For the last two years, Koen has routinely self-administered weekly testosterone injections without a second thought.
During that time, the trans 17-year-old said his self-image and school and family life has drastically improved. His fear of needles, too, has faded.
“[Transitioning] made me look forward to things more because now I can start paying attention to the better version of myself,” said Koen, who asked to be identified by his first name because of fears for his safety. “It’s something I feel like I’ve needed for a while. I’m able to express myself more fluidly and feel comfortable doing that, which I think is a very big step for me right now.”
At the start of the year, though, a greater worry emerged.
A new law banning gender-affirming care for minors in Louisiana took effect on Jan. 1 prohibiting puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and gender-reaffirming surgery. Now, Koen isn’t sure he could continue his hormone treatment.
Louisiana is one of 22 other states that have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for minors, disrupting health care needs for trans and nonbinary people.
Because they kill themselves. That’s why we give gender affirming care - because at best it just really can mess them up not to have it. And they were killing themselves. A lot.
So we came up with a protocol to do reversible puberty blockers for 4-6 years while they and their parents work with an endocrinologist and therapist to make sure this is the right call.
Only at 16 or 17 they then get the option for hormone therapy, and if they’ve been on puberty blockers then they either grow (or don’t grow) boobs naturally.
And unless they think there’s a high risk of suicide or self-mutilation otherwise (and there’s a process and a panel that needs to approve this) they can’t get bottom surgery until they’re at least 18 - assuming they even want it
We also do allow elective plastic surgery with parental and doctor approval - breast reduction or implants for example - at the age they’re eligible for hormone therapy.
Also, we give gender affirming plastic surgery to cis male teens and preteens who have manboobs, I think it can even be covered by insurance. It’s not unnatural or necessary unless they have a high risk for breast cancer, it’s purely because it makes them insecure
Should we start telling schizophrenics to listen to the voices in their head? I’m sure they’d feel a lot more comfortable in their skin.
The general populace agrees with me, even if they’re not saying it out loud. Trans women have to seek out special dating apps, because no cis men actually want to have a relationship with them. If trans women were really women, and I mean if people really believed that. Why won’t they date trans people?
LMAO, you think most people agree with you?
Most people don’t actually care much either way because they don’t know any trans people. They just parrot things that sound good without putting any thought into it
Let’s put in a little thought.
Why would trans people have a dedicated dating app if no one was interested? It would just be one of the million other failed dating apps no one has ever heard of. Why do they have prominent categories on many porn sites? Why do they do so well on only fans?
They’re less than 0.5% of the population… If they’re that overrepresented then clearly, there’s a demand
But I think we’re getting into the source of this… Trans girls make your dick confused, and you’re not secure enough in your sexuality to confront what that means
I’m bisexual. I’m not uncomfortable with sexuality, or dicks.
I’m a man, I dated men for 8 years
All of the cis straight men I’ve encountered in my life are very against the thought of having any relations with trans people.
I hear some really hateful shit from a lot of people that I don’t care for, specifically about trans women who appear on their tinder feed or whatever
By and large, cis people are looking for relations with other cis people.