THERE’S SOMETHING AMISS WITH THE TRANS DATA

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Dr Julie Maxwell, a paediatrician who works for Lovewise, joined me to discuss the alarming rise in young people identifying as transgender. We explored why this increase has been so rapid and why it overwhelmingly affects teenage girls. Dr Maxwell’s insights are invaluable — watch the full interview here.

Dr Maxwell highlights that referrals to gender identity clinics have surged in the past decade, particularly among teenage girls. She notes that, “If this were just due to increased acceptance of transgender identity”, we’d expect to see a rise across all age groups, but she says we don’t. Instead, she points to environmental and social influences, drawing parallels with past trends in teenage anorexia and self-harm.

We discuss a recent Telegraph article drawing attention to the sheer scale of this rise. It cites new research from the University of York that found gender dysphoria diagnoses among under-18s in England have increased fiftyfold since 2011. The article questions whether this surge is truly about increased acceptance or if young people are being misled by social influences. It highlights that over half of those diagnosed with gender dysphoria also suffer from anxiety, depression, or self-harm. Dr Maxwell observes that many who transition later regret it, recalling a recent statistic published by WPATH showing that “the rate of people transitioning to look the opposite sex and then wanting to return to their biological sex” was around 30%, despite insisting for several years prior to this that it was less than 1%.

Beyond transgender issues, our discussion touches on how a wider LGBT cultural shift is confusing children about sexuality and identity. Dr Maxwell warns that when schools fail to teach positively about marriage and biological reality, “media, their friends and social media is going to tell them something different”. She stresses that young people need support, not unquestioning affirmation, when struggling with identity.

For parents and teachers grappling with these issues, Dr Maxwell’s organisation, Lovewise, is hosting a free-to-attend conference on 22nd March in London, with online access also available.

At C4M, we know that a strong marriage culture provides clarity and stability for young people. The erosion of real marriage in public life has left children vulnerable to harmful ideologies. That’s why we continue to stand for marriage between one man and one woman, defending its importance for society.