Claire Abernathy, who goes by “Claire,” was only 14 when she learned from doctors that her life was at risk unless she pursued hormone therapy or surgical options. She firmly believed that “gender care” would be her salvation.
“I started identifying as transgender at 12. That was after I dealt with significant bullying and a sexual assault at school,” Abernathy shared during a conversation with the co-founder of Blaze Media, Glen Beck. “Taking on this identity allowed me to escape into a new persona, someone who could have a fresh start, along with connecting with peers who shared similar feelings.”
She began therapy, suggested by others who had gone through similar experiences.
Abernathy recounted that, at the time, it felt like her parents were made to feel like abusers simply because they hesitated to make irreversible decisions about her body.
When Glen Beck questioned whether a doctor suggested that her parents should “observe abuse,” Abernathy emphasized how empty the supports felt, stating her mother had posed questions regarding the bullying and abuse she had encountered, only to receive vague responses.
At age 14, Abernathy started taking testosterone, and after a discussion about surgery, she quickly received approval. “I began testosterone in November 2018. Surgery was approved by January but didn’t happen until June, as I preferred to wait until the summer between 8th and 9th grades,” she explained.
The medical team had informed her and her family that the only viable approach for her “gender dysphoria” would be through these means, warning that failing to do so might lead to suicide. Abernathy expressed her frustration, saying, “No one warned me that I’d lose the ability to breastfeed, or that most kids exploring this path would move on from it. I felt like there were many things left unsaid.”
