LGBT Advocate Claims ‘Detransitioning’ Is ‘Not A Real Thing’

An LGBTQI advocate claimed that “detransitioning” was “not a real thing” during a hearing on anti-LGBT violence at the US Congress, Wednesday. 

Texas Representative Michael Cloud, a Republican, asked if LGBTQI advocate Jessie Pocock could speak on the “phenomenon” of people who identified as transgender but came to regret it and detransition in the years following. 

CEO and executive director of Inside Out Youth Services, Jessie Pocock, responded to a question, explaining that someone’s gender identity was a “really personal experience” while maintaining that they had worked in this area for a “long time” and knew “a lot of trans folks, close friends, and family members.” 

Pocock went on to say, “I’ve never heard of a case of anyone de-transitioning so I honestly don’t think it’s a real thing.”

A witness in the House hearing on "anti-LGBT violence" is asked about de-transitioners:

"I've never heard of a case of anyone de-transitioning so I honestly don't think it's a real thing." pic.twitter.com/G2ujamy9AF

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 14, 2022

At Wednesday’s House Oversight Committee hearing, Pocock declared that she supported children undergoing hormonal treatments and surgeries to change their sex even if their parents did not agree. 

“In our community, the age of consent to mental health therapy is 12 years old,” Pocock said. 

 Pocock’s statement at the anti-LGBT violence hearing comes after the mass shooting at a Colorado gay nightclub last month which sparked outcry over the onslaught of violence against queer people and pushed for lawmakers to pass laws banning some semiautomatic weapons. 

 Inside Out Youth Services describe themselves as being “dedicated to providing quality programs and services to LGBTQIA2+ youth in Colorado Springs and the surrounding counties.”

 Their range of services includes support groups, mentoring opportunities, educational workshops, and social activities, “designed to meet the unique needs of LGBTQIA2+ youth and young adults at all stages of their journey.” 

 Inside Out Organisation Dedicated to Protecting Queer Children

 During the hearing, Pocock said that her organisation seeks to ensure that transgender children feel ‘safe and protected’.

 Pocock condemned the attacks that queer people are victim to, stating “we [Inside Out Youth Services] are constantly filing reports of abuse and neglect.”

Cloud claimed that schools and churches were under legal obligations to report cases of abuse, asking Pocock if she believed parents had a right to be “informed of what’s going on.” 

“Do they have a right to know what’s going on in their kids’ lives?” Cloud asked. 

Pocock responded that she believed those who were in positions to protect and support young queer individuals were “trusted with the things they [children] are dealing with.”  

“In terms of parents’ rights to know at schools, I mean here in Colorado, parents don’t have a right. If a young person is questioning their gender or their sexuality there are laws in place that say they have the right to process that with the help of their trusted counsellor and so forth,” Pocock added. 

18-year-old former transgender child Chloe Cole tweeted “’Detransitioners are pretty used to being told they don’t exist. I don’t mind coming to DC to clear up any confusion, lol”, following the exchange. 

Cole was on hormone blockers at 13 and had a double mastectomy at 15 before deciding to detransition a year later. As reported by the New York Post, Cole asserted a need to increase attention on psychotherapy for children who experience gender dysphoria, “We’re immediately jumping into irreversible medical treatments when we could be focusing on empowering these children to not hate their bodies.”

 Enable Young People To Connect With Trusted Adults Who Can Support Them

Pocock spoke about the laws in Colorado that “enable young people to connect with trusted adults who can support them,” asserting that having services like those was vital in preventing the suicide of queer or questioning children. 

“And so we serve young people at 13 because we know they come to us,” Pocock said. 

A study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law reported that LGBT people are now nearly four times more likely than non-LGBT people to be the victims of violent crimes.

Additionally, researchers from the University of Ottawa have reported that Canadian teens who are transgender or nonbinary are at a higher risk of both suicidal thoughts and attempts compared to cisgender, heterosexual teens.