GETTING DOWN TO BASICS
August - September 2026
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Our conversations on transgender issues have focused on the state restrictions, court decisions, and political efforts to limit the rights and freedoms of the transgender community. But we realize that we have neglected to address some basic facts and findings about transgender life that are not partisan or political.
We have enlisted the speedy searching and assembling skills (and relative objectivity) of Google's AI to help us answer some basic questions. This month we want to talk about kids.
#1. There is a fundamental lack of understanding about the lived experiences of transgender individuals. Why? How can the experience of gender dysphoria be best conveyed so that others might have an idea about how it feels?
LACK OF UNDERSTANDING.docxGENDER DYSPHORIA.docx#2. When do individuals generally come to realize that their gender identity does not match their sex assigned at birth?
DO transgender individuals come to the realization early in life.docxExcerpt from Fenway Study (1).docxGoogle AI brought to our attention us that Barbara Walters and ABC shared an introduction to transgender children back in 2007!
Note that terminology and understanding has been expanded and refined in the intervening almost 20 years.
barbara walters series on transgender children _my secret self_.docx
Below are the five segments of Barbara Walters' My Secret Self:
(9:33)
(7:28)
(9:17)
(6:06)
(8:47)
#3. What changes occur during puberty and how do puberty blockers "buy time"?
This is very imporant and often misunderstood.
Once puberty is experienced, the likelihood of the most successful transition is greatly diminished.
Puberty's Impacts.docxThe controversial Cass Review (see our post HERE) has been a major reference for policies and court cases negatively impacting gender affirming care despite critical reviews by many medical professional organizations. Additionally, Yale University published a highly negative critique by researchers and pediatric clinicians with experience in the field of transgender healthcare. This led to our next AI question:
#4. Didn't the Netherlands recently release an important review with findings concerning gender affirming care for transgender youth that contradict CASS and, in fact, point out many ways the Cass Review is framed to result in predetermined recommendations.
Didn't the Netherlands recently release an important review with findings that contradict CASS and,in fact, pointed out many ways the Cass is framed to create predetermined recommendations..docxSee our March/April 2025 discussing the Cass Review HERE
Below is an excerpt from our post July 2026 on the Dutch Review (HERE):
"In a landmark two-year review, the Health Council of the Netherlands—the country's highest advisory body -- has delivered its verdict on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The council's conclusions were universally positive for gender-affirming care: it endorsed the treatments as careful, lawful, and effective; framed quick access as a matter of the right to health; warned that 'doing nothing' is harmful; cast aside the Cass Review as not applicable to Dutch care; reported no cases of regret among trans youth patients; and called the reduction of the country's years-long wait times 'morally urgent.' In doing so, the Netherlands becomes the latest in a series of European countries to reaffirm and strenghthen care for transgender youth, refuting a right-wing talking point in the United States that Europe is 'pulling back.'"
If you have the time and the interest, this is a lovely story of a child in another country.
It is fictional but inspired by an actual person's life.
This is a moving film about a girl in the Basque country who knows that she is meant to be a boy.
You can watch the award-winning Spanish drama 20,000 Species of Bees on Amazon Prime Video.The film follows an eight-year-old child named Coco during a summer in the Basque Country as she explores her identity alongside the women in her family.
Watch the film's trailer, right.
Click HERE to read about the film, the director, and the true story that was one of the film's inspirations.
(2:06)
To see the subtitles best, be sure to open the clip to full-screen.
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