We play our cards very carefully, knowing of all the systems of government, public schools and public health see us as the enemies and her as our victim
Thank you for sharing - there's a lot of wisdom there and the Bible can't be ignored in our search for human truths. Prayers for us all. Prayer has been part of the strength I have gained, alongside solidarity with other parents and angels like the vocal campaigners on our side. We have been given blessings in our adversity.
I imagine you too have a huge amount of gratitude for the founders of PITT for providing this remarkable space! As is pointed out in the back of their wonderful new book, “Whether progressive or conservative, gay or straight, secular or religious, they all share the aim of protecting children from the physical and emotional harms of the gender industry.” It has been an incredible help and encouragement to hear from everyone.
I am so sorry for your pain and the destruction of your daughter under the guise of love. There are no guarantees and none of us parent perfectly. It is crucial to share the truth which "religion" and "skepticism" miss. Specific to gender confusion, the truth is that we are created in God's image, male and female, each infinite in value and perfect just as He made us. Truth is found in the Bible which God gave us to reveal Himself, His true love for us, and to show us how to live a blessed life. When we ignore the Book and defy God, we not only sin against Him, we destroy ourselves. Jesus said the truth sets us free, and I will be praying that your daughter has her blinders of deception removed, and that she will be set free from the lies that enslave her. God bless you all.
Washington University Stops Offering Gender Medications to Minors
Virginia Hughes
By Virginia Hughes
Sept. 11, 2023
NEW YORK TIMES
Washington University in St. Louis will stop prescribing gender medications to minors, the school said on Monday, citing “unacceptable” legal liability under a new Missouri law banning such treatments.
The change comes seven months after a former employee of the university’s youth gender clinic claimed that doctors there were hastily prescribing the treatments, throwing the center into the cross hairs of politicians trying to outlaw so-called gender affirming care for adolescents.
Current patients under 18 will be referred to other providers for these medications, which include puberty blockers and hormones, the university said in a statement.
“We are disheartened to have to take this step,” the statement said.
Background
In June, Gov. Mike Parson, Republican of Missouri, signed into law the ban on gender-affirming care for new patients under 18, part of a wave of more than 20 laws across the country severely restricting such care.
Under the new law, existing patients of Washington University’s youth gender clinic were still allowed to receive the treatments. But the law includes a provision allowing patients to make legal claims against doctors who prescribe hormonal medications to minors. The university said this part of the law made it “untenable” to continue providing this care.
Since it opened in 2017, the St. Louis clinic had seen a sharp increase in patient demand, overwhelming its small staff, The New York Times reported last month. Many patients and their families told The Times that the clinic’s doctors provided excellent care, and that the hormonal treatments profoundly improved patients’ mental health.
But the clinic’s staff members struggled to give thorough psychological evaluations to patients with serious mental health problems, highlighting tensions among experts over how much screening should be required before giving adolescents access to hormones.
This nuanced medical debate has run in parallel to a sweeping political movement to ban gender treatments for minors. Major medical groups have opposed bans on gender-affirming care for minors, as have many of the clinicians who have raised concerns that some children are being rushed into treatment.
What’s Next
Washington University said that its gender clinic would still provide hormonal treatments to adult patients, and that it would offer education and mental health support to patients of all ages.
“Our medical practitioners have cared for these patients with skill and dedication,” the school’s statement said. “They have continually provided treatment in accordance with the standard of care and with informed consent of patients and their parents or guardians.”
After the clinic’s former employee, Jamie Reed, went public, Missouri’s attorney general, a Republican, opened an investigation into the clinic’s operations, which is continuing. Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, is conducting a similar inquiry.
Civil rights groups are challenging Missouri’s ban, which has a “sunset” provision and will be in effect for four years. Last month, a judge declined the groups’ request for an injunction that would have temporarily blocked enforcement of the law.
Virginia Hughes is an editor on the Health and Science desk. More about Virginia Hughes
So WashU was ok offering these “affirming” treatments but then suddenly it’s “untenable” pearl clutching once liability clause is inserted? Isn’t every doctor liable for foreseeable negligent harm? Why was there a special carve out for these MD’s? These gender doctors must have so little confidence in their “affirming” treatments once they are exposed to liability.
We all carry different frames which we look through that help us make sense of things, make meaning out of things that happen, or don't happen, to us. I read these posts and just see how hard we are all working to make sense of our losses and fears, put them in context, give them meaning. I dearly wish faith, in an outside being, was one of my frames, but it isn't. I do think of Jesus, Buddha, and others, as wonderful humans and teachers of kindness and equanimity. I think, at the end of the day, we are all just hurting so much and wishing someone would help us. I don't see this as a test of my, or your, strength. I don't see it as a learning opportunity, although I suppose it could be one but I am not learning 'good' things about humans lately. It is just painful, sad and a loss that can't be recovered. My 'child' is now 35, also raised to question and be respectful of others. He was a very kind and compassionate person who now, for whatever reason, has no compassion or care for his parents or siblings. It makes no sense on any planet ,or in any belief system, to me.
It’s a dangerous movement Gretchen & destructive beyond belief. Our feelings are correct & it must be stopped. If not for our kids, for the sake of others.
As to religion, I find the words comforting & they do me no harm. I will take comfort any day in order to breathe through this trauma
My heart hurts for you. I have nothing to offer you but a simple prayer for your son. Even if you don’t believe, see if you can say this for your son (and for yourself) wherever he may be:
Thank you. In Buddhism there is the metta prayer and I say this for him every day. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be safe. May you live with ease.
Do you think your daughter might have some degree of autism? If so, she could be more easily influenced by social media than your other children, and it might look like a kind of mental blindness.
In any case, it's not your fault! Like the man said - neither the parents' sins nor the child's.
I should write a whole post about that. She was absolutely convinced that she had autism, and she REALLY wanted this to be true. It took a psychologist wisely and directly confronting her about it to get her off that track. We witnessed it and it was a mini-miracle.
It is common for these kids to want all sorts of diagnosed conditions. These are badges of honour. Even stays in the mental health ward are experiences to be bragged about to others of like mind. It's a very twisted mindset. :-(
Yes, that's the thing with any youthful generation. Every act of rebellion against one's parents is a badge of honour. Except once upon a time that used to be staying out until 2/3 a.m. or smoking, now it's calling the police on your parents and having them humiliatingly arrested for having a contentious conversation surrounding pronouns and a new name they've demanded to be called or they've suddenly up and left and gone 'no contact' leaving you devasted, worried and with no closure. Prior to announcing they are a (insert). All this is a badge of honour, with heaps of affirmation bestowed (love bombing) and heaps of encouragement to hate one's 'abusive' parents, by cult members.
My daughter rejected her autism diagnosis as uncool, preferring instead the transgender diagnosis. She chose that herself, whereas the “autism spectrum disorder” was put upon her.
And, sometimes, a reason not to have to go to work. The victim, unable, part of this is so profound and confusing to most of us elders. There is a marxist part of it. Many of them feel they shouldn't have to work for their food and housing that it should be just part of what is given to them. The cynical part of me thinks they just want more time to satisfy the dopamine hits they get from the internet. It's hard to maintain that when you have to go to work each day and support yourself.
I don't think any of them have actually read Marx. I do know they believe capitalism is the problem. They see themselves as part of the 'oppressed masses'. Which is crazy talk for a person who had all the advantages of home and excellent schools and never wanted for anything. My son actually posted something about 'workers of the world' on labor day. Unfortunate that he himself isn't working and really never had to struggle for anything material. It makes no front brain sense at all.
it's ALL about the "street cred"! These days it's good to belong to a group of oppressed individuals and they feed off one another's conditions and "traumatic" experiences. They WANT to be in boxes while we parents fought to break out of those boxes (stereotypes of gender)....it's just so sad, scary and funny all at the same time....dystopian.
Like you and many believers, though I believe the promise of Rom. 8:28 and trust that God’s grace is sufficient in all things, going through the throes of this evil was still excruciating. You have a good head and heart, and your daughter and family are blessed to have you fighting this battle on their behalf. Thank you for your insightful posts. You know you’re not alone, which takes away a bit of the sting. Stay strong and don’t give up hope.
I love this so much. She is blind and the Lord will use her healing for His glory. I pray this for your daughter and mine and all of our children blinded by satans lure.
And if I didn’t have my faith, my other children, my husband and myself would not have gotten through this heartache. It is the only thing that gives me hope that her heart can and will be changed. Without God, there is no peace. Without peace and my hope I couldn’t continue to mother my other children and be a functioning adult. It’s hard as it is but my faith gets me up every morning and helps me to sleep at night. I know my precious daughter is in her loving Father’s hands.
As others have said, don’t blame yourself. We both have a vulnerable child, and try as we might to equip them with the sense to avoid harmful behaviors, sometimes the environment wins. Like you, we have other children who have somehow avoided this madness and are thriving, so that’s evidence we aren’t total failures as parents.
I’ll also just note, my wife and I are not religious, but both of us were raised in religious households. We chose to raise our kids as skeptics. Sometimes I think maybe it would have been better for my daughter to have been raised in a religious environment. But as we see from many of the parent testimonies here, raising your child in a faith tradition is not an automatic protection against the trans madness. Neither is raising your kids without a faith tradition - it is really a combination of the crazy environment and the child’s inherent vulnerabilities.
Stay strong, this place sucks for now but hopefully we will all find our way out eventually.
You are so right.Nomatter how hard you try as a Parent, 'sometimes the environment wins'. Sometimes this is hard to accept, especially as western culture has indoctrinated us to lay all 'blame' with the parents. However, it is a fact of reality.
I raised my children as skeptics as well, always encouraging them to question everything. I might be seen by some to be "paying the price" for such an approach, but I believe that is the right way. And there is plenty of road ahead.
Very powerful. I do remember reading your other stories. Blindness. It is the inability to see anything, including light. The trans-cult blindness not only affects our innocent children as it is a social contagion which then effects everyone who supports and affirms this cult. Affect is a verb that refers to an action and Effect is a noun that refers to an outcome. The reference of “inability to see light” is two-fold; unable to see the truth because of the darkness (evil vs good) and, there can be light in darkness that we simply can’t see (good vs evil). The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:9 “We are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” This trans-cult is persecuting our children, our heritage, our dreams and our hopes for their futures. Together we must continue our fight by speaking out against this cult and calling on God to help us. We must “pray without ceasing” as it is written in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Never give up! Now is the time to rise above and stay strong. Our children are depending upon us to help them for they are blind and lost, but we can see the way home.
Thank you, so well said. We miss our children who have gone down this terrible road.
We are with you and in our prayers. My heart breaks for you
But for those of us who do and have this is our truth.
Beautiful! I could have written this about our son. Powerful insights.
Me too.
Thank you for sharing - there's a lot of wisdom there and the Bible can't be ignored in our search for human truths. Prayers for us all. Prayer has been part of the strength I have gained, alongside solidarity with other parents and angels like the vocal campaigners on our side. We have been given blessings in our adversity.
Thank you for this beautiful writing!
I imagine you too have a huge amount of gratitude for the founders of PITT for providing this remarkable space! As is pointed out in the back of their wonderful new book, “Whether progressive or conservative, gay or straight, secular or religious, they all share the aim of protecting children from the physical and emotional harms of the gender industry.” It has been an incredible help and encouragement to hear from everyone.
You put my heart and struggle into words! It is comforting not feeling alone. Thank you for sharing!
I am so sorry for your pain and the destruction of your daughter under the guise of love. There are no guarantees and none of us parent perfectly. It is crucial to share the truth which "religion" and "skepticism" miss. Specific to gender confusion, the truth is that we are created in God's image, male and female, each infinite in value and perfect just as He made us. Truth is found in the Bible which God gave us to reveal Himself, His true love for us, and to show us how to live a blessed life. When we ignore the Book and defy God, we not only sin against Him, we destroy ourselves. Jesus said the truth sets us free, and I will be praying that your daughter has her blinders of deception removed, and that she will be set free from the lies that enslave her. God bless you all.
Thank you for your good description of the disability our children have.
These trials, we have to believe, will build our character. Keep praying, we are stronger when together.
Washington University Stops Offering Gender Medications to Minors
Virginia Hughes
By Virginia Hughes
Sept. 11, 2023
NEW YORK TIMES
Washington University in St. Louis will stop prescribing gender medications to minors, the school said on Monday, citing “unacceptable” legal liability under a new Missouri law banning such treatments.
The change comes seven months after a former employee of the university’s youth gender clinic claimed that doctors there were hastily prescribing the treatments, throwing the center into the cross hairs of politicians trying to outlaw so-called gender affirming care for adolescents.
Current patients under 18 will be referred to other providers for these medications, which include puberty blockers and hormones, the university said in a statement.
“We are disheartened to have to take this step,” the statement said.
Background
In June, Gov. Mike Parson, Republican of Missouri, signed into law the ban on gender-affirming care for new patients under 18, part of a wave of more than 20 laws across the country severely restricting such care.
Under the new law, existing patients of Washington University’s youth gender clinic were still allowed to receive the treatments. But the law includes a provision allowing patients to make legal claims against doctors who prescribe hormonal medications to minors. The university said this part of the law made it “untenable” to continue providing this care.
Since it opened in 2017, the St. Louis clinic had seen a sharp increase in patient demand, overwhelming its small staff, The New York Times reported last month. Many patients and their families told The Times that the clinic’s doctors provided excellent care, and that the hormonal treatments profoundly improved patients’ mental health.
But the clinic’s staff members struggled to give thorough psychological evaluations to patients with serious mental health problems, highlighting tensions among experts over how much screening should be required before giving adolescents access to hormones.
This nuanced medical debate has run in parallel to a sweeping political movement to ban gender treatments for minors. Major medical groups have opposed bans on gender-affirming care for minors, as have many of the clinicians who have raised concerns that some children are being rushed into treatment.
What’s Next
Washington University said that its gender clinic would still provide hormonal treatments to adult patients, and that it would offer education and mental health support to patients of all ages.
“Our medical practitioners have cared for these patients with skill and dedication,” the school’s statement said. “They have continually provided treatment in accordance with the standard of care and with informed consent of patients and their parents or guardians.”
After the clinic’s former employee, Jamie Reed, went public, Missouri’s attorney general, a Republican, opened an investigation into the clinic’s operations, which is continuing. Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, is conducting a similar inquiry.
Civil rights groups are challenging Missouri’s ban, which has a “sunset” provision and will be in effect for four years. Last month, a judge declined the groups’ request for an injunction that would have temporarily blocked enforcement of the law.
Virginia Hughes is an editor on the Health and Science desk. More about Virginia Hughes
So WashU was ok offering these “affirming” treatments but then suddenly it’s “untenable” pearl clutching once liability clause is inserted? Isn’t every doctor liable for foreseeable negligent harm? Why was there a special carve out for these MD’s? These gender doctors must have so little confidence in their “affirming” treatments once they are exposed to liability.
We all carry different frames which we look through that help us make sense of things, make meaning out of things that happen, or don't happen, to us. I read these posts and just see how hard we are all working to make sense of our losses and fears, put them in context, give them meaning. I dearly wish faith, in an outside being, was one of my frames, but it isn't. I do think of Jesus, Buddha, and others, as wonderful humans and teachers of kindness and equanimity. I think, at the end of the day, we are all just hurting so much and wishing someone would help us. I don't see this as a test of my, or your, strength. I don't see it as a learning opportunity, although I suppose it could be one but I am not learning 'good' things about humans lately. It is just painful, sad and a loss that can't be recovered. My 'child' is now 35, also raised to question and be respectful of others. He was a very kind and compassionate person who now, for whatever reason, has no compassion or care for his parents or siblings. It makes no sense on any planet ,or in any belief system, to me.
It’s a dangerous movement Gretchen & destructive beyond belief. Our feelings are correct & it must be stopped. If not for our kids, for the sake of others.
As to religion, I find the words comforting & they do me no harm. I will take comfort any day in order to breathe through this trauma
My heart hurts for you. I have nothing to offer you but a simple prayer for your son. Even if you don’t believe, see if you can say this for your son (and for yourself) wherever he may be:
Numbers 6:24-26
24 “‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
Thank you. In Buddhism there is the metta prayer and I say this for him every day. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be safe. May you live with ease.
Do you think your daughter might have some degree of autism? If so, she could be more easily influenced by social media than your other children, and it might look like a kind of mental blindness.
In any case, it's not your fault! Like the man said - neither the parents' sins nor the child's.
I should write a whole post about that. She was absolutely convinced that she had autism, and she REALLY wanted this to be true. It took a psychologist wisely and directly confronting her about it to get her off that track. We witnessed it and it was a mini-miracle.
That's really interesting. Do you know what made her think she had autism? or what made her want it to be true?
And was this before or after she decided she was a boy?
If you do write a post about it, I'd be really interested to read it.
It is common for these kids to want all sorts of diagnosed conditions. These are badges of honour. Even stays in the mental health ward are experiences to be bragged about to others of like mind. It's a very twisted mindset. :-(
Yes, that's the thing with any youthful generation. Every act of rebellion against one's parents is a badge of honour. Except once upon a time that used to be staying out until 2/3 a.m. or smoking, now it's calling the police on your parents and having them humiliatingly arrested for having a contentious conversation surrounding pronouns and a new name they've demanded to be called or they've suddenly up and left and gone 'no contact' leaving you devasted, worried and with no closure. Prior to announcing they are a (insert). All this is a badge of honour, with heaps of affirmation bestowed (love bombing) and heaps of encouragement to hate one's 'abusive' parents, by cult members.
My daughter rejected her autism diagnosis as uncool, preferring instead the transgender diagnosis. She chose that herself, whereas the “autism spectrum disorder” was put upon her.
And, sometimes, a reason not to have to go to work. The victim, unable, part of this is so profound and confusing to most of us elders. There is a marxist part of it. Many of them feel they shouldn't have to work for their food and housing that it should be just part of what is given to them. The cynical part of me thinks they just want more time to satisfy the dopamine hits they get from the internet. It's hard to maintain that when you have to go to work each day and support yourself.
Well, I haven't actually read "Das Kapital", but I didn't think Marx ever said people shouldn't have to work for their keep!
There was something about "Workers of the world unite!" I believe, - not "Workers of the world don't bother, just lay around".
Maybe someone better informed could enlighten us ?
Today, they're neo-Marxists. New Marxism. They admit that Marx was wrong in their own writings. Watch James Lindsay.
There really is an epidemic of kids who don't want to work these days.
Actually, how about "From each according to their ability, to each according to their need"; was that Marx or was it someone else?
Pardon my ignorance.
I don't think any of them have actually read Marx. I do know they believe capitalism is the problem. They see themselves as part of the 'oppressed masses'. Which is crazy talk for a person who had all the advantages of home and excellent schools and never wanted for anything. My son actually posted something about 'workers of the world' on labor day. Unfortunate that he himself isn't working and really never had to struggle for anything material. It makes no front brain sense at all.
it's ALL about the "street cred"! These days it's good to belong to a group of oppressed individuals and they feed off one another's conditions and "traumatic" experiences. They WANT to be in boxes while we parents fought to break out of those boxes (stereotypes of gender)....it's just so sad, scary and funny all at the same time....dystopian.
Like you and many believers, though I believe the promise of Rom. 8:28 and trust that God’s grace is sufficient in all things, going through the throes of this evil was still excruciating. You have a good head and heart, and your daughter and family are blessed to have you fighting this battle on their behalf. Thank you for your insightful posts. You know you’re not alone, which takes away a bit of the sting. Stay strong and don’t give up hope.
Thank you.
I love this so much. She is blind and the Lord will use her healing for His glory. I pray this for your daughter and mine and all of our children blinded by satans lure.
And if I didn’t have my faith, my other children, my husband and myself would not have gotten through this heartache. It is the only thing that gives me hope that her heart can and will be changed. Without God, there is no peace. Without peace and my hope I couldn’t continue to mother my other children and be a functioning adult. It’s hard as it is but my faith gets me up every morning and helps me to sleep at night. I know my precious daughter is in her loving Father’s hands.
Very cool. Thank you. If you're up for discussing this in more depth, drop me a line at anontransparent@icloud.com
As others have said, don’t blame yourself. We both have a vulnerable child, and try as we might to equip them with the sense to avoid harmful behaviors, sometimes the environment wins. Like you, we have other children who have somehow avoided this madness and are thriving, so that’s evidence we aren’t total failures as parents.
I’ll also just note, my wife and I are not religious, but both of us were raised in religious households. We chose to raise our kids as skeptics. Sometimes I think maybe it would have been better for my daughter to have been raised in a religious environment. But as we see from many of the parent testimonies here, raising your child in a faith tradition is not an automatic protection against the trans madness. Neither is raising your kids without a faith tradition - it is really a combination of the crazy environment and the child’s inherent vulnerabilities.
Stay strong, this place sucks for now but hopefully we will all find our way out eventually.
You are so right.Nomatter how hard you try as a Parent, 'sometimes the environment wins'. Sometimes this is hard to accept, especially as western culture has indoctrinated us to lay all 'blame' with the parents. However, it is a fact of reality.
This is wisdom.
I raised my children as skeptics as well, always encouraging them to question everything. I might be seen by some to be "paying the price" for such an approach, but I believe that is the right way. And there is plenty of road ahead.
Very powerful. I do remember reading your other stories. Blindness. It is the inability to see anything, including light. The trans-cult blindness not only affects our innocent children as it is a social contagion which then effects everyone who supports and affirms this cult. Affect is a verb that refers to an action and Effect is a noun that refers to an outcome. The reference of “inability to see light” is two-fold; unable to see the truth because of the darkness (evil vs good) and, there can be light in darkness that we simply can’t see (good vs evil). The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:9 “We are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” This trans-cult is persecuting our children, our heritage, our dreams and our hopes for their futures. Together we must continue our fight by speaking out against this cult and calling on God to help us. We must “pray without ceasing” as it is written in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Never give up! Now is the time to rise above and stay strong. Our children are depending upon us to help them for they are blind and lost, but we can see the way home.