Today is Detrans Awareness Day, a time to acknowledge the experiences of people who transitioned and later changed their minds. Speaking on KCLR Radio with Brian Redmond this morning, psychotherapist Stella O’Malley highlighted the growing number of detransitioners and why we need to talk about it more openly.
Detransition happens when someone who has medically transitioned—taking hormones or having surgery realises it wasn’t the right path for them and decides to return to living as their biological sex. Stella pointed out that many of these people feel let down by gender clinics, with 76% never even telling their doctors they’ve detransitioned. That means we don’t have reliable data on how many people regret medical transition or struggle afterward.
The number of detransitioners is growing, and this is clear from online spaces like Detrans Reddit. In 2019, the group had fewer than 1,000 members; now, it has over 56,000. While not all are detransitioners, thousands share stories of regret, medical complications, and feeling misled.
Stella, who founded Genspect, a group that promotes a non-medical approach to gender distress, believes people need more options. “Some may believe they benefit from medical transition, but we have to normalise other ways of dealing with gender dysphoria,” she said. She runs support groups where detransitioners and trans-identified people can share and explore their experiences.
One of the most poignant stories to be shared today is Forrest, a short animation based on the true experiences of a detransitioner. At 29, Forrest reflects on his painful journey through transition - desperately searching for himself, only to realise he had been running from the truth. From childhood struggles with gender dysphoria to medical interventions and the deep scars left behind, he shares a raw and unfiltered account of what it means to live with regret after gender reassignment surgery.
“For a month after surgery, I totally regretted it… I wailed every day. It was like grieving a life I had lost,” Forrest recalls.
Forrest will be taking part in Detrans Awareness Day at Capitol Hill, helping to shed light on the deep impact of medical transition and the importance of providing real support for those who regret it. By bringing these stories to the forefront, Genspect and Beyond Trans are urging policymakers to acknowledge and support this often-overlooked community.
One of the biggest issues is the long-term health effects of medical transition. Many detransitioners didn’t realise they could end up with infertility, chronic pain, or loss of sexual function. Stella says fully informed consent is missing from the current system, and people deserve to know the risks before making life-altering decisions.
Gender debates can be divisive, but Stella is calling for a more balanced, compassionate approach. “Most people are in the middle ground,” she said, comparing the current climate to the past conflicts in the north. “We need open discussions where people can ask questions without fear.”
As awareness grows, so does the need to make sure everyone questioning their gender gets proper, evidence-based support without pressure, without rushing, and with all the facts laid out.
🇺🇸 Detrans Awareness Day on Capitol Hill
A crucial briefing to ensure lawmakers understand and address the needs of detransitioners is taking place today at Capitol Hill, featuring voices from detransitioners, medical experts, and legal professionals.
The event is sold out but will be livestreamed on Genspect’s X, YouTube, and Facebook.
#DetransAwarenessDay #Detrans
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