Political ideology can often cloud judgement and impair critical thinking. I am not suggesting that you should have no convictions or even that relying on political ideology is necessarily bad. Still, it should be recognized that ideology is in a sense an algorithm. It is a prism to view the world through and often in a sense putting it on ‘autopilot’. While it is alright to operate with a dominant template it is important to disengage from that template a from time to time and look at things independently with an unbiased perspective.

Why am I lecturing on over reliance on ideology?

When it comes to issues of sexuality and gender identity there is very little nuanced discussion or debate and there has been a conflation of political identity and clinical reality. The political alliance of the gay and lesbian community with transgender individuals has clouded judgement regarding the serious ethical issues regarding sex change operations and hormone replacement therapy.

This conflation may be partly the residual effect left over from when homosexuality was once regarded as a mental health disorder by healthcare professionals. It may surprise people that those that have gender identity issues and have had sex change surgery are still often attracted to the opposite sex to their birth sex. The reality is that sexual orientation or preference is dealing with behavioral preference and is not necessarily connected with gender dysphoria.

Gender identity or dysphoria issues are literally a delusion and a denial of one’s biology. It should be noted that delusion is not meant in a derogatory sense here as it is often in normal conversation when you tell someone they are delusional about a belief that is ‘out there’. Delusion here is meant in a literal sense. The belief runs contrary to physical reality.

A 2014 CDC study on sexuality reported that 1.6% of the population is gay and lesbian, .7% bisexual, and around .1% didn’t know. As a whole LGBT is 2.4% of the U.S. population. Less than .1% of the population is transgendered. (Ward, Dahlhamer, Galinsky, & Joestl, 2014). If these numbers, especially the transgender number have changed, then that would be the direct result of mass media and academic influences.

A landmark long term comprehensive study from 2011 demonstrated that after sex change surgery the suicide rate is 27 times higher when matched for age and birth sex (Dhejne, et al., 2011). Whatever the underlying issue is for this micro population, the reality is that hormone therapy and sex change surgery is not solving the problem. The underlying issue is still present after these treatments and surgeries.

It is nearly impossible to establish suicide rates for those with gender dysphoria prior to surgeries or hormone replacement treatments as we can’t retroactively ask a suicide if they struggled with gender identity issues. Still, it is entirely reckless to ignore the reality that irreversible hormone therapy and sex change surgery are potentially increasing suicide rates.

The Florida Department of Health has been leading the nation on protecting children from groomers implementing their political ideology and has given guidance for children and adolescence advising against social gender transitioning, puberty blockers or hormone therapy, and gender reassignment surgery. Instead, counseling by a licensed provider is recommended. The Florida Department of Health also points out that 80% cases of children and adolescence struggling with gender dysphoria resolve on their own over time.

There may be a challenge with this as the mental health fields are struggling with a severe cultural bias in the form of a political bias that is distinctly left of center. Unfortunately, many counselors may encourage gender transitioning because of the academic indoctrination they have experienced. There are multiple reasons for this indoctrination which will not be addressed here.

Targeting children for irreversible hormone treatment and sex reassignment surgery may be considered child abuse. Especially when 80% may resolve this issue over time. The medical and the mental health fields are bound by the Hippocratic Oath to first do no harm. It is apparent that the hormone treatments and sex change surgeries are not helping and may only cause harm. It is not simply malpractice to provide hormone treatment and sex change surgeries. It may be malfeasance.

Public school systems are often advocating choosing pronouns to children and not even letting parents know about these mental health issues affecting their children, in many cases, due to stated policy. Children as we all know are highly suggestible and are arguably walking around in a hypnogogic state until they are eight years old or so. This is one of the reasons movies and advertisements are geared toward children to the degree that they are. The marketers are obtaining customers for life.

Academic institutions and mass media that are targeting confused children and promoting gender identity issues and gender dysphoria are causing harm. Individuals struggling with these issues should of course be afforded empathy and provided treatment. Still, seeking to coerce others into a delusion by placing social pressure to use a chosen pronoun that does not comport with physical reality appears an act of aggression. Attempting to mainstream a condition that has such a high suicide rate is unfathomable.

Leave the kids alone.