By Suzanne Bowdey
The Washington Stand
Her nightmare started a few years ago, when her son, Casey, turned 13. When he announced he was “gender fluid,” Caroline assumed it was a phase. His father didn’t necessarily disagree but thought he should try counseling at The Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s hospital. It’s a decision that haunts them to this day.
Instead of talking through Casey’s issues, the psychologist recommended puberty blockers — something Caroline was firmly against. But when she resisted, the team started bombarding her with terrifying statistics about suicide and self-harm. “I was flabbergasted,” she told The Free Press, “and I really felt like this is not a meeting for me to get answers to my questions, and for everybody to have equal say. This is like I’m the last man standing, and now it’s being implied that if I don’t okay this, I don’t care if my kid kills himself.”
“I felt bullied,” she said.
Doctors insisted the puberty blockers were “standard procedure” for anyone “experiencing discomfort with their sex.” And yet, Caroline was shocked to learn, that this “standard procedure” would almost certainly lead to infertility. When the psychologist wanted to know if Casey wanted to bank his sperm before they started the drug Supprelin, she kept thinking: my son is only 14 years old. “It was weird, and I didn’t like where this was going. It was just so overwhelming.”
Instead of talking to the parents privately, the meetings were held with Casey present. At one point, the therapist answered Caroline’s question, “Why should we do this?” by simply stating, “Well, it’s what Casey wants, and we want Casey to feel comfortable.” It was like her concerns and rights as a parent had ceased to exist.
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