign that has gripped and divided our country.  For background data it may be helpful to read “Through the Looking Glass” and “Snowballs”.  
  • To be perfectly clear, I firmly oppose the marketeers’ tactics, ideology, and push to transition and medicalize children.  I believe we can and should be supportive and compassionate to our gender confused children without a fundamental shift in our understanding of gender and the resultant reordering of society.  In addition, should any informed adult whose prefrontal cortex is fully developed wish to pursue hormones and/or surgery to reduce distress caused by gender incongruence, they should have the opportunity to do so.  Medicalizing children before their brains are mature and they are able to fully understand the risks is akin to child abuse and should only be pursued in the most extreme circumstances after extensive traditional (not affirming) psychological treatment. 
  • The Society for Evidenced Based Gender Medicine (SEGM) has a wealth of information for those interested in understanding this topic in greater detail.  Anyone with children in school districts controlled by the marketeers and who are free to roam social media should have a laser focus on this issue.  “Our aim is to promote safe, compassionate, ethical and evidence-informed healthcare for children, adolescents, and young adults with gender dysphoria.” https://segm.org
  • A “must read” from SEGM that fact checks the Biden Administration’s recently released standards for gender affirming care.  https://segm.org/fact-checking-gender-affirming-care-and-young-people-HHS
  • Genspect’s https://www.statsforgender.org is another excellent resource.  
  • The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is a prime marketeer for “gender affirming” care who also supply materials to schools.  In concert with other organizations such as the National Education Association (NEA) they published “Schools in Transition, A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 School”.  While much of the material is appropriately based in compassion, the following excerpts indicate their goal – to redefine gender.  
    • “While this concern may seem understandable, it is often based on the false idea that a transgender boy is not a “real” boy, a transgender girl is not a “real” girl or that a transgender student wants access to those facilities for an improper purpose. Schools should attempt to address these and any other misconceptions that may be causing the student’s discomfort.” The article goes on to suggest that the student who is uncomfortable use a different restroom.
    • “Unfortunately, schools often erroneously believe that a transgender student, particularly a transgender girl, will have a competitive advantage over the other players and therefore should not be allowed to compete on the team that matches their gender identity. Concerns regarding competitive advantage are unfounded and often grounded in sex stereotypes about the differences and abilities of males versus females.11”
    • “As part of this effort, it is important to educate the student’s family members about the serious consequences of refusing to affirm their child’s gender identity.”  There is no mention of informing the parents of the serious consequences of affirming their child’s identity and that going through puberty cures gender dysphoria for the majority of kids.  Nor do they mention the substantial numbers of adolescent girls claiming to be transgender with no prior history.  
  • This article examines the experience of one family in California.  It is a “must read” and demonstrates how open discussion of the pros and cons of transition is prohibited in certain areas and those who attempt to question the narrative are ostracized.  
  • This article highlights the acolytes’ fanatical obsession with the gender narrative.  https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-workers-advocating-for-trans-rights-within-company-march-at-seattle-pride
  • Angus Fox (a pseudonym) has written an excellent series “When Sons Become Daughters”.  Here is part 7.  https://quillette.com/2021/06/18/when-sons-become-daughters-its-time-to-admit-that-reflexive-affirmation-has-been-a-mistake/
  • Casual research into Lupron will reveal its dangers.  Hormones Matter is a good resource.  In this article Dr. Julia affiliated with Genspect answers questions on blockers.  This PBS article discusses the long term side effects and this article in the Daily Wire is the personal story of a woman who is currently taking the drug. 
  • Anyone considering Lupron for themselves or their children might benefit from contacting one of the many Lupron victim groups. I have been in touch with the Lupron Warriors group on Facebook.  
  • Annual sales data for Lupron (Abbvie) and Supprelin (Endo) was pulled from their online annual reports.  2021 Abbvie annual report. 2021 Endo annual report.
  • I searched extensively for Lupron and Supprelin annual sales limited to puberty blockers for transgender children and the number of prescriptions written annualy but, as a Big Pharma outsider, was unable to find this data.  It is important data and if any reader has a means to obtain it, please feel to contact me.  We may have to wait until states such as Texas release reports resulting from their actions against Abbvie and Endo.  

Please feel free to visit BayBuddha Travels for articles on a wide range of subjects.

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Snowballs

The Transgender Campaign, Part 2

From “What Are Your Words” by Katherine Locke

Our compassion was hijacked years ago.  How else could our perception of reality be so twisted that we believe biological men should compete in sports against biological women?  That it is a moral imperative to teach young girls and boys they can be a boy, a girl, a boy and a girl, or neither?  That tampons should be in K-12 boys’ bathrooms? That minors should be able to pursue chemical castration without parental approval?

Most humans ache for a troubled, unhappy child and would do whatever possible to bring them comfort.  This basic human compassion has been teased into a grotesque acceptance of policies that risk the health of both our gender confused youth and kids in general.  Equally disturbing, “gender affirming care” increases the demand for transgender care, which increases the number of opportunists who lobby for more “gender affirming care”.  A nationally orchestrated cycle of Munchausen by Proxy.  Who wins?  Opportunists.  Who loses in the short term?  Confused kids.  Who loses in the long term?  All of us. 

From “What Are Your Words” by Katherine Locke

Many are unaware how far this insanity has spiraled since Obama gave the gender snowball a shove via administrative and executive actions in 2009.  Very few objected.  Would we have blocked Obama’s pen if we knew it would result in our kids being taught “See, when you were born, you couldn’t tell people who you were or how you felt.  They looked at you and made a guess.  Maybe they got it right, maybe they got wrong”.  Would alarm bells have gone off if parents knew “gender affirming care” could lead future kids to declare “they got it wrong” and unilaterally pursue irreversible, life altering drugs and surgery as minors?   

From “It Feels Good To Be Yourself” by Theresa Thorn

As we witnessed with appalling clarity during Covid, once a snowball gets rolling encouraged by politicians, institutions and a media machine that cancels opposition, folks tend to jump on board.  “Of course we have compassion for kids with gender dysphoria, love is love”, they mimic.  Sadly people are too busy to see the rot beneath the pretty words or consider what this snowball will look like in a decade.  Nor do they wonder why the snowball got pushed over the cliff initially. Or why our compassion and acceptance of those with gender dysphoria isn’t enough and to be truly supportive, we must deny the link between gender and biology for all humanity. Note less than 1% of the population were transgender when this movement began.

For those who wish to critically evaluate this movement, it’s important to determine where we are and where the transgender snowball is headed.  Let’s start by understanding that most kids will grow out of gender dysphoria by the end of adolescence.  On the other hand, desistance is rare once puberty blockers are prescribed to a gender confused child (the federal government recommends blockers at age 12).  Puberty blockers are not “reversible” when consider the full range of physical and psychological impacts not the least of which is a desire by almost all kids to continue with cross sex hormones (the federal government recommends cross sex hormones at 16).  The combination of these drugs results in irreversible sterility, undeveloped sexual organs and other potential health issues.  There appears to be no foolproof method to determine who will desist and whose gender dysphoria will persist.  Since most 12-year-olds are incapable of grasping the ramifications of these drugs, treatment with comprehensive psychotherapy appears to be the only safe and humane avenue for gender confused minors.  When the brain of a gender dysphoric young adult is fully developed, the individual can then decide if drug and surgical interventions are the appropriate course of action.  

From “It Feels Good To Be Yourself” by Theresa Thorn

Next, let’s consider the future.  Where will we be in ten years without a course change?  Three states have passed laws that allow minors to pursue puberty blockers and cross sex hormones (ie sterility and other complications) without parental consent.  How many more politicians will follow like sheep?  Will a generation of children who have been taught that feelings supplant reality be easier to manipulate by future snowballs that target emotions?  How does the push to unmoor children from their biology impact the family in the future?  We have learned how the collapse of the family has impacted poor black communities.  Can we expect similar destabilization in other communities?  What will be the impact on the family as government entities insert themselves between kids and parents on health matters?  

This is a small sampling of potential outcomes to ponder.  We must take our collective heads out of the sand and face this issue head on.  Lest folks think the above is nothing more than a right-wing talking point and, as such, should be ignored, let’s examine actual trends which will help us understand where we are and predict the future….

From “What Are Your Words” by Katherine Locke

Details

  • Note my previous article, “Through the Looking Glass” on the transgender movement is a deeper dive and would perhaps be helpful to understand the basics.  The above seeks to communicate a few important details in a shorter format and set the stage for an examination of data and trends.  
  • “A new law recently passed in California allows (foster) children as young as 12 years old to receive taxpayer-funded transgender treatments and services, without parental consent.”  Source.  
  • In 2015, Judicial Watch wrote regarding Oregon’s new law: “In a matter of months dozens of kids—some younger than 9—received taxpayer-funded, sex-change therapy in a state that earlier this year made it legal for minors to undergo radical treatment for “gender dysphoria” without parental consent.” Source.
  • In Washington, “the age of consent for obtaining health care services was lowered to 13 in a bill that went into effect in January of 2020.” Source.  Note it appears that HB2288 referenced in this article to locate health centers on middle and high school properties which would effectively bypass parents, is dead.  That it was even considered should raise eyebrows.  
  • “Gender affirming care” has had an impact on how therapists approach treatment of gender confused kids.  This article by Dr. Miriam Grossman is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the current state of care or for parents of a child who has declared they are transgender, especially Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) that has impacted so many young girls.  ROGD is a recent phenomena that many believe is caused by social contagion.
  • The photos from this article were taken from the following two books which are in many school libraries around the country.  Brenda Lebsack, a teacher in California, forwarded them to me.  I do not believe they are used in the classroom or if it is likely a child will encounter them.  They do however provide insight in how gender ideology is communicated to children.  I highly recommend listening.  Please consider the impact on a young mind. 

https://brenda4kids.com/index.php/our-media/videos-and-resources/book-in-calif-elementary-school-libraries-unlimited-gender-choices

https://brenda4kids.com/index.php/our-media/videos-and-resources/book-in-calif-elementary-school

Please feel free to visit BayBuddha Travels for articles on a wide range of subjects.

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Through the Looking Glass

American on Shaky Ground, Part 7

The Transgender Campaign, Part 1

A byproduct of the “gender is a feeling” movement is that people who pee sitting down must share public restrooms with people who pee standing up.  This is unacceptable.  Their restrooms tend to get that not so fresh smell from pee landing in places it does not belong.  Logic also dictates that crouchers who pee all over the toilet seat should be relegated to the standers’ bathroom.  In fact, restroom usage should be divided not on how one feels but on who can keep their pee in the toilet bowl.  Laws must be enacted and enforced.  If absurdity is the norm let’s at least be practical.  

Is the above any more absurd than men who wish they were women competing in sports with actual women?  Or that anyone would ask a potential supreme court justice what the definition of a woman was and equally bizarre, the judge would refuse to answer?  No.    

Let’s take a step back and examine the gender and transgender narrative that’s dumped us all in the same restroom.  

A narrative is often accompanied by the manipulation of language.  “Prior to the 1950s, gender meant male or female, but applied only to grammar not persons. Latin based languages categorize nouns and their modifiers as masculine or feminine and for this reason are still referred to as having a gender.”  Source.  

Now definitions like this proliferate: “Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender diverse people. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they act and interact, and the distribution of power and resources in society. Gender identity is not confined to a binary (girl/woman, boy/man) nor is it static,” etc. 

The word gender itself has been transitioned.  

The word “Intersex” describes an old phenomenon.  In rare instances, people are born with abnormal chromosome combinations that result in both male and female characteristics.  The first sex change operation on an intersex individual occurred in the early 1900s. While there is disagreement on the prevalence of intersex people, one calculation states they represent approximately .018% of US population. 

Gender Identity Disorder is not new either although this condition is now referred to as Gender Dysphoria. “Gender dysphoria (GD) in children describes a psychological condition in which they experience marked incongruence between their experienced gender and the gender associated with their biological sex.” Source.  “Children represent a small number of individuals with gender dysphoria and in only 10-20% of the children, gender dysphoria will continue to manifest in adolescence”.  Source.  These folks and intersex individuals deserve our compassion and hope for a fulfilling life.  For perspective, a rough estimate of the number of GD individuals seeking sex reassignment surgery can be found in the Details section.  

The label “gender nonconforming” is new but the concept is old.  Gender nonconformity refers to the extent to which a person’s gender identity, role, or expression differs from the cultural norms prescribed for people of a particular sex.

What is new is the idea that we should teach children gender is fluid so they will accept and be compassionate towards those who suffer from gender identity disorder.    

What is also new is the increased volume of GD diagnoses over baseline (referred to as excess demand in this article) and the willingness to treat GD chemically and surgically at younger and younger ages ignoring the data that at least 80% of GD cases resolve with psychotherapy alone by late adolescence.  Unbelievably, in some clinics, chemical transition is initiated in the absence of comprehensive psychological evaluation.  

It appears the increase in referrals to gender clinics has not been quantified although we can look at the explosion of clinics and surmise demand has grown significantly.  The first US clinic to pioneer puberty blockers for children opened in 2007.  According to one study, there are approximately 200 clinics and growing.  This number does not appear to include Planned Parenthood clinics which have embraced puberty blockers and cross sex hormones.  GD drugs and surgery have become big business.  

Why are there so many more gender confused kids?  Why has the number of young girls seeking transgender care surged?  The chicken and egg debate rages but it is important to understand these questions have not been evaluated as outlined in this Dutch article.  Without this essential data the federal government has issued official support for “gender affirming care” which can include social transition (name and pronoun), puberty blockers, cross sex hormones, surgery and psychotherapy.  The federal government has also warned states they could be in violation of civil rights laws if they block minors from receiving “gender affirming care” even though the long term impact of puberty blockers on children has not been adequately studied.  

Even without studies, it stands to reason that excess demand is driven by the relentless gender narrative of social media influencers, politicians, educators and the media coupled with the censorship of critics.  The rhetoric resembles a well-executed marketing campaign.  Gender drug pushers and surgeons welcome the new target market with open arms.  

Another likely driver of excess demand is the age at which gender ideology is introduced. Is it wise to tell little kids that boys can be girls and girls can be boys?  Imagine a prepubescent child’s reaction when presented with the Gingerbread Person or the Gender Unicorn, images that are clearly designed for a young audience.  Once these concepts are in a child’s mind, will they confuse common body image concerns, normal identity questions and insecurities with GD?  According to Erikson’s Psychological Stage Summary Chart, an important factor for adolescents is their search for personal identity.  Is it possible the relentless gender messaging from teachers, children’s programming and social media will misdirect children in their search?  

Like Alice, it feels like we have entered a fantastical world, where we find that, just like a reflection, everything is reversed, including logic.  Did our society take a wrong turn through the looking glass?  

It certainly appears so.  Any human who has been around for a while witnessed the negative impacts of strict gender stereotypes and the existence of “gender noncomformists”.  In the 1970s things visibly started to change.  By the turn of the century expectations and assumptions had loosened to such a degree that those who march to their own drummer were celebrated.   

The gender movement is regressive however and strict stereotypes are back.  How can a 10 year old girl casually tell her parents she is not a girl unless society has narrowly defined how a girl behaves, how she thinks and what is expected of her?  This is obvious “elephant in the living room” logic and is the crux of society’s wrong turn. We should bust the stereotypes not the reality of our biology.  

Are there any other elephants that deserve our attention?  Yes, big ones.  

  • “Also, some experts noticed that a clear majority of children on GnRH therapy (puberty blockers) will decide to pursue cross-sex hormonal therapy.” Source.  Other sources suggest this number is close to 100%.  We have already learned that 80%-90% of GD resolves without drug intervention plus there has been a notable increase in children, particularly girls, seeking transgender care.  Do the math.  If we start children on puberty blockers whose GD would have otherwise resolved, we will increase the number of transgender adults who are also dependent on cross sex hormones.  No doubt the pharmaceutical companies support “gender affirming care”. 
  • Consider the distinctive manifestations of women and men in your own circles.  How can gender labels and pronouns possibly encompass the depth of our uniqueness?  They can’t.  That is why the number of genders/pronouns has grown to ridiculous proportions, 64 by one count.  Yet what is the endgame of gender transition?  Male and female genitalia.  A full circle of absurdity.  
  • How can equal opportunity laws conceivably address the expanding number of genders?
  • When I was in grade school, the kids viciously teased an overweight girl because she was different. Imagine her isolation and trauma.  Did the government issue a directive on “fat affirming care”?  Of course not.  Why would we force society at large to declare their pronouns and abandon biologic reality rather than teaching kids to be kind and accept the differences of others?  Does anyone really believe “gender affirming care” will result in kids being nicer to those who are different?  For example, a group of kids in a Maryland junior high bullied another group of kids because they were not bisexual. Junior high. Will the law of unintended consequences rear its ugly head as people are divided into small angry victim groups and kids turn on each other?
  • No amount of compassion for a gender confused individual supports a biological man playing on a women’s sports team.  Note the Biden Administration is scheduled to release a revision to Title IX April 2022.  Consider what that report will do to the polarization in this country.  
  • A man who wants to be a woman can change his name and pronouns, elect chemical and physical castration, get breast implants and other feminine features but he will never be a woman with the ability to give birth and nurse her child.  A woman who wants to be a man can select one of 78 pronouns, pursue hormone therapy, have a double mastectomy and radical hysterectomy.  She will have a clitoris with penis clothing and will never be a man with the ability to impregnate a woman.  The bottom line?  Sex reassignment surgery is cosmetic and pronouns are superficial.  Quite a sad reality for GD folks but it is a reality none the less.  
  • Transgender individuals who pursue full chemical and surgical transition will be sterile, yet “a clear majority of them express the desire for reproductive potential after transition”.  In a society that caters to the smallest minority, where will the transgender desire to maintain fertility lead our nation legally and ethically?  The future is emerging already.  Some states do not require surgical transition to change gender on birth certificates.  
  • How will our unique, gifted or troubled children fare in this new environment.  Will an influencer suggest their uniqueness is a sign of GD and recommend “gender affirming care”?  Will one of the sleazy gender clinics put them on drugs without comprehensive psychological evaluation?  Is it possible the side effects of these drugs will derail the natural development of their gifts or enflame underlying psychological conditions?  Do we undermine our society by undermining our children?  
  • Societal trajectories matter.  In addition to ignoring the long-term impacts of transgender drugs, we are also ignoring the potential progression when reality is supplanted with desire.  The furry movement comes to mind as does research into uterine transplants in men.  What’s next? 

How do we get back on track?  Let’s apply common sense.  

Can we return to simplicity, reality and acceptance?  Let’s celebrate the beautiful diversity of being human, embrace our woman and manhood, reject gender stereotypes and revel in our differences.  Let’s extend our understanding and acceptance to those with persistent GD without forcing society to participate in gender ideology.  Let kids be kids, educate them on the basics, encourage them to be kind, turn off the gender marketing machine and cancel the drug pushers.  This isn’t complicated.  Common sense rarely is.  

Wouldn’t the above actions be preferrable to splintering our society into an infinite number of angry victim groups who take offense at being called the wrong pronoun?  To eliminating a key bedrock of human experience, our biology?  To the gender wars developing between parents, schools, states and the federal government? To the manipulation of compassion which results in the incremental acceptance of senseless legislation?  To the weaponization of greed to advance an agenda?  To subjugate parents’ belief structures to the will of government?  

Yes, reality grounded in common sense, compassion and pragmatism will unite us.  The absurdity of modern gender ideology and associated legislation will rip this country apart, undermine our children and put this nation on dangerously shaky ground.  We should reject it and equally important, determine why the government and their corporate cronies are hellbent on drugging our kids and splintering society.    

SHAKY GROUND SUMMARY

Below is a summary of destabilizing factors addressed in this and previous articles in the America on Shaky Ground series.  

  • Part 1 – Division and distrust caused by the prohibition of gathering.
  • Part 2 – Division and distrust caused by categorizing women and men into victims and oppressors.  
  • Part 3 – Division and distrust caused by racial segregation via victim/oppressor ideology.
  • Part 4 – Destabilize the populace by undermining the constitutional right of self-defense. 
  • Part 5 – Propagation of false narratives designed to destabilize the populace and consolidate power.  
  • Part 6 – Destabilize US economic and national security with unsound energy policies.
  • Part 7 – Division via the splintering of society into an ever increasing number of “marginalized” victim groups. Destabilization caused by teaching kids to reject reality which will ultimately undermine children.

DETAILS

  • Gender ideology is complicated.  The above only scratches the surface.  For those who want a deeper dive, there are many resources above and below to get you started.  My plan is to examine gender transition drugs in a future article.  Regardless of the rhetoric to the contrary side effects of long-term use of puberty blockers and cross sex hormones have not been adequately studied.  In addition, once the Biden Administration releases their proposed Title IX update, an article on the illogical outcomes of gender legislation will likely be in order. 
  • Update 4.8.22 – New Jersey has updated their education standards. Gender ideology will be introduced in the 2nd grade. “Discuss the range of ways people express their gender and how gender- role stereotypes may limit behavior.“
  • How many transgender kids were referred for treatment prior to this movement (baseline)?  Was this number consistent over the years?  What is the number of kids claiming to be transgender now?  I don’t know.  I wonder if anyone does.  This is important information, however.  In search of a baseline estimate, it was suggested I review the 2013 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.  While modern transgender narrative began prior to 2013, the Obama administration gave it a hefty push around then.  “There are no recent epidemiological studies to provide data on prevalence of Gender Identity Disorder.  Data from smaller countries in Europe with access to total population statistics and referrals suggest that roughly 1 per 30,000 adult males and 1 per 100,000 adult females seek sex reassignment surgery.”  Census data reveals there were approximately 154,650,000 men and 161,610,000 women in 2013.  Therefore approximately .003% of men and .001% of women sought sex change surgery in 2013.  Did this number justify foisting fringe academic gender theory into mainstream culture?  
  • Update 4.8.22 – After publishing this article, I became aware of the Gallup poll which seeks to measure the number of people who identify as LGBT. This is not surprising.
  • The reader will note that I did not touch on sexual orientation above.  While that may be inexact because many of the new genders speak to orientation, I did not want to complicate the article further.  
  • Upon the release of the above documents which endorse the use of puberty blockers and cross sex hormones, President Biden said among other things: “To transgender Americans of all ages, I want you to know you are so brave.  You belong.  I have your back.”  With everything we have learned about a child’s need to belong, their search for personal identity and the fire hose of gender messaging, this statement is disturbing. 
  • While the US government has embraced transgender drugs, Sweden’s top children’s hospital suspended puberty blockers.  Note Sweden instituted their version of gender affirming care prior to the US and they are not the only country putting the brakes on drugging kids.  https://segm.org/Sweden_ends_use_of_Dutch_protocol
  • The Gingerbread Person is a tool to teach gender ideology.  https://go2tutors.com/what-is-the-genderbread-person-and-how-is-it-being-used-in-schools/  The Safe Zone Project, creates gender curriculums utilizing the gingerbread person.  Sam Killerman, who is a gender and sexuality consultant, had a hand in creating both. Reading this material is recommended.  Much of it seems fine until one realizes that these lessons teach kids they can be any gender “they know themselves to be”. I have been unable to confirm at what age this is introduced but have seen references as young as 4th grade and up.  https://thesafezoneproject.com
  • Because some LGBTQ folks don’t agree with how gender is depicted on the Gingerbread Person, the TSER (Trans Student Educational Resources) created the Gender Unicorn which is also being taught in some schools.  https://transstudent.org/graphics/  Studying the mission and message of TSER is highly recommended.  
  • The American College of Pediatricians is opposed to the current transgender treatment protocol.  They have been vilified and labeled as a hate group.  For two vastly different perspectives read the releases of the Biden Administration “Gender Affirming Care” documents above and this ACP article.  In a takedown of this article, an author suggested ACP misrepresented the twin study.  I have reached out to ACP for clarification. https://acpeds.org/position-statements/gender-dysphoria-in-children  
TSER Graphic for Students

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