Gender Affirmation Surgery

Another conversation that has been met with fierce opposition across the US recently is the topic of Gender Affirmation Surgery performed on minors. Gender-affirming surgery is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person’s physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender. Progressive treatment that undoubtedly should be freely available to consenting adults. However, should the same treatments be performed on children below the age of eighteen, even with their parent’s consent? I personally don’t think it should be allowed. Children should be allowed to be free and should be encouraged to be themselves, be it heterosexual or otherwise. They should be allowed to freely decide for themselves after they have reached the legal age of being considered an adult. How is it alright for children to be prescribed puberty blockers when they are merely eight or nine years of age? When a child cannot legally pay and obtain any cosmetic surgery prior to the age of eighteen, how is it alright for a child to undergo gender-affirming surgery?

In an interview aired by Fox News on the 3rd of March 2023, parents of ten-yearold transgender girl Kiernan stated that, “our daughter is ten years old. She started letting us know she was transgender really before she could even speak. She would do things like wear her sister’s clothes, pretend that towels were long hair and when she was about three years old, she started to withdraw and become depressed, so we started doing some research.” Would a child really know at the age of three what he or she would like to be identified as for the rest of their lives? Children grow up experimenting and going through different phases throughout their childhood years. Haven’t we all played with our brother’s toys and attempted to dress younger male cousins as girls? Applied make up on their faces and painted their fingernails in pretty colours? I know I have. Long Sunday lunches at my grandma’s house always included a performance of sorts rehearsed and staged by us cousins. Being the eldest granddaughter of the family, I took my role quite seriously. I would select which games we all played, which story we rehearsed and performed, which songs we sang and even picked the music we danced to. I would love to play dress up with my younger cousins and would happily dab makeup on the boys without a second thought. Even in school, for one class assembly we had great fun dressing five of our male classmates as the Spice Girls. We dressed them up exactly like each member of the popular 90’s girl band, from pretty dresses to wigs and plenty of makeup and taught the boys how to do a synchronized dance act for the song, ‘Wannabe.’ This was the most popular performance that year. I have friends who went through tomboy phases growing up and only wanted to wear boy shorts and

Sri Lanka cricket tee shirts, but as young adults they ditched this look and are today amongst the best dressed ladies in society. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Shiloh Jolie-pitt wanted to be referred to as ‘Peter’ when she was younger. It was reported that she is a fan of the children’s classic tale Peter Pan and hence wanted to be referred to as Peter and was often photographed attired in boys clothing. Fast forward to 2021, Shiloh was photographed attending the ‘Eternals’ movie premier with her mother attired in a beautiful vintage Christian Dior dress. Shiloh has since then been photographed on the red carpet at various events attired in feminine outfits that confirm her desire to be identified as a girl. Hence, why I believe it’s imperative that we allow children to be children and give them a safe space to enjoy their childhood without assuming and making life altering decisions for them prematurely. As of end 2022, at least twenty-two states across the US have introduced bills to criminalize or ban access to puberty blockers, hormone treatments and transition-related surgeries for transgender minors. In 2021, Arkansas became the first state to pass the country’s first ban on gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youth. Earlier this month, the Governor of Tennessee signed laws banning drag performances in front of children and restricting medical treatment for transgender youth. The bill prohibits health care providers, “from performing on a minor or administering to a minor a medical procedure if the performance or administration of the procedure is for the purpose of enabling a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex.” It further states that minors who receive care cannot be held liable but lawsuits could be brought up against parents, “if the parent of the minor consented to the conduct that constituted the violation on behalf of the minor.” Furthermore, this newly signed law also imposes fines on health care professionals who provide the care. Wouldn’t it be more advisable to allow children to grow up in a safe environment where they will be loved and treated as equals irrespective of their sexual orientation? If they want to dress in a particular way, so be it. If they want to grow their hair or cut their hair, then allow it. If they want to change their names, go for it. Let them explore their personal journey in a safe environment and decide for themselves as adults if they want to undergo permanent, life altering medical treatment. These are choices individuals should be allowed to make as consenting adults and not choices parents should be making on their behalf.

This is a slippery slope, imagine the number of parents who would explore this option should it be freely available in countries that place a lower value on the life of a girl child? Children will be forcefully transitioned without their consent or a clear understanding. Wanting to include different opinions I contacted Celebrity Chef, Hemalalindre Ranawaka

(Koluu), renowned Fashion Designer, Dinesh Chandrasena, leading Child Rights Activist, Dr. Tush Wickramanayaka

and popular Psychology Teacher and Counsellor, Shihani De Soysa, and invited them to share their thoughts.