Manchester Puberty Blockers Trial Protests: 24.01.26

Concerned adults, teachers, parents and members of the public attended a demonstration beside the Pankhurst Statue in Manchester at the January 25th.  We gathered to protest against the upcoming NHS trial of puberty blocker medication on 226 children under 16, some of whom may be as young as 8 years old.

Image Credit: Delusion23, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Why  would they care?

The reasons were reflected by the speakers from medical professionals, parents of gay children, lesbians and gay men who are aghast at the forced teaming of gay rights with transgender issues, a young male detransitioner and adults who believe children should not be used in medical experiments.

Research from the GIDS service at the Tavistock Clinic suggests up to a third of children expressing gender dysphoria are on the autistic spectrum, many have lost a parent or are struggling with mental health co- morbidities which require treatment rather than the blocking of the natural process of puberty. 2,000 children who went through the GIDS service and were put on blockers have never been followed up and now another group of children will be exposed to a medication which is known to have serious side effects. How can a child consent to a medication which will remove their fertility, destroy their sexual function and has life long medical complications which are still unknown?

Blockers create the illusion that puberty can be delayed but at the heart of this trial is a lie. No unhappy little boy can ever become a girl and no girl ever become a boy. This trial is being sold as the opportunity to find out if this medication can help children feel better about their ' gender identity',  an ideology which has been taught in our schools and promoted on social media.

One young lesbian spoke about her own discomfort as a teenager and how much easier it might have been to believe she was ' born in the wrong body' than deal with the internalised and external homophobia which still exists. Michael, a male detransitioner spoke movingly about the abuse and trauma he suffered as a young man and how becoming ' female' seemed like an answer until his physical and mental health suffered. One mother spoke powerfully about her attempts to keep her gay son away from the harms of medication until, sadly, he was old enough to access cross sex hormones to fulfill his fantasy of becoming a woman.

The 226 children who take part in this trial will have their health wrecked and we know already that puberty blockers will impact cognitive development, lead to loss of bone density and destroy both fertility and sexual function. Of course, no child can imagine the devastation this will cause because they are convinced that medication will prevent their gender distress. They may be supported by frightened parents who believe the lie that lack of affirmation will lead to suicide or have been persuaded by ideologue teachers, social workers or LGBT activists.

Speeches lasted for 2 hours and members of WRN, Northern Rad Fems, Our Duty and other concerned groups spoke to the public, handed out leaflets and helped raise awareness of the dangers of this trial. For once the Police were fully supportive and kept angry and violent Trans Rights Activists well away from the speakers and the audience and there seemed to be a general sense that the tide is turning.

Feminists have many reasons for wanting to ensure women's rights as a sex based class are respected and upheld and we know that hard won rights can easily be lost.

We need to keep fighting. Medical harm to children who cannot give reasoned consent to this trial is an issue any adult who cares about children, believes that boys and girls should not be used as lab rats, or sold the lie that they can change sex is dangerous, unethical and unsafe.

By Jo, WRN Member