New guidelines for youth transition

[DawnOday]

Just received this from my friend Evie. In a time of negativity, here is a bright light.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/New-Medical-Guidelines-Open-Door-for-Transgender-Children-to-Begin-Physically-Transforming-Bodies-at-Earlier-Ages--444259043.html

If this is not appropriate here please add it to our wiki and move as necessary.

[Chloe]

Dawn, wonder if your article is related to this: (?)

Boys, girls &... RT investigates gender dilemma dividing schools, parents & kids in Britain
Published time: 14 Sep, 2017 11:19 ( rt.com/uk/403304-transgender-schools-toilet-uniform/ )

[DawnOday]

Dawn, wonder if your article is related to this: (?)

Boys, girls &... RT investigates gender dilemma dividing schools, parents & kids in Britain
Published time: 14 Sep, 2017 11:19 ( rt.com/uk/403304-transgender-schools-toilet-uniform/ )

I don't think so Kiera as my story originated in San Francisco, CA

[Julia1996]

This is wonderful. But it's not going to matter if someone's parents won't let them start hrt. There needs to be a legal way transkids can start hrt even if their parents won't give permission.

[azarath99]

okay, let me be the first here to say: I don't like this. I really don't think it's a great idea to allow kids below the age of 16 to take cross sex hormones. We all know that the physical changes are largely irreversible and some are extremely dramatic. For instance, becoming infertile. No babies, ever. you're gonna expect a 13 year old kid to know how they'll feel when they grow up? not to mention, there are quite a few cases of young people who begin to transition, only to go right back. The great thing about the old rules is that the kids could take blockers to keep them from experiencing puberty for a few years, before they decide for certain whether or not a full Hormone transition is what they want. I think allowing younger people to take hormones should be reserved for a future in which we have an actual science for determining whether or not kids are transgender.

[azarath99]

This is wonderful. But it's not going to matter if someone's parents won't let them start hrt. There needs to be a legal way transkids can start hrt even if their parents won't give permission.

That sounds terrible. kids are not considered legal adults for a reason. they don't have the maturity to make big decisions like that all on their own. honestly, legislation like that sounds very unrealistic. I feel like it would be much more likely if refusing to allow your children to seek medical help for mental disorders were to be considered child abuse  in the future.

[Julia1996]

I totally don't agree with anything you said. You can know you're transgender at a very young age. I started hrt when I was 17. Are you saying I should have been forced to wait until I was 18??  Thank god my dad isn't ignorant and small minded and let me start hrt at 17. People use the idea that people are too young to know what they want as a way to keep trans kids from transitioning. Transphobic parents quote statements like yours to deny that their kids are trans. " you're too young to know you're trans. It's just a phase ".  This kind of thinking is what is dangerous.  It really pisses me off when people say people can't know they are trans at a young age. I don't care what anyone says, I knew at age 4. Simple as that. And no, I didn't know what transgender was at age 4 but I knew I was female and that I had been born wrong.  Realizing you're trans happens at different times for different people but don't try to say younger people are too young to know they are trans. That's just as bad as telling someone who transitions at age 40,
" you aren't really trans or you would have transitioned earlier. No, you can't have HRT."  see how stupid that sounds?  You're entitled to your own opinions but don't try to tell other people what they do and don't feel or what age they have to be to know they are trans.