by Carol Kauffman, Vermont Family Alliance 

The Vermont legislative proponents of H89 and S37 need to pause and hear their voices this week.  The voices of those unnecessarily misdiagnosed and abandoned by exclusive gender-affirming healthcare.

Vermont Family Alliance has witnessed the eerie silence surrounding the known permanent risks of the exclusive gender-affirming care standard of care protected in H89 and S37.  VFA reached out to detransitioners regarding H89 and three responded with personal testimony.

“My name is Prisha.  By the time I was 15 years old, I was suffering from multiple diagnosed mental illnesses, including borderline personality disorder and anorexia nervosa.  I was suicidal, self-harming, and hated myself. The appointment with my gender therapist was only 15 minutes long.  When I walked in, my “letter of recommendation” was already typed up on her computer, and she was filling in my name in minutes.”

“My name is Abel Garcia. I believed that if I had received proper therapy, I would not have transitioned, and if I had received proper informed consent about the repercussions, I would also not have transitioned.  The side effects have included genital atrophy with urinary issues, loss of dexterity, chest numbness, body aches, and tremors throughout my body.  I would not have transitioned if I had been made aware of these side effects.”  

“My name is Camille Kiefel. If I made this mistake as an adult, a young girl could, too. Not only did my surgery exacerbate my mental health issues. I now struggle with physical complications as well.  

“You know what keeps me going? Stopping this from happening to someone else.  Thank you for your time. You all have a lot to consider, and I know you will make the right decision.”

From detransawareness.com: 

“Detransitioners have experienced a dramatic journey of self-acceptance and an unpopular trip to transition and back. Upon transitioning, we felt an overwhelming degree of affirmation from doctors, mental health practitioners, and friends. But on the other side, those cheering voices are silent and our existence is ignored. We’re here to cheer for each other.  

“Some say that detransition is very rare. Others refuse to acknowledge that we exist. We want all to see that we are a group that is rapidly growing. Our unique healthcare needs are ignored by the same professionals that were eager to medicalize us. We are not going to hide in the shadows. We deserve ethical medical treatment.”

So far, Chair Lyons and Chair LaLonde’s expert testimony has remained silent on the 2022 NHS of England “case for change” findings, high-profile lawsuits against gender clinics in the UK and America, such as Detransitioner Chloe Cole and The Tavistock gender clinic,  “Lawyers expect about 1,000 families to join a medical negligence lawsuit alleging vulnerable children have been misdiagnosed and placed on a damaging medical pathway.” 

Finally, Whistleblower Jamie Reed, “There are more than 100 pediatric gender clinics across the U.S.  I worked at one.  What’s happening to children is morally and medically appalling.”  

After a growing population of detranstioners, lawsuits, and clinic whistleblowers, one must wonder who the so-called H89 Shield Bill is protecting and from whom.