The author has a good understanding of many aspects of UK health politics. I made many of the same points, more briefly, in my submission to the NHS's public consultation on gender dysphoria services for children and young people. last year (1).
However, there have been multiple failed attempts to demolish transgenderism on the basis that it is illogical, that 'gender identity' is poorly defined, or that the notion of a 'gendered soul' is 'unevidenced'. These attempts are similar to failed philosophical objections to notions of mental disorder (2), so it is somewhat ironic that the author proposes an alternative diagnosis of 'body dysmorphia, a mental health issue'. If we are to reject the self-reported evidence of many trans-identified people, we have to set out good reasons for doing so. One might add the disturbing case of David Reimer, whose 'gendered soul' appears to have become evident despite his not knowing about his gender reassignment in infancy.
In my view there are good reasons to largely reject the 'stakeholder' evidence of adults, as it bears on medical transgenderist interventions for children and young people. But those reasons are empirically based in psychiatry and clinical psychology, and are not primarily logical or philosophical. Those who would rather not sit back and allow 'time to tell' can support the Association of Clinical Psychologists (which is not 'the' professional body, but essentially a breakaway from the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology), and other dissidents. The main 'gender-critical' campaigning groups do not seem very interested in doing this (3).
The author has a good understanding of many aspects of UK health politics. I made many of the same points, more briefly, in my submission to the NHS's public consultation on gender dysphoria services for children and young people. last year (1).
However, there have been multiple failed attempts to demolish transgenderism on the basis that it is illogical, that 'gender identity' is poorly defined, or that the notion of a 'gendered soul' is 'unevidenced'. These attempts are similar to failed philosophical objections to notions of mental disorder (2), so it is somewhat ironic that the author proposes an alternative diagnosis of 'body dysmorphia, a mental health issue'. If we are to reject the self-reported evidence of many trans-identified people, we have to set out good reasons for doing so. One might add the disturbing case of David Reimer, whose 'gendered soul' appears to have become evident despite his not knowing about his gender reassignment in infancy.
In my view there are good reasons to largely reject the 'stakeholder' evidence of adults, as it bears on medical transgenderist interventions for children and young people. But those reasons are empirically based in psychiatry and clinical psychology, and are not primarily logical or philosophical. Those who would rather not sit back and allow 'time to tell' can support the Association of Clinical Psychologists (which is not 'the' professional body, but essentially a breakaway from the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology), and other dissidents. The main 'gender-critical' campaigning groups do not seem very interested in doing this (3).
(1) https://drnmblog.wordpress.com/2022/12/06/interim-service-specification-for-nhs-gender-dysphoria-services-for-children-and-young-people-public-consultation-my-submission/
(2) https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-bulletin/article/extreme-gender-critical-views-will-alienate-many-gender-dysphoric-patients/498B46DB1FD7E4137955C6C6B9D7444C
(3) https://savageminds.substack.com/p/2022