I am in deep despair about the future of my daughter, an 11-year-old who is absolutely sure about her gender. As Dr David Bell insists (Letters, 27 January), children and teenagers really are vulnerable. I’m not sure why this leads him to conclude that they should therefore be forced through puberty to become something they dread, which means that at the very inception of their adult life they may never be able to live without discrimination.
I fear that removing all hope of being medicated will lead to needless suffering for my daughter and other young trans people like her, as indeed we are already seeing for trans people of all ages relying on the shameful NHS provision.
I understand that a tiny minority do detransition, not least because they are abused or socially pressed into doing so. Why should the vast majority suffer to facilitate this?
As an aside, the suggestion that autistic people are unable to understand the implications of their own actions in this space is also abominable. I write as an autistic professional myself, with a family and a good education.
The way that trans people are treated in this country is a disgrace. It isn’t uncommon for them to have a detailed personal plan to leave the country if things get even worse. Sadly, I can’t in all conscience say that it won’t.
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