There are so many problems with the coverage of this issue, particularly in the article linked to this essay. Calling the treatments received at Wash U "life-saving evidence-based care" is such a misnomer for so many reasons, but it's the specifics that belie the inaccuracies in the article.
Looking at the linked article, "Chris Harvey" acknowledges that "he" first "realized" that "he" was "trans" by looking at Tumblr. Seeing something interesting that "he" didn't understand, "he" looked into it through Google and liked what "he" saw. "He" decided eventually that it resonated with "him," and came out to "his" parents as "trans" at age 14. In light of the stated history, the claim that "he" needed a letter from "his" pediatrician stating that "his" "pediatrician had to write a letter confirming that his gender dysphoria has been present throughout his life" is telling. How would a pediatrician know that Chris suffered from gender dysphoria for a lifetime if Chris "himself" didn't think "he" was "trans" until "he" was at least 11, after seeing a Tumblr thread on the subject? "His" parents didn't know anything until "he" "came out" at 14. What magical knowledge did "his" pediatrician have?
Further, Chris says that Jamie Reed's statement that some kids got hormones after just a few visits to the clinic must be false because Chris had to spend at least 6 months in therapy before "he" could get meds. While that may be Chris's experience, it doesn't preclude other patients from having another experience. Perhaps "he" was a particularly troublesome case, or "he" had a case worker who was more cautious than others. I don't think Jamie Reed said every patient received hormones that quickly.
It's also worth noting that the therapist who Chris saw made sure to ask about pronouns and name in advance, giving a hint to the fact that this "therapist" likely affirmed Chris right from the get-go, and never did any exploratory therapy. Thus, the 6 months of therapy likely did nothing but encourage Chris to continue on this path.
Lastly, I don't know what surgeries went on at Wash U's clinic, but I know for a fact that mastectomies occur in minors, both from people like Chloe Cole and from my daughter's friend, who had one at age 15 in New Jersey. It's definitely happening.
There are so many problems with the coverage of this issue, particularly in the article linked to this essay. Calling the treatments received at Wash U "life-saving evidence-based care" is such a misnomer for so many reasons, but it's the specifics that belie the inaccuracies in the article.
Looking at the linked article, "Chris Harvey" acknowledges that "he" first "realized" that "he" was "trans" by looking at Tumblr. Seeing something interesting that "he" didn't understand, "he" looked into it through Google and liked what "he" saw. "He" decided eventually that it resonated with "him," and came out to "his" parents as "trans" at age 14. In light of the stated history, the claim that "he" needed a letter from "his" pediatrician stating that "his" "pediatrician had to write a letter confirming that his gender dysphoria has been present throughout his life" is telling. How would a pediatrician know that Chris suffered from gender dysphoria for a lifetime if Chris "himself" didn't think "he" was "trans" until "he" was at least 11, after seeing a Tumblr thread on the subject? "His" parents didn't know anything until "he" "came out" at 14. What magical knowledge did "his" pediatrician have?
Further, Chris says that Jamie Reed's statement that some kids got hormones after just a few visits to the clinic must be false because Chris had to spend at least 6 months in therapy before "he" could get meds. While that may be Chris's experience, it doesn't preclude other patients from having another experience. Perhaps "he" was a particularly troublesome case, or "he" had a case worker who was more cautious than others. I don't think Jamie Reed said every patient received hormones that quickly.
It's also worth noting that the therapist who Chris saw made sure to ask about pronouns and name in advance, giving a hint to the fact that this "therapist" likely affirmed Chris right from the get-go, and never did any exploratory therapy. Thus, the 6 months of therapy likely did nothing but encourage Chris to continue on this path.
Lastly, I don't know what surgeries went on at Wash U's clinic, but I know for a fact that mastectomies occur in minors, both from people like Chloe Cole and from my daughter's friend, who had one at age 15 in New Jersey. It's definitely happening.