Written by Hudson Crozier

What’s happening: Doctors and mental health professionals from multiple countries published a “Clinical Guide for Therapists Working with Gender-Questioning Youth” that rejects the progressive narrative about transitioning children.

The suicide narrative is “exaggerated and hysterical”: The guide focuses on debunking the narrative echoed by left-wing media, activists, and the Biden administration that “gender-affirming care” is necessary to prevent widespread suicide among LGBT youth. It cites research from multiple studies that hormone treatments and gender transition surgeries fail to reduce suicidal tendencies in the long term.

Rejecting the “affirmative” approach: It also argues that a child may feel discomfort with their gender for a number of reasons, such as mental illness, sexuality, social surroundings, or a history of trauma or abuse. They reject the mainstream approach of blindly “affirming” gender dysphoria and instead suggest exploring all therapeutic solutions for these children before resorting to treatments that permanently remove sexual organs “long before they are mature enough to comprehend [their] importance.”

Why it matters: Existing medical standards for treating gender-dysphoric youth have been shaped by institutions that radically promote sex changes. These groups often use flawed research while ignoring evidence of children growing out of gender dysphoria. This new set of guidelines shows that even those who aren’t entirely opposed to child transitioning are looking for alternatives to the radical movement.