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Sep 22, 2021 47 tweets 8 min read Read on X
AN OPEN LETTER REGARDING DR JACK TURBAN

I sent this letter to Dr Jack Turbans training director on August 10th 2021, hoping to keep this offline.

I publish it now because I have received no reply. It is long, but important.

Here it is in full:

1/
I am writing to you on behalf of a group of detransitioned women regarding your fellow Dr Jack Turban. We are deeply concerned with Dr Turban's disparagement of psychiatric intervention and exploratory psychotherapy, his singular endorsement of affirmative therapies for people 2/
with gender dysphoria, and his dismissive and derogatory treatment of those of us who detransitioned due to transition regret.

We are but a few of many that have been the victims of this type of cavalier attitude. We all suffered from gender dysphoria at one point 3/
(and some still do), and were led to believe that our best chance of treating our dysphoria was to medically transition. As it turned out, this was not the case. As a result, we now have to live with bodies and voices that have been irreversibly changed 4/
(in some cases damaged) by hormones and surgeries, when what we needed was a compassionate and thoughtful exploration of our gender distress through talk therapy. Some of us will now never be able to have children and many of us live with great distress and regret every day. 5/
Not only did physicians like Dr Turban fail us by sending us down a singular path of transition, they are now letting us down once again by disparaging our experiences and even our existence, when they should be providing us with support to help us heal from our 6/
unnecessary medical transitions. The fact that Dr Turban is a psychiatrist at Stanford and uses his credentials to promote his reckless approach is especially troubling, as he has been granted a large and influential media platform. 7/
As we see more and more distressed young people following in our footsteps of a rushed medical gender transition, in a few years, we fear that the consequences of Dr Turban's activism will be catastrophic and visible to all. 8/
Dr Turban does not hide his disregard for the role of psychotherapy in treating gender distress, and his singular belief in medical and surgical approaches to treating gender dysphoria, whatever its cause may be. 9/
Appearing on the GenderGP Podcast episode 'Exploring Detransition with Dr Jack Turban' (2021), hosted by Dr Helen Webberley, a UK physician criminally-convicted for running an illegal clinic, Dr Turban says: 10/
“There’s no psychiatric intervention for gender dysphoria. There are medical interventions for gender dysphoria, if you will. And it’s not the rule like right, how the psychiatrist’s going to treat gender dysphoria, they’re not like they’re not going to make that go away-" 11/
"-The only way that it’s ever been proposed that psychiatry can do that was through conversion therapy, which obviously doesn’t work:” As you will read later in this letter, many detransitioners report that they strongly wish they had received exploratory psychotherapy 12/
rather than affirmation, thus Dr Turban's insinuation that this would be tantamount to conversion therapy is highly disturbing.

Dr Turban describes detransition, in the GenderGP podcast, as having “become this really awful word-" 13/
"I feel like 90% of the time when you read it, it’s really being weaponized.” The claim that discussing detransition is problematic due to the topic being “weaponized” has been used to shame, bully and silence detransitioners who try to tell our stories. 14/
This bullying of a vulnerable group is unacceptable, and we find it incredibly worrying that Dr Turban would participate in the accusation that detransition is “being weaponized,” furthering the bullying of detransitioned individuals. This is not only a matter of rhetoric. 15/
Dr Turban goes on to say, in the podcast, “when you say detransition people usually think that means like transition regret. It brings up this idea that somebody transitioned, then realize like, oh my god, that was a huge mistake- 16/
-"I’m actually cisgender, I regret every domain of gender affirmation I’ve ever had. And as I’m sure you know, that’s not the reality of the situation.” Dr Turban is, again, completely dismissing those of us who have experienced transition regret. As detransitioned woman, 17/
-we are deeply hurt that Dr Turban would find it appropriate to suggest that our pain and distress is not a reality. We do, in fact, regret every domain of gender affirmation we ever had and the irreversible changes that medical transition did to us- 18/
-that we must now live with for the rest of our lives. It is, therefore, highly unprofessional and deeply offensive to see comments like this from a fellow at Stanford.

At the same time as Dr Turban dismisses our existence, he also 19/
claims to represent us in research, but his bias is clear: the goal is to minimize detransition because it contradicts Dr. Turban’s professional aspirations to promote transgender medical and surgical interventions.

In the GenderGP podcast he also says 20/
“We have a paper that hopefully is coming out soon, where we took the data from the 2015 US Transgender Survey. So this was a survey of over 27,000 transgender adults in the United States. And we found that of those who had transitioned in some way- 21/
"don’t quote me on that exact number, but it’s something like 13% of them said that at some point in their life they had detransitioned. And when we looked at why they did that the vast majority of them like close to 90% I think had detransitioned due to some external factor" 22/
We bring to your attention that the 2015 USTS survey that Dr Turban repeatedly uses for his research is an online convenience survey that was promoted by transition advocacy sites. We believe in and support transgender rights and trans people, but 23/
respectfully submit that this survey, subtitled “Injustice at Every Turn” which is full of biased questions that promote a political agenda, serves as a poor base for respectable research. Dr Turbans previously attempted to use this survey to claim that psychotherapy leads to 24/
suicide; his problematic analysis and conclusions were thoroughly outlined in a rebuttal by Roberto D'Angelo et al. in 'One Size Does Not Fit All: In Support of Psychotherapy for Gender Dysphoria (2020) to which Dr.Turban never replied, even through he had the chance to do so 25/
Instead, Dr Turban attacked the researchers on Twitter.

Dr Turban also used the same survey to attempt to show that puberty blockers saved lives. Another rebuttal showed just how flawed that piece of research was 26/
See ‘Puberty Blockers and Suicidality in Adolescents Suffering from Gender Dysphoria’ (2020) by Michael Biggs.

Dr Turban failed to respond to that critique in the scientific area, but did go on media circuit to promote his deeply flawed conclusions. 27/
Most recently, Dr Turban misused this problematic sample to discredit detransition experiences in his research, 'Factors Leading to "Detransition" Among Transgender and Gender Diverse People in the United States: A Mixed-Methods Analysis' (2021). 28/
Dr. Turban did not seem at all troubled by the fact that 100% of the respondents were transgender-identified and did not identify as detransitioners. This is an expert from his study: 29/
"These [detransition due to internal factors] experiences did not necessarily reflect regret regarding past gender affirmation, and were presumably temporary, as all of these respondents subsequently identified as TGD, an eligibility requirement for study participation." 30/
Dr. Turban’s conclusions were that detransition is largely a temporary phenomenon, happens in response to external pressures, and does not really represent a problem for those who detransitioned. These conclusions are highly flawed and ignore those of us who have- 31/
detransitioned due to transition regret, and who were excluded from the survey for no longer being transgender-identified.

In comparison, recent detransition research conducted within the actual detransition community - 32/
See ('Detransition-Related Needs and Support: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey' (2021) by Elie Vandenbussche) found very different results: that most of us detransition due to the internal realization that transition was not what we needed, that transition did not help and- 33/
can actually make things worse for us, and that we found other non-invasive ways to alleviate our dysphoria. Further, the research showed that detransitioners expressed the need to find alternative treatments to deal with their gender dysphoria, but reported that it was- 34/
nearly impossible to talk about it within LGBT+ spaces and in the medical sphere.

Vandenbussche found that most detransitioners currently are in dire need of psychological support on matters such as gender dysphoria, co-morbid conditions, feelings of regret, - 35/
-social/physical changes and internalized homophobic or sexist prejudices. The research confirmed that detransitionres experience prejudice when working with medical and mental health systems, which Dr. Turban’s vocal activism directly emboldens and reinforces. 36/
We feel it important to add that in May 2021, the Karolinska Hospital in Sweden issued a new policy statement regarding the treatment of gender-dysphoric minors. This policy has ended the practice of prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to gender-dysphoric - 37/
-patients under the age of 18. Finland also revised its treatment guidelines in June 2020, prioritizing psychological interventions and support over medical interventions. Major changes are also underway in the UK as the NHS has convened a Cass Review to examine the practice 38/
of transition for young people and the evidence that underlies it.

Thus, it seems evident that there is a growing concern over the proliferation of medical interventions that have a low certainty of benefits, while carrying a significant potential for severe medical harm. 39/
It is worrying that Dr Turban does not seem to demonstrate the professional curiosity to rethink his endorsement of medical transition for minors and his dismay at psychotherapy and its role in the care of gender dysphoric individuals of all ages.

We are also very concerned 40/
by Dr Turban’s activism to suppress the debate on the proper care for gender dysphoria in the public arena. On May 25, 2021, Dr Turban tweeted the following: 41/
“When I spoke with @60Minutes about their “detransition” story and asked where they found the people to profile - they refused to tell me and became defensive. We still don’t know if they searched for people on TERF forums, and transparency would be appreciated.” 42/
We bring to your attention that TERF (acronym for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist”) is a pejorative term, and that Dr Turban's use of it to smear and dismiss the experiences of the detransitioners who appeared on 60 Minutes is incredibly hurtful. 43/
That a fellow at Stanford would criticise 60 Minutes for having a brief segment featuring detransitioners has many of us very concerned that, should one of his patients experience transition regret and subsequently decide to detransition, Dr Turban would be unfit to help them 44/
due to his hostility towards the subject.

Therefore we are concerned with how Dr Turban may practice as a clinician, specifically how he may treat a transgender person struggling with regret or a detransitioner seeking to discuss their regret or reverse their transition. 45/
His comments on the GenderGP podcast, his flawed use of the USTS, and his hostility towards any discussion of transition regret are all highly problematic and in need of addressing. We ask Stanford to speak out for more thoughtful approaches because as it stands now, Stanford 46/
appears to be silently endorsing Dr Turban’s harmful claims that exploratory psychotherapy is tantamount to conversion therapy and that hormones and surgeries are the only appropriate treatment for people with gender dysphoria.

Detransitioners and transition regret exist.

END

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More from @ImWatson91

Aug 14, 2023
Do you want to know one of the main reasons I detransitioned? Because even while taking cross-sex hormones and getting my breasts removed, I was still undeniably female - just not by appearance.

But my body, behind closed doors, was undeniably female.

Why?

1/3
What man gets a period when his testosterone levels aren't high enough? None.

What man needs to take a pregnancy test after sex? None.

What man has a fucking vagina? None.

Even in transition, my body was screaming I'M FEMALE.

NO amount of social affirmation changed that.

2/3
You are your body. You have to be delusional to think you are a member of the opposite sex because Every. Single. Day. You're reminded of your sex - your body tells you.

Your mind tells you, while you toss and turn at night thinking "I need my hormones or I won't ~pass~"
Read 4 tweets
May 12, 2023
I harp on about my drinking, but only because it has ruled my life since 2018.

When I realised transition was a mistake, that the testosterone had permanently changed my body for the worst, that my breasts were gone forever, alcohol was my only solace. It numbed everything.
When I went to therapy for transition regret and they downplayed the severity, I drank.

When I started speaking online and got rape and death threats, I drank.

When I touched my numbed chest and felt nothing, I drank.
Being sober is difficult because it means having to accept my unnecessarily altered body as it is - forever changed. Scarred, numb, masculinised.

Constantly told "but you were an adult!" As if my mental illness and vulnerability deserved to be ignored by the professionals.
Read 6 tweets
May 10, 2023
Anyone else remember, back in the 2010s, when you wanted to be kind and inclusive and you were willing to compromise; use preferred pronouns, say "trans women are trans women, not men" etc.

Then the LGBTQ+ took it way too fucking far, now you're no longer willing to "be kind"?
I was there for you. I spoke out in defense of trans women using the women's bathroom.

I spoke out in defense of preferred pronouns.

Then you came for kids.

You - the LGBTQ+ did this.

Not the feminists.
Not the GCs.
Not the Conservatives.

You destroyed trans acceptance.
Literally most people don't give a fuck if you cross-dress or change your name. Who cares?

But you came for women's spaces.
You came for gay and lesbian spaces.
You cane for our kids.

Well done; you managed to destroy the acceptance that older transsexuals fought *so* hard for.
Read 4 tweets
Apr 23, 2023
Want to drink badly. The thoughts are back. I've already ruined my body, why not go back on T and end it all faster? Being sober sucks. It makes you realise the extent of the damage. I wish I never transitioned. This is hell. Why. Why did they give me HRT and surgery. I was 24.
Gonna buy beer.
Why did they cut my boobs off? There was nothing wrong with them.
Read 5 tweets
Apr 21, 2023
My addiction counsellor: it's perfectly normal to relapse now and again

Me: *who has relapsed more times than I can count* haha yeah that's crazy

Anyway, I'm 3 days sober and feel like death. Withdrawal still here, but lessening.

2023 will be my year ✊️
Day 4. Severe shakes but no sweats. Racing heart but no crippling anxiety. No nausea. Tingling in fingers. General numbness. Fatigue.

I will not drink with you today.
Day 5. Sweats and fever. Appetite is back, managed to eat breakfast. Slight shakes. No heart palpitations nor tight chest. No feeling of impending doom. Tired. Want a drink. Badly. Just one.

But I will not drink with you today.
Read 4 tweets
Apr 2, 2023
97+ thousand followers, 4 hours since posting, 1 like. Lmao.

So let's hear it people; how would you define adult, human and female? (While we're all pretending to be children who don't understand the most basic of basic common sense.) Image
1. An adult is someone who has reached the age of maturity, which is the age at which they are legally recognized as an adult in their country or state - this age varies from country to country and may range from 18 to 21 years old.
2. A human is a member of the species Homo sapiens, which is characterized by its bipedalism, complex brain development and sophisticated use of tools and language. Humans are part of the family Hominidae, which also includes primates such as chimpanzees, gorillas & orangutans.
Read 4 tweets

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