Trans Activism, Trans Regret, and Resources for Desisters and Detransitioners

I am very happy to be able to write this post, because it is very much needed... well, the thread itself isn't needed so much as the information and services that the thread is about. Transgender regret is a very real thing, which necessarily results in Detransitioners (those who transitioned to live as the opposite sex and are de-transitioning back to life as their own sex) and Desisters (usually minors who think they are transgender but then decide they are not)... but like so many other serious issues inherent in the Transgender ideology and activism, there has been a concerted and consistent effort to deny the very existence of Detransitioners and Desisters, and therefore little to no public services offered -- medical, psychological, nor social -- for Detransitioners and Desisters. This intimidation and bullying has also prevented necessary and appropriate research from being carried out. One example is James Caspian of Bath University, whose request for a clinical study was denied due to feared Trans Activist bullying and intimidation:

The thing that has most disturbed me in all of this – apart from the way that Bath Spa University prevented crucial and important research from being done – has been the sheer scale of the denial, vilification, ignorance and, at best, silence that has come from trans-activist groups and their supporters on the subject of detransition.... One trans support-group spokesperson has said ‘we are not comfortable with detransitioners’. Once dismissed as such a small percentage of those who had transitioned they didn’t matter, the feeling now seemed to be that they were ‘difficult patients’.

But, as to be expected, as "gender affirmation" has been demanded and provided, the numbers of those who regret transitioning has grown proportionately:

When, several years ago, I began to research people who regretted transitioning, I knew that evidence was emerging of people doing so in greater numbers than anyone who worked in the field of transgender medicine had seen before. In November 2014, I met up with Dr Miro Djordjevic, a surgeon from Belgrade who does a lot of sex-reassignment surgery. He told me that he was worried because he had recently been asked to do several ‘reverse’ operations for people who regretted their gender transitions and were ‘detransitioning’.

Shamefully, the doctors and other "experts" pushing gender "affirmation" are not taking responsibility for the disastrous consequences... instead blaming the patient victims under the guise of "informed consent." One such lady has written up her experience: Talking About Talking to Doctors

“It sounds like you needed someone to offer you something besides hormones and surgery. And I’m sorry that we didn’t provide that.” A beat. “But I don’t see that as my role.”

Apparently this doctor just sees her "role" as pushing the gender-candy...
Unfortunately... tragically... it is virtually impossible to reverse sexual reassignment surgery. It is also impossible to completely un-do the changes created by cross-sex hormone use, or to correct the damage caused by hormone blockers. So as much as I would like to provide direct links to medical research and medical treatments for the medical aspects, there really isn't much out there. The best I can do for now is provide a link for a support/advocacy group for those suffering adverse outcomes from taking Lupron, frequently used off-label to block puberty:

Lupron Victims Hub

On the plus side, there are growing numbers of support and advocacy groups for desisters and detransitioners, frequently started and managed by other Desisters and Detransitioners. Walt Heyer is one of the most well-known Detransitioners with resources for others wanting to detransition:

Sex Change Regret

One of the advocacy groups Heyer recommends is the Pique Resilliance Project:

We are four detransitioned and desisted women with the goal of sharing our stories and providing information on detransition, as well as support for those who may be questioning their gender or identity.

Transgender Trend provides resources for Detransitioners and Desisters, as well as first-person accounts from other Detransitioners and Desisters.

The Kelsey Coalition is another advocacy and support group, describing itself as:

Working to Change the Systems that Failed Our Kids

The Detransition Advocacy Network is a brand new advocacy group for Detransitioners and Desisters in Britain, just getting started.

Another recently launched British group addressing transition regret is the LGB Alliance, who is concerned at how many young people who would otherwise grow up to be happy and healthy gay or lesbians are funneled into the "gender affirmation" pipeline:

LGB Alliance to Form as “Stonewall can’t defend lesbians”

Peak Trans: Detransition and Regret has a list of links for pretty much anything and everything detrans-related, from academic reports to personal stories.

More personal accounts and moral support can be found at Post Trans:

A project giving space for female detransitioners and desisters to share their journeys.

Clinical research for those interested: Evidenced Research on Detransition "Regret" for Newsnight

Following the Newsnight segment on “detransitioners”, we’ve listed some evidence-based research about transition ‘regret’ that representatives of the Tavistock and Portman gender identity clinic could have cited on the programme….

I very much appreciate the efforts of these good people, and the varied approaches to the various issues. This has become quite the monster. We didn't get here overnight and won't fix anything overnight. For some people, the damage done can never be fixed. But at least there are now folks out there who refuse to be cowed and intimidated and bullied by the Trans Activists, who are helping and doing what they can and where and how they can.

My best wishes and brightest blessings to them all. And a big THANK YOU for being awesome.

I hope there can be some regulations put in place that limits the ability to screw up kids when they aren't old enough to fully comprehend life altering choices like this. If you are sure it's what you want, and you are willing to do this, you should have to wait a bit to solidify your choices and be damn sure you don't want to have a do-over.

Kids will do a lot of things to get admiration from their piers and parents. And as your information points to, this isn't something you can just reverse.

originally posted by: network dude
I hope there can be some regulations put in place that limits the ability to screw up kids when they aren't old enough to fully comprehend life altering choices like this.... And as your information points to, this isn't something you can just reverse.

Excellent point -- thank you for adding it. I know the groups I linked to in Britain are working with other groups to stop fast-tracking these kids to hormones and surgeries. The Brits seem to be a little more organized and coordinated than here in the USA, or in Canada and other commonwealth nations. I think part of the problem here is that the purity politics keep diverse groups from working together... can't have liberal Rad Fems working with -- gasp! -- those awful conservative women donchaknow!!!

A few states have introduced legislation to stop the medicalization of children -- the "gender affirmation" treatment -- in favor of a watchful waiting approach with appropriate mental health evaluation and therapy. This would allow social transitioning, but prohibit the puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries with their adverse side effects and lifelong complications.

There are a couple of reviews taking place in England now, after many complaints about the fast-tracking, including a lawsuit from a former patient who has now detransitioned.

The situation does require a multi-prong response. We have to address the needs and issues of the detransitioners and desisters, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so far better to minimize the damages and address the needs and issues BEFORE they transition.

a reply to: Boadicea

I don't agree with the cool kids that this is anything other than a mental illness at best and a cry for help at worst. But if they are going to continue down this path, there needs to be some ground rules to protect kids. there is a reason transgender folks are in the extreme minority, most people don't desire to cut off their peckers and put on a skirt. But for those who want that, be sure you understand that once you chop off Mr. Jimmy, he won't want to hang out with you anymore. he stays mad, forevah.

I don't understand how it got to this point. My son says he's an astronaut but I can't seem to get anyone to give him a rocket.

Wonder why....

a reply to: Boadicea

Great post!

IMO, the majority of transitioners will become detransitioners over the next decade or two. Eventually, we will come to understand that true trans people are a tiny minority and the bulk of what we have seen in the last 5+ years is a social media pysop -- intentional or otherwise.

originally posted by: network dude
a reply to: Boadicea

I don't agree with the cool kids that this is anything other than a mental illness at best and a cry for help at worst.

I think that sums it up very well. For too many kids especially, gender is just the cool way to rebel these days, and their minds are so "open" their brains are falling out. But I think there are probably several causes/reasons for people truly identifying as transgender, and the ones willing to go to the most extreme measures to transition are probably the most seriously disturbed. They need help, but this ain't it. We aren't Mr. Potatohead with interchangeable bits and parts!

...be sure you understand that once you chop off Mr. Jimmy, he won't want to hang out with you anymore. he stays mad, forevah.

Can't rightly blame him either!

originally posted by: Boadicea


Can't rightly blame him either!

While he can be a dick, he's all some have got.

originally posted by: Flesh699
I don't understand how it got to this point. My son says he's an astronaut but I can't seem to get anyone to give him a rocket.

Wonder why....

Right? Some days I identify as a sex reassignment surgeon... but somehow I don't think anyone would let me operate on them...

I jest, of course. But the principle stands.

originally posted by: 0zzymand0s
a reply to: Boadicea

Great post!

IMO, the majority of transitioners will become detransitioners over the next decade or two.

Yes, I think you're right about that. I just worry about how much damage and suffering will occur before then. However, sometimes we have to learn things the hard way. It's just the nature of the human beast.

Eventually, we will come to understand that true trans people are a tiny minority and the bulk of what we have seen in the last 5+ years is a social media pysop -- intentional or otherwise.

Again, I agree... although I will add that much of what is passed off as "gender" is just freaking sexist stereotypes. And this apparent need of so many people to slap a label on themselves. I just don't get that.

Idk. This whole trans thing involving children tends to piss me off.

I don't care about adults wanting to do what they do, but children and teens should be off limits.

I have a cousin who was a bright, happy young girl. Her parents divorced and she went to go live with her mother. Her mother started filling her head with nonsense, and she started acting depressed, changed her name, and wanted to be a boy, and started dating girls. This is all at the age of 12 and 13. She eventually tried to commit suicide a couple of times or maybe more.

This lead to her dad getting sole custody of her, and wouldn't you effin know it, she didn't want to be a boy anymore, and now she's all confused about who she is as a person because her mother wanted to be trendy and have a trans child.

Her mother is a psychiatrist by the way. She has her own practice and loads herself up on pills for whatever mental illness she has that month, and regularly works with children. With what she pushed onto her own child I can only wonder what she pushes onto other children.

I heard similar stories too many times.

a reply to: Boadicea

I go to one of the top medical schools in my state. We literally had an "expert" invited to the class to speak about the issue who said no one has ever transitioned and wished they hadn't. Not one person, ever.

originally posted by: AutomateThis1
Idk. This whole trans thing involving children tends to piss me off.

I don't care about adults wanting to do what they do, but children and teens should be off limits.

This seems to be the overwhelming opinion of most people. No matter what our opinion of transitioning and transgender ideology, we respect an adult's right to bodily autonomy.

But kids are not mentally or emotionally equipped with the reasoning abilities and good judgment to make such decisions for themselves, and it is certainly no one else's right to do so. Watchful waiting and counseling is the proper approach for anyone under 18 (perhaps even 21).

I have a cousin who was a bright, happy young girl. Her parents divorced and she went to go live with her mother. Her mother started filling her head with nonsense, and she started acting depressed, changed her name, and wanted to be a boy, and started dating girls. This is all at the age of 12 and 13. She eventually tried to commit suicide a couple of times or maybe more.

This lead to her dad getting sole custody of her, and wouldn't you effin know it, she didn't want to be a boy anymore, and now she's all confused about who she is as a person because her mother wanted to be trendy and have a trans child.

I'm so sorry to hear that. It's gotta be hard to watch. It's hard for me to read about it, and you're right -- there are so many similar stories. Too many. It's worse than the twilight zone.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
a reply to: Boadicea

I go to one of the top medical schools in my state. We literally had an "expert" invited to the class to speak about the issue who said no one has ever transitioned and wished they hadn't. Not one person, ever.

Wow. I just said it's worse than the twilight zone... and it only gets worse!

Just the "exception-to-every-rule" rule tells us that's impossible. There must be exceptions.

But even more important there are plenty of detransitioners who have made their regret public. It's not a secret. So it's just willful ignorance. AKA outright blatant lying.

But this is why this is a problem. This is why it's taken so long for advocacy groups and resources to be established. This is why we don't hear more about transgender regret.

So thanks for adding that exclamation point to the OP!

a reply to: Boadicea

Thread with a lot of truth to it Boadicea !
This is a very real concern and I once made a thread similar to it a few years back.
Here’s a link to the thread .. you may want to take a sneak peek, but I was criticized for where the ‘medical’ research came from.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: 0zzymand0s
a reply to: Boadicea

Great post!

IMO, the majority of transitioners will become detransitioners over the next decade or two. Eventually, we will come to understand that true trans people are a tiny minority and the bulk of what we have seen in the last 5+ years is a social media pysop -- intentional or otherwise.

You mean the way people used to realize this prior to 5+ years ago?

originally posted by: Sheye
a reply to: Boadicea

Thread with a lot of truth to it Boadicea !
This is a very real concern and I once made a thread similar to it a few years back.
Here’s a link to the thread .. you may want to take a sneak peek, but I was criticized for where the ‘medical’ research came from.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Thank you -- I will take a look at it!

But I gotta say it's very sad that you knew it was a problem that far back, but we're just now seeing help and resources put in place for these people. As the numbers grow, I expect the resources and advocates will grow as well.

a reply to: Boadicea

Yes, it is rather tough on the family involved. It's caused a rift between my father and his sister(the mother). No one in the family talks to her any more. She left her husband and everything behind to move in with a guy who is half her age, and surrounds herself in a bubble of LGBTQ peeps.

I have no problem with LGBTQ people as a whole. I've done my bit of experimenting when I was younger, and am still friendly with the people I used to hang out with, but had to stop hanging out with them because they all have issues with maturity and just live for the drama. They all just screw each other and stay mad at each other.

But the problem I have with my aunt's new social circle is that they are very much for influencing children in a manner that could be seen as grooming. But they get away with it because they are professionals and work with children. (Go figure-we all know what they say about the career choices child abusers pursue.)

I remain wary of psychiatrists and psychologists because the majority of them also have their own mental illnesses. So in my opinion they are attempting to normalize their own behavior by encouraging it amongst the youth and young adults.

If you look at the cases that have hit the media recently it's always one parent or both pushing the trans and other sexual identities onto their children, often times one of the parents is a psych- of some type. Or the professional they send their kids to has some sort of personal interest or agenda.

a reply to: AutomateThis1

Let's not go there, please? Especially not in this case, for many reasons, but if only because it's just not cool to talk about other members.

Let's just wish her and ALL our fellow ATSers the best, wherever they are and whatever they are doing. Okay? Please?