A Day in the Life of Working with Trans Youth: Navigating the Fallout of Harmful Media Coverage
Originally Published Here in The Advocate on 02/05/2024: https://www.advocate.com/voices/navigating-anti-trans-misinformation-coverage
As a gender psychotherapist, my commitment to providing compassionate and informed gender-affirming care is unwavering. This commitment is not simply defined by a set of personal values, but radical actions taken to protect the patients who find solace in my office and the staff that supports them. Unlike the many other group practices in this area, you often won’t see our office address on any of our marketing materials. We invest in data mining protection to ensure that should any of us be doxxed, the impact is at the very least mitigated. All virtual programs and workshops that we hold are held on secure servers. All of our clients meet online with therapists prior to entering our office. And our location has cameras that track the comings and goings of everybody who enters the hallway outside. While this is not all new, it has certainly become not only a precaution, but a necessity for anyone working with trans and queer youth to be safe and responsible.
And for perspective - we practice in New Jersey - one of the most liberal states in the country, one considered a “sanctuary state” for LGBTQ people.
The work that my staff and I do is made more difficult by opinion pieces like Pamela Paul’s, published in the New York Times on Friday. While this column is similar to many others that have been written before, laden with misinformation and lies, the impact is more dangerous due to the outlet in which it is published. Advocates for transgender youth rely on trusted news outlets to be allies. This does not mean that we expect publications to censor stories of detransition, or even to avoid writing about the experience. These stories inform our practice, and voices of people who detransition deserve to be heard. We do, however, expect that media outlets hold opinion writers to a higher standard of truth. The New York Times has fallen short for some time, as GLAAD has not only documented but protested.
It is especially disheartening to see a parent question their support for their child as a result. Try as I might to reassure parents, friends, relatives, etc about the promise of emerging science, the erosion of trust poses a significant challenge. For the families I serve, this emotional toll adds to an already labor-intensive process of educating themselves and their communities. Being a parent shouldn’t require an advanced degree in methods and research. Even with my own expertise, it isn’t always easy to sift through all the pseudoscience being published as justification for the many care bans being proposed across the country.
In the wake of the NYT’s most recent piece, I have been flooded with emails and phone calls from concerned parents. These parents are anxious or frustrated, seeking guidance on how to respond to the people in their lives who have sent this article to them, posted it on Facebook, or expressed concerns about me in particular - Does your therapist know what she’s doing? Are you feeling pressured in any way to take hormones? Are you sure your kid is trans?
The reality is that these questions do not scare me when they are asked in earnest. They’re valid questions. Transgender and gender-diverse youth, like all youth, deserve comprehensive care. Parents also deserve to know that they are allowed to be worried, to vet their providers, and to feel reassured that their child is being cared for by someone who not only listens to their unique circumstances but who is keeping up with the emerging science in our field - a field where there is a growing body of knowledge in support of gender-affirming care, but also one that is like any other field of medicine - constantly evolving.
The scrutiny directed towards me, as opposed to my colleagues, lies in a relentless and politicized weaponization of treatment outcomes. Even more egregious is that many of the outcomes that are weaponized are either outright lies, statistics published by debunked and/or recanted “studies”, and/or are shamelessly exploiting the pain of individuals who truly received inadequate care.
This phenomenon is notably absent in other healthcare disciplines and has led to an environment where practitioners like me find themselves in an enduring state of defensiveness. The consistent publication of this misinformation also places us all at great risk. Much like our clients have big questions about their safety, we ask ourselves what ifs. What if someone complains to the licensing board? What if that nonaffirming parent sues me? What if the gender clinics shut down? What if my new client is the person who wrote the death threat?
Science is an evolving field and one that we all must anticipate undergoing obsolescence over time. This is a story that the New York Times could write. This is a story the New York Times SHOULD write, because when I’m sitting with families, this is the reality of what they are living - doing the best they can for their children in the moment they are in with the science and best practices we have.
The repercussions of publishing misinformation are not abstract; they ripple through the lives of transgender and gender-diverse individuals, their families, and the practitioners dedicated to providing care. Families seeking support for their transgender children are particularly vulnerable to the influence of media narratives, but the erosion of trust in healthcare professionals affects the entire field and sets a dangerous precedent that allows politicians to legislate health care, control bodies, and supersede parental authority.
Amidst the turbulence, I also want to assure families with transgender youth that a dedicated network of practitioners stands firmly by their side. You are not alone. As practitioners, we will continue to weather the challenges and advocate for the well-being of your children. The media has the power to either contribute to this effort with factual journalism or to exacerbate their struggles with irresponsible lies.
Laura Hoge practices in Montclair, NJ. To learn more about her work and practice go to https://www.spectrumhealthandwellnessllc.com/