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Last Monday, Britain's High Court ruled that a nationwide ban on using puberty blockers as "gender-affirming care" is legally allowed to stand. The ban on dangerous hormone-suppressing interventions for people under age 18 was introduced in the final days of the Conservative Party government, which was defeated by the Labour Party in the country's July 4 elections. By rejecting these harmful interventions, the United Kingdom is poised to lead the way for other Western countries to undertake the formidable task of reversing course on gender ideology.
While the fight for the protection of children is far from over in the U.K., this is a key legal step in dismantling the lie of so-called "gender-affirming care." The prohibition on puberty blockers will reportedly become permanent under the left-leaning Labour government, signifying cross-party consensus on this critical issue.
The protection of children should not be marred by party politics. Something so fundamental must transcend partisan divides. Should the U.K. cement the puberty blocker ban, it will be an urgently needed trailblazer. The recent legal decision follows previous key junctures in the U.K., including the closing of the Tavistock Centre in London and the publication of the Cass Review—important steps toward growing recognition that the so-called "transition" of children is impermissibly dangerous.
The Cass review—conducted by Dr. Hilary Cass for National Health Services England—found evidence of significant risks associated with puberty blockers, such as compromised bone density and no clear benefits for gender dysphoria. Additionally, the review held that most youth who start on puberty blockers proceed to cross-sex hormones and body mutilating surgeries.
As the rest of the West grapples with gender ideology, and in particular its toll on children, the puberty blocker ban presents an opportunity to follow Britain's example. All countries should have in place laws and policies that, at minimum, prevent children from undergoing harmful and potentially irreversible physical interventions.
An ongoing case in Switzerland reveals just how high the stakes are for the vulnerable children and families who fall prey to gender ideology. In Geneva, a girl has been separated from her loving family after her parents declined puberty blockers for her.
Despite pressure from state authorities, the hospital, and their daughter's school, the parents resisted their daughter's "transition" when she, at age 13, initially expressed that she thought she might be a boy. For seeking to prevent her from going down a destructive path of puberty blockers and other interventions, the parents lost their daughter by court order to a government youth shelter, where has been residing since April 2023—the ultimate nightmare for any parent.
The parents did their research, and presented scientific, peer-reviewed literature to the school showing that European countries are moving away from the "gender affirmative" model. But the school proceeded to "socially transition" her anyway. The parents were accused of abuse and told to "just accept that you have a son."
This is a case in which parents responded to their daughter with compassion and care. And the court responded by taking their daughter away, in addition to stripping their right as parents to choose the medical and mental-health services she receives.
Speaking anonymously for the protection of the family, the father describes: "Swiss authorities have taken our child, our daughter, who's 16 years old. She now lives in a government home. Our access to her is regulated by the government." The mother adds, "We want our daughter back home. We love her and we miss her." The parents are pursuing the restoration of their parental rights to care for their daughter in court with the support of ADF International, having been sued by the state to supply the documentation needed for her legal "sex change."
At the most basic level, these parents have suffered the loss of their child for seeking to protect her from harm. And let us take heed: if this can happen in Switzerland, it can happen anywhere. No loving parent should ever have to endure this pain.
In the U.S., Americans are being forced to wake up to the dangers of gender ideology. A new California law prohibits school districts from compelling staff to reveal students' "sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression" to others. Any law that rests on the premise of keeping secrets from parents should ring alarm bells for all concerned with the safeguarding of children.
If the U.K. stays on track, its puberty blocker ban will soon be locked in, putting in place essential protections for children in the country and paving the way for others to follow. Countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Denmark have taken a similar course, doing an about-face on gender "transition" for minors and adopting a more cautious approach. At the international level, the trajectory is promising with the growing recognition that the physical "transition" of children must be stopped. The hope is that this builds the requisite momentum across the world to shield children from the scourge of gender ideology once and for all.
Elyssa Koren is an international human rights lawyer and director of legal communications for ADF International. Follow her on Twitter: @Elyssa_Koren
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
