Detransition

The stories the movement would rather not hear.

Detransition is the process by which someone who has medically or socially transitioned decides to return, either fully or partially, to their original gender. The number of people doing this is growing, but their stories are barely visible in the mainstream discussion about being trans—because they are inconvenient for the prevailing ideology.

Detransitioners report a wide range of reasons: misdiagnosis of gender dysphoria (where underlying mental health issues such as autism, depression, or trauma were not adequately treated), social pressure to transition, regret over irreversible medical procedures, or simply a change in self-perception. Their experiences are rarely taken seriously by the gender care clinics that previously treated them.

Organizations like Transspijt.nl give a voice to people in the Netherlands who regret their transition or who are seeking support for detransitioning. Their very existence is an indictment of the idea that transition is always the right solution and that doubt or regret does not exist.