Tomboy characters on TV and films spark rise in girls wanting to swap gender

THE growing popularity of onscreen tomboys has led to a sharp rise in the number of girls wanting to swap gender, says a leading NHS psychologist.

New statistics show that for the first time, more than double the number of girls compared with boys seek the NHS’S gender identity development service.

In popular culture, television and film characters such as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, Tris Prior in the Divergent series and Eleven in Stranger Things, have sparked a revival of strong, tomboyish females.

In the past year, 1,400 “assigned at birth” females have sought treatment, compared with 616 males.

“It’s a very interesting question, and an important question, because it was the other way around initially,” said Dr Polly Carmichael, who is the head of the Gender Identity Development Service.

“There have been different ideas put forward. Some people have talked about how it is easier for girls to crosswas gender identify because image to be a tomboy.

“People are also wondering what it is to be a female at the moment and whether that’s something that is a cause for concern for young people.”

The service – which is the NHS’S only gender identity service and is based at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in north London– was commissioned in 2009. In its first year, there more male interest: it recorded appointments for 40 girls and 56 males. Since then, the numbers have grown rapidly, and the gender gap has flipped around and grown wider.

There were 118 females compared with 88 males in 2011-12, 188 compared with 121 in 2012-13, 278 to 188 in 2013-14, 427 to 270 in 2014-15, and 929 to 490 in 2015-16.

Popular arguments that suggest it is unappealing to be female include a perception of being tied to domestic labour, body image pressures and a gender pay gap. Of people earning between £43,000 and £150,000 in each of the past six financial years, only one in four was female, according to the latest research by global law firm Clyde & Co.

“It’s a sensitive and contentious area and people have strong views about treatment and so the arguments get polarised and very heated,” added Dr Carmichael. The latest figures also show total referrals to the centre at Tavistock and Portman has risen from 97 in 2009-10 to 2,016 in 2015-16.