Conversation

So there’s a new detransition study that just started recruiting participants and so far many of the people spreading this study on Twitter/X have been transphobic detrans activists like Laura Becker, anti-trans groups like Therapy First (formerly GETA) and Our Duty, and conversion therapists like Sasha Ayad. Based on that I don’t have high hopes for how this study is going to turn out.

I took the study and found it frustrating because I couldn’t adequately communicate my experience of detransitioning. Like it doesn’t really cover how some people detransition as a result of internalized transphobia, converting to an anti-trans ideology and/or engage in conversion practices. I also had trouble communicating about how parts of my detransition were related to my genderqueerness/gender-fluidity. The study uses a fairly narrow framing of detransition that leaves out a lot of experiences.

There's also questions about past psychiatric diagnoses, traumatic childhood experiences and your gender as a kid, like what kinda toys you played with. The questions about childhood gender in particular seemed like something out of old school sexology and gender clinics. I'm concerned that the results of this study will be used to justify more gatekeeping in the name of preventing detransition.

I want good research on detransition but I don't trust this study and I don't see how it's going to help me as someone who detransitioned. I don't see how it's going to produce information that will help people avoid the kinds of problems and suffering I faced when I detransitioned. I can easily imagine how it could be used to create more harm though.