ST. LOUIS — More than a dozen people gathered Sunday afternoon on the edge of Forest Park to protest the medical treatment of transgender adolescents at a clinic across the street.
Washington University’s Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital has been under intense scrutiny since accusations of negligence and malpractice by a former employee were made public last month.
Organizer Teresa Folds of St. Louis said she formed her group, the St. Louis Gender Critical Alliance, on Feb. 1. About a week later, the Free Press published an online narrative by Jamie Reed, who was a case manager at the Transgender Center for more than four years, alleging families were rushed toward medical interventions without regard to potential side effects.
The bombshell report helped ignite her cause, said Folds, who wore a blue “I support Jamie Reed” T-shirt on Sunday. Folds connected with another nascent organization, Gays Against Groomers, as well as local parents who oppose transgender care for minors.
About a half-dozen counterprotesters — bearing the pink, white and light blue pride flag — stood next to the Gender Critical Alliance.
“I used to be a social justice warrior for transgender people,” said Folds. She supported a friend who transitioned in the 1990s.
But her views began to shift several years ago. Folds was offended in 2015 when Caitlyn Jenner, who won a gold medal in the Olympics as Bruce Jenner, was honored by Glamour magazine as one of its women of the year.
“Transgenderism is really not a thing,” she said. “All trans medicine is experimental. It’s not evidence-based.”
Long-term studies on the effects of puberty blockers and cross-hormone regimens are largely unknown. But major medical organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society, endorse their use as best practices in the treatment of transgender youth.
A woman from St. Charles County stopped by the protest on her way out of the hospital. She took issue with Folds’ sign that read “Puberty blockers are not reversible.”
“That’s not true,” said the woman, who has a transgender teenager.
The effects of puberty blockers are reversible. If a patient decides to undergo hormone therapy — estrogen for transgender girls, testosterone for transgender boys — some changes are reversible and others are permanent.
“I would go talk to them, but they don’t know what they’re talking about,” the woman said. “What’s going to happen to all these kids who need care but can’t get it because of these idiots?”
The Transgender Center sees about 250 new patients a year. On Feb. 10, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey called for an immediate moratorium on new prescriptions at the center, which leaders at BJC HealthCare and Washington U. rejected. Bailey is leading a state investigation.
Last week, Missouri Democrats filibustered a bill in the Senate that would ban medical treatment for transgender minors. A group of eight Republicans said they would use “whatever tools and procedures necessary” to force a final vote on the health care bill next week.
Kay Vroman drove to the protest from Peoria, Illinois. He carried a sign that said “LGB drop the TQ.” Vroman said he transitioned to female at age 29 after a psychotic episode.
He was living in Tacoma, Washington, at the time and was prescribed estrogen “immediately, without question.”
A year ago, he decided to detransition and began tapering off the hormone. He opposes the gender-affirmation model of care and thinks homophobia plays a role in people identifying as transgender.
“I’m glad I am where I am, but I don’t think anyone should have to go through what I did,” Vroman said. “I believe this is a mental illness. There’s nothing natural about wanting to remove parts of your body.”
A couple of parents at the protest, who did not want to be identified, also blamed homophobia for their children’s gender questioning.
“This is a model that is all about transitioning gay kids,” said one mother.
Gender identity is unrelated to sexual orientation. They are “distinct aspects of being a person,” according to the American Psychological Association.
Some of the protesters pointed to the recent announcement that the Tavistock transgender clinic in England will be closing as evidence that the gender-affirming model embraced by most major medical institutions in the United States should be restructured.
“We need to watch and wait,” said a father from St. Louis County. His college-age child came out as transgender after taking an online survey, he said. It was devastating.
Christine Hyman, who is on the board of TransParent, a parent support group, briefly interacted with protesters after visiting her son inside the hospital. The teen, who is transgender, has been so worried about the prospect of losing his medical care that he couldn’t eat and had to be admitted about a week and a half ago, Hyman said.
“How do you trans a kid?” she asked a woman carrying a “stop transing gay kids” sign.
“I don’t want to start an argument. It’s just getting to be too much,” said Hyman. “It’s hurting our kids, and I’m tired.”
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