Thread by @DadTrans

I've been reading of the Finland youth gender centre in Tampere which the Cass review lauds. It was recently revealed the head of the centre is on the Cass advisory group. CW In following tweets I relate extremely disturbing accounts from parents & youth of what they endured 1/

This is by 'Spinner' for Kehraaja (Nightjar in Finnish) 19.3.2021 "Describe to me how you masturbate?" - the position of trans youth in the treatment system is bleak" 2/kehraaja.com/kuvaile-minull…

Content Warning in the article is as follows "we recommend using discretion when reading, as the text may shock readers. The text discusses, among other things, medical power and its use, possible violations of a child's sexual integrity, and measures aimed at trans youth." 3/

Like GIDs, Finnish gender services operated as a monopoly, with little scrutiny leading to "offensive and questionable practices". An account is given of a 13 year old Trans girl asked by male Drs to "explain what she thinks about her naked body when she looks in the mirror" 4/

The child is shocked and tearful which only confuses the clinicians who probe with more questions. This practice within the Trans Clinics is described as ubiquitious with young people under 16, asked inappropriate, painful and disturbing questions. 5/

Families relate the clinician intimidation tactic of graphic & intentionally stigmatising descriptions of gender surgeries to young teenagers who were not prepared to be confronted with such. One teen relates this frightened them into temporarily questioning their identity 6/

After years of diagnostic process, a Trans teen was told he did not meet diagnostic criteria because "his hobbies were too "girly" and because he didn't have boys of the same age as friends." 7/

Trans girls recieve similar scare stories, that possible treatments would affect the amount of penile tissue available for vaginoplasty & result in poor surgical outcomes. Alternative techniques which do not require growth were not discussed. [This shows up in Cass Review] 8/

Young people were routinely & repeatedly called their 'old names'. Misgendered, & unaffirmed, this was regardless of any changed name or social transition prior to starting with the service. A required 'real life test' would last a year & only begin once diagnosis was made 9/

Several families related that they had accessed their records & found that they had been altered, listing false facts which contradicted information they had given in sessions. When challenged, families were told this could not be altered 10/

Families describe the Transpol staff as inflicting "psychologically harm". A mother says their son "had been criticized for everything from his clothes to his way of speaking, & that he had been expected to exhibit stereotypical masculinity" which was then mocked by staff 11/

The same child was asked by a clinician
"– How do you feel when you will never be as good as real men?".

Similiar experiences of belittling gender of trans youth were shared independently in 'interview after interview' with families 12/

Due to long delays one family was prescribed puberty blockers (legally) by their GP. In response the Transpol clinic filed both a child protection report and a criminal report on the mother. Following investigation the family was cleared entirely however, the clinic responded 13/

In what is described by the family as retributive action, the young person's long history of appointments and 'gender mapping' already taken was declared as inadequate, and the diagnostic process halted. 14/

Other disturbing accounts from family interviews are "the way in which children were pressured to talk about their naked bodies, genitals and sexuality to unfamiliar adults". Children were asked to describe the way they masturbate, & the sensations & of their naked body 15/

Others describe "unnecessary gynecological tests" they were made to endure, and unjustfied questions where children were "asked to assess whether there has been sexual abuse or violence in their family history." 16/

unnecessary gynecological tests, and the children have been asked to assess whether there has been sexual abuse or violence in their family history.
One 13 year old boy was encouraged by clinicians to "acquire sexual experiences in order to "know what he is missing out on"" 17/

Another parent of a 15 year old said the Clinic had interpreted the child's sexual development as delayed, as the boy "had not had vaginal, penetrative intercourse". The age of consent in Finland is 16 years. 18/

A trans girl was asked by a staff member of the TRANSPOLIKLINIKA clinic "to what extent do you feel it would be better to be dead than a boy?" 19/

It is not surprising that those interviewed for the investigative report piece found their experience of the Finnish youth clinics reprehensible & offensive. A view shared by both those who were diagnosed & who for whatever reason, didn't receive a diagnosis 20/

"The Finnish trans police system is comparable to torture. It is a system of bureaucrats whose purpose is not to treat trans people, but instead to weed out as many of them as possible. Transpoli is not for trans people, but for nontrans people who are afraid of them". 21/

Given no alternative, families described how the Transpol gender clinic led to sourcing healthcare through unofficial & less safe routes.

"-A bit like abortion, if it is banned, they will still be done illegally, & not as safely. Desperate people do desperate things" 22/

Following publication of the Kehraaja article, Riittakertu Kaltiala , chief physician of TAYS youth psychiatry, & Laura Häkkinen, head physician responded claiming the article was "deliberately negative publicity & not in the best interests of our patients". 23/

Given right of reply, the clinic denied claims (encouraging underage sex) or downplayed them describing adverse experiences such as sexual abuse or assualt as "an important part of psychiatric assessment" 24/

On masturbation, clinician questions were "deliberately distorted" & such discussions were "a normal part of assessment of adolescent health". Misgendering was played down "but in official papers it is mandatory to use the legal name" 25/

Whilst the intimidating descriptions of surgery & intrusive questioning were responded to only by the Clinic heads with "it is their job" to tell them about the risks & side effects & to counter "subjective experiences" & "disinformation" viewed online. 26/

Whilst the clinic denied or downplayed family & youth testimonies of trauma, the comments on the article post publication confirmed reports. User- 'I was 16 years old' relates "I was asked in Tampere if I have been raped, how I masturbate and what sex positions I use" 27/

Another user 'Not trans enough but too trans' comments: "the much older doctor started listing sex positions & told me to answer them with my opinion from positive to neutral or negative. I think I was 17. Things can't go on like this". 28/

Another user 'Come visit us': "I was 14 years old, the EVA specialist got angry when I announced that some of the questions here were outrageous....There was also an argument that if I tell the school that I'm a boy before their diagnoses, it's an identity crime" 29/

These first hand experiences of the Finnish gender service are shocking. Riittakertu Kaltiala, the Head of the Children's service in Finland is cited 7 times in the Cass Report. Within the report, the Finland model is directly compared as closest to the UK GIDs gender service 30/

Riittakertu Kaltiala is a member of the Cass Advisory Board.

/End.

Further reading: @ZJemptv has done excellent work profiling Riittakertu Kaltiala over several years. genderanalysis.net/entity/riittak…

@ZJemptv Riittakertu Kaltiala is associated with Bob Withers, a UK Jungian psychoanlyst. Withers was sanctioned for misconduct by the UKCP transiness.com/post/the-full-…

More on Riittakertu Kaltiala from TransgenderMap transgendermap.com/issues/psychia…

@ErinInTheMorn's piece on the Finnish study on suicide co-authored by Riittakertu Kaltiala & cited in Cass Review also detailing her contributions as witness supporting the Transgender healthcare ban in Florida. erininthemorning.com/p/fact-checked…