This if for reference-- or your own curiosity -- it's stuff about being trans from someone who is. It is intended to counter all the right wing lies about trans people and how they are treated medically. It's from the UK, but much of it applies here: the only treatment for underage people is reversible hormone blockers. No one does surgery on minors unless it's medically necessary. No one does any of this stuff quickly or lightly, and no one coerces anyone into it.
--Kim
Since I did the big fact check on the media and public fallout from the UK Supreme Court ruling on trans women & men, I've noticed a lot of general discourse about trans people that is based on misinformation too. So here's a handy reference you can keep in your notes, fully cross referenced, to counter most of the claims I've seen. (also I got my hair done yesterday so have that as an algorithm booster)
Transgender extremism doesn't exist - it's just a right-wing talking point used to discredit legitimate healthcare and equality efforts.
Puberty blockers are often lifesaving interventions. They're prescribed only after long assessments involving NHS gender clinics, parents, and specialists. They are fully reversible and shown to reduce the risk of suicide in young people with persistent gender dysphoria.
No people under 18 are getting genital surgery in the UK. NHS policy and private clinics alike restrict this to adults.
More cisgender teens receive breast reduction surgery on the NHS than trans teens receive chest masculinisation surgery. The procedures follow similar approval processes, yet only one group is routinely scrutinised.
There are only a small number of openly trans athletes competing at a professional level in the world, and none are dominating their fields.
Sex-segregated sports were historically introduced to exclude women, not because men were being beaten. The idea that it was about fairness is a myth.
There is no consistent biological advantage for trans women in elite sport. Oestrogen therapy significantly reduces muscle mass, strength and performance over time. Regulations often require minimum hormone levels and transition periods before competing.
Identity is personal. "Man", "woman", "boy", and "girl" are social roles - that's gender. Not to be confused with biological sex - male and female. No trans woman claims to be biologically female, and no trans man claims to be biologically male. That's another right-wing straw man argument.
The idea that trans women have a "separate history" to cis women echoes the same tactics once used to exclude Black women and disabled women from womanhood.
Tall women, Black women, trans women - these are all adjectives describing different types of women. Every woman's experience of womanhood is unique. If you exclude trans women from being women, what condition are you using to define womanhood? There isn't one necessary condition. So trans women cannot be excluded from womanhood on this basis.
Crossdressing is not the same as being trans. Many cis men crossdress and are not trans.
The risk of coming out as trans due to internalised homophobia and sexism is a real thing but is not as common as many would have you believe. That's why the NHS has a structured care pathway with long waiting times and assessments. No one can simply walk in and access hormones or surgery. Many people are left in limbo for years unless they are in crisis or suicidal.
No one is trying to "convince" people they're trans. If you feel deep discomfort with the sex you were assigned at birth, you might be trans - but that's for you to explore, not for anyone else to decide. The queer community is generally very good at spotting people who are dealing with internalised issues - no one wants anyone to transition unless it's truly needed. This whole "kids being convinced" thing is another empty scare story.
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