Let me introduce you to Dr. Scott Mosser, who cuts the breasts off of adolescent girls. Many surgeons across the country will and do inflict “top surgery” on minors. Mosser assures us that he follows very “strict” guidelines before performing double mastectomies on children.
Other than the framing, Walsh is essentially correct here. Yes, in some US jurisdictions, top surgeries can be performed on adolescents 15 years and up. (it’s genital ones that are strictly 18+)
From what I’ve seen, most pro-trans people actually seem unaware of this, thinking instead that *everything* requires 18+ years of age. Not true. This may upset some, but… I actually think the fact that those surgeries are allowed is neither shocking nor likely to be a bad thing.
Why? Because when you’re dealing with trans people, some common ideas on what is right and proper fall out of the window. An example being the typical conservative and gender-critter screeching about “chopping off of healthy body parts!!1!”. Sure, the body parts are “healthy” by themselves, but they are very much incompatible with the person in charge of the body. And we have ample evidence that altering the body parts into a form that fits their gender identity better tends to work quite well in improving those trans people’s quality of life.
Would you rather have a miserable and possibly suicidal person with all the “healthy” (that is, unaltered) parts, or a happier and actually functional person who undertook some operations and may not have ‘perfect’ cis parts (in case of genitalia), but still ones that are good enough?
I know what I’d pick, and I know that you and other “concerned” assholes would disagree with it. And not just because you and I don’t agree on what the facts are when it comes to the viability and efficacy of gender-affirming care.
Should teenagers have access to some of these surgeries? I think there should be caution in the form of qualified psychologist oversight, but that’s already what you have. A 15-year-old doesn’t just walk in, pay for a double mastectomy, and have it done. Rather, before that they have to go through a lot of therapy, have consistent and severe gender dysphoria, and obtain the necessary approval documentation to get the surgery.
Even with all that, there will always be a few who regret it afterwards. But in medicine, nothing is perfect; the best we can do is to ensure the risks are fairly minimal while all the people who need it still receive timely care. And under-18* people don’t have a need any lesser than those past the age of 18.
In any case, when it comes to what should be done and doable regarding trans patients, I’d much rather trust medical professionals who specialize in care of trans people than I’d trust someone like you, Matt.
* or 19, or whatever the age of majority is in a given state.
Nevertheless, given how these things tend to work, it’s probably likely that a lot more people have to wait for an inordinately long time to get the operations they need than there are people who are able to get them so early.
Mosser also offers “non-binary” services for patients who want to be neither male nor female.
OMG, Shock & horror!!! How could that beeee?!?!
Imagine, services for non-binary people. How awful, how controversial, how terrifying!
Blech. Find something that’s actually remarkable and even slightly objectionable, Matt.
Mosser assures his patients that regret after surgery is “exceptionally rare.” He cannot possibly know this because we‘ve never done these sorts of things to this many children before. How many 40 year olds are walking around today who had cosmetic mastectomies at 16? Almost none
LOL, as if we need 2 or 3 decades to ascertain whether people are really satisfied or not. We don’t hold *anything* else to such a ridiculous standard. Way to reduce your own argument to absurdity, Matt!
Also, I noticed that “cosmetic” bit and other such snide little descriptors you’ve been using to poison the well.
When the media tries to “debunk” the claim that doctors are mutilating kids, they simply ignore top surgery altogether. They ignore it because it is undeniable that this is happening to children. It’s also totally indefensible. They know that too.
Nah, as I said, it seems a lot of them really are that ignorant as to think it’s all 18+ (which, truth be told, does speak poorly about the state of general informedness on this issue).
Though, to be fair, I do think it likely that some people do know, yet purposefully elide that part, instead only pointing out the 18+ surgeries. However, I believe that comes from a place of good intention, and happens largely due to assholes like Matt here, who use every inch they’re given to ruthlessly attack all trans people and to do everything in their power to make any sort of gender transition and gender affirming care illegal and socially forbidden. Simply put, trans advocates aren’t dealing with good-faith opposition that is well-intentioned; instead, they’re largely dealing with people who want to wipe out any possibility of transfolk living their authentic life. And given how important and life-saving surgeries and hormones can be for trans people, the transphobes’ aim is basically genocidal in a sense.
That’s why trans advocates might be cautious when it comes to talking about anything that could likely make a casual, poorly informed observer uncomfortable.
Everything I’ve posted here is factually accurate and publicly available on Mosser’s website. I didn’t use any information that he did not publish himself. That won’t stop the left from calling this “misinformation,” of course, but I want to state it for the record anyway.
It is misinformation, due to the way you present it and how you disregard any data that might contradict your goal (of which there is a lot).
Of course the game is completely rigged. The Left claims that these sorts of things aren't being done to children but if you cite a specific example to disprove that claim, they'll accuse you of terrorism and incitement.
They’re accusing you of incitement because all you do is incite. Is “terrorism” an overly harsh word? Perhaps. But there are plenty of other negative descriptors you definitely deserve, Walsh.
Also? You’re the one rigging the game. Your recent movie ’What is a woman?’ is an excellent example of it, what with all its cherrypicking, misrepresentations and attempts to con transfolk into participating in a transphobic hitpiece.
The only point I’ll give you is that I think that the left trans allies should finally get a clue and stop claiming that no gender affirming surgeries are being done in the US on minors. While it would unfortunately be an unpopular thing to admit in the current atmosphere of unbridled transphobic moral panic, it is nevertheless the truth.
