shades fills you in

In 2018, a study from Physician Lisa Littman warned of the danger of a condition -- “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria” -- spreading among young people on social media. Read the study here

Slate says the Littman study was met with considerable criticism from the scientific community -- and agreed: It’s just bad science!

Abigail Shrier continued the debate in a 2019 WSJ Op. She said society today enables and encourages young women -- who are otherwise happy as women -- to irreversibly transition

Shrier felt so strongly she wrote a book on it, called “Irreversible Damage”. Watch her interview with Reason Magazine here

A trans clinical psychologist shared the concern, and spoke out in the LA Times: There’s been a recent rise in kids undergoing surgery and hormone therapy. It’s happening fast, without rigorous mental health evals

The Federalist is also concerned. Questioning your gender -- especially as a young woman -- is normal! Kids should be able to question their identity without being told they’re trans

This WSJ Op thinks the problem is terminology: We’ve started calling every tomboy trans! Trans used to mean something very specific -- now it’s applied to anyone who’s even a little nonconforming

Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans (aka PITT) was also in agreement, and went further: “The ”trans trend“ is a ”dangerous youth subculture’"

But an NYT Op hard disagrees: “Transgender is not a subculture -- it’s who your kid really is.” “Rapid onset gender dysphoria” is just a political term to invalidate trans people

This Psychology Today Op also wasn’t a fan of Shrier’s thesis: It’s misinfo! Being trans isn’t a trend -- it’s a scientific fact

Slate: People don’t get that a very small part of the population want to transition -- the social contagion fears are way overblown. Let them transition without friction and politics

And The Conversation Magazine says trans youth have always used media to build communities. The internet is causing more trans youth to come out; it’s not creating more trans youth

The Guardian looks to the past: Trans people have always existed. Just look at 18th century “female husbands”!