Societal Culpability
How children are led into transgenderism and society leads them further on
Over the past six years, my work with families of children who believe they are transgender has revealed troubling trends in how young people acquire this harmful idea. Various societal elements are culpable in fostering and perpetuating transgender ideation among our youth, we must be aware of them and advocate for a return to reality as a societal norm.
The Role of Social Media
The rise of social media platforms such as Tumblr, Instagram, and TikTok has been instrumental in spreading the notion that one can 'identify' out of their biological reality. Influencers and users on these platforms propagate the idea that gender is fluid and subjective. Hannah Berrelli and Shay Woulahan discussed this extensively in their presentation for the LGB Alliance Conference in 2022. In their discussion, they emphasise how social media has become a breeding ground for gender identity ideology. The algorithms that govern these platforms prioritise content that generates engagement, often sensationalist or radical viewpoints which can become normalised, thereby exacerbating the take up of these ideas.
Influence of Computer Gaming
Online gaming environments, particularly platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, also play a significant role. Often the games themselves contain features, like avatar customisation, which uphold the false legitimacy of incongruent identities. These games can also include private chat spaces where the idea of being 'trans' is promoted as a social identity rather than an inherent trait. In these spaces, a phenomenon known as "trans grooming" can occur, where children are referred to as 'eggs'—a term implying they are trans but have yet to realise it. This reinforces the notion that one's true identity is hidden and must be discovered through community validation rather than personal introspection.
Failures of the Educational System
Schools, institutions that should act 'in loco parentis', are failing in their duty. Many young teachers, indoctrinated by gender ideology during their own education, are actively or passively encouraging students to explore and adopt transgender identities. Instead of providing stability and clarity, these educators are allowing, and sometimes facilitating, the spread of gender ideology among impressionable students.
In this article that I wrote for The Critic Magazine, I discuss how bullying related to gender identity is handled inadequately, often pushing students further towards identifying as transgender as a means of seeking refuge and validation.
Complicity of the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK
UK’s National Health Service is another significant actor promoting transgenderism to adolescents. The Care Quality Commission’s report on the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service highlights serious shortcomings and a failure to provide safe and effective care. Consequently, a review into child services, The Cass Review, was instigated.
However, with an average age of presentation to a gender clinic of 15.5 together with long waiting lists and gender affirmative consultations prior to any treatment, the majority of young people with transgender ideation in UK get treated in the adult clinics when they reach 18 (the Cass Review which reported in May 2024 raised this from 17). Over 70% of patients in the adult clinics are under 25. Despite the Cass Review recommending an additional review into adult services, the underlying practices there remain singularly gender affirmative. The medicalisation of Transgenderism is promoted as if it were an unalloyed good.
Medical schools in the UK have exacerbated the problem by signing a pledge promoted by GLADD (Association of LGBTQ+ Doctors & Dentists) to prioritise gender ideology over biological reality in their training programs. This approach undermines the scientific method and compromises the quality of care provided to patients.
Unsafe Practices in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
The NHS provides Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK. These, too, are fundamentally unsafe for adolescents at risk of transgender ideation. Many of these services maintain connections with dubious 'affinity' groups like Allsorts and Mermaids, which are ideologically driven rather than evidence-based. The training provided to CAMHS professionals is steeped in gender ideology, compromising their ability to offer unbiased and effective care. Moreover, NHS England along with many bodies that regulate talking therapies, are signatories to a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ contrived by gender ideologues to limit the provision of proper exploratory therapies.
If the recommendations of the Cass Review, and any subsequent review into adult services of similar standing, are to be implemented effectively, then the cognitive capture of the NHS must be thoroughly reversed and any lingering vestiges of gender identity ideology thoroughly expunged. This is going to be a long, long haul.
The Culpability of Legacy Media
The BBC was once revered as an organisation trusted to tell the people what was going on in the world with due impartiality. However, when gender identity ideology started being actively promoted from about 2014, it, and many other longstanding media outlets, quickly succumbed to the infiltration by activists. There are very few organisations that are honest in their portrayal of the issues. Most frequently, men are portrayed as if they were women. Transgenderism is always portrayed as if it is something worthy of celebration - despite the fact that they are reporting on victims of psychological and physical harm.
Reclaiming Institutions for Truth and Reason
Despite the pervasive influence of gender ideology, there is hope. Our institutions can be recaptured for truth, reason, and the scientific method. This requires concerted effort from individuals and communities to call out and challenge gender ideology wherever it manifests. Diligence, thoroughness, and a commitment to reality are essential in this endeavour.
There is no doubt that this is a war for freedom. A war that was almost lost before Elon Musk acquired Twitter, now X, with a mission to defend free speech. In an article for the Australian Spectator, Edie Wyatt explains how pivotal this event was: "The new establishment Left are worried about their inability to create universal regulatory capture. If Twitter doesn’t submit, that is a big deal, and gender identity is a vital cog in a very authoritarian wheel."
The family is the most important institution. Through our work with families, we have observed that traditional parenting approaches—rooted in love, consistent boundaries, and honesty—are effective in countering the influence of gender ideology. Holding the line for reality not only supports the affected children but also sets a standard for wider society.
A Call to Action
We have the opportunity to reclaim our society from the grip of gender ideology. Our first priority must be the truth—no compromises. Protecting children from the harms of gender ideology is paramount. Following this, we must reclaim academic institutions and defend free speech. By securing these pillars, we ensure a foundation upon which future generations can build.
For further reading, I recommend the following:
My articles in The Critic Magazine on bullying and the Tavistock report.
Transgender Trend’s report on the Memorandum of Understanding
Rebecca’s Substack analysing GLADD’s Affirmation Only Medical Schools Charter.
Edie Wyatt’s “Twitter’s free speech threatens radical trans activism”
This article is an updated work-up of a Twitter/X thread I posted in January 2023