A transgender psychologist who has helped hundreds of teens transition has warned that it has ‘gone too far’ — and fears many are making life-changing decisions because it’s ‘trendy’ and pushed on social media.
Erica Anderson, 71 — who is transgender— told the Los Angeles Times that she is horrified that even 13-year-old kids are now getting hormone treatment without even meeting with psychologists.
Until recently Anderson led the US professional society at the forefront of transgender care. ‘For a while, we were all happy that society was becoming more accepting and more families than ever were embracing children that were gender variant.
‘Now it’s got to the point where there are kids presenting at clinics whose parents say, “This just doesn’t make sense,”’ she said.
Anderson is so concerned, that she is considering ending her own pioneering work helping teens transition.
‘This has gone too far. It’s going to get worse. I don’t want any part of it.’
‘I worry that people will accuse me of setting the train in motion, as part of those who advocated the affirmative approach to gender in youth, even though that’s not a reasonable account of what happened.’
She believes that the dramatic rise in teens seeking treatment is likely driven by peer pressure as much as wider acceptance of trans issues.
‘A fair number of kids are getting into it because it’s trendy,’ she previously told the Washington Post. ‘I think in our haste to be supportive, we’re missing that element.’
‘To flatly say there couldn’t be any social influence in formation of gender identity flies in the face of reality. Teenagers influence each other.’
She believes that the dramatic rise in teens seeking treatment is likely driven by peer pressure as much as wider acceptance of trans issues.