Australian woman suing psychiatrist who approved gender transition

[Floyd R. Turbo]

A difficult legal case is unfolding in Australia where a woman is suing the psychiatrist who approved her gender transition to male.

Jay Langadinos, 31— who no longer identifies as male — was 19 when she first saw psychiatrist Dr. Patrick Toohey. At that time, she identified as male and wanted to start the hormone therapy that would begin her transition.

Her endocrinologist had referred her to Dr. Toohey so it could be determined whether she was psychologically a good candidate for treatment.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that according to a statement of claim filed in the New South Wales Supreme Court, a referral letter from Professor Ann Conway says it seemed likely Langadinos had “true gender dysphoria”; the letter pointed out that Langadinos was very young and clearly needed a, “thorough psychiatric work-up before embarking on hormone treatment.”

https://vancouversun.com/news/world/australian-woman-suing-psychiatrist-who-approved-gender-transition/wcm/5a943d13-92e8-4ced-9bdc-5d69882d201d

[Joinfortmill]

1. Sigh, no comment.

[harumph]

2. Not surprising at all.

[Sympthsical]

3. There are going to be a lot of lawsuits about this in coming years

The problem is that psychiatric and physiological care really shouldn't have ideological pressures placed upon them. There is true gender dysphoria that is at the heart of trans individuals. However, there is also transitional gender dysphoria that you'll find in a lot of gay men and lesbians, particularly as they enter and go through adolescence.

So you have this question at all times - is this true dysphoria or transitional? Who requires affirming care?

And it's not an easy question to answer, because there can be a lot of psychological and orientation questions at the core of it. Pile on that transitional and true both start to situate themselves in the early stages of puberty and adolescence.

I myself never experienced dysphoria while coming to terms with my orientation. I have always identified as a male. Growing up and through adolescence, most of my friends were male in a very stereotypical male way. However, some of my gay friends developed differently. They were more feminine even as children. They had the stereotypical vocal inflections, mannerisms, interests, etc., and tended to befriend and spend time more with female friends. When talking with them, they seem more likely to say they questioned their gender.

However, almost all of these gay male friends worked it out during adolescence. Usually by 20 years old or so, they were fairly well sorted in their identities, orientation, gender, etc. But there is that period of confusion, questioning, trying to really iron out who they are and what their identity is.

Nowadays, it feels like there's more of a push to kind of lock that dysphoria in. That if someone is experiencing it in adolescence, that must mean they're trans. But that is not necessarily so. And I think this attitude - while meaning to do good - is actually a bit of gay and lesbian erasure, where our experiences are being kind of elided over and overlooked and shunted to the side in a zeal to do right by trans youth.

You want people who need care to be able to access that care. But there are also plenty of gay and lesbian youth experiencing dysphoria who are not actually trans and do not need medical intervention that will cause permanent changes. My sense is that a lot of gay and lesbian kids are starting to get put into the trans bin out of social and ideological pressures.

How do you solve this? Well, no one will be happy with whatever solution that is offered. I'm just happy I'm not the one in charge of making the decision. I am, however, increasingly feeling protective towards gay and lesbian youth who are feeling more pressure when they experience dysphoria to identify in ways that may not ultimately be true for them.

[Maraya1969]

5. When I went through puberty I was straight. It wasn't until I was about 15 that I had an attraction

to another woman. And then about age 27 I decided I was gay. Then about 10 years after that I started to like "boys" again. (My poor mother stood by me all through this)

It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I realized I am just a plain old ordinary bisexual woman.

I don't know if any of this is relevant except to say that people change.

[Sympthsical]

6. Oh, sure. It takes some longer than others

I have a friend - let's call her Stacy. She was just a fairly effeminate gay man while younger. She identified as a boy and lived as a boy well into her 20s. She was also a drag queen. When she wasn't performing, she dressed in boys clothes. Maybe some nail polish and make up. But she referred to it as her "boy self." She was just sort of gender fluid for as long as I'd known her, but she always identified as a gay male.

Somewhere around 30, she came out as trans. She said who she was and how she felt just didn't click for her until her late 20s. She thought she was just a gay man. So she transitioned, and she's expressed that she's very happy with it ever since. More comfortable in her skin.

So it goes in every kind of which way direction.

But trying to pin down a permanent identity as early as some are is a sticky wicket. I think making irreversible decisions when young and younger is going to result in regrets for some. I think we're going to see more of these kinds of lawsuits.

It's a conversation I think we should be having as a community, but one that is so fraught and one where you do want to be so very careful, that it feels a little impossible.

[Maraya1969]

7. It is a catch 22 in the respect that for many, getting hormones early makes their transition

easier. But deciding who should get hormones is the hard part.

[Maraya1969]

4. Would not "true gender dysphoria" mean that the person might not be happy with whatever

sex they decide to be? I am just learning about non-binary people and it seems like people with this issue would not be a good candidate for any reconstructive surgery because they do not fit into male or female. Maybe that is what this person's problem is? Or they definitely have other issues that need to be treated.

Unfortunately the "Christians" use these people as poster children for their cause. I know because I have already been sent information about another woman who regretted her sex change.

[Irish_Dem]

8. There may be many lawsuits by adults who were transitioned as minors by medical personnel.

This is a current topic of discussion among psychiatry professionals.
They are aware of the coming GOP tide against them.
And lawsuits down the road.