BREAKING: Johns Hopkins & American College of Pediatricians Formerly Denounce Sex-Change Procedures

[Silhouette]

This is a front group of conservative homophobes.,,,Not legitimate doctors.,,Not legitimate findings or study...Sick twisted version of Christianity shitting itself on our society...Go spew your vile somewhere else.

And your opinion of Johns Hopkins? And your link for ANY other professional organizations publishing a dissent?

 

[Silhouette]

You’re at liberty to ‘insist’ whatever you want – but such advocacy is devoid of merit given the right of citizens to express themselves as individuals, and to conduct their lives as they see fit.

That you and others on the right might have an unwarranted fear and contempt for transgender persons doesn’t justify your seeking to disadvantage them, or subjecting them to humiliation, for no other reason than who they are, predicated solely on your unwarranted fear and intolerance.

^^ This ^^ doesn't include the "right to drug or mutilate or coerce to drug or mutilate" minors. But at least you called your self-mutilating game a behavior, an expression instead of an innate state. Kiss your "rights" to force others to play along (transgender bathrooms) goodbye...

 

[Brain357]

The politics and push for laws to normalize the abnormal just got turned on their head:

Leading medical authorities call coercion of children to use hormones or have 'sex change' surgery "child abuse". Finally the experts grow a pair.

From the official statement: Gender Ideology Harms Children
*****
Gender Ideology Harms Children
March 21, 2016 – a temporary statement with references. A full statement will be published in summer 2016.

The American College of Pediatricians urges educators and legislators to reject all policies that condition children to accept as normal a life of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex. Facts – not ideology – determine reality.

1. Human sexuality is an objective biological binary trait: “XY” and “XX” are genetic markers of health – not genetic markers of a disorder. The norm for human design is to be conceived either male or female. Human sexuality is binary by design with the obvious purpose being the reproduction and flourishing of our species. This principle is self-evident. The exceedingly rare disorders of sex development (DSDs), including but not limited to testicular feminization and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, are all medically identifiable deviations from the sexual binary norm, and are rightly recognized as disorders of human design. Individuals with DSDs do not constitute a third sex.1

2. No one is born with a gender. Everyone is born with a biological sex. Gender (an awareness and sense of oneself as male or female) is a sociological and psychological concept; not an objective biological one. No one is born with an awareness of themselves as male or female; this awareness develops over time and, like all developmental processes, may be derailed by a child’s subjective perceptions, relationships, and adverse experiences from infancy forward. People who identify as “feeling like the opposite sex” or “somewhere in between” do not comprise a third sex. They remain biological men or biological women.2,3,4

3. A person’s belief that he or she is something they are not is, at best, a sign of confused thinking. When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind not the body, and it should be treated as such. These children suffer from gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria (GD), formerly listed as Gender Identity Disorder (GID), is a recognized mental disorder in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-V).5 The psychodynamic and social learning theories of GD/GID have never been disproved.2,4,5

4. Puberty is not a disease and puberty-blocking hormones can be dangerous. Reversible or not, puberty- blocking hormones induce a state of disease – the absence of puberty – and inhibit growth and fertility in a previously biologically healthy child.6

5. According to the DSM-V, as many as 98% of gender confused boys and 88% of gender confused girls eventually accept their biological sex after naturally passing through puberty.5

6. Children who use puberty blockers to impersonate the opposite sex will require cross-sex hormones in late adolescence. Cross-sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen) are associated with dangerous health risks including but not limited to high blood pressure, blood clots, stroke and cancer.7,8,9,10

7. Rates of suicide are twenty times greater among adults who use cross-sex hormones and undergo sex reassignment surgery, even in Sweden which is among the most LGBQT – affirming countries.11 What compassionate and reasonable person would condemn young children to this fate knowing that after puberty as many as 88% of girls and 98% of boys will eventually accept reality and achieve a state of mental and physical health?

8. Conditioning children into believing a lifetime of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal and healthful is child abuse. Endorsing gender discordance as normal via public education and legal policies will confuse children and parents, leading more children to present to “gender clinics” where they will be given puberty-blocking drugs. This, in turn, virtually ensures that they will “choose” a lifetime of carcinogenic and otherwise toxic cross-sex hormones, and likely consider unnecessary surgical mutilation of their healthy body parts as young adults.

Michelle A. Cretella, M.D.
President of the American College of Pediatricians

Quentin Van Meter, M.D.
Vice President of the American College of Pediatricians
Pediatric Endocrinologist

Paul McHugh, M.D.
University Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical School and the former psychiatrist in chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital

References:

1. Consortium on the Management of Disorders of Sex Development, “Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Disorders of Sex Development in Childhood.” Intersex Society of North America, March 25, 2006. Accessed 3/20/16 from http://www.dsdguidelines.org/files/clinical.pdf.

2. Zucker, Kenneth J. and Bradley Susan J. “Gender Identity and Psychosexual Disorders.” FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry. Vol. III, No. 4, Fall 2005 (598-617).

3. Whitehead, Neil W. “Is Transsexuality biologically determined?” Triple Helix (UK), Autumn 2000, p6-8. accessed 3/20/16 from http://www.mygenes.co.nz/transsexuality.htm; see also Whitehead, Neil W. “Twin Studies of Transsexuals [Reveals Discordance]” accessed 3/20/16 from Twin Studies of Transexuality | transsexuals | transexuality genetic?.

4. Jeffreys, Sheila. Gender Hurts: A Feminist Analysis of the Politics of Transgenderism. Routledge, New York, 2014 (pp.1-35).

5. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Association, 2013 (451-459). See page 455 re: rates of persistence of gender dysphoria.

6. Hembree, WC, et al. Endocrine treatment of transsexual persons: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94:3132-3154.

7. Olson-Kennedy, J and Forcier, M. “Overview of the management of gender nonconformity in children and adolescents.” UpToDate November 4, 2015. Accessed 3.20.16 from www.uptodate.com.

8. Moore, E., Wisniewski, & Dobs, A. “Endocrine treatment of transsexual people: A review of treatment regimens, outcomes, and adverse effects.” The Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2003; 88(9), pp3467-3473.

9. FDA Drug Safety Communication issued for Testosterone products accessed 3.20.16: Testosterone Information.

10. World Health Organization Classification of Estrogen as a Class I Carcinogen: http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/ageing/cocs_hrt_statement.pdf.

11. Dhejne, C, et.al. “Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden.” PLoS ONE, 2011; 6(2). Affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Accessed 3.20.16 from Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden.

I can't imagine there are many success stories. Most end in suicide.

 

[Silhouette]

I can't imagine there are many success stories. Most end in suicide.

The OP's information (as opposed to internet lore, which is what the LGBT bloggers here will offer in rebuttal, without links mind you) says that the suicide rate for post-op mutilatees is twenty times higher after the hormones/knife than before..

It makes sense. If you're suffering from a mental illness and someone goes along with your idea (or puts one in your head) that cutting off healthy organs will suddenly make you that which you were not and can never be, then you gaze down at your body which still isn't what you wanted (a man can never have a womb or bear young, still has an adam's apple etc. A woman can never have a real penis or impregnate another woman) and you're leaking urine when you never were before...and you're sexually numb when you never were before...yeah...you'd probably end it all too. I guess the "going back" surgery is less successful than the original one..

 

[g5000]

American College of Pediatricians is a tiny, conservative breakaway group from the much-larger and more respected American Academy of Pediatrics, and the views of one Johns Hopkins professor are not representative of the school as a whole.

They have around 200 professional and respected members.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has 60,000 members.

 

[Silhouette]

American College of Pediatricians is a tiny, conservative breakaway group from the much-larger and more respected American Academy of Pediatrics, and the views of one Johns Hopkins professor are not representative of the school as a whole.

They have around 200 professional and respected members.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has 60,000 members.

Great. Let me know when you find their official publication of dissent of what the OP has publicized. Post a link to that here, will you? And, let me know when you find out how many people are involved with Johns Hopkins directly or peripherally. Let me know if any of them have publicized official dissents to what's in the OP. Like links to those too.

 

[Moonglow]

American College of Pediatricians is a tiny, conservative breakaway group from the much-larger and more respected American Academy of Pediatrics, and the views of one Johns Hopkins professor are not representative of the school as a whole.

They have around 200 professional and respected members.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has 60,000 members.

Great. Let me know when you find their official publication of dissent of what the OP has publicized. Post a link to that here, will you? And, let me know when you find out how many people are involved with Johns Hopkins directly or peripherally. Let me know if any of them have publicized official dissents to what's in the OP. Like links to those too.

It will take a little time for rebuttals..

 

[g5000]

American College of Pediatricians is a tiny, conservative breakaway group from the much-larger and more respected American Academy of Pediatrics, and the views of one Johns Hopkins professor are not representative of the school as a whole.

They have around 200 professional and respected members.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has 60,000 members.

Great. Let me know when you find their official publication of dissent of what the OP has publicized. Post a link to that here, will you? And, let me know when you find out how many people are involved with Johns Hopkins directly or peripherally. Let me know if any of them have publicized official dissents to what's in the OP. Like links to those too.

Here you go: Children and Adolescents With Gender Identity Disorder Referred to a Pediatric Medical Center

It is the minority in the ACP who are trying to dissent from the AAP.

 

[g5000]

American College of Pediatricians is a tiny, conservative breakaway group from the much-larger and more respected American Academy of Pediatrics, and the views of one Johns Hopkins professor are not representative of the school as a whole.

They have around 200 professional and respected members.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has 60,000 members.

Great. Let me know when you find their official publication of dissent of what the OP has publicized. Post a link to that here, will you? And, let me know when you find out how many people are involved with Johns Hopkins directly or peripherally. Let me know if any of them have publicized official dissents to what's in the OP. Like links to those too.

It will take a little time for rebuttals..

The AAP does not have to rebut. They have already stated their position on gender identity quite clearly.

It is the ACP which is attempting to rebut the AAP.

 

[Moonglow]

American College of Pediatricians is a tiny, conservative breakaway group from the much-larger and more respected American Academy of Pediatrics, and the views of one Johns Hopkins professor are not representative of the school as a whole.

They have around 200 professional and respected members.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has 60,000 members.

Great. Let me know when you find their official publication of dissent of what the OP has publicized. Post a link to that here, will you? And, let me know when you find out how many people are involved with Johns Hopkins directly or peripherally. Let me know if any of them have publicized official dissents to what's in the OP. Like links to those too.

It will take a little time for rebuttals..

The AAP does not have to rebut. They have already stated their position on gender identity quite clearly.

It is the ACP which is attempting to rebut the AAP.

There is no shortage of butts from professionals...

 

[Syriusly]

[
They have around 200 professional and respected members.



Johns Hopkins is a large outfit. One of the most respected medical institutions in the country and the world.

As usual you lie.

John Hopkins has not denounced anything- a single doctor employed by John Hopkins has expressed his opinion.

You lie as easily as you breath.

 

[Syriusly]

American College of Pediatricians is a tiny, conservative breakaway group from the much-larger and more respected American Academy of Pediatrics, and the views of one Johns Hopkins professor are not representative of the school as a whole.

And, the American Academy of Pediatrics has not stepped up to denounce this announcement. .

The American Academy of Pediatrics- the 60,000 members- more than 59,000 more members than the tiny partisan ACP- has been very clear about their position on gender dysphoria and children.

Gender Non-Conforming & Transgender Children

Some children have a gender identity that is different from their sex assigned at birth, and many have interests and hobbies that may align with the other gender. Some children, however, do not identify with either gender. They may feel like they are somewhere in between or have no gender. It is natural for parents to ask if it is "just a phase." But, there is no easy answer.

For some young children, expressing a wish to be or identifying as another gender may be temporary; for others, it is not. Only time will tell. Some children who are gender non-conforming in early childhood grow up to become transgender adults (persistently identifying with a gender that is different from their birth sex), and others do not. Many gender non-conforming children grow up to identify with a gay, lesbian, or bisexual sexual orientation (i.e. attracted to the same or both genders as opposed to feeling they are a different gender).

Parenting a Gender Non-Conforming Child
There is no way to predict how a child will end up identifying him or herself later in life. This uncertainty is one of the hardest things about parenting a gender non-conforming child. It is important for parents to make their home a place where their child feels safe and loved unconditionally. Research suggests that gender is something we are born with; it can't be changed by any interventions. It is critically important that children feel loved and accepted for who they are.

Will my child grow up to be transgender?
Research suggest that children who are persistent, consistent, and insistent about their gender identity are the ones who are most likely to become transgender adults. It is important support and follow the lead of the child. This may mean you will not have an answer for quite a long time, which can be very difficult for parents. Here are some examples:

• If your teenager has identified as a different gender since early childhood, it is unlikely he or she will change his or her mind. A 12-year-old male who has consistently asserted, "I am a girl," since the age of three, will most likely remain transgender throughout life.
• Sometimes a young child who strongly identifies with another gender does change. The most common time for this to occur is about 9 or 10-years-old. There is not enough research to know if this change means the child has learned to hide his or her true self due to social pressures, or if it was indeed "just a childhood phase."
• Puberty is another time when a child's gender identify can come into question. Sometimes teens who never exhibited anything outside the norm in their gender expression or identity, may start feeling differently as their bodies change. Finding out your teen is transgender can be very confusing for parents who "didn't see this coming." Many are unsure if it is just a "teenage phase" or their child is really transgender. It may be helpful to allow your teen to explore their gender identity with support from a counselor or therapist who has experience supporting transgender youth.

What caused my child to identify with a different gender?
While we do not understand why some children identify with a gender different from their birth sex, the cause is likely both biological and social. There is no evidence that parenting is responsible for a child having a gender identity that is not in line with his or her biological sex. Experiencing childhood trauma will not cause a child to become gender non-conforming, transgender, or homosexual. There is nothing "wrong" with your child. However, children perceived as "different" may suffer from teasing or bullying. If this is happening, speak with the child's teacher and the school to create a plan to prevent bullying. The most important thing to remember is to support, love, and accept your child as he or she is.

Will my child choose to transition? What's like process like?
At some point, a child who is persistently gender non-conforming may choose to "transition", or begin to live as his or her self-identified gender instead of the gender assigned at birth. The transitioning process is different for everyone, and is often initiated by the child.

• Some children make a transition early in childhood by wearing the clothing for their identified gender and changing their name or pronoun.
• Medical treatment is available to block the signs of puberty associated with the biological sex during early adolescence. These are sometimes called "puberty blockers;" they prevent the secondary characteristics associated with puberty from occurring (e.g. voice deepening, facial hair, and height in males; breast development in females). These medications allow more time for the young teen and his or her family to make a decision about next steps in transitioning. The effects of these medications mimic those of a natural hormone found in the body and are completely reversible when the medications are stopped.
• Later in adolescence, teens can choose to use medication or hormones to transition and go through the puberty of the gender consistent with their identity.
• Some adults choose to have surgeries, and some do not. If a young person has taken puberty blockers prior transitioning, they will not require some surgeries to reverse the effects of puberty (i.e. breast removal or facial feminization).

In any case, those desiring to make a medical transition need to have a relationship with a counselor or therapist who has experience supporting transgender youth. The child will also need to see a pediatric endocrinologist or a doctor who specializes in hormone therapy for young people, ideally just before the start of puberty.

Sexual Orientation vs. Gender Identity
Sexual orientation refers to the person someone falls in love with or is attracted to. Sexual orientation becomes evident later childhood, while gender identity refers to the way one identifies him or herself in early childhood. While sexual orientation and gender identity are quite distinct tracks of development, children who are gender non-conforming often grow up to identify as gay or bisexual, and many gay or bisexual adults recall gender non-conforming behavior in childhood. Like gender identity, an individual's physical and emotional attraction to a member of the same or the opposite sex cannot be changed.

Your Child's Mental Health
All gender non-conforming children (regardless of whether they later identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender), are at risk for bullying and mental health problems.

A large proportion of teenage suicide attempts are linked to issues of gender and sexuality, and many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth attempt suicide. As a parent, your most important role is to offer understanding, respect, and support to your child. A non-judgemental approach will gain your child's trust and put you in a better position to help him or her through difficult times. You need to be supportive and helpful, no matter what your child's gender identity or sexual orientation may be. Research has shown that supportive families greatly reduce a teen's risk of suicide.

What parents can do:

• When your child discloses his or her identity to you, respond in an affirming, supportive way. Understand that although gender identity and sexuality are not able to be changed, the way people identify their sexual orientation or gender identity may change over time as they discover more about themselves.
• Accept and love your child as they are. They will need your support and validation to develop into healthy teens and adults.
• Stand up for your child when he or she is mistreated. Do not minimize the social pressure or bullying your child may be facing. See How You Can Help Your Child Avoid & Address Bullying.
• Make it clear that slurs or jokes based on gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation are not tolerated. Express your disapproval of these types of jokes or slurs when you encounter them in the community or media.
• Be on the look out for signs of anxiety, insecurity, depression, and low self-esteem. Some children who do not have a supportive family or friend group may struggle with these emotional problems. See Mental Health and Teens: Watch for Dangers Signs.
• Connect your child with LGBTQ organizations, resources, and events. It is important for them to know they are not alone.
• Celebrate diversity in all forms. Provide access to a variety of books, movies, and materials—including those that positively represent same-sex relationships. Point out LGBTQ celebrities, role models who stand up for the LGBTQ community, and people who demonstrate bravery in the face of social stigma.
• Support your child's self-expression through choices of clothing, jewelry, hairstyle, friends, and room decoration.
• Reach out for education, resources, and support if you feel the need to deepen your own understanding of LGBTQ youth experiences.

Support for Families
Having a gender non-conforming child can be very stressful for parents and caregivers, as they deal with uncertainty and navigate schools, extended families, sibling relationships, and the world around them. There are several national and international organizations that support families with gender non-conforming children (see resources below), as well as excellent books. Many parents and siblings also find it helpful to meet with a mental health care professional or other families in a support group setting.

When to Talk to Your Child's Pediatrician:
If your child persistently identifies as another gender, rather than just showing a mix of behaviors, talk to your pediatrician. Your child may need help from a mental health professional to sort out his or her feelings regarding gender or sexuality, or to help cope with being different.

Children who are gender-nonconforming are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression due to bullying, discrimination, and non-acceptance. It is important to talk to your child's pediatrician or mental health professional if you are concerned that your child may be suffering from any mental health problems.

For more information or help finding a support group for yourself or your child, please talk to your child's pediatrician

 

[Syriusly]

The AAP has more than 60,000 professional and respected members, and they have made their position on trans children perfectly clear. They have no responsibility to "denounce" a statement made by a tiny minority - acknowledging it would give it more legitimacy than it deserves. Same goes for Johns Hopkins.

That's a patent lie. if the AAP believed that denying children hormones or surgeries to "correct their gender dysphoria" was wrong (abusive to them) they have a duty mandated by federal law to denounce this proclamation from the ACP & Johns Hopkins. Their silence IS their assent.

There is no proclamation from Johns Hopkins- this is just you lying again.

The AAP has no duty to address partisan political pronouncements from fringe group.

BUT- they have very clearly expressed their opinion on the issue.

Transgender Preadolescents Have Good Mental Health Outcomes after Transitioning Gender Identities

Transgender Preadolescents Have Good Mental Health Outcomes after Transitioning Gender Identities

The study, "Mental Health of Transgender Children Who are Supported in Their Identities," in the March 2016 issue of Pediatrics (published online on Feb. 26) presents new research on the positive mental health outcomes of prepubescent transgender children who socially transition, or begin to live expressing their gender identities.

Researchers found that children allowed to exhibit their gender, by changing their names, clothing, pronoun use, and hairstyles, had normal levels of depression, and anxiety levels only slightly above their peers. The study compares a national sample of 73 transgender prepubescent children, ages 3 to 12, with 49 of their siblings and a control group of 73 "typically developing" children of the same ages. While previous research has shown that gender nonconforming youth often have elevated rates of depression and anxiety, this study suggests that familial support can be associated with good mental health outcomes among transgender children.

The study authors suggest that further research will be important to evaluate the mental health of transgender children as they move into adolescence.

Editor's Note: A related commentary, "Socially Transition: Supporting our Youngest Transgender Children," will also be published in this issue.

Published
2/26/2016 12:00 AM

 

[Silhouette]

As usual you lie.

John Hopkins has not denounced anything- a single doctor employed by John Hopkins has expressed his opinion.

You lie as easily as you breath.

You have an extreme penchant for spamming pages into oblivion, starting posts on a new page inserting words into people's mouths, and then stating "you're right and their wrong" in hopes of shutting down conversations you don't like.

Tough shit. It's happening.

Johns Hopkins INDEED has not denounced what their past psychiatrist in CHIEF Paul McHugh has signed off on in the OP. And this isn't in your argument's favor. Again, please post links to institutions who have published official dissents of the findings in the OP when you get a chance. Johns Hopkins used to do the mutilation surgeries that never accomplished anything. They QUIT DOING THEM as an institution, not just one man, when they discovered they were breaking the hippocratic oath of "do no harm" to their patients.

Plus, can you imagine being an insurer grappling with malpractice threats from a prestigious institution agreeing to mutilate healthy organs in order to "treat" a mental illness??? I'm surprised ANYONE does these surgeries at all.

 

[Syriusly]

American College of Pediatricians is a tiny, conservative breakaway group from the much-larger and more respected American Academy of Pediatrics, and the views of one Johns Hopkins professor are not representative of the school as a whole.

They have around 200 professional and respected members. And, the American Academy of Pediatrics has not stepped up to denounce this announcement. Nor has Johns Hopkins top staff. Even your group's threats won't work now. Children are involved. Your LGBT cult crossed the line when it began drugging children to coerce them to "decide better" (under the influence of powerful hormones, making that impossible as a "choice") to have their healthy organs amputated.

Rightfully and finally this is called CHILD ABUSE by leading experts among pediatricians.

Here's Huffpo whining about the endorsements:

This would be nothing but an ineffectual fringe organization, if not for McHugh and the fact that the administration at John’s Hopkins refuses to disavow him and his positions.. Johns Hopkins Professor Endangers the Lives of Transgender Youth

.

Well let us quote the Huffpo article- it is informative

Once again, Paul McHugh has used the ever more tarnished name of Johns Hopkins to distort science and spread transphobic misinformation. This time, it comes via a position statement from the American College of Pediatricians (ACP) a tiny offshoot of a real professional organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics. The ACP is a group of less than 200 ultra-conservative, mostly Catholic, people (most of whom aren’t even pediatricians) who oppose letting gay people be parents, the HPV vaccine, marriage equality, birth control and medical care for transgender people. They are in favor of reparative therapy and abstinence-only education, though.

The ACP is designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, along with organizations such as the Klan and Aryan Brotherhood.

This would be nothing but an ineffectual fringe organization, if not for McHugh and the fact that the administration at John’s Hopkins refuses to disavow him and his positions, despite his legal troubles and close association with numerous hate groups. This position statement is already making the rounds with SPLC designated hate groups, and on widely read right wing news sites accusing parents who affirm their children’s identity of “child abuse.”

I’m also already hearing from parents of transgender children that relatives and people hostile to them in the community are using this position statement to threaten to report them to child protective services and take their children away.

What makes this worse is that every single talking point in this position statement is a distortion or outright falsehood. Here’s the truth about transgender youth, refuting the ACP’s position statement point by point.

1. Sex, and chromosomes, are different than gender and gender identity

The ACP tries to dance right past it, but chromosomes do not equal sex, and sex doesn’t equal gender. They acknowledge intersex individuals exist, but not what that means. People can have a 46-XY karyotype, and appear and identify as female. They can even have children.

2. Gender identity has biological origins

There are over 150 studies, papers, dissertations and other peer reviewed sources that have found biological origins of gender identity, and gendered behavior, in humans and animals. Most of them found that endocrine disruptions during pregnancy affected both. This concept isn’t new: studies from 1973 onward found that pre-natal exogenous estrogen exposure changes in gendered behavior. We also have known for a decade that the male children of women who took diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy were much more likely to develop gender dysphoria as adults. A recent meta-study by Boston University found, “current data suggests a biological origin of gender identity.”

Gender is not a purely social construct or based on upbringing. David Reimer lost his penis in a circumcision accident as an infant, and was raised as a girl. Despite growing up with every social and outward biological factor telling him he was female, Reimer never identified as such, and began living as a male as a teen. Dr. McHugh would know this: this experiment was conducted by Dr. John Money, his predecessor at Johns Hopkins.

Given all this, one can only conclude that Dr. McHugh has deliberately misrepresented the evidence at hand to attack a vulnerable population.

3. Transgender children are not by definition mentally ill

The APA does not consider transgender people to be disordered by definition, and clearly states that in and of itself, being transgender is not an illness. In fact, the APA says the exact opposite: “gender nonconformity is not in itself a mental disorder. The critical element of gender dysphoria is the presence of clinically significant distress associated with the condition.” Dr. McHugh deliberately misrepresents the position of the American Psychiatric Association by asserting that since gender dysphoria is in the DSM, all transgender people are by definition disordered.

Dr. McHugh is a psychiatrist, and such an egregious misrepresentation of his professional organizations’ position could not simply be a mistake.

4. Puberty blocking drugs are not new or experimental

The drug used to suppress puberty in transgender children is Luprorelin. It was approved by the FDA in 1985 (a year after ibuprofen became over the counter), and has been approved by the FDA for cisgender children with precocious puberty since 1989. The effects of Lupron are fully reversible, and recent studies of transgender youth receiving Luprorelin have had excellent medical and mental health results.

Lupron has been used on cisgender children for 27 years. The only thing new about it is using it on transgender children for the same biological purpose (delaying puberty). Characterizing Lupron as experimental, irreversible and highly dangerous plays upon the fears of readers and misrepresents the actual data in order to degrade the standard of care for transgender youth.

5. Desistance rates are nowhere near 98%

It is difficult to discern where such an inflated figure came from, because even the most ardent supporters of the desistance narrative used “approximately 80%” as their figure. In reality, this 80% figure is almost certainly highly inflated, since the study it was based on did not actually differentiate between children with consistent, persistent and insistent gender dysphoria, kids who socially transitioned, and kids who just acted more masculine or feminine than their birth sex and culture allowed for. The study could not locate 45.3 percent of the children for follow up, and made the assumption that all of them were desisters. Finally, it used the older DSM-IVTR clinical definitions of Gender Identity Disorder.

As a result, the desistance figure is meaningless, since both the numerator and denominator are unknown. You have no idea how many of the kids ended up transitioning (numerator), no idea how many of them were actually gender dysphoric to begin with (denominator), and no idea how many would count as dysphoric under the old DSM but not the new one (both numerator and denominator). Further research has shown, however, that children who meet the current clinical guidelines for gender dysphoria are as consistent in their gender identity as the general population.

Dr. McHugh has deliberately cherry picked a number from a methodologically flawed study to advocate for parents reject the identities of their children. We know for a fact that children whose families reject their identities are at far greater suicide risk, and McHugh’s actions increase that further.

6. Hormone replacement therapy under a doctor’s supervision is very safe

A recent study of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) using the largest longitudinal sample ever found none of these risks listed by McHugh, when administered with a modern conjugation of estrogen under a doctor’s supervision. Principal Investigator Henk Asscheman, MD, stated,

Our results are very reassuring. There are mostly minor side effects and no new [adverse events] observed in this large population... The take-home message is that when using the guidelines from the Endocrine Society, you are not going to see a lot of comorbidities with cross-sex hormone treatment.

McHugh lists a parade of horrible, life threatening side effects of hormones. However, he neglects to mention these were mostly effects of taking an older conjugation of estrogen that hasn’t been used in nearly 15 years, and patients in previous studies were also more likely to have correlated health risks such as smoking. McHugh omitted this key fact.

7. Transgender suicide risk is directly related to stigma and isolation

The overwhelming majority of studies show that discrimination, rejection, and isolation are the cause of high suicide rates in the transgender community. However, McHugh again misuses a 2011 study by Dr. Celia Dhejne to claim the opposite.

Dr. Celia Dhejne has already denounced McHugh’s repeated misuse of her 2011 study as “unethical.” Yet he does it again claiming that transgender people commit suicide at staggering rates even if they live in tolerant societies. This to imply that transgender people are intrinsically mentally ill unless they somehow are “cured” of the delusion, and that they will still commit suicide even if the stigma of being transgender is lifted.

The problem is, Dhejne’s study says the EXACT OPPOSITE of what Dr. McHugh claims. It states that differences in mortality between the general population and transgender people, “did not reach statistical significance for the period 1989-2003.” In other words, there was no statistical difference in the suicide rate for transgender people who transitioned after 1989 and the general population.

Put another way, as Swedish society became more tolerant, the difference in suicide rates dropped to non-detectable levels. The data says exactly the opposite of what Dr. McHugh implies, and makes it clear in plain text when Dhejne postulates, “[this] might also be explained by improved health care for transsexual persons during 1990s, along with altered societal attitudes towards persons with different gender expressions.”

Again, McHugh has deliberately and unethically misinterpreted data in order to push religion over good medicine, psychiatry, and social policy at the expense of a vulnerable population on behalf of a hate group.

8. Accepting your child’s identity is the healthiest thing you can do for them

The most recent study available showed that transgender youth in supportive homes with access to medical care were not the delusional, suicidal wretches that McHugh implies, but instead had psychological functioning not significantly different from the general population. Another showed that having a family which accepts a child’s gender identity reduces the suicide attempt rate by 82%.

Negative outcomes for transgender youth are strongly linked with rejection of their gender identity. One recent study found that children whose parents reject their identities are 13 times more likely to attempt suicide. Over and over again, familial rejection has been linked to suicidal thoughts and behavior.

Instead of following evidence based medicine, McHugh distorts the facts to arrive at a religious based conclusion that parents should reject their child’s identity and refuse them affirming mental and medical health care. Every bit of modern evidence we have suggests what he is proposing is dramatically increases the risk of suicide and other psychological comorbidities.

Conclusion

Dr. McHugh’s most recent public offering is a disgrace to John’s Hopkins name, which he uses so liberally. His position statement is based on distortions, omissions, half-truths, outdated research, and motivated entirely by religious based bias against a group of people already heavily stigmatized by society. The fact that every last one of his points can be disproven by anyone with access to Google discredits the academic standards of the institution.

Somewhere out there, a parent will follow his advice. Or a court, or child protective services. We already know it happens when they do. We know the results from anecdotes and years of research, and it looks like Leelah Alcorn.

This isn’t just about academic freedom. It’s about the reputation of the institution. It’s about the moral obligation to do no harm.

And if all of those things are meaningless to Johns Hopkins administration, it’s also about liability. Someday, someone who followed McHugh’s advice, with your implied blessing, is going to show up on your doorstep with a lawyer and a dead child.

Your continued silence will not save you from what comes next.

 

[Silhouette]

Syriusly BOTH your links come from "healthy children dot org". And how is this group more prestigious than Johns Hopkins? Do you have a date for those publications in your last two posts or are they revisiting them by June, when the OP's more lengthy and official announcement will be released?

I note it was nice of them to give the rest of the "health community" a head's up. Don't hold your breath thinking "healthy children dot org" will be the lone voice for legitimizing child abuse when everyone else has wisely abdicated that legally foolish stance..they have till June. Enjoy your false utopia while you can..

 

[Syriusly]

A cheek swab would determine the sex of the person in the photo. If it is "Jazz", the sex is xy or male.

Not according to the leading authority on children- the largest pediatrician professional organization in the United States

Some children have a gender identity that is different from their sex assigned at birth, and many have interests and hobbies that may align with the other gender. Some children, however, do not identify with either gender. They may feel like they are somewhere in between or have no gender. It is natural for parents to ask if it is "just a phase." But, there is no easy answer.

 

[Syriusly]

Who cares. You can always find some group that will come to whatever conclusion that fits your ideology, or in this case lobby them to come to said conclusion.

This isn't "some group". It's Johns Hopkins !

Where has the John Hopkins said anything?

Once again- it is just you lying.

Like you lie about the Mayo Clinic.

This is a position paper by an offshoot group of pediatricians- between 60 to 200 of them- with a single doctor who has been employed by John Hopkins.

Unless you can show us a paper from John Hopkins- well you can't- you are just lying.....which comes as naturally to you as breathing.

 

[Syriusly]

As usual you lie.

John Hopkins has not denounced anything- a single doctor employed by John Hopkins has expressed his opinion.

You lie as easily as you breath.

Johns Hopkins INDEED has not denounced what their past psychiatrist in CHIEF Paul McHugh .

As I said- as usual you lie.

John Hopkins has not denounced anything- a single doctor employed by John Hopkins has expressed his opinion.

You lie as easily as you breath

 

[Syriusly]

Why would anyone bother "denouncing" this?

It's just the opinion of a tiny group.

See page 1 for why they MUST denounce it if they feel it is in error. ..

God- this is another example of the Silhouette method of misinterpreting the law.

No- they have no obligation to issue a separate denouncement of a position paper that they have already expressed a contrary opinion.