Advocates say BC mom should not interfere with teen’s gender affirming surgery

Advocates are telling parents to “back off” after a BC mom sued her 17 year old child’s two doctors over gender-affirming surgery. 

The response comes after a BC Supreme Court Judge granted an injunction against two surgeons who had been scheduled to perform the double mastectomy on November 6th. 

Finlay Porter of Quear Vancouver – an organization showcasing gender non-conforming folks on Instagram – says family support is crucial in the early stages of transition.

“In this case, it is so crucial that if your kid is coming out to you at a young age that you support them and love them unconditionally even if you don’t understand at first.”

The mother involved in the case alleged that the teenager wasn’t ready to make the choice and she herself needed more time to process it. 

Han Hugessen of QMUNITY Vancouver said a parent interfering with a child’s transition can have dangerous consequences.

“An unsupportive parent to have control over their youth’s transition is an attempt to undermine a procedure that several qualified medical professionals have already approved, as well as the lived experience of their own child. This is, quite frankly, dangerous.” – Han Hugessen, QMUNITY Youth Coordinator

They also noted that societal stigma also largely contributes to mental health issues trans people face.

“Trans youth are already at a higher risk of mental illness- not because they are trans, but because of the marginalization they must face from society due to their gender identity.”

A 2018 study by the Canadian Institutes of Health Reseach found that Transgender youth had a higher risk of reporting psychological distress, self-harm, major depressive episode, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. 

Hugessen offered some advice to parents who are wanting to support their teen. 

“The best way to support youth through a transition is to listen to the youth, and have honest and supportive conversations about gender identity, future goals and how you can best support.”