Children caught in ideological feud

Re: Alberta Education Minister responds to Catholic transgender debate, Sept. 24

I am troubled by the misinformation being spread in the discussion surrounding transgender children in the Catholic school system.

First, gender nonconformity itself is not a disorder, mental or otherwise. This is explicitly stated by the American Psychiatric Association. There is an entity named Gender Dysphoria in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which differs from gender nonconformity in one crucial way: individuals with Gender Dysphoria, in addition to having a marked difference between their expressed/experienced gender and the gender others would assign to them, experience “clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.” To conflate being transgender with Gender Dysphoria is not only inaccurate, it is intellectually and medically irresponsible.

In this pediatrician’s opinion, the current policies of the Edmonton Catholic School Board are not in the best interests of any student attending Catholic schools in Edmonton, and it is my sincere hope that they move to adopt policies similar to those of the Edmonton Public School Board.

We cannot play out ideological battles on the bodies and minds of children. They are the ones who will pay the price, and with a lifetime suicide attempt rate of 46 per cent for transgender individuals, the Edmonton Catholic School Board has not a moment to lose in not only protecting, but advocating for, the children — all the children — in its care.

Michael Bowman, M.D., Edmonton