Wednesday, 15 May 2024

Gender identity

Petition

David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:25): I also would like to talk on petition 512 on the inquiry into gendered identity services for young people tabled by Mrs McArthur yesterday. No child is born in the wrong body, and children cannot consent to puberty blockers or cross sex hormones. I am not saying this to shock or offend; I am saying it because it is true, and we must. Lies about gender treatments have brought us to another disaster of the kind that almost always follows when the state tries to take over the welfare of kids, but radical ideology requires a response of radical truth.

If people are offended, they need to get some perspective. They need to talk to detransitioners. They are all very unique and are very much their own people, but as well as facing complex and lifelong medical problems they are often ostracised by their former friends. But they are amongst the most courageous people I have ever met. The best and most thorough evidence-based international review has found there is no good evidence of regret rates of these treatments, but we do know that around 1100 children were recently on the waiting list for gender treatment at the Royal Children’s Hospital. We can only conclude that the number of detransitioners will continue to grow.

They also need to talk to parents, and some MPs did talk to parents just last week, so there is no excuse not to take action. The state education inquiry heard from parents who were effectively lied to by teachers who hid the fact their child has been socially transitioned to the opposite gender. As well as destroying trust between parents and teachers it has destroyed trust between kids and their own parents. There is no solid evidence social transitioning is good or bad for children, but there is strong evidence it can lead to potentially catastrophic early medical interventions, and the people who destroy these families need have no higher qualification than a working with children check. As one of the parents told the inquiry, while the education department talks about diversity and inclusion, it is the parents who are left excluded and left to feel like they do not even care for their own kids. Yet we need to tell these kids the truth – that there is no good evidence that gender treatments will fix their mental health, that they are probably in this situation because they are neurodiverse, their neurodiversity will not change by taking pills or changing their bodies and that the best cure for gender dysphoria is probably puberty.

It is unlikely that anyone will tell them that the Cass review has identified major weaknesses in processes used at the Royal Children’s Hospital. My message to boys who are effeminate and girls who are tomboys is: there is absolutely nothing wrong with you or your bodies. You do not need to be fixed. You are enough, and nobody cares about you more than your parents.

Trans people have rights like all of us, and their right to make choices as adults needs to be respected. They deserve respect, but nobody should be forced to deny biological reality and everyone’s freedom of association should also be respected. In the future we will remember the way children in gender distress were treated at a time of state-sponsored madness. So instead of being afraid that someone might be offended it is time for adults to stand up and tell the truth. We must speak up. We absolutely must. On this occasion let us not wait for the royal commission and emotional apologies by future premiers. Let us follow the expert advice from overseas and stop these medical treatments on children before more of them are harmed.