Thoughts on the cancelled alphabet soup conference, the “enlightened” response from the C of E, and the government’s cautionary approach to banning conversion therapy for gender identity.
A global conference which focused on banning such practices (see article) everywhere would have been a useful step.
Instead… histrionics. Footstomping. “If you don’t do what we want we won’t play”. Stonewall and other well- funded groups financially incentivising rainbow washing and virtue-signalling whilst denying same-sex attraction, should be ashamed of themselves.
Now the C of E seems happy to accept trans folk. Lovely. Except it is a thin veneer over their homophobia.
“Better a trans person than a gay one.” Just like in Iran where the state pays to transition gay people.
And all because the government wants to give thought and consideration to developing effective legislation to ensure gender identity conversion therapy is banned without the unintended consequences of criminalising therapists, counsellors and parents who are helping the growing number of teenage girls struggling with puberty and their sexed bodies to explore their “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria”.
The clue is in the name. A new condition which has arisen so sharply amongst 12 to 15 year old girls ( over 4000% in the last year) that the government commissioned a review by Hilary Cass. There has only been time for the interim report to be published – with concerning enough findings about inadequate therapy being given to girls before they are referred to the “specialists” in gender dysphoria.
Cue puberty blockers (££$$) which usually lead to cross-sex hormones ($$££) and elective mastectomies ($$££) on healthy breasts.
This is in itself conversion therapy, as research has shown that many of these girls are in fact lesbian and left to their own natural development would emerge as such.
The cohort of gender distressed girls contains a worrying and significant percentage of autistic children and those in care.
This complex area needs FULLY investigated and appropriately managed.
Listen to detransitioners about the inadequate guidance they were given before being set on the hormone highway to hell, and the frequency of underlying other issues (e.g. sexual abuse) which properly funded and adequately staffed mental health services would investigate fully.
Read David Bell and the evidence of 80% desistance rate where the watchful waiting approach is adopted instead of affirmation.
The proposed bill sought to outlaw practices seeking to convert someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Gay conversion therapy is clear cut. Sexual orientation is a legally defined protected characteristic. Straight forward to deal with.
Gender Identity is not straight forward. Nor is it legally defined or protected. Therapists who seek to explore the underlying reasons for gender distress run the very real risk of being accused of conversion therapy unless they affirm the new gender identity without any question. This could end up causing more harm to already vulnerable young people.
This has been blown up to be seen as anti trans. Trans is not defined in law and the growing alphabet of groups wishing to be under the trans umbrella indicates that the community itself is not yet settled on what constitutes trans.
So stop with the outrage! Let the government get on with developing legislation which has a chance of working.
Meanwhile – let’s support other countries to ban the sort of thing these Lesbians in Ecuador endure, or my friends in Kakuma refugee camp who fled Uganda after corrective rape, or my Iranian Lesbian friend who fled after refusing transition to correct her Lesbianism.
This is a REAL issue not a political football.
Referenced article: