Supporting Trans Youth in the Face of Political Attacks on Healthcare

The Times Headline: Former trans charity boss to defy ban on puberty blockers

Today, the Times published a story about Anne Health’s commitment to supporting trans youth and their families. Whilst the article aims to frame Anne Health negatively, it allows us to clarify our position and confirm that the legal routes for accessing blockers across the EU are still in operation regardless of the UK and NI ban, which aims to restrict access for vulnerable young people and criminalise parents/carers. 

Susie Green confirmed to The Times that Anne Trans Healthcare was still “supporting people to access legal routes to gender-affirming healthcare”.

Why are they writing about Anne Health?

The Times article was in response to this instagram post with the simple statement that ‘We Are Here’ for trans youth and their families, offering legal, compassionate, and supportive routes to accessing puberty blockers with medical oversight from experienced endocrinologists. 

In response, a statement from Susie Green, Co-founder and Director of Anne Health

This is the full statement provided to The Times journalist. We anticipated that it might be edited and minimised by Times Editors…

"As the co-founder and Director of Anne Health, and previously as the CEO of Mermaids, I have seen the positive impact that access to puberty blockers has on young people's lives. As a WPATH SOC 8 Children's chapter member, I saw the literature review that highlighted the positive evidence. When the initial ban was announced, under the outgoing Conservative government this summer, the devastating effect was immediate. I posted a survey in multiple parent groups and across our patient cohort. The distress and damage the ban caused is heartbreaking, as referenced in the Natacha Kennedy paper, the Children of Omelas, hosted on the GIRES website. (https://www.gires.org.uk/children-of-omelas-effects-of-the-uk-puberty-blocker-ban/)

I truly believed that the Labour government would not take this ban forward following the consultation process. Knowing that Wes Streeting met with families directly affected by the ban, and was told by one young person that two of their friends had taken their own lives, I was hopeful that it would not be made permanent.  Parents reported that they had told him of the anguish caused by the ban and Wes Streeting stood there and told those young people and their families that he heard them. Yet he walked away and chose to ignore them, as he has also ignored the 59% of consultation responses, from respondents of his choosing, that said a ban should not go ahead.

Anne Health’s priority is the families and young people affected by the government’s actions, and trying to find a way to support them when they have been abandoned by politicians that have chosen to make the UK as the most repressive globally for trans youth rights and bodily autonomy on the global map, flying in the face of international best practice and viewed with disbelief by WPATH, USPATH, EPATH, American Academy of Pediatrics, The Australian Professional Association for Trans Health, The Endocrine Society and BAGIS (British Association of Gender Identity Specialists). This ban has been universally condemned by trans rights charities and organisations and the community as a whole.

Yes, Anne Health is supporting people to access legal routes to gender affirming healthcare, following WPATH guidelines. Yes, we will continue to do so despite a UK wide ban. And we do it because to do otherwise would be morally and ethically wrong. The ban is cruel, prejudicial and frankly inhumane."

The Reality Behind the Ban

The UK government’s decision to make the temporary ban on puberty blockers for trans young people aged under-18 permanent is devastating. This ban, which flies in the face of international best practices, has caused immense distress to young people and their families. Puberty blockers have been a recognised treatment for decades, with a well-documented history of harm reduction and positive outcomes for trans youth when administered under medical supervision. Despite this, trans young people in the UK are now facing unprecedented hostility and barriers to care.

The decision to ban puberty blockers is not about protecting children. They have cited safety yet they have not banned the exact same medication being used routinely in other areas of paediatric and adult health care. It is a political move grounded in prejudice, misinformation, and transphobia.

Our message to trans young people and their families

For the trans young people and their families who are struggling due to the unprecedented hostility being aimed at you and your family, you are our priority. 

We will continue to fight for your right to access timely, gender-affirming healthcare as needed, regardless of whether the government has decided to attack your autonomy. 

The legal route requires travel, which is not ideal; however, keeping you as safe as possible necessitates the changes we have implemented. 

Know that we will keep speaking up and pushing back with your well-being at the forefront of all our minds. 

Politics has no place in healthcare. Those seeking to undermine access to an established treatment with well-documented evidence of harm reduction whilst claiming it is 'for the children' should examine their bias and acknowledge their transphobia. Because that is what this is: discrimination, pure and simple. 

There is no doubt that this will cost lives, and we are so very sorry that your voices are being ignored. We stand for you and with you.

#TransKidsDeserveBetter

#TransPeopleDeserveBetter

#GenderAffirmingHealthcareSavesLives

Footnote:

This is what the journalist wrote in their email to us:

‘We are intending to publish a story about Anne Trans Healthcare. It will say as follows: 

 An organisation led by the former chief executive of transgender support charity Mermaids has vowed to keep on providing puberty blockers to children, despite a permanent government ban.

Anne Trans Healthcare, co-founded by former Mermaids’ leader Susie Green, hit out at Labour after it was revealed that the government would keep the ban on the drugs for under-18s.

Wes Streeting told MPs earlier this month that he was making the temporary ban, introduced in May, indefinite across the UK, calling the way puberty blockers had been used a “scandal”.

The move was backed by Baroness Cass, former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, whose landmark report this year concluded that the field of gender medicine was “built on shaky foundations”.

But following the news, a statement from Anne Trans Healthcare, aimed at “trans youth and their families” revealed the organisation would still be facilitating the use of puberty-blockers.

In a post on Instagram, it said: “We offer a legal, compassionate, and supportive routes (sic) to accessing puberty blockers with medical oversight from experienced endocrinologists.

“Our team will guide you through every step of the process, ensuring you feel reassured and supported.⁠”

 Is there any response or comment I can get to this? If so, please provide one by 5pm today (Tuesday, December 17).’