Walt Heyer in USA Today

[Lucca]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/1894076002

Walt Heyer, Opinion contributor Published 4:00 a.m. ET Feb. 11, 2019 | Updated 9:05 a.m. ET Feb. 11, 2019

Walt Heyer was published in USA Today, which I find a bit disturbing. I don't know why this guy is ever given any legitimacy; he blames others for choices he freely made, claims that no one else should ever transition just because he regretted it, and then backs up his claims not with scientific evidence or statistics, but anecdotes that he's personally heard. He also stigmatizes mental illness by suggesting that people with mental illnesses of any kind aren't capable of making decisions for themselves.

Why a theoretically reputable publication like USA Today is giving him a platform is beyond me.

[Dena]

From what I have learned about this case, people tend to gloss over the details. I have heard that he had multiple personality and a female personality took over the body resulting in the transition. This is the reason we shouldn't complain about gate keeping because if done properly, it would have prevented this from happening. Walt is the primary personality and from what I have seen is CIS male so I can understand the part of not understanding the transition. Remember that the primary may not be aware of the other personalities so it's difficult to blame Walt for not seeking the badly needed therapy. It is the fault of the alter for bypassing many of the standards of the day and for the doctors that allowed it to happen.

[Lucca]

His conclusion is "no one should transition," though. That's clearly irresponsible.if there's any truth to this, someone who's not as overreaching as Heyer is going to have to make the case.

Plus, frankly, I don't think that there's much that adults should be restricted from doing to there own bodies. If they regret it later, oh well. Transition-related care is the only thing that is commonly denied on the argument that "they might actually have DID," too. Not non-gender related body modification, vasectomies/hysterectomies, purchasing alcohol, getting married, or any number of other life-altering decisions someone could make.

If I want to get a full-faced tattoo, all I need to do is go to a tattoo parlor and prove I'm 18 or older. Don't see why that isn't being gatekept in the name of protecting people with DID, either.

[Heather]

Why a theoretically reputable publication like USA Today is giving him a platform is beyond me.

Are they really reputable? Most news you will find has an agenda behind it regardless of the publication. They don't want the public to see a relatively normal happy trans person. They want to show someone who regrets it! Because it supports their own beliefs and bias. It's not really about the truth as it is it's about the truth they want to present to the majority straight audience.
As for Walt Heyer not everyone is meant to transition, it can be a difficult path to take in life and not everyone can adjust to the major life upheaval that is transitioning. I don't agree with his assertion that no one should transition just because it wasn't right for him. I've met plenty of people including myself that are quite stable and content that don't have severe underlying mental problems. But on the other hand I have met people that are unstable and stress of transition probably isn't something they should be going through till they sort these problems out and could very well see them as future regret cases.

[GingerVicki]

From what I have learned about this case, people tend to gloss over the details. I have heard that he had multiple personality and a female personality took over the body resulting in the transition. This is the reason we shouldn't complain about gate keeping because if done properly, it would have prevented this from happening. Walt is the primary personality and from what I have seen is CIS male so I can understand the part of not understanding the transition. Remember that the primary may not be aware of the other personalities so it's difficult to blame Walt for not seeking the badly needed therapy. It is the fault of the alter for bypassing many of the standards of the day and for the doctors that allowed it to happen.

No process is perfect and there are many people who regret getting plastic surgery and there is no gatekeeping process for that. A simple google search can reveal people who obviously should have stopped getting plastic surgery. But, it continues.

Research has proven that transitioning is very therapeutic and helpful for many. It is like someone that has chemotherapy that did not work saying to people that no one should do it. I use this example because many transgender people attempt suicide because of lack of resources and support.

More than half of transgender male teens who participated in the survey reported attempting suicide in their lifetime, while 29.9 percent of transgender female teens said they attempted suicide. Among non-binary youth, 41.8 percent of respondents stated that they had attempted suicide at some point in their lives.

https://www.hrc.org/blog/new-study-reveals-shocking-rates-of-attempted-suicide-among-trans-adolescen

I've read the article and the individual seems to be in a victim mindset. People need to accept responsibility for their actions and not blame the process. The process is intended for people who need medical intervention. It is the same for people who have rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, and many other procedures who regret it afterward. Is it the doctor's fault? Is it the therapist's fault? No, it is not. No one will take care of you better than you and some people are better at it than others.

I do not intend to sound cold or callus about this, but people are allowed to share their opinion. An adult perspective does require people to admit that they made a mistake and take accountability for it. Failure to admit error and blaming the process is immature.

[big kim]

Walt Heyer made his decision of his own free will. Not like he was held at gunpoint. In his case it was a wrong decision & he's refused to accept responsibility while looking for someone to blame

[Devlyn]

Walt is on their own personal journey, and shouldn't be criticized for that, no matter where it leads.

Walt should also follow the same rule.

I don't agree that Walt's case supports gatekeeping for the rest of us.

[Ann W]

Walt is a frequent contributor to thefederalist.com, a conservative publication that seems to have an anti-trans agenda.

It is clear to me that Walt believes that all transitioning is a mistake, and that he has religious reasons for it.

Note: thefederalist.com is not a protected site; if your antivirus software isn't up-to-date, you may experience problems.