In response to the United States Department of HHS “report” regarding gender affirming care:
My top surgery journey took over 14 years for me to obtain, had I had access to the advanced gender affirming care that now exists for transgender children, I would not have suffered so much in my life socially, physically and mentally for so decades as I began my physical transition at 32, at 39 I received top surgery, I am now 41 and with that comes much lived experience and wisdom. This is why transgender adults advocate so strongly for transgender children, because we know that they can and should have a better life experience than we have had, both medically and socially.
Now, as a proud gay transgender American man, I would hate to assume that the United States government currently through their inaccurately titled “Gender Dysphoria Report” document published recklessly as heinous anti-transgender propaganda by the United States Depart of Health and Human Services be attempting to not only gaslight the public but also grossly overstep boundaries as mis-guided government officials on American citizens’ personal bodily autonomy.
As Americans we all make the informed decision to appoint educated medical professionals to guide our expert care who have also educated themselves on our community, the struggles we face, our health needs and lived experiences. As Americans we all have the right to select our own chosen certified licensed medical professionals to oversee our care. This document aims to instruct medical professionals who have been experts working in this field for decades to change their medical approaches to care. In what capacity would you want a politician who does not have an education in the medical field dictating how medical professionals should care for you? I simply would risk my life in the hands of some not fit for the job of saving it and perhaps you can lie your way into the Oval Office but you can’t lie your way into being a medical expert. As transgender Americans we should be afforded the same process of bodily autonomy that our cisgender counterparts are never questioned on. As transgender Americans we should be able to not have our medical information weaponized against us. That simply is not what’s happening in this document.
To put out a propaganda laden report without the endorsement of the leading professionals in the field of gender affirming care is not only ignorant and reckless but will have lasting deadly consequences as our community has a high risk of suicide when we are not supported by proper gender-affirming care or society as a whole.
Nowhere in this document are there any supporting facts, experts or citations from transgender adults discussing gender dysphoria and that leads many to believe none in fact were consulted, considered or taken into account in said document. It is my opinion as a transgender man that conservative politicians attached to said document have purposefully chosen to brazenly insert themselves into a place that is not their expert profession or place to do so, to push what seems to be from a staunchly backed white-supremisitic eugenics agenda guided by current elected officials in power the directly reflects their own conservative views as opposed to those of actual transgender lived experiences and the well-being of the public. By adhering to this propaganda based document instead of factual medical research conducted by certified medical professionals the government aims to control and overtime diminish if not wipe out the entire transgender and gender diver community as a whole.
In the propaganda document’s referencing of instead of holistic gender-affirming care (hormones/surgeries/any kind of medical intervention + mental health support etc), gender dysphoria should be treated using “exploratory therapy” that sounds dangerously close to conversion therapy and I do not for one second believe that the referenced “exploratory therapy” will not be harmful if not all together deadly for transgender children – one of the most vulnerable and most often attacked communities in this country. The US government punching down on transgender children I would say is a new low however that was what this current administration ran their campaign on hate on the back of transgender children.
The great thing about being both transgender and a publicist is that I can see and call bullshit on the United States Department of Health and Human Services for trying to create a word salad false narrative and publish it out trying to shape it as fact when it is not. This all is more of a stupid hit piece than a “report” but again, if they stayed in their lane and just did their damn job correctly people like me wouldn’t have to come to the media and put their “professional” ignorance on blast because again this is what I’m good at getting attention and crafting stories. This HHS document oozes of blatant stupidity as does everything coming out from this administration regarding gender-affirming care and quite frankly everything else they have and continue to fail at.
As a transgender man I am all for puberty blockers for transgender children on their gender journey, what that does is give a pause to changes in puberty while transgender children are navigating their gender identity. As a child, had I known about and had access to gender affirming care, puberty blockers and a licensed therapist I could have avoided an unnecessary female puberty that I later had to get a surgery to recover from. Had I had access to puberty blockers I could have avoided so much personal suffering but our government isn’t ready for that discussion, right? Because that’s what transgender adults like myself and current expert medical professionals are advocating for – harm reduction – not control over someone’s bodily autonomy. This bullshit document aims to gaslight the uninformed public and cause harm.
My concern is that the Trump administration does not consult gender-affirming experts before releasing what they frame to the general public as “medical findings” on transgender people because they in fact have not enacted any reputable medical studies on transgender people. My concern is that the Trump administration does not consult transgender adults on transgender issues as a whole. My concern is that the Trump administration does not consult professionals on the rates of suicide transgender children face but wants to dictate how transgender children are cared for. My concern is that if the Trump administration continually lies about transgender Americans what credibility does this administration have to cisgender people? My concern is that if the Trump administration lies to transgender people like myself they’ll lie to anyone to push a future and/or current agenda regardless of the unnecessary destruction and suffering it may cause.
Unless you have lived as a transgender American you simply can not fathom every day how it feels to wake up and listen to the hate filled propaganda spewed out by our government attempting to villainize us while telling us how we should conduct our lives and medical care. Transgender children and transgender adults deserve a government that keeps their hands off our bodies and medical care as we have not consented to metaphorically be raped of our existing expertly guided medical care guidelines. – Dylan Thomas Cotter (He/Him)