• Jamelle Bouie wrote a powerful column titled “There Is No Dignity in This Kind of America” which examines conservative attacks on trans people in America.
• Bouie argues that the denial of dignity to one segment of the political community threatens the dignity of all, and calls for solidarity.
• Chris Hayes wrote a column urging Joe Biden to address America’s low and declining life expectancy, which is largely due to the opioid epidemic.
• The opioid epidemic was caused by pharmaceutical companies’ deceptive marketing of new opioid painkillers, and doctors’ overprescription of opioids.
• Mainstream liberal commentators are avoiding the details of the policy questions surrounding trans rights, such as the politicization of medical treatment for children, biological males competing in women’s sports, and physical transitioning at a young age.
• Affirmation of an equal right to human dignity does not determine a unique answer to all of these questions, and facts are important.
• NYT Opinion published the results of a focus group headlined “These 12 Transgender Americans Would Love You To Mind Your Own Business”, which highlights the need for trans people to be treated with dignity and respect.
• The focus group discussed the controversial issue of puberty-blocking medications, which are used off-label to treat gender dysphoria in minors.
• The current World Professional Association for Transgender Health recommendations say that hormones can be started at age 14 and some surgeries done at age 15 or 17.
• Reuters investigated gender clinics and found that most are comfortable prescribing puberty blockers or hormones based on the first visit, if there are no red flags and the child and parents are in agreement.
• Asking questions is important, but it must be done in good faith and with the aim of discovering answers grounded in facts.
• The rapid increase in the number of children identifying as trans raises questions about the extent to which gender-affirming medications have been clinically studied, the actual operation of clinics, and the concept of affirming children.
• There is also the question of why the increase is preponderantly among people with XX chromosomes.
Published February 16, 2023
Visit Slow Boring to read Matthew Yglesias’s original post Progressives need to engage with the specific questions about youth gender care