Hello readers, thank you to all who wrote letters today!
After our letters started pouring in, we were asked to send them instead to the official Letters to the Editor email at the Boston Globe. At 3pm today, we updated the email address in this Action Alert to reflect that.
We would LOVE for those who are willing to continue to send your letters to thank the Globe. Please note that there is a possibility your letter could get published, and keep that in mind when sending to the letter@globe.com email address below.
Thank you! It has been inspiring to see all the sample letters in the comments. Great work to all!
LGBT-CC
As a follow up to the Boston Globe opinion piece published by Globe Ideas on Tuesday, November 7th, we encourage you to reach out to thank the newspaper today. The piece, entitled “Youth Gender Medicine has Become a Hall of Mirrors,” was written by Jennifer Block, the same journalist who wrote the groundbreaking British Medical Journal article earlier this year, “Gender dysphoria in young people is rising - and so is professional disagreement.” As the Boston Globe article is behind a paywall, here is a link to a thread from Jennifer Block (@writingblock) on Twitter/X that lays out some of what the article points to.
It Takes Courage - Thank the Boston Globe
It takes incredible courage for not only journalists but editors to make the decision to publish anything that raises concerns about “gender affirming care” for children and teens. Please take a moment to write to the editor to thank him for having the courage to allow for this piece, and continue to bring the message that people from all across the political spectrum, who support LGBT people, have serious concerns with pediatric gender medicine.
Please send your email to: letter@globe.com.
Here is a sample of ideas for your letter:
1) Introduce yourself and share a little about yourself and your concern about this issue. For example, “My name is Jasmine, I am a mother, a lesbian, and a lifelong liberal Democrat, and I am concerned with the current practice of medical intervention for gender-distressed children and teens.”
2) Thank them for the article and for their courage to investigate and report on those who are raising concerns about gender clinic practices for children and teens
3) Speak to any part of this issue where you are personally connected or where you would like to see them do more investigative reporting. For example, “I would like you to interview detransitioners to learn more about their experiences with doctors, therapists and clinics.”
If you do submit feedback, please leave us a note in the comments! We would love to hear what you have shared and use it to help inform future Action Alerts.
Thank you!
Done:
Dear Brian,
Thank you for publishing Jennifer Block's article on the controversies around "gender-affirming" care. I became a subscriber to the Globe today as a direct result of this article.
I'm a mom who was told by our "highly-credentialed" medical and mental health professional team (at Child MInd Institute, Mt. Sinai Adolescent Health and otehrs) to transition our mentally ill daughter at age 12. It nearly killed her. It led to three hospitalizations and a suicide attempt and her autism was ignored and remained undiagnosed for years. All of her emotional, social and behavioral problems were attributed to her dysphoria. This was the wrong diagnosis and it nearly destroyed her.
When she requested exogenous hormones and radical mastectomy we started to dig into the studies. The more we looked into the research after visiting an endocrinologist at Mt Sinai, the more realized we had been lied to, manipulated and brainwashed by "medical professionals" in ways that led to iatrogenic harm for our child.
After 4 years of transition (during several of which we were actively affirming, buying binders, etc.), our daughter has desisted.
At 16, she emerged as a bright, quirky, stereo-type nonconforming young woman who understands the harms that gender ideology caused her psyche, her socialization, her body and her family relationships.
Self-acceptance is not conversion therapy; it is beautiful.
In my daughter's words, she has emerged from the gender fog as "a fully healed human being" who accepts her healthy body for all its wonder and believes she is beautiful as she is--even if not in stereotypical ways.
I always had a daughter, but now I have her back.
Now I'm desperately trying to raise awareness with journalists, practitioners and advocates about the way gender-affirming care harms gay, autistic, and dysphoric youth. I have found that most practitioners are unaware of the studies, the lack of evidence or the iatrogenic harms they are causing with the cavalier "American model" of affirmation only. In fact, in our state, anything other than affirmation is illegal--even when transition proved to be nontherapeutic--and even harmful.
Kids are being harmed. Families are being torn apart. The medical and mental health professionals are shaming themselves.
Thank you for raising the voice of concern,
Sincerely,
Mom of desisted ROGD teen
New Boston Globe Subscriber
This is the way to change. The more we speak the more we write, the more the light of day shines on the darkness.