USA TODAY International Edition
A misdiagnosis isn’t the case for majority
All of us can agree that Walt Heyer’s story, published in USA TODAY, is terribly sad. He had a traumatic and abusive childhood, eventually contributing to a misdiagnosis and difficult adult life. But we can’t extrapolate his experience to disregard and fail to support an entire community of people.
I’m a transgender man, and I have worked on transgender issues for nearly 20 years. I’ve met hundreds of transgender people, and I’ve met even more families and friends of transgender people who want to do the right thing for their loved ones. The overwhelming majority of transgender people live happier, healthier, more fulfilling, and thriving lives when they can safely discover, articulate and be their authentic selves. That’s why the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association
USA TODAY OPINION I feel bad for Walt Heyer’s experience, but I am suspicious about his story since I have seen videos of him promoting conversion therapy, a discredited practice. I respect his journey, but I don’t appreciate his desire to discredit other’s experiences. Paula Sophia Schonauer and virtually all of America’s leading medical organizations affirm and support transgender people.
It’s understandable that people have questions about what it means to be transgender. It’s a new topic for a lot of Americans, and most people haven’t had a personal experience meeting a transgender person yet. Stories like Heyer’s are very rare, but they are scary. But the truth is, transgender people do exist. We’re family members, friends, coworkers, fellow worshippers and community members. We live full and meaningful lives, and being transgender is only one part of that. More than anything, we want the opportunity to work hard and take care of ourselves, just like everyone else, without fear of stigma, humiliation or discrimination. It’s about freedom for everyone. Kasey Suffredini President of strategy Freedom for All Americans Washington, D.C.
Heyer has a lot of anger, frustration and regret, but he’s attacking the wrong group of people. His experience is very different from what happens with most legitimate transgender people in modern life. Naturally, I wish it could have gone differently for him, but stirring up transphobia as a means of revenge is beneath him. Rebeccah Neunschwänze