The Medical University of South Carolina initially said it wouldn’t be affected by a law banning use of state funds for treatment “furthering the gender transition” of children under 16. Months later, it cut off that care to all trans minors.

The Medical University of South Carolina initially said it wouldn’t be affected by a law banning use of state funds for treatment “furthering the gender transition” of children under 16. Months later, it cut off that care to all trans minors.

One Saturday morning in September 2022, Terrence Steyer, the dean of the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, placed an urgent call to a student. Just a year prior, the medical student, Thomas Agostini, had won first place at a university-sponsored event for his graduate research on transgender pediatric patients. He also had been featured in a video on MUSC’s website highlighting resources that support the LGBTQ+ community.

Now, Agostini and his once-lauded study had set off a political firestorm. Conservative activists seized on one line in particular in the study’s summary — a parenthetical noting the youngest transgender patient to visit MUSC’s pediatric endocrinology clinic was 4 years old — and inaccurately claimed that children that young were prescribed hormones as part of a gender transition. Elon Musk amplified the false claim, tweeting, “Is it really true that four-year-olds are receiving hormone treatment?” That led federal and state lawmakers to frantically ask top MUSC leaders whether the public hospital was in fact helping young children medically transition. The hospital was not; its pediatric transgender patients did not receive hormone therapy before puberty, nor does it offer surgical options to minors.

  • Chetzemoka
    9•1 year ago

    I knew this child from BIRTH. She’s the same age as my younger sister and they were very good friends growing up. From the instant this kid could express preferences - I’m talking 18 months-2 years old - we knew something was up because here’s this little boy who wants to wear dresses, play with dolls, and sneaks into mom’s high heels and makeup at home.

    We just assumed she was a gay boy because none of us had ever even heard of a transgender person 30-35 years ago. Believe me, everyone discouraged this. The constant battle finally met a stalemate agreement to just keep it at home. Even then, this kid was irrepressible, hence the glittery purple scarf at school.

    When she told us in high school that she was really a girl, it was the most face-palmingly obvious thing, like of course that’s what we’ve been seeing your entire life. That makes so much sense.

    SHE initiated that conversation. No one EVER pushed her to do anything. She was a very active participant in her own medical decisions, which is medically appropriate for a teenager. (I’m a nurse. Teenagers should participate in their own medical decisions.)

    She started puberty blockers, started living openly as a girl in RURAL OHIO 30 YEARS AGO and it was not a big fucking deal until you assholes suddenly decided it was a few years ago. She didn’t receive any permanent medical treatment for transition until she was 18.

    Believe me, son, she’s PERFECTLY INTACT, happier than you, and you can fuck the fuck right off with that horse shit terminology.

    • @nugmeister64
      -7•1 year ago

      what part of any of those things is female? you don’t have to be female to enjoy “stereotypically” female things. that’s pretty sexist and shortsighted of you, so I’m not surprised why, when surrounded with assumptions like that, they would feel the need to justify those preferences with being “female”. maybe if you and the rest of their family were more open minded and accepted them for who they are, they wouldn’t feel they had to transition in the first place.

      • Chetzemoka
        6•1 year ago

        Oh fuck off. You know damn well that 90% of society would raise an eyebrow at a 3 year old boy trudging around in high heels and getting into mom’s lipstick.

        NO ONE TOLD HER SHE WAS TRANS. SHE SAID THAT.

        What part of this was self-determined is hard for you to understand? Transition was 100% initiated and driven BY HER. It’s what she wanted because it’s what she understood herself to be inside her own mind.