One thing isn't in doubt is the fact that there has been an increase in the number of children who don't want to be their biological sex. The reason for that increase is unclear, but might be partly down to mainstream media, including breakfast television and BBC children's TV, giving a substantial amount of airtime to the topic; as well as an ingenuous acceptance of 'transgenderism' by most politicians.
CBBC's 'I am Leo' documentary won three TV industry awards (RTS, International Emmy and BAFTA) for what was a badly researched, one-sided and misleading documentary, especially ill-considered for children as young as six years old.
Transgender Kids: Who Knows Best? was an unusually brave documentary for these post-truth times, in that it was prepared to examine both sides of the transgender debate - rather than simply rehash trans-activist proselytism.
The transgender lobby were unhappy that the 'This World' team allowed a leading expert, with whom they disagree, to take part in the documentary.
People from both sides of the trans divide took part.
Melissa: Around the age of two and a half she told me one night "Mummy I think God made a mistake - I am really a little girl." Warner is transgender, so she is .. identifies as female. Warner had preferences for pink, sparkles. Even her physical mannerisms ...
Melissa: So Warner is nine years old. She's just at an age now where sexuality is starting to develop. So boy crushes and things like that are startng to come in.
But another parent, Chris, refused to believe his daughter, Alex, was really a boy. After six years, Alex eventually realised that being a girl didn't mean having to conform to feminine stereotypes -
Alex: I think that when I joined the baseball team I saw these other girls who were maybe more tomboy. They liked to do sporty things, and I never had really come across that before. It was then, for me, a moment where I started to accept myself for who I was, which was being a girl that also had boy interests. ... A lot of kids that either struggle with gender identity or transgenderism they also tend to have, you know, other issues, whether it's anxiety that they deal with, or depression ...
Narrator: Cases like, Alex, where children do not transition are common. many overcome their gender dysphoria. .... Studies from Europe and North America suggest around 80% of children with gender dysphoria eventually accept their biological sex. .... In a recent study, Zucker's colleague Devita Singh looked at the outcomes of more than 100 boys who attended the clinic. 88% of them eventually desisted.
The documentary discussed evidence that many children with cross-gender behaviour will eventually identify as gay or bisexual adults. Dr Ray Blanchard said trans activists don't want the high rate of desistance talked about.
'Lou' is one survivor of the transition culture who regrets having a double mastectomy and has received hate and death threats for daring to speak out on the issue:
'Lou': The assumption from the outset was that if I said I was transgender, then I must be. Nobody at any point questioned my motives. The only cure for this would be hormones and surgery. ... I became very self-conscious of my body. I was developing breasts, and periods .... I became very depressed. I thought the only explanation for my gender dyshoria must be that I was actually a man. I was struggling with self harm and had attempted suicide on a number of occasions. And was very much told by the community that if you don't transition you will self-harm and you will kill yourself. I became convinced that my options were transition or die. I didn't understand that the degree of disconnect and hatred of my body could be considered a mental health problem.
Dr Ray Blanchard: A lot of people who are professionals, and would be perfectly willing in private to say that they're appalled by Ken Zucker's firing, would be terrified to say that in public for fear of their own jobs or being treated as pariahs by their co-workers.
Transgender Kids: Who Knows Best? was an excellent documentary.
Newsround Blog rating 5 out of 5.
