Alberta blocking them isn't cruelty - it's the opposite.
Oh boy. Mods, I swear on all that is holy that I'm trying my best here.
It's common sense legislation that tries to ensure a basic, universally accepted legal principal - that decisions you make that will have serious life long consequences are at least made when you are technically an adult, and not made as a child (which is technically everything prior to turning 18yo in the province of Alberta)
Except it's families making this decision as well. They are also being banned. So children, as you say shouldn't make this decision. Okay, so parents cannot with their child make this decision? Fine, maybe that's too loose goosy. Lets add a medical physician. So now you're saying, a child, their parent, and a medical professional who all decide yes, lets block puberty for this child because from a individual, family and medical point of view it is the best, healthiest, course of action, no, the government of Alberta knows best?
The hubris. The gall. The absurdity. The downright cruelty.
If you aren't old enough to get a tattoo because of the permanent nature of the decision prior to turning 18, then you shouldn't be making decisions that will leave you permanently fucked up either.
Yet, when puberty blockers are removed from the system, at age 18, 19, 20, whatever, the body just goes into puberty then. Very little in terms of long term negative consequences, never mind leaving anyone fucked up.
You know what's fucked up? A boy who identifies as a girl, going through puberty. Hair arms. Increased bone density. Increased muscle tone. Those are permanent. What happens when they can make the choice? It's too fucking late. You cannot UNDO puberty. So what? Too bad, so sad, kill yourself?
Cruelty.
(Messing with the body's hormone production and natural development during such a critical time as childhood is what seems cruel to me.
Understand how puberty blockers work to suppress puberty. Learn about their benefits, side effects and long-term effects.
www.mayoclinic.org
Are the changes permanent?
GnRH analogues don't cause permanent physical changes. Instead, they pause puberty. That offers a chance to explore gender identity. It also gives youth and their families time to plan for the psychological, medical, developmental, social and legal issues that may lie ahead..
When a person stops taking GnRH analogues, puberty starts again.
What are the possible side effects and complications?
Possible side effects of GnRH analogue treatment include:
Swelling at the site of the shot.
Weight gain.
Hot flashes.
Headaches.
Mood changes.
Use of GnRH analogues also might have long-term effects on:
Growth spurts.
Bone growth.
Bone density.
Fertility, depending on when the medicine is started.
These are the side effects. There are side effects, but this doesn't leave kids fucked up. Kids killing themselves because they are forced to go through puberty, locking them into a gender they don't identify as is fucked up.
Puberty blockers are not sex reassignment surgery. They simply give the kids a chance to not be locked into the gender they don't identify as. If they grow out of it, stop the puberty blockers, puberty starts later, life goes on. If they do decide to transition when old enough, they aren't stuck with irreversible bodily changes.
This coming from the same crowd that bleats and moans about "biological men playing in womens sports". Can't have that! So young boy identifies as a girl. Wants to be a wrestler or rugby player. They go on puberty blockers, at age 17, they transition, then they work their butt off to become a female wrestler or rugby player. They would have no advantages, they would not have gone through male puberty, they would be the same as any other woman. Seems fair. Alberta just banned that.
Other path. They go through male puberty. They have biological advantages. No matter what they do, what hormones they take, they will always be accused of being a man playing with women. Banned as well.
How else can Alberta say, I don't give a fuck about you trans individuals one iota than by doing something like this? Either way, Alberta just did this to every trans kid and their family. It's nothing other than cruelty. They don't care how many kids off themselves when locked into these choices.
Sure, your kid identifies as a tube of toothpaste for a while - doesn't mean you sacrifice them ever having children of their own in order to accomodate them.)
Sure. And I'm not saying hey, a 10 year old should transition. I'm saying, if a 10 year old identifies as the opposite gender, allow them to go on puberty blockers after talking with a medical professional.
Same for hormone treatments at a reasonable age, along with the guidance of a medical professional.
Same for eventual transitioning if that's what they end up deciding to do, with the advice of a medical professional.
With all due respect, it's opinions like this, based on ignorance, that causes this to be such a problem. Puberty blockers "seem" like a bad idea to you, a non medical professional. I like that
@Jarnhamar looked into it and found out ya, it doesn't tend to have long term negative effects, so what's the big problem?
This is a medical situation that the government is making a political situation and they don't care about all the kids that will fucking die.
