The UK Council for Psychotherapy has launched a new Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy to include ‘gender identity,’ leaving therapists, counsellors, GPs and clinical professionals in a position where they may be afraid to do anything but agree with a patient’s self-diagnosis as ‘transgender.’ Anything other than ‘affirmation’ could lay a professional open to the charge of conversion or reparative therapy.
‘Affirmation’ is an untested approach to children with gender dysphoria, a result of demands by political activists rather than an approach developed on the basis of research and evidence.
Of course, we support the original Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy which outlaws attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation. But ‘gender identity’ should not be conflated with sexual orientation as if the two things are essentially the same issue. For gender dysphoria, the choice of approach is between ‘affirmation’ and ‘watchful waiting’ but its inclusion in the Memorandum suggests that the watchful waiting approach could be considered to be conversion therapy if a child subsequently desists.
What it means is that for a health practitioner to offer any therapeutic support or exploration of underlying factors, motives or reasons for a cross-sex identity in childhood they are now taking a professional risk. Instead, a practitioner must confirm and therefore reinforce a child’s belief that they really are the opposite sex. If a boy thinks he’s a girl, he’s a girl. If a girl believes herself to be a boy, she’s a boy, no questions allowed.
No concession is given to children and young people whose identities are in development and highly susceptible to influence from parents, peers and professionals as well as an increasingly powerful transgender lobby. ‘Affirmation’ is not a neutral approach, it is a strong statement of belief that a girl can be born in a boy’s body and vice versa. No practitioner should be imposing false and non-scientific beliefs on a child or young person or knowingly mislead them about reality.
Ironically, the new MOU asserts that practitioners should be “free from any agenda that favours one gender identity […] as preferable over other gender […] diversities” and yet ‘affirmation’ explicitly favours one identity over another and is wholly dependent upon the agenda of trans activists who have fought to impose this approach.
The statement “no gender identity is inherently preferable to any other” hides the fact that this ideology says that one kind of sexed body is preferable to the other and that the only treatment pathway is medical change of the body to ‘match’ the identity. Under the guise of ‘support’, the assertion “your identity is right” is a cover-up for the underlying message “your body is wrong.”
Professionals are warned that ‘conversion therapy’ constitutes any attempt to ‘bring about a change in someone’s gender identity.’ In other words, even if a child’s belief does not match reality, it must be affirmed as the truth. In no other area of health care is a practitioner compelled to confirm a patient’s false belief. Protection of a child’s belief about which sex they are, by definition takes away all normal protections for a child’s body and fertility. Afraid to do anything which may lead to a change in identity, therapists are compelled to facilitate treatment to bring about medical change of the body.
With no trace of irony, righteous condemnation of ‘conversion therapy’ is used to justify the most extreme medical ‘conversion’ of the physical body into cosmetic imitation of the opposite sexed body. Why, uniquely in this case, are children and young people’s bodies not protected from unnecessary and invasive treatment with some effects irreversible and others unknown, while their beliefs are considered worthy of our greatest efforts at preservation?
It is well established that cross-sex identity in childhood is overwhelmingly predictive of gay or lesbian sexual orientation in adulthood and not transsexuality. Reinforcing an opposite sex ‘heterosexual’ identity in childhood is therefore effectively gay conversion therapy by another name. Of course children will believe adults they trust to tell them the truth – and to a child, “I am a girl” makes perfect sense, whereas “I will probably turn out to be gay in adulthood” is not yet conceivable in the child’s mind.
Coincidentally there were two news stories published on the same day as the new MOU, both concerning what Ray Blanchard calls ‘pre-gay children’ whose social transitions were predicated by sustained homophobic bullying and torment at school. In both cases the homophobic culture is not challenged but left intact as the child is encouraged by adults to change himself in order to escape it. In this excellent interview, Blanchard points out that it is predominantly heterosexual adult transgender activists who are leading the charge to socially and medically transition these children.
Imagine an experienced therapist’s ethical dilemma now when faced with one of these children, knowing that affirming him as a girl will shape that child’s understanding of himself, as well as give the professional green light for a social transition encouraged by all adults who feel more comfortable with a ‘typical’ little girl than a boy who might be gay.
And what about the counsellor who suspects internalised lesbophobia in the case of the teenage girl struggling with emerging sexuality, but who cannot help her to deconstruct and understand her feelings and motives? Or the teenage girl experiencing the body hatred not uncommon for girls in adolescence, or young people with mental health issues, ASD, or who are suffering the effects of previous trauma or sexual abuse? There is now only one diagnosis allowed: they are all ‘transgender’ if they say so. Parents know that this is already happening, that it is very hard to find any health professional who will not just confirm their child’s beliefs; the new Memorandum just sets this in stone.
Without a mandate to treat each child or young person as an individual and use professional judgment tailored to individual circumstances, practitioners become the puppets of the same ideological activists who are influencing young people on social media. Self-diagnosis by Tumblr is confirmed and young people are left at the mercy of an organised movement which is looking more and more like a cult.
We first wrote about the MOU on Conversion Therapy here when it was reviewed in March 2016. The Royal College of General Practitioners then put out a statement in January this year in support of adding ‘gender identity’ to the MOU. This statement was signed by all organisations under the umbrella of the UKCP with the notable exception of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and NHS England. No new Memorandum was actually published at the time, suggesting perhaps that behind-the-scenes disagreement had stalled its progress.
This very important article reveals that its publication now is due to the “small, but vocal minority in the LGBT community who seem to have an agenda to push the boundaries of trans rights whatever the cost” according to James Caspian, who was involved in the Memorandum review. The whole article is well worth reading for its revelations about the bullying and silencing tactics of activists which led to the addition of ‘gender identity’ to the Memorandum.
The new version has been signed by both NHS England and NHS Scotland. The Royal College of Psychiatrists, however, is not a signatory (although they signed the original Memorandum) and we applaud them for having the courage to hold onto their professional integrity in the face of such pressure.
Earlier this month, having heard a rumour that a new MOU was about to be published, we wrote to UKCP, the National Counselling Society, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, the British Psychological Society and the British Psychoanalytic Council to ask them the following questions:
1. As a childhood cross-sex identity is more likely to result in gay/lesbian/bi sexual orientation in adulthood, not transsexualism, and we have no established criteria to predict the development of individual children, how would gay and lesbian children be protected from a route of medical transition to a ‘straight’ identity?
2. Given the unprecedented rise in the number of teenage girls with ‘sudden onset gender dysphoria,’ a new phenomenon for which there is as yet no explanation or etiology, what is the research which shows that ‘affirmation’ is the most helpful response to this group?
3. Given that this group has a high rate of co-morbid symptoms, including depression, self-harming, psychological problems and ASD, what is the research which shows that these symptoms are a result of being ‘transgender’ rather than a cause of gender dysphoria? Would a health professional be accused of ‘conversion therapy’ for exploring these underlying issues in the case of a young person who subsequently ceases to identify as transgender?
4. How can professionals be protected from the accusation of ‘conversion therapy’ when working with clients who regret their transition and are seeking to ‘detransition’?
We have as yet received no response from any of these organisations, other than a rather curt dismissal from the UKCP who told us that the new MOU is important for the ‘protection of the public’ and that “your questions below fall outside the remit of the Memorandum of Understanding and we are unable to respond.”
I’ve thought about this problem a lot since I tried to fight an anti-conversion therapy bill in my home state of New Mexico (unsuccessfully). Could a therapist affirm a child’s self diagnosis as to gender identity, but then, in the spirit of giving full information about the state of knowledge in the field, provide the child and parents with information about the dangers of medical and social transition, the fact that some kids desist or detransition, a list of the 300 or so gender identities people use, or other factual information? Alternatively, could a therapist refer patients and/or parents to groups that do not include medical or psychology professionals–who would not be under any obligation to adhere to the trans script?
It is unclear – directing a child towards alternative support or alternative models of understanding ‘gender’ or even fully explaining the risks and giving factual information which may make a child think twice could all be construed as efforts to change a child’s gender identity.
I agree that activists will push the nothing but affirmation model. However, I think therapists leave themselves open to future lawsuits if they make no attempt at all to contextualize a child’s gender identity and desire for treatments with what is actually known about the outcomes, both positive and negative, of these sorts of interventions. These rules require therapists to be utterly unprofessional in the case of gender identity and treat it differently than any other diagnosis.
Thank you so much for this. It should not be that medical professionals cannot exercise their professional judgement. Let’s hope many will continue to act with integrity and common sense in spite of capitulation to ideology by their membership organisations.
Can I clarify whether this relates to adults and children? Are you happy for me to adapt parts of your work to write to my own professional org with these concerns?
There is nothing in this document which exempts children or adolescents from this approach. We also think this blanket unquestioning acceptance should not be used for older teens/young adults who are still developing their identities and are most likely to have been influenced by social media/university LGBT societies etc. or be suffering co-morbidities/underlying factors which will remain hidden. In fact we don’t believe it should be applied to anyone – ‘if you say you’re a woman, you’re a woman’- but that’s another issue. We’re happy for you to use what we’ve written, please do.
I wonder how many professionals will take this at face value (probably after their training from GIRES ). However, this is the guidance for therapists working with gender-confused young people from the Tavistock clinic, which includes:
“Help to keep options open and maintain safe uncertainty.
Young people’s identities are developing throughout adolescence and into adulthood, and some people decide that they would like to express their gender identity in lots of different ways, which may change over time. Keeping options open is important to allow a young person to feel able to change paths if they want to”
The rest is here:
http://gids.nhs.uk/working-therapeutically
This seems eminently sensible advice, and surely should be incorporated into any professional bodies’ advice to their members?
Yes – and this specifically says ‘into adulthood’ so in fact there’s a conflict with the Memorandum. But even if gender clinics follow this guide, parents don’t always want their child to be referred to a ‘gender’ service as it may reinforce that their child’s problem is ‘gender’ and they know that the medical pathway is ultimately the only treatment pathway offered, which is what they want to avoid. They would prefer a general counsellor but it seems that counsellors are even now referring children straight to gender clinics, maybe because they are already afraid of working with these children. Professionals must have been aware at least since January, that ‘gender identity’ would eventually be included in the Memorandum and are already trying to protect themselves.
This is an incredible letter, and so well-written. Great job! It will be useful to send to organizations, but also to succinctly explain what is going on to others who aren’t aware.
In no other condition is the patients self diagnosis seen as the only answer. we don’t believe it when someone weighing 6 stone says they are overweight, for example. You can’t be born in the wrong body…work should be about living with and feeling ok about whatever body you have . It is very alarming that this memorandum has been signed by NHS England and Scotland but hopeful in that the psychiatrists did not. Yes it is important that young people’s feelings and anxieties are noted, but given the numbers of detranitioners and those who change their feelings s they grow up, the trans position is hugely damaging. We must all keep up the pressure.
“The new version has been signed by both NHS England and NHS Scotland. The Royal College of Psychiatrists, however, is not a signatory (although they signed the original Memorandum) and we applaud them for having the courage to hold onto their professional integrity in the face of such pressure.”
Also, although the Memorandum is signed by the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, it is good to see that the Chief Medical Officer for England, Dame Sally Davies, as well as the Chief Medical Officers for Wales and Northern Ireland did not sign.
Thank you for noticing that, very interesting.
Well done to Stephanie and Transgender Trend. The media is waking up to what is going on….finally.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5027927/NHS-pressured-kids-change-sex.html
Is any work being done to clarify who are these people who have acquired this unbelievable influence over governments, local authorities, educational establishments, and, worst of all, the medical profession whereby they have persuaded them to accept their nonsensical fabrication, the Great Lie about “true gender” and so forth, threatening all women with men pretending to be women, and all children with their vicious intention to infiltrate schools and send as many children as possible off to a gender clinic for a lifetime of drugs and radical therapy, at the same time cowing the medical profession for the most part into dishonestly and shamefully accepting their nonsense?
Who are these wretched people, who are happy to destroy society in the cause of getting transgendering accepted as normal instead of the mental health issue it obviously is and always has been?
I wrote some time ago my own letter of outrage to all the bodies that supported the non-conversion memo. I ended by telling them there was still time for them to honour their profession rather than continue to excrete all over it. None of them had the courage to respond to me. It shows they know they are being dishonest, cowed by threats or bribed by favours. What a shameful lot they are!
In the UK, there is no requirement in law for any medical professional to refer a child or adult for that matter to any gender service provider. NHS England and the GMC offer guidance only and I for one would continue to use my professional judgement (although, I admit, that is mildly clouded by my skepticism of the trans narrative). Although, I don’t believe in coversion therapy, in my opinion it’s harmful for a variety of reasons there are other routes to avoid being dragged along with the tide of acceptance and tolerance. There is no requirement on any GP to prescribe medication that is not licensed for a particular treatment (e.g. Cross sex hormones and anti androgens) and as GP’s are generally responsible for prescribing such there are ways to ensure it doesn’t happen. There are other referral pathways for treatment, based on professional judgement that can be investigated first which may lead to a very different differential diagnosis. These, if nothing else will slow the process down enough for a turning public opinion to catch up and feed into health policy. I hate to get into bed with the right wing press however, they are doing a very good job at pushing a very pursuasive anti trans narrative to the general public. Skim readers of those rags have little interest in perspective and as long as the likes of the Mail et.al can continue to provide some selective statistics to form the opinions of the masses 2018 may just be the year the tide starts to turn.
I don’t usually read the Mail, but I would certainly like to read what they have said in their efforts to stop this dangerous trans madness. Any ideas?
Well, they amongst others, have printed quite a number of anti trans articles over the last six months in particular. As much as I hate to admit it, a lot of it can be completely discredited if you have an inquisitive mind or even just seek the truth. But, It’s a little bit like the discredited Swedish study, even discredited by its own author but often relied on as fact when trying to discredit the trans narrative. Sadly, it’s not the truth that will get the madness stopped but some excellent one sided, often baseless reporting and slowly drip feeding an opinion that is going to convince the masses that it’s all madness. I know it’s not good to rely on this sort of thing but we’ve seen over the years with all sorts of stuff, it works.