Ky Schevers

It's theoretically possible for trauma to cause gender dysphoria or something that resembles it but it's dangerous to assert a connection with such limited evidence and without taking into account how that could negatively impact trans people, particularly trans trauma survivors.

Trans people are already pathologized/stigmatized so heavily. Experiencing trauma can make you feel like there's something wrong with you. Unhealed trauma can be excruciating. All that can make trans trauma survivors especially vulnerable to conversion therapy/practices.

We need more research on how trans people are affected by trauma and potential interactions between gender dysphoria and trauma. Misinformation needs to be debunked and we need more information to create better resources for trans trauma survivors and people trying to untangle...

...gender dysphoria and trauma. There are plenty of detrans people talking about how trauma caused them to develop gender dysphoria but a lot of these people belong to very ideological groups and I know firsthand that it's possible to be indoctrinated into these theories.

If you go to ex-gay ministries, you can find a lot of people who believe trauma and bad family relationships made them develop "same-sex attractions" but a lot of people wouldn't take their stories at face value and research doesn't back them up. People can come to believe...

...all kinds of explanations if they think it will reduce their suffering or get them support from other people. I came to believe that past trauma made me trans because I hurt a lot and I wanted to stop suffering. I felt alone in my pain and joining the detrans community...

...made me feel less alone. It also reinforced my self-hatred and internalized transphobia. It further traumatized me. I'm sorry for all the times I asserted a connection between trauma and trans identity. It was wrong and irresponsible but I truly believed it at the time.

I thought that was my story. I really thought I was helping people. I wasn't even helping myself. Believing that hurt me so badly. I don't want other people to get hurt like I did. I wouldn't trust anyone who rushes to assert a connection between trauma and being trans.