In response to the government’s decision to ban the prescription of puberty blockers to under-18s with gender dysphoria indefinitely, NUS UK Vice President for Liberation and Equality, Saranya Thambirajah, said:
“All of my solidarity and empathy are with the trans community. I am dismayed at the government’s decision, which represents a major regression on LGBTQ+ rights and healthcare in this country.
“The impacts this decision will have on the lives of trans young people cannot be overstated. The evidence of the detrimental impact on the mental health of this community of being denied healthcare is irrefutable. Undoubtedly, this latest decision will only serve to fuel the mental health crisis within the community further.
“This will have the knock-on effect of putting yet more strain on children’s and adult mental health services now and in the future, and will also inevitably lead to more young people pursuing unsafe DIY healthcare. It will also create a class divide between those who can afford to travel abroad to obtain medication and those who cannot.
“A blanket ban will do the exact opposite of safeguarding children by shutting off access to life-affirming and potentially life-saving healthcare. We need a complete change of approach that puts the lives of this vulnerable, marginalised community at its core rather than one which plays into the culture war that has created an unsustainably hostile environment for trans people in this country.
“As the student movement we will continue to engage with LGBTQ+ young people and stakeholders including the government to push for changes that will improve the lives of trans people wherever possible.
“This is undoubtedly a dark day but we will never stop fighting for the rights of all trans people to access gender-affirming healthcare.”
