MONTREAL — According to activists, misconceptions about gender identity are prevalent and have a significant impact on the emotional wellbeing of transgender and non-binary people.
Dupre Latour, a transgender woman who immigrated to Canada five years ago so she could formally define her female personality, believes that church, prejudices, and myths help people use their love to justify their actions.
She is depressed by the widespread perception that transgender identity is simply a fad.
“I hear it all the time (that) trans people, there are so many of them,” Latour said.
“But we’ve always been there, it’s just that now, we are in an environment, in a favorable era, but it’s not a trend: these are people who make sacrifices, people who don’t love themselves, who look in the mirror and hate themselves and who have no choice but to go through this to live their lives in the image of what society expects”.
Activists have for years claimed that misconceptions stifle much of the transgender rights conversation in Canada, especially in the eyes of young people. The changes to the labels or nouns in schools, which were brought in by Saskatchewan and New Brunswick last year, have sparked controversy among those who question the validity of Charter rights.
Premier Danielle Smith in Alberta has promised to pass legislation this fall that would put restrictions on gender-affirmation surgeries and hormone treatments for teenagers in addition to parental consent for word and title changes. In opposition parties and LGBTQ+ organizations, Smith has been accused of using myths to “play politics” with the proposed policy and of “playing politics” with the proposed policy.
According to Annie Pullen Sansfacon, a professor in the department of social work at the Université de Montréal and a gender identity scientist for the past 15 years, using preferred pronouns may reduce rates of stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts in non-binary and transgender youth.
Accessibility to gender diversity goes with learning, but it’s no small work, she said.
GRIS-Montreal, a group business, has been holding seminars and workshops in schools about physical arrangement for 30 years. The organization has even brought up the issues of female identity since 2017.
The same preconceptions and legends that existed in relation to sexuality in the past are now being applied to gender identity, according to Marie Houzeau, the group’s public manager, despite the fact that it is known that one cannot control someone else’s orientation or gender identity.
“They are the same things that we hear,” according to Houzeau, saying that talking about it will confuse younger people and that young people may develop that trait if we talk about it. We previously said that about physical preference, and we still do so today about gender identity.
Her firm meets around 30,000 young people annually in Greater Montreal. Houzeau believes she has doubled the number of seminars offered at gender identity conferences because of the high demand for them.
She claimed that there is a significant difference between the amount of trustworthy information that is available in classrooms.
“We are aware that younger people are most frequently given information via social media, some follow influencers, and that is where they turn to get their main info,” Houzeau said.
“We also know the sensation of echo chambers, which allow younger people to simply receive information that is in line with what they already believe. This can cause propaganda for some people if they follow people whose opinions are based on misconceptions.”
On the other hand, she said, some children have the right knowledge and may impart it to their peers to help dispel myths about change and treatment.
One common misconception, according to Pullen Sansfacon, is that puberty blockers are medications prescribed to children who are beginning a female change. Before adolescence, she emphasized that children should not take these medications.
A young person has more time to weigh their options because the treatment is not permanent and just slows down the menstruation approach. According to Pullen Sansfacon, adolescence resumes if an individual stops taking it within a few months.
Recent research has shown that youth benefit from gender-affirming care in terms of both mental and emotional health. During adolescence, testosterone blockers reduce the risk of suicidal ideation.
“These are drugs that can save a woman’s existence,” Pullen Sansfacon said.
Some people will eventually choose gender-affirming hormone treatments, while others will choose to take testosterone or estrogen, depending on sex. Blockers give young people the opportunity to mature and make their own decisions in due time.
It’s the same item for female-affirming surgeries. According to the French Pediatric Society, age restrictions for funding for operations vary by state and territory in Canada, but only people who are 18 or older can undergo genital reconstruction surgery. Major surgery to remove or enhance breast tissue is typically only available to those aged 16 and older.
A follow-up with a counselor is also required. Sam Lajeunesse, a 43-year-old trans gentleman, can vouch for its benefits.
“Before I even realized I was a trans person, I had
an issue with my chest,” Lajeunesse said. “I didn’t even know it was possible to have a mastectomy at the time, but I would have done it as a teenager if I had known if I could unpack them, store them in a drawer, and leave them there.”
After a six-month follow-up with a psychologist, he asked for a doctor’s letter supporting his decision to have a mastectomy and hormonal treatment. He has no regrets, despite his concerns about the potential side effects and the speed with which hormonal injections would take effect.
According to Pullen Sansfacon, some hormone-related effects can sometimes be reversed through corrective surgery.
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health has established standards of care since 1998, and they have been updated over the years. This includes medical and surgical assistance for young transgender and non-binary people.
According to Pullen Sansfacon, “the scientific consensus is that having access to and supporting young people’s ability to make informed decisions regarding gender-affirming care seems to be the best course of action to improve the mental health of these young people,” according to the scientific consensus.
Education is key.
Lajeunesse and Latour refer to gender identity discussions as “everever coming out” conversations. Some people say hurtful things unintentionally because they aren’t aware, but others do so deliberately. Both said they’re happy to answer questions when asked respectfully.
Lajeunesse said 13 years after transitioning, he no longer has those conversations with close friends or family, but they did come up before.
“They had questions which I sometimes answered, other times I directed people to the appropriate sources of information,” he said.
For Latour, the discussions can be tough.
“Often, people will say, ‘You’re a man,’ but no, I’m not a man, I’m a trans woman,” she said with pride. “And sometimes, it’s heavy to always have to explain that you can’t address me as a man.”
The Canadian Press’s first publication date was March 18, 2024.
Through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Press’s coverage of health issues is supported. This content is entirely delegated to CP.
