Transphobia and Turning Point USA at NIC

A discussion took place at the Turning Point USA club on Monday, March 3 in the SUB, Powderhorn Bay Room 018. In the meeting, myths about transgender issues were presented as fact. Additionally, members spoke about mental health in a way which demonstrated misunderstanding. 

Turning Point USA is a Christian, conservative political non-profit. They have chapters on many college campuses in the US. Their mission is “to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government.” Despite the stated mission, the topic of transgender politics dominated the discussion.

The group spoke about their happiness with the new administration, the destruction of DEI programs, and acceptance of conservative values. Then, they said they’re worried about “children getting indoctrinated by the transgender agenda.” Much time was spent discussing social and medical gender transition.

Their statements emphasized that many rebellious pre-teens go on hormone blockers and then later regret it. Despite their belief, this is not a notable issue. A study published by JAMA Pediatrics demonstrated that only 1 in 1,000 transgender youth take hormone blockers. Transgender individuals are only 1.6% of the population. Additionally, Cornell University published a paper compiling the results from 51 studies, and concluded that gender affirming care creates positive mental health outcomes for patients.

Children receiving gender affirming care is rare. Gender affirming care harming a patient’s mental health is even rarer. Thus, the issue of children getting gender affirming care and going on to regret it, although believable, is microscopic.

The group also stated that transgender adolescents are “mentally ill people who have a victim complex and want attention.” Existing research contradicts this. Gender dysphoria is a mental illness, but social transition is crucial for treatment. A study by Fenway Health found that an early social transition positively impacts mental health. Additionally, the study notes that unaccepting school environments create a greater risk for suicide.

This club may be perpetuating the very harm that they hope to combat. Dismissing the chosen identity of adolescents causes harm. Generally, the excessive attention given to this issue is dangerous for children and teens with gender dysphoria. 

The perspective of the TPUSA club is not unique. In the recent presidential election, political ads presented transgenderism as a prominent issue. Most voters worried about the economy, and believed transgender politics was covered too much. This reflects the sensationalization of the topic in media. 

There is little evidence that gender affirming care is a threat to our society, and may be used as a mainstream distraction tactic. However, there is rising uncertainty regarding the course of our economy. Banks and economists have said their concerned for a coming recession. Economic issues impact all Americans, and conversations regarding new policies may be especially pertinent at this time, in contrast to issues such as teen transgenderism.