Evan Urquhart

Only a tiny part of all of this is genitals. And you shouldn't be worried about other people's children's genitals. None of this is about sex. It's about who kids are, and whether we support them in that or try to gaslight them into thinking they're something else (but broken).

No one is trying to convince their kid to be anything other than what they are. No one is trying to make their kids be trans. Being trans is hard! For the family and the kid. We support our kids because we love them. Because what are we supposed to do, not support them?

I honestly understand why people roll their eyes a little or simply don't get it. It's an unusual situation and one I certainly never expected to find myself in. But any parent can tell you that no child is "usual." And the accommodations really aren't that hard. We can do it.

What are the stakes for a kid? They're everything. Believe me. Comfort in their bodies, in their identities, in the world. What are the stakes for others? Remembering a different name? Remembering to tell them you love them as they are? It is easy for us. So easy.

It's not obvious to me that people who suffer from gender dysphoria are best served by reinforcing their confusion. The truth is, biological boys will always be biological boys. Reality can be hard, but avoiding it or reinforcing their dysphoria is not the solution.

From a purely medical perspective, the best outcomes for someone with the condition of gender dysphoria come about when that person is able to socially and medically transition. Affirming someone in their post-transition gender is the only solution known to medical science.

I'm not sure what you mean by "best outcomes." And I'm not sure how you're quantifying that. Do we treat someone with body dysmorphia, or anorexia, or OCD this way? "Oh yes dear, you do look fat. Better lose another 10 pounds." No, we attempt to treat the problem in their psyche.

You seem to be laboring under a common misconception of what mental illness is and isn't. Mental illness isn't when someone has beliefs that seem outrageous or factually wrong. It's about functioning.