The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice

by Shon Faye

Parental acceptance is the most crucial factor in the future wellbeing of any trans child. A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that parents allowing trans children to transition socially virtually eliminates the higher rates of depression and low self-worth trans children experience compared to their cisgender siblings and control groups. Another study looked at trans young people who had chosen a new name to better reflect their gender identity. It found that, compared with peers who were not able to use their chosen name in any context, trans young people who were allowed and encouraged by parents and other adults to use their name at home, at school and with friends experienced a 71 per cent decrease in symptoms of severe depression, a 34 per cent decrease in reported thoughts of suicide and a 65 per cent decrease in suicide attempts.