Extreme ‘gender critical’ views will alienate many gender dysphoric patients

Abstract

Comments on the article, 'Sex, gender and gender identity: A re-evaluation of the evidence', by L. Griffin et al. (see record [rid]2021-89404-012[/rid]). The authors provide a welcome update of evidence and reasoning for the ‘gender critical’ position, and the problems with the ‘gender affirming’ position that the Royal College of Psychiatrists adopted in 2018. The authors attempt to distance themselves from ‘conversion therapy’, but many gender dysphoric patients will not find their arguments convincing. N. D. MacFarlane states that psychiatry should retain its gatekeeping role for transgender patients seeking physical treatments or legal gender change, but extreme gender critical views, which at present appear to include special pleading for psychoanalysis, would undermine the consent necessary for that role to be effective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)