Autogynephilia left out of discussions on gender dysphoria?
Letter to the Editor, HealthSense Issue 128, Autumn 2024
Original letter: “Left out of discussions on gender dysphoria?” in HealthSense Issue 128, Autumn 2024.
In August HealthSense published a new Background Briefing, “Evidence and gender dysphoria”, which supported the conclusions of the Cass Review into gender identity services for children and young people.
It was welcome that the Cass Review – and HealthSense’s briefing paper – highlighted the lack of evidence and rationale for puberty blockers, as this has immediately removed children from harm’s way.
However, the Cass Review did not cover all the reasons for cross-sex identification, and omitted discussion of autogynephilia. This appears to have no justification, given a Freedom of Information request shows that the review received accounts from individuals with autogynephilia.1
Autogynephilia has been cited by researchers as a reason for typically masculine adolescent boys identifying as the opposite sex “out of the blue”,2 and autogynephilia is mentioned in the DSM-5 as something that increases the likelihood of gender dysphoria.3
If the Cass Review had covered all the pathways to cross-sex identification, which are described in the DSM-5 as being connected to atypical sexuality/sexual orientation, namely autogynephilia or homosexuality, then it would have arguably become apparent that one of the recommendations of the Cass Review needed to have been that the teaching of the “mismatched”, or now “incongruent”, “gender identity” narrative to children should be stopped.
This indeed was the recent recommendation that has come from the Department of Education, which has said that “gender identity” is a contested belief, and should not be taught to children as if it were a fact in the classroom.4
The Cass Review’s recommendation to instead open up new regional clinics appears to be the wrong one, as this does nothing to stop the social contagion of children, primarily girls, who are misdiagnosing themselves as having the “gender identity” of the opposite sex, after being taught the evidently misleading “mismatched gender identity” narrative by children’s charities, schools, and non-governmental organisations.5
If this confusion were instead stopped at source, then no new regional clinics would be necessary.
Orlando
A pseudonym is used here at the author’s request. In this unusual circumstance we agreed to anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic under discussion.
Michael Bailey J and Blanchard R. Gender dysphoria is not one thing. 4th Wave Now website https://4thwavenow.com/2017/12/07/gender-dysphoria-is-not-one-thing/
DSM-5 p. 703-4