Some sources claim that as many as 5% of children (Pew Research) have this type of gender confusion (we have found studies that indicate that up to 9% of children do). 5% would be 1-2 kids in EVERY classroom in America. That's more children than have depression and as many as are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This seems impossible. We wrote this to The Atlantic because we are concerned that all of us GET IT RIGHT. We're talking about children, and we owe it to them to get it right.
Wish we could say that the scientific research will inform us, and it should. But the scientific research currently is woefully inadequate to guide decision-making. Further, with something that many people say affects so many children (i.e., 5%) the fact that there are NO scientific theories explaining why transgenderism happens is hard to believe. Further, some people are saying that 5% of children experience this gender dystopia, and that we should be using drastic treatments for it, but we don't have ANY scientific theories about what transgenderism even is and what the cause or causes are.
(and we know the treatments are drastic because Dan took the same
hormone blocker for his prostate cancer that young boys are taking, and the effects were AWFUL, much more widespread than we see reported in the literature, and frequently not reversible after the treatments are stopped)
That is not good science and not good medicine.
We feel good about writing and submitting this to The Atlantic. We hope it sparks some discussion. If our concerns were crazy or ugly The Atlantic would not have published our entry. Both of us are parents and grandparents. We have had so many children take up residence in our hearts. But in addition to our families, we have seen so much hurt, trauma, abuse, abandonment, and so on of children in our professions. Our position isn't a political one. All of those years where we focused on improving children's lives will never go away for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment