detransitioning is not a bad thing!!!

well, newsflash, there is no “right way”. If someone believed they were trans, lived as a trans person, experienced the ups and downs of gender dysphoria/euphoria, went thru the trouble of social and medical transition and through that journey, that person said “wait…I don’t think this fits me anymore.” seems pretty trans to me.

and that’s okay, it’s okay to change your mind. you were trans.

or if you want to say “I wasn’t trans I was x thing instead” that’s also okay.

what isn’t okay is to police other people’s language about their journey. to police someone’s identity because it makes you uncomfortable. like it or not, real trans people detransition. whether they decide they are actually cis, trans but in a different way, or another identity that fits them better is up to that individual person and doesn’t invalidate their previous LIVED EXPERIENCE as a trans person.

If your knee jerk reaction to someone saying they were trans for a period of time, then decided to detransition is “well you were never trans at all!” mayhaps examine why that’s the first thing you think to say, instead of something a bit more constructive or positive. Like what happened to “oh I’m glad you were able to find an identity that worked for you” as an example.

It’s so important for detransitioner stories to be heard! However, the detrans stories that receive the most media attention and coverage are often from biased right-wing sources that twist and repackage detrans narratives for an anti-LGBT and anti-woman agenda. This makes it even more crucial to spread awareness and information about detransitioners from unbiased sources that do not support the right-wing/conservative agenda, and so that misinformation is not further spread.

Detransitioners need the support, empathy, and kindness of the left-wing as much as all trans people and other LGBT+ people do, since many continue to suffer from dysphoria even after detransitioning, sometimes feeling worse than they did before. So I’ve linked some informational resources and websites below.

Post Trans is a website founded by two detransitioners from Belgium and Germany, which shares a collection of detrans stories from detransitioners and desisters.

Are You Asking Why? is a website for a grassroots organization created and run by a group of detransitioned and re-identified women since 2013.

Link to a transcript of a 2023 Q&A Panel with seven detransitioners.

@detransition is a Tumblr blog that shares resources and stories and answers questions about detransitioners as well. See their About page for more info.

@detransstories is another Tumblr blog where stories from detransitioners and desisters were shared. This blog is associated with the Pique Resilience Project website, created by a group of four detransitioned and desisted women, to provide resources for support for those who may be questioning their gender or identity. This 2 minute long YouTube video by them addresses some misconceptions about detransitioners.

Detrans Joy is a youtube channel independently made by a detransitioner who has been making videos to document and talk about her experiences and struggles with gender-affirming care.

Here is a link to an informational booklet created by the Post Trans organization (mentioned earlier), in which they gathered the written experiences of 75 female and male detransitioners and created the content based on their wishes, advice and thoughts. The 50-page long booklet has the objective to reach detransitioners and desisters, their relatives and close ones, people who consider a transition and wish for more information, health professionals such as endocrinologists or therapists, or anyone who wants to learn more about the topic.

Detrans Awareness Day website link, which also has a helpful Resources section.

There are many more other websites, blogs, articles, videos, organizations, and social media accounts that I could’ve linked to share some really valuable and enlightening stories about the experiences of detransitioners with the healthcare system, but I didn’t want to risk accidentally including any links that could espouse any potentially bigoted, conservative, right-wing, misogynistic, and/or anti-LGBTQ+ agendas. Regardless of what the detransition rate currently is or whether the statistics are up-to-date, detransitioner stories deserve to be heard, so that more research can be done to make sure that all gender-dysphoric people can receive the appropriate healthcare and treatment options to help, since social or medical transition may not work for everyone, but their pain and dysphoria still deserves to be addressed.