This year, President Joe Biden made a big deal about Trans Day of Visibility, releasing a prerecorded video assuring all transgender Americans that he had their backs. The White House also marked the day by releasing a chart of gender-affirming care for young people, ranging from adopting gender-affirming pronouns to providing top and bottom surgery.
On the other hand, the White House completely ignored Detrans Awareness Day, in which those who’d transitioned back shared their stories. Among those was Grace, who posted this:
My name is Grace and I detransitioned. On the left: me shortly after top surgery, 2017. This was the darkest time in my life. On the right: me recently. Life goes on, life gets better. #DetransAwarenessDay pic.twitter.com/ItTJbiLJpF
— Grace 💙🦎 (@HormoneHangover) March 12, 2022
Grace is back with a great thread inspired by this post:
I had gender dysphoria.
Accordingly to myself, and my gender clinic – who quickly diagnosed me with it. And treated me with cross-sex hormones and surgery.
I regret it.
I exist.
You just ignored my other issues. I'll never forgive you.
— Watson (@ImWatson91) August 7, 2022
I got hormones after a 10-minute assessment. I got a top surgery letter after a few hours of therapy. I take responsibility for my choices, but I was unwell when I made them. I'll always wish that my healthcare providers had helped me instead of enabling my self harm https://t.co/JmMiPnp8Um
— Grace 👩🦳🐈⬛🦎 (@HormoneHangover) August 9, 2022
Feels really wretched to look back at all the credentialed professionals who could have bothered to look into your issues, seen the red flags, and just didn't care enough to do it. But that's life. People aren't always looking out for your best interests
— Grace 👩🦳🐈⬛🦎 (@HormoneHangover) August 9, 2022
WPATH stands for World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
Went back and talked to my hormone provider about it. She just didn't really feel like it was her job.
Asked her if she followed WPATH standards of care.
Enthusiastic nod.
"Why didn't you have me do WPATH's mental health assessments?"
"Well, they're more like guidelines"
— Grace 👩🦳🐈⬛🦎 (@HormoneHangover) August 9, 2022
Look. We're maximizing for ease of access, not for screening people for mental health issues. That is the US model. And I know a lot of people want that. But the stakes are just so incredibly high. The current model puts all the responsibility on the patient. Is that fair?
— Grace 👩🦳🐈⬛🦎 (@HormoneHangover) August 9, 2022
And those patients are so often minors. But as we reported Tuesday, California’s legislature just advanced the “Transgender State of Refuge” bill welcoming minors who are prohibited by law in their states from getting the gender-affirming care (i.e., surgery) they so desperately need).
It blows my mind that such serious stuff is accessed so easily, it's taken me the better part of a year to get ADHD medication and that doesn't have such huge ramifications
Getting the US to walk back on this like Sweden did is probably going to take a lot of malpractice suits
— Tanis THE GOAT (@TanistheGOAT) August 10, 2022
This is just horrendous. How can the medical profession play so fast and lose with people? Why is there no full psychological testing done anymore? I’m so sorry to you and all others who have gone through this. Just devastating
— Anita Thornberry (@NattyT7012) August 10, 2022
Enabling your self harm is a good way to phrase it. I am sorry the doctors let you down. You deserved better care.
— Julia Mason MS MD (@JuliaMasonMD1) August 10, 2022
Oh hell no. You, and so many others like you, you were ALL preyed upon by unethical, money-grubbing, so-called professionals. I will die on this hill.
— toldyaso (@toldyaso2022) August 10, 2022
Thank you all for sharing. Many more people need to speak out.
— Roger Vind (@RogerVind75) August 10, 2022
As shitty as things were, the one upside of the outcome is that I think now you're hopefully writing your own story. The past left marks that can't be erased, but we learn most from things we can't hide from. I hope beyond all else that you're finding your happiness.
— J.T (Buy Samurai Shodown on Steam) (@notasnervous) August 10, 2022
The people providing this gender-affirming care are holding a gun to our heads by citing studies that show young people are likely to commit suicide if they don’t get “treatment.”
Related:
Young people tell their gender transition (and de-transition) stories to mark #DetransAwarenessDay https://t.co/yeuoaW2IpX
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 12, 2022
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