Dysphoria without ideology
What We Believe
1.
Inform the conversation about Gender Dysphoria (GD)
We believe:
There are different types of GD (e.g. HSTS, AGP, ROGD, DSD-related)
The distinctions between these types of GD matter in terms of how we best support people with GD
When we individually understand our own GD, we have greater agency in our own lives and decision-making
Seeing certain types of GD as taboo or unmentionable only fosters shame, which is unhelpful – both for individuals with GD and those around them
GD is a condition, not a culture, and we all benefit from being able to express culturally diverse ideas and develop our own values
2.
Explain why evidence-based care is so important
We believe:
Clinical practices should be based on peer-reviewed evidence, not activism or ideology
Effective and accessible mental health care and thorough assessment are essential
Debate, enquiry and scientific methods are pillars of competent clinical practices
People’s ability to consent to medical interventions is seriously hampered by the absence of proper and up-to-date research and long-term studies
We must keep alive the decades of research into GD, not because we consider this research to be complete or perfect, but because we see it as a vital foundation
The need for evidence-based approaches is nowhere more important than when it comes to how we, as a society, respond to children with GD
3.
Include people who detransition, regret or desist in all aspects of the conversation
We believe:
We need to be able to discuss and research the experiences of those who detransition, regret or desist
A trans rights movement that seeks to sideline or ignore these experiences will always be vulnerable
Individuals who detransition or desist are making valid choices that deserve respect, effective support, and care
Many people with GD do not find relief from medical intervention
Non-medical solutions to distress can work for many people with GD
4.
Support sex-based rights when carrying out our work
We endorse the realities of biological sex
We believe people with GD are ill-served when we are told our sex does not matter
We respect the sex-based rights of women and lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people
We see it as entirely possible to have a framework for understanding the rights of people with GD, and of trans people more broadly, which does not conflict with the sex-based rights of women and LGB people
We work to promote a greater understanding of the fact that we all have both rights and responsibilities when it comes to engaging with other people and society
What We Do
1.
We host conversations
We produce the Transparency podcast – in-depth conversations with individuals with personal or professional experience of GD.
We look for opportunities to showcase the diversity of opinion that exists among people with GD.
2.
We act as a point of contact
We are a contact point for media organisations across the world that want to hear from individuals who have GD and who have managed their dysphoria in a range of different ways.
We can help individuals share their stories and diverse experiences through our blog or in other ways.
3.
We produce materials that empower others
We produce accessible information about the different types of GD to help individuals make sense of their own experience and make more informed choices.
We produce content aimed at people with concerns about the current ideologically driven approach to responding to GD – materials which help people to push locally for more evidence-based and informed conversations.
4.
We work alongside other organisations
We work alongside, and support joint initiatives with, a growing range of organisations that now exist across the world to support people with GD and protect everyone’s sex-based rights.
While it is not our role as an organisation to provide detailed recommendations for how different countries and jurisdictions regulate healthcare for people with GD, we work with other organisations to promote evidence-based care for people with GD.