A parent’s perspective on the puberty blockers ban

A parent’s perspective…

On 4 July, the safety and wellbeing of our child was hanging in the balance. No child should lie awake on election night fearing for their future and their right to exist, as our child did. She is simply living her truth, and no attempt to eradicate trans identity or remove her rights will change this.

Our daughter has no recollection of living as male, as this has not reflected her lived reality for the last 10 years, since age four. It is not a reality we, or she, would have chosen, but it is one we have come to accept and defend, because the alternative would have undoubtedly caused her harm. As professionals, practicing in social work and emergency medicine, we are well-versed in informed decision-making and risk management, and we have always been careful, curious, open-minded and questioning in our approach to parenting a trans child.

We are good parents, who deserve to be listened to, as does our child.

We have watched our daughter develop and thrive, through the acceptance and support of family and wider community. And, we have watched our child become increasingly anxious and fearful for her safety under Tory governance, with violence and discrimination towards trans people legitimised, alongside political and media narratives fuelled by misinformation and divisive rhetoric. At times this reality has been deeply distressing and harmful to our child, and we have fought to the point of exhaustion for her rights and needs to be met. We ask you to consider whether any parent would put their child, or themselves, through this, without first exploring every other path or possibility. Our daughter is already planning a future for herself outside of the UK because she cannot envisage a future here, where she will be safe, have her rights protected, and her needs met.

The selective ban on prescribing puberty blockers to trans children, while allowing their use for other conditions, is inconsistent with the established safety and efficacy of these medications. If the health risks of puberty blockers were a primary concern, a uniform restriction across all conditions would be expected. Healthcare is a fundamental human right, and denying trans children access to necessary healthcare, violates their rights.

Our hope for change under a Labour government has been short-lived. Wes Streeting’s support for a permanent ban on puberty blockers for trans youth is neither evidence based nor informed by consultation with the trans community. As such, it cannot be justified. We will not stand idly by whilst our child is denied her rights, her dignity and a future without fear.

• Because of the hostile environment surrounding trans people, the author has asked to remain anonymous, to protect her child.
• She has also written directly to the health secretary Wes Streeting, outlining her concerns.