People who are “alienated” and “powerless” and live in the “Twilight Zone.”
The parents of a transgender teenager in Geneva have lived in shock and fear for the past 19 months after their then 15-year-old daughter was removed from their home by court order after she objected to puberty. I expressed it with these words. blocker.
Now they are fighting under the threat of criminal charges to protect her identity and stop her from undergoing irreversible changes to her body.
“This is not a human rights issue,” the father told FOX News Digital. “This is a question about conducting medical experiments on children.”
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The 16-year-old's parents, who have requested anonymity to protect their family's privacy, are struggling to fight institutional forces that accuse them of abuse for refusing to give their daughter choice medication. He claims to be struggling.
On July 19, 2024, the parents were separated from their teenage daughter by court order because they opposed the use of puberty blockers. (ADF International)
The eventful journey began in 2021 when the girl sat down with her parents and told them she was having a boy.
“It was a complete surprise. She was 13 years old at the time and had never previously shown any inclination towards masculinity or masculine behavior,” her father explained.
The father, who says he has always been very close to his daughter, explains how he came to this conclusion after going abroad for several years for work, then the coronavirus pandemic hit and it was a difficult time for the family. He spoke in detail.
The pandemic has forced school closures, leaving children around the world feeling increasingly isolated and spending vast amounts of time online.
“We said to our daughter, 'This is surprising, but we will listen to you and also seek medical advice. We will all learn together and make decisions together.' he said.
At the recommendation of the child's pediatrician, they took their daughter to the public children's hospital in Geneva, where, after being shown a “gender unicorn” and asked to identify different aspects of the image, she said, ” was found to be. You may be experiencing gender dysphoria. ”
Against her parents' wishes, the child's school began transitioning her daughter and connected her to transgender advocacy groups. (Getty Images)
The ward director then met with the parents and explained that the hospital was conducting a “rigorous investigation” into the issue of gender identity and that their daughter would undergo a “comprehensive and serious assessment.”
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The advice was to “support her identity” by allowing her to cut her hair, dress as a boy and wear a chest binder if she wished.
“So that's what I did at first. I followed the doctor's advice,” the father said.
But after several months in the hospital and seeing a psychiatrist, her parents were told that the next step for their daughter was to start her on hormone blockers. Hormone blockers are drugs that prevent body changes associated with puberty, including breast growth.
“We are not at the stage to medicate our daughter,” he said, reflecting on his daughters' response to the psychiatrist.
“We have seen firsthand in our interactions with hospitals that a serious medical evaluation is not done. It's just that your daughter points out these elements about unicorn gender. So, because she says so, her daughter is a boy.'' They also pointed out that they had since sought out a private psychiatrist.
In response to questions from Fox News Digital, the Geneva University Hospital (HUG) said it could not comment on individual cases, but that the hospital “facilitates dialogue between children and their parents” in cases of gender dysphoria. He said he is working on it.
Nicolas de Saussure, a spokesperson for the hospital, added: “HUG does not push patients towards legal or medical transition, but by referring to existing scientific data and international recommendations, We will support individual journeys according to people's values and preferences.” . ”
The hospital accepts about 100 minors with gender dysphoria, about half of whom begin hormone treatment after they turn 16, according to a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
However, the father spoke of feelings of frustration at what the parents felt was a lack of adequate medical care and support provided to the daughter and her family. That frustration was just the beginning of a long and difficult journey for them to continue fighting. To maintain parental rights.
“Billboard Chris” is an international activist known for wearing a sandwich board that says “Children cannot consent to puberty blockers” on July 19, 2024. (ADF International)
Against her parents' wishes, the child's private school began her “social transition” and connected her to a transgender advocacy group.
By the time the daughter was 15 years old, the school psychologist as well as the private psychiatrist hired by her parents had contacted the Swiss Child Protection Agency (SPMI), and the minor was removed from custody from her “transphobic” parents. argued that it was necessary. They continue to oppose anything that inhibits adolescence.
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“The school was facilitating meetings between our daughter and her daughter. [the transgender advocacy agency]“Our daughter and SPMI not only did this without our knowledge, but it was done fraudulently because they marked her absence report as if she was doing a school activity.” he told FOX News Digital. She left school and met the next person. [the transgender advocacy group] And a meeting with SPMI. ”
Fox News Digital, which is not naming the school due to the family's anonymity, denies accusations of wrongdoing, saying: “The school complies with Swiss law and follows the decisions of child protection authorities.” said.
School officials added, “We refute all allegations suggesting otherwise,” but could not directly answer questions about how children were marked absent.
Ultimately, a Swiss court ruled that the daughter should be placed in a supervised home run by social services known as Foyer, citing mental and physical health concerns. Her daughter, now 16, has been there for more than a year. .
“Under international law, children should not be separated from their parents against their will, except in cases of abuse,” ADF International general counsel Dr. Felix Boelmann said in a statement.
The father told FOX News Digital that it is still unclear to him and his defense team what kind of abuse was identified to allow him to remove his daughter from the home.
In response to questions from Fox News Digital, authorities in the Swiss canton of Geneva said they would not comment on “individual circumstances” but would respond broadly to the Swiss legal system.
“SPMI respects parental rights unless exercising such rights would endanger the child in question, in which case it is up to the judge to determine the best interests of the child,” the spokesperson said. Constance Chais said. “No child is separated from their parents because they do not consent to the transition.”
“No child is placed for lack of consent or opposition to treatment,” Chais said.
A series of conflicts ensued as the parents desperately tried to maintain a relationship with their daughter and get her home.
But as the daughter grows up, the battle becomes even more difficult.
A girl holds a transgender pride flag during a pride march in Madrid, Spain. (Luis Soto/SOPA Image/LightRocket, Getty Images)
In Switzerland, minors are legally allowed to change their name and registered gender when they turn 16, but parents fear this will greatly facilitate her physical transition. are.
“We have met too many parents and children who have been victimized and now regret the situation they are in in life, and we are confronting these institutions. ,” he said, referring to courts, schools and SPMI. , he argues that an evidence-based approach is not being taken when it comes to minors experiencing gender dysphoria.
“Our inclination is, of course, to follow medical advice, but also to support LGBTQI people, everyone,” he continued. “But as we begin to become more educated about gender identity, we begin to realize that this is not a question of sexual orientation, but rather a question of cosmetic surgery, hormones, and other Frankenstein-like experiments on children. Ta.”
The father said the Swiss education system puts transgender children on “a pedestal to somehow be more courageous”, leading to hasty solutions like puberty blockers. , said it could have a lasting impact.
Although the effects of hormone blockers are reported to be reversible, government bodies such as the UK's National Institute for Health Research have concluded that research into the use of hormone blockers in children is limited and that studies on bone density and reproductive health have been limited. It points to unknown long-term effects that may have on physical development, including health. .
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“we [need to] Please start making decisions based on facts and evidence rather than radical and harmful ideology,” the father said, adding, “This is not a human rights issue. This is an issue about conducting medical experiments on children.
“I want her to come home so I can get her back on track to health,” he said. “It's for her own well-being and that of her entire family.”
