The three pieces of context I want to bring together are:

1. This impacts a tiny percentage of young people in the US.

2. Despite that, the damange being done to these kids is very high, and could be life threatening for some.

3. The full threat is much larger. There's a potential for precedents that could fundamentally change the relationship Americans have with medical care and place governments run by Christian zealots in the middle of deciding what medical treatments are allowed.

@e_urq I've been thinking about trans kids healthcare this week from a bit of a different angle. Sorry if this isn't very well-formed yet but I need to get it out of my brain somewhere...

Denying trans kids healthcare doesn't just make life hard for a few years while they wait it out. It doesn't just increase suicide risk temporarily. It creates depressed and suicidal adults.

When I look around the community lately I see so many trans folks struggling. So many trans girls, in particular, feeling like no amount of makeup in the world will ever wash off that man look. So many people of all genders suffering from decades of trauma related to being stuck in the wrong gender. So much pain and suffering all around.

Almost all of that (let's say 90%) could be alleviated if they had just been allowed to transition as kids. Some were denied healthcare, others were denied even the knowledge required to understand ourselves and come out. Sometimes by legislation or oppressive systems and sometimes by cultural pressure and bigotry. Whatever the reason, the result is the same. Millions of depressed adults who are struggling with just living life. You can think of it like any other treatable childhood disease that leaves people permanently disabled like polio. If we just let them transition, they would be happier adults who are able to better contribute and enrich our society, whatever your definition of that is.

Even if you look at it from a iron-cold economic point of view, it would be better to just give 'em the pills at 12 years old.

Preventing kids from transitioning is nothing but cruel. The whole point seems to be to prevent them from transitioning until the wrong hormones have done so much damage to their bodies that they give up on their dream. They may say "grow out of it" but we know that's not actually what happens. If your goal is a totally cis society, I guess that's one way to do it. 🙄 If, on the other hand, we want a happy and flourishing society, letting people live their best lives starting as kids is the only way to get there.