Thank you for your letter to the WHO and for the concerns it raises. I am grateful for your courage!
My name is First Name LastName, I am a mother, a lifelong progressive liberal, and I support the LGB community. But I am deeply concerned about the current practice of irreversible medical and surgical interventions for gender-distressed children, teens, and late adolescents.
I am personally connected to this issue as a bisexual adult who was gender nonconforming as a child and teen. I am lucky that I grew up during a time period where I was able to retain my body integrity and was not encouraged to burden it with hormones and surgical interventions. In my life I have been able to completely express my individual gender identity, behavior, dress, and appearance without having to resort to tampering with my healthy functioning body.
Gender distress is real, and gender non-conformity can and should be supported and validated but the current practice of medicalization and surgery is deeply wrong and harmful. There are new initiatives and emerging research that indicates many paths to recovery without these harmful interventions. Genspect (genspect.org) is one excellent example.
Thank you for calling this to our attention. Here's what I sent:
I am writing to thank you for your recent letter to Dr. Ghebreyesus regarding WHO's plans to develop guidelines on the health of trans and gender diverse people.
I am an American mother of a trans-identifying young adult and have seen up close the mental and physical health risks associated with both gender dysphoria and with medicalized "gender affirming care". My family has been deeply let down - and my child's health and well-being endangered permanently - by health professionals, therapists and by activists of the sort that WHO is intended to have on its "guideline development group". As you rightly insist, the "GDG" must include clinicians whose evidence-based research has arrived at different conclusions than those of the activist group members. Those clinicians' voices and research need to be amplified, for our children's safety.
You rightly also call out the WHO approach to self-ID and the risks WHO's approach poses to female-only spaces and women's and girls' rights and security. Thank you for restating that "a right to legal gender recognition does not imply a right to
unregulated self-identification of gender identity without appropriate safeguarding and risk assessment".
Thank you for continuing to speak out in support of women and girls and in support of children vulnerable to trans-activism, and trans-activist clinicians. I am deeply grateful for your work.
I wanted to thank you personally for writing to WHO with your very reasonable concerns about its intention to make policies that will endanger young vulnerable people, women and girls, gay and lesbian people, and the families of all of these groups, as well as the whole of society.
As the mother of a trans-identified teen, who began thinking she was "really a boy" at age 12.5, after having an internet-induced epiphany, and is now 17 and planning to medically alter her body in irreversible ways once she turns 18, I have serious concerns about the cavalier attitude organizations such as WHO are taking about medical transition, and the failure to consider concerns expressed by countries like Finland, Sweden and the UK, who have conducted systematic reviews revealing a total lack of medical evidence for these medical and social interventions. WHO also fails to consider the voices of detransitioners, and instead has a heavily biased group of people making policy decisions. WHO gave very little time for the public to comment on its proposals, but your letter will hopefully give the decision-makers pause. Regardless, I truly appreciate your attempt to get WHO to see reason. I hope it has the intended effect!
Hi! I sent a thank you note! But it was in Spanish so I won't share it (I know that Reem Alsalem understands Spanish, but she probably won't personally read all the thousands of notes that she will hopefully receive). This was a great idea. Reem Alsalem is still standing up for women and girls' rights in a very captured organization.
Thanks so much for giving us the chance to thank Reem Alsalem, I have just done this in my capacity as the deeply worried mum of a trans-identified teen.
Hi. I am a Canadian mom with a gender confused teenage daughter (who also has autumn and ADHD). I’m doing my best to challenge the indoctrination coming from all sides, and protect her from the harms of gender ideology. I am a strong supporter of the sex-based rights of women and girls.
Thank you for your letter to the WHO on their rushed and biased approach for developing transgender guidelines. I sincerely hope they reconsider their plans.
My name is Alison , I am writing to you from Canada. I am a life long leftist and supporter of LGBTQ rights. I am deeply concerned about the current practice of medical intervention for gender-distressed children and teens.
Thank you so much for raising your voice in such an articulate way and addressing the WHO about the massive shortcomings of their Transgender Health Guidelines.
I am personally connected to this issue as the mother of a teenager daughter who identified as transgender - and has now desisted from this identification, luckily without having taken advantage of the hormones and surgeries readily on offer to her here in Canada.
I would also mention that the lesbian and gay friends I have, all commented to me as we supported my daughter through a difficult time, that they are glad to have grown up in the 70's and 80's and not today, for they would certainly have opted for "gender transition" to escape homophobia , if they were young people today.
Your bravery means the world to me and my family, thank you thank you thank you.
I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support of, and battle for, the present and future situation for women and girls around the world.
I am a mother. I am a teacher. I am a Canadian. I am trying hard to learn about issues facing women and girls, around the world. My country has abandoned us. Intentionally. Legally.
I am 61 years old, the generation that benefitted from all the hard work that was done by the women who fought hard to improve women's lives. If I am 61 and I benefitted, did not fight this battle, but am very aware of how hard my predecessors fought and how they suffered, this means those who are younger than me hardly know anything - and I can see how it is happening that they are so quick to turn their backs on the struggles of women.... how they can be manipulated by queer theory, gender ideology theory, how they see no harm, and want to be kind.... They are throwing away, ditching, all progress that was made for women. And yet they see themselves at the forefront of a brave new world, a world of a new form of equality - based on ....erasing women, on giving away what little progress has been made for women and girls.
Knowing you are there, a David among so many Goliath, this bring some hope. I am grateful.
Here is my letter:
Dear Ms Alsalem,
Thank you for your letter to the WHO and for the concerns it raises. I am grateful for your courage!
My name is First Name LastName, I am a mother, a lifelong progressive liberal, and I support the LGB community. But I am deeply concerned about the current practice of irreversible medical and surgical interventions for gender-distressed children, teens, and late adolescents.
I am personally connected to this issue as a bisexual adult who was gender nonconforming as a child and teen. I am lucky that I grew up during a time period where I was able to retain my body integrity and was not encouraged to burden it with hormones and surgical interventions. In my life I have been able to completely express my individual gender identity, behavior, dress, and appearance without having to resort to tampering with my healthy functioning body.
Gender distress is real, and gender non-conformity can and should be supported and validated but the current practice of medicalization and surgery is deeply wrong and harmful. There are new initiatives and emerging research that indicates many paths to recovery without these harmful interventions. Genspect (genspect.org) is one excellent example.
Thank you,
First Name Last Name
Massachusetts, USA
Thank you for calling this to our attention. Here's what I sent:
I am writing to thank you for your recent letter to Dr. Ghebreyesus regarding WHO's plans to develop guidelines on the health of trans and gender diverse people.
I am an American mother of a trans-identifying young adult and have seen up close the mental and physical health risks associated with both gender dysphoria and with medicalized "gender affirming care". My family has been deeply let down - and my child's health and well-being endangered permanently - by health professionals, therapists and by activists of the sort that WHO is intended to have on its "guideline development group". As you rightly insist, the "GDG" must include clinicians whose evidence-based research has arrived at different conclusions than those of the activist group members. Those clinicians' voices and research need to be amplified, for our children's safety.
You rightly also call out the WHO approach to self-ID and the risks WHO's approach poses to female-only spaces and women's and girls' rights and security. Thank you for restating that "a right to legal gender recognition does not imply a right to
unregulated self-identification of gender identity without appropriate safeguarding and risk assessment".
Thank you for continuing to speak out in support of women and girls and in support of children vulnerable to trans-activism, and trans-activist clinicians. I am deeply grateful for your work.
Letter sent:
I wanted to thank you personally for writing to WHO with your very reasonable concerns about its intention to make policies that will endanger young vulnerable people, women and girls, gay and lesbian people, and the families of all of these groups, as well as the whole of society.
As the mother of a trans-identified teen, who began thinking she was "really a boy" at age 12.5, after having an internet-induced epiphany, and is now 17 and planning to medically alter her body in irreversible ways once she turns 18, I have serious concerns about the cavalier attitude organizations such as WHO are taking about medical transition, and the failure to consider concerns expressed by countries like Finland, Sweden and the UK, who have conducted systematic reviews revealing a total lack of medical evidence for these medical and social interventions. WHO also fails to consider the voices of detransitioners, and instead has a heavily biased group of people making policy decisions. WHO gave very little time for the public to comment on its proposals, but your letter will hopefully give the decision-makers pause. Regardless, I truly appreciate your attempt to get WHO to see reason. I hope it has the intended effect!
Hi! I sent a thank you note! But it was in Spanish so I won't share it (I know that Reem Alsalem understands Spanish, but she probably won't personally read all the thousands of notes that she will hopefully receive). This was a great idea. Reem Alsalem is still standing up for women and girls' rights in a very captured organization.
Thanks so much for giving us the chance to thank Reem Alsalem, I have just done this in my capacity as the deeply worried mum of a trans-identified teen.
letter sent. And thank YOU to LGBTCC for all you do to help protect our vulnerable children and women in this upside down world of gender ideology.
Oh my goodness, you're right! Thank you for your eagle eye. I will try again.
Thank you to you and passed on to Reem.
I'm grateful to you and your group, and to Reem. Very grateful. I'm in a dicey situation and your courage is so much appreciated.
My letter:
Hi. I am a Canadian mom with a gender confused teenage daughter (who also has autumn and ADHD). I’m doing my best to challenge the indoctrination coming from all sides, and protect her from the harms of gender ideology. I am a strong supporter of the sex-based rights of women and girls.
Thank you for your letter to the WHO on their rushed and biased approach for developing transgender guidelines. I sincerely hope they reconsider their plans.
*autism. (Darn auto-correct! )
Done, thank you!
My letter!
Dear Reem Alsalem
My name is Alison , I am writing to you from Canada. I am a life long leftist and supporter of LGBTQ rights. I am deeply concerned about the current practice of medical intervention for gender-distressed children and teens.
Thank you so much for raising your voice in such an articulate way and addressing the WHO about the massive shortcomings of their Transgender Health Guidelines.
I am personally connected to this issue as the mother of a teenager daughter who identified as transgender - and has now desisted from this identification, luckily without having taken advantage of the hormones and surgeries readily on offer to her here in Canada.
I would also mention that the lesbian and gay friends I have, all commented to me as we supported my daughter through a difficult time, that they are glad to have grown up in the 70's and 80's and not today, for they would certainly have opted for "gender transition" to escape homophobia , if they were young people today.
Your bravery means the world to me and my family, thank you thank you thank you.
Name
THANK YOU TO THIS GROUP LGBT Courage Coalition
I wrote:
Dear Ms. Alsalem,
I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support of, and battle for, the present and future situation for women and girls around the world.
I am a mother. I am a teacher. I am a Canadian. I am trying hard to learn about issues facing women and girls, around the world. My country has abandoned us. Intentionally. Legally.
I am 61 years old, the generation that benefitted from all the hard work that was done by the women who fought hard to improve women's lives. If I am 61 and I benefitted, did not fight this battle, but am very aware of how hard my predecessors fought and how they suffered, this means those who are younger than me hardly know anything - and I can see how it is happening that they are so quick to turn their backs on the struggles of women.... how they can be manipulated by queer theory, gender ideology theory, how they see no harm, and want to be kind.... They are throwing away, ditching, all progress that was made for women. And yet they see themselves at the forefront of a brave new world, a world of a new form of equality - based on ....erasing women, on giving away what little progress has been made for women and girls.
Knowing you are there, a David among so many Goliath, this bring some hope. I am grateful.
My letter was blocked. Here is what I received:
Message blocked
Your message to rc-sr-vaw@un.org has been blocked. See technical details below for more information.
The response from the remote server was:
550 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied. [DU2PEPF0001E9C5.eurprd03.prod.outlook.com 2024-01-11T14:48:43.471Z 08DC10CEEBDDF732]
Was there a typo in the email address?
Looks like you’re missing an “h” at the beginning of the email address?
You are completely right! Thank you! I re-sent with the correct address. It seems ok now.