“Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed” Isaiah 59:14 NLT.
We live in changing times, where feelings about how we “identify” now hold more authority than facts. As a practising psychotherapist, I am acutely aware of how feelings (whilst still traditionally of vital importance for exploration) can take over the investigation of factual information in the therapy room.
This change applies to concepts concerning ethnicity, beliefs in power structures, and most importantly, the reframing of biological facts into feelings around sex and gender.
Cancellation
People who speak out about these ideas face professional “cancellation” - or worse. Recent examples include Kathleen Stock, Maya Forstater, Rosie Kay, Rev Dr Bernard Randall, and Jennifer Melle.
Postmodernism
In the 21st century, we live in “postmodern” times, which means that everything that was once considered fixed and certain is up for re-interpretation. The very words “good” and “evil” are changed into phrases like: “this is my truth” rather than referring to previous standards of social behaviour followed for centuries. Everything is a “construct” based on your vantage point (“positionality”).
Jean Francois Lyotard (1979) writes about the commodification of ‘truth’ - something which becomes most influential via the highest bidders who define the value of ‘your truth’ vs ‘my truth’.
This means that the former ‘grand narratives’ connected to religion and faith (19th century) have lost their authority. The 20th century saw the rise of political ideologies, and the 21st century has seen attempts to trash even scientific knowledge (biology and our place in the created world as mammals), as well as received wisdom about the importance of the human family. In addition, historical records are viewed with suspicion, and attempts are made to re-write them. So called ‘Sensitivity Readers’ are hired to modify or dismiss the classics of literature and point out possible ‘trigger points’ for the reader.
Gender Identity
A sudden increase of 400% in referrals of girls to Gender Identity services in 2018 was not immediately attributed to peer pressure, the influence of social media, and the desire to feel special, but to genuine beliefs about identity which must be not only listened to but also acted upon.
In 2009/10, 40 girls were referred by doctors for gender treatment. By 2017/18 that number was 1,806. Referrals for boys rose from 57 to 713 in the same period.
The very rare instances of intersex (0.018%) were exaggerated (e.g. Fausto Sterling’s estimate of 1.7%) to try to prove that the vast increase in children and teenagers wanting gender treatment was genuine and valid.
There are a range of reasons why children and young people wish to “transition” apart from those already mentioned. For both sexes, autism plays a large part in the stories of these young people. At GIDS (the former Gender Identity Disorder Service) over a third of referrals were from young people on the Autistic Spectrum. Autism in its turn is often linked to eating disorders, and body dysmorphia.
Eating Disorders, Gender Identity and Conversion Therapy
Deanne Jade, psychologist at the National Centre for Eating Disorders in London, has written a white paper this year documenting the connections between eating disorders and body dysmorphia resulting in the desire to change sex.
She states: “The link between eating disorders and gender dysphoria is obvious to anyone who has studied identity and embodiment with an open mind. Currently, our therapeutic organisations and political institutions have adopted gender ideology in the name of inclusivity and equality, driven by Critical Social Justice Theory. This is despite the 2022 Forstater ruling providing legal protection for gender critical beliefs, and the 2025 Supreme Court ruling for ‘For Women Scotland’ definitively defining sex as biological rather than acquired under the Equality Act 2010.”
Other reasons that girls wish to transition include disgust and fear about puberty, child abuse, and feminist fear indoctrination about the untrustworthiness of men.
For boys, the desire to transition is fuelled by shame or disgust at the idea of being a man (‘toxic masculinity’), a sexual fetish acquired through “cissy porn” (autogynephilia) - or being an ‘incel’ (involuntary celibate) sometimes linked to misogyny. Both sexes sometimes experience unwanted same sex attraction.
What Science has to Say
As mammals, biologically certain facts need to be emphasised. The default embryo xx is female - the brain undergoes a process of masculinisation in utero to become male (xy).
Looking at creatures such as mice and even fruit flies, Manoli et al state: “All sexually reproducing animals exhibit gender differences in behaviour. Such sexual dimorphisms in behaviour are most obvious in stereotyped displays that enhance reproductive success such as mating, aggression, and parental care. Sexually dimorphic behaviours are a consequence of a sexually differentiated nervous system…”
They go on, “Sexually dimorphic behaviours such as mating and aggression are instinctual in the sense that they can be displayed without prior training or social experience.”
This indicates that the underlying neural circuits are developmentally pre-wired to be ‘dimorphic’, they conclude.
Mammals cannot change sex, but some species of fish can do so. However, they only do so for the purposes of reproduction. We carry the truth of male or female in every cell in our bodies, coded in our DNA and present in our skeletons.
The latest assault on our children’s innocence is to assert that the whole idea of innocence is mythical and that children should be sexualised as early as possible. This belief seeks to roll back all the legislation since Victorian times that has been put in place to protect children from adult predators. The rise of peer-to-peer sexual abuse among children should also horrify us all.
Social Theories of Gender
American feminist and “pink” gay icon Judith Butler was perhaps one of the first feminists (influenced by Simone de Beauvoir and others) to gain a strong following in her theory of gender socialisation. Her first book, “Gender Trouble”, in 1990, paved the way for many others. Her latest book “Giving an Account of Oneself”, published last year, is paradoxically named, as Butler now uses “them” and “they” pronouns.
De-Transitioning
It is not generally known that many young people later regret transitioning and feel that they have been deliberately deceived. Long-term use of puberty blockers, cross sex hormones and irreversible surgery wreaks havoc on young lives and irrevocable harm on young bodies. Those with a vested interest in gender ideation would rather not hear about the failed experiments. In a Daily Telegraph article in 2022, a detransitioner called Allie said: “The GP didn’t attempt to explore the possible causes of my gender dysphoria, such as my mental health problems or my difficulties fitting in socially.”
Detransitioner Charlie Evans states in another Daily Telegraph article from 2019: “Detransitioners are the rejects that go into the seconds shop. They’re not the good examples from the production line of bodies that transition. In a sense, they’re the damaged goods no one wants to acknowledge.”
Dr Az Hakeem, who ran a support group for transitioners and de-transitioners for 20 years, has stated publicly that 26% of the young people he worked with regretted their transition. He took part in a film documentary with Dr Joe Burgo and five young men who shared their devastating personal stories with the world.
Dr Stella O’Malley writes in a recent Substack aimed at parents of gender confused children: “I firmly believe that parents are the world experts on their own children, but I also know how easy it is to lose confidence in your own judgement.”
Stella shares how many parents lie awake at night worrying about what to do to help a gender confused child, terrified that they might “get it wrong” and make things worse. Stella’s organisation at Genspect has helped 600 young people come to terms with the reality of their biological bodies.
It is worth knowing that suicide rates amongst the trans community are up to 41% in the US - that is nine times higher than the national average - but are equally high both before and after transitioning.
Staying Anchored in Reality
Our human rights are grounded in child protection and the value of every human life. These values come from our Judeo-Christian heritage. During the days of the ancient Roman Empire, children were exposed to die to manage family size and provide slave labour. It was often early Christians who rescued these infants.
Perhaps we need to look again at “the birds and the bees”, as it used to be called! We ignore our mortality at our peril. The animal kingdom knows this truth - but humans, with our superior intelligence, are sometimes tempted to believe that “we know better”. It all comes down to deciding on who to trust.
As Mary Grey puts it: “If it is threatening for humanity to face the fact that we are formed of the soil and mud, perhaps this a salutary corrective to ‘reaching for the moon’.”
Previously, truth was understood through our relationship with the natural world, and for people of faith, especially Christians, through relationship with our Creator. Life and death are facts, and certain things or behaviours contribute to health and a long life, whereas certain other things hasten our death.
The prophet Jeremiah reminds us: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).
Jennie Cummings-Knight is a certified psychotherapist with Golden Leaf Counselling.
