“what you are suggesting is going to lead to the death of children.”

if people need to press forward with anti-trans legislation, they need to wear their results proudly

What Danielle Smith does in Alberta in bringing legislation that prevents kids from accessing gender affirming care, is horrific. She knows this, her supporters know this, because they have been presented this information from doctors and healthcare providers who they continue to ignore, but we cannot let them publicly call it anything less than what it is. Danielle Smith is loudly proclaiming “I’m ok with the death of children.”

I understand logically there is no way we can prevent them from saying things like “this is caring for kids,” and this is “saving the lives of kids.” But, since that is never true, not matter how often they say it, or whether they say it informally at the dinner table, or presented as law in their legislatures, we must always remind them that “no, what you are doing is going to lead to the death of children.”

This is my simple request to people who engage with those who use arguments like these that we should not be supporting gender-diverse children when they are still in a pre-puberty stage. When they suggest that treatments that can be offered to them like puberty blockers are barbaric and harmful. I need you to remind them that “what you are suggesting is going to lead to the death of children.”

Again, I understand that you are unlikely to change the mind of someone who hates simply because someone is different, but they are using the words of politicians, not professionals to destroy the homes and lives of trans people and their families. Doctors, healthcare professionals, psychologists, and anyone who has spent time with and around trans children (pre, or post-puberty) will acknowledge that what these prohibitive laws do “is going to lead to the death of children.”

You can refer them to a number of studies as well if you would like:

Prohibiting Gender-affirming Care for Youths

“Those who wanted, and subsequently received, hormone therapy and/or surgical care had a substantially lower prevalence of past-year suicide thoughts and attempts than those who wanted hormone therapy and surgical care and did not receive them.”

What the Science on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Kids Really Shows

And while they won’t read them, I can let you know what the message is: not providing care to trans kids will lead to higher death rates for children.

So when your neighbour, or your co-worker, or your great aunt, or the person behind you in Tim Horton’s starts to talk about the transgenders mutilating their children by supporting them through gender-affirming care, what I need you to do is gently remind them that the views they hold, and the laws they support “are going to lead to the death of children.”