For the last two years, Koen has routinely self-administered weekly testosterone injections without a second thought.
During that time, the trans 17-year-old said his self-image and school and family life has drastically improved. His fear of needles, too, has faded.
“[Transitioning] made me look forward to things more because now I can start paying attention to the better version of myself,” said Koen, who asked to be identified by his first name because of fears for his safety. “It’s something I feel like I’ve needed for a while. I’m able to express myself more fluidly and feel comfortable doing that, which I think is a very big step for me right now.”
At the start of the year, though, a greater worry emerged.
A new law banning gender-affirming care for minors in Louisiana took effect on Jan. 1 prohibiting puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and gender-reaffirming surgery. Now, Koen isn’t sure he could continue his hormone treatment.
Louisiana is one of 22 other states that have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for minors, disrupting health care needs for trans and nonbinary people.
I thought all the evidence was coming back that being a minor and transitioning is too young.
Seems that when kids start going through puberty they they get unhappy with their body which is a tale as old as time. But then when they turn into an adult that have gone through the natural process of growing up and they fit with their body.
That’s why countries are reducing giving life changing drugs to kids that just need time. Sometimes you just need to go through the growing pains.
Or hear me out we let them block puberty because that’s literally hurting nobody and preventing them from doing so very clearly does hurt people.
But also you know that kids don’t think they are trans cause of puberty angst right? Come on man. If you were fundamentally unhappy going through puberty as a teen then sorry to say but that’s actually not normal. Most people are rather content knowing their balls will get hairy or they’ll grow boobs. We’re talking about kids who’ve been dreading puberty since like they knew what it was. I’ll again repeat if you dreaded puberty that’s not normal.
I was actually pretty happy with my body, but I’m a specimen. I was concerned about girls being taller than me when I was like 12 and slightly worried about my dick size. But I ended out coming above average it both so no bother.
I was on about the UK, France, Finland, Sweden, Denmark etc all these countries having given hormones to kids for years now realising its not the best idea.
https://apnews.com/article/uk-transgender-puberty-blockers-abd9145484006fea23de6b4656c937da
So you think trans boys want to be… Taller?
I was on about the UK,France, Finland, Sweden, Denmark etc all these countries having given hormones to kids for years now realising its not thr best idea.
All of who are wrong. We’ve been using hormone blockers (that’s what puberty blockers are) for decades. It’s how we treat genetic malfunctions that cause too much testosterone or estrogen to be produced. The side effects are extremely well known and documented there’s nothing scary about them plus at any point you can just stop taking them and your hormones stop being blocked. Typically you’ll take estrogen or testosterone for awhile afterwards to go through puberty if you prevented it from happening naturally.
So to recap hormone blockers are harmless as well as fully reversible. Allowing trans people to access them greatly reduces suicidality and preventing access increases suicidality. So if you are somebody who cares about people’s well-being you cannot prevent access to hormone blockers as it objectively results in more harm than allowing access. When confronted with this reality you guys typically pivot to saying that actually trans people are unhappy which no fucking shit, you people are trying to prevent them from existing.
I wasn’t talking about what trans boys want at all.
I was talking about myself wanting to be taller. Most guys do because tall guys are treated better. Also being bigger than people tends to make you better at sport.
I love how you can just make claims like that, must be a great power. Never mind all these government agencies with loads of data and doctors and experts on hand. No Traister has spoken!
Anything that make changes to you can be harmful. You’re telling me if a boy has no testosterone from 12 to 18 then decides it was a mistake 6 years of no testosterone will have no effect on him mentally or physically? If it doesn’t why would anyone want to take it.
Edited: changed from girl taking test to guy not having test.
Testosterone is not horome blockers. From what I recall the conservative (medical) recommendation is to postpone horome therapy until 16 since that’s when the law determines them able minded enough for the rest of the medical decisions. As for regret yes, some people do regret transitioning but all the studies that have been done (that aren’t using faulty methodology like counting girls playing with action figures when young children as being trans) have shown that the regret rate is lower than fuckn knee surgery. That’s pretty goddamn low. And guess what? Most people who regret transitioning regret it because transphobes make their life hell. Plus the majority only de-transition temporarily, typically because they are unable to pay for their hormone therapy. However they generally are still transitioned socially IE they have different pronouns and dress differently so in reality there’s very few de-transitioners. Many of the ones you see on Fox News still refer to themselves as trans even. It’s pretty sad how easy it is to be a grifter.
Testosterone is not horome blockers.
I edited my comment for better accuracy.
Looks like you got different studies to many countries in Europe. They are seeing something you are missing.
The court cases striking down these shitty laws really need to get moving. Restricting access to hormone therapy is blatantly unconstitutional, as the existing challenges that have made it through the courts have proved.
People born XXY (Klinefelter’s Syndrome) can get testosterone for treatment, so to say someone who needs testosterone for similar gender affirming care cannot get it is plain discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation.
I wholly agree with you. And I say this next part as an ally living in Louisiana:
I don’t see the courts being able to stop this from happening. Inevitably, it will get challenged and end up at the Supreme Court, which will rule 6-3 “states rights”.
Conservative justices have shown time and again that unless the constitution literally says the words “shall not infringe upon trans care for minors” they will not interpret it as such.
The only thing stopping this law in the last few years was a veto from the democratic governor, and now that that has flipped republican, the only thing that will stop it is enough people turning out to vote in 2027.
I’m not so sure SCOTUS would rule that way. Even Gorsuch ruled in favor of lgbtq rights because it is such obvious discrimination: https://www.npr.org/2020/06/15/863498848/supreme-court-delivers-major-victory-to-lgbtq-employees#:~:text=Gorsuch couched his opinion in,or transgender without discriminating …
Very big difference between social discrimination and medical treatment
But that syndrome is literally about a lack of testosterone production in males, so of course hormone treatment is justified.
There’s an imbalance being fixed.
Gender affirmative care isn’t medically necessary, you’re not curing an imbalance. You’re modifying your body to align with what you want it to be.
In my mind it’s just like plastic surgery. You wouldn’t let a kid get tons of plastic surgery because they don’t like their body image. Why should we start pumping them full of hormones?
Lots of doctors disagree with you. I think I’ll go with their opinions over those of some uninformed internet rando who decides things based on feelings.
The same doctors that started the opioid epidemic because they were in big pharmas pocket?
I wonder how much the hormone manufacturers are making.
ohh, you’re a conspiracy theorist!
god, that explains everything. you should’ve opened with the big-hormone shit, we could’ve all just had a big laugh.
You’re really going to argue there’s no economic interest in trans gender care?
Or that there hasn’t been massive issues with healthcare systems that push profits for pharma execs?
Pick a lane.
You’re not less of a transphobe because you also buy into really ridiculous reasoning for your transphobia.
No I’m labeled a transphobe because I don’t want to remove all forms of gendered language, or allow children to be pumped full of hormones.
I also distrust pharma because I work in the industry.
It’s a free country, I’m not seeking to destroy freedoms of adults. The opposite, actually. Freedom for me is freedom for you.
I’m granted the freedom to think differently than you. You’ve been brain washed to scream Nazi when people disagree.
