The number of children referred to Britain’s only transgender clinic for youngsters has doubled to 1,400 in a year, a documentary has revealed.
The Tavistock and Portman Trust, an NHS Foundation in London specialising in child mental health issues, has also trained 30 new staff since the summer to cope with the increasing number of cases.
The unit features in a behind-the-scenes documentary for Channel 4 called Kids on the Edge. It tells the story of Ash, eight, who was born Ashton but identifies as a girl and Matt, 11, who was born Matilda but identifies as a boy.
During the film, both children have discussions with doctors about hormone blocking, which ‘pauses puberty’ and is the first stage of gender transitioning. Ash also discusses her desire to have children one day and says she has researched the possibility of a womb transplant.
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Her mother, Terri, tells the programme: ‘I have never had a son. Obviously I gave birth to a son, but Ash developed in her own way from a small child.’
Children as young as three are among the rising numbers of youngsters identifying as transgender in the wake of celebrities including Caitlyn Jenner.
Comedian Russell Brand has also said he wants to raise his newborn daughter Mabel as ‘gender neutral’. However, adults in the documentary hit out at the trend of ‘fashionable’ parenting.
Matt’s mother, Rachel, said: ‘It seems to be a bit of a Hollywood thing to be ‘gender fluid’ or, “I’m this” or “I’m that”. You know what, this isn’t a trend. While the rest of them can be ‘fashionable’, our children are left behind.’
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She hopes the documentary, which airs on Wednesday at 10pm, will educate others about gender dysphoria – the condition caused by the mismatch between biological sex and gender identity.
Daily Mail