Transgender individuals—those whose gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth—have always existed, but the number of people identifying as transgender has significantly increased in recent years, particularly among those under 18. This rise in visibility has been accompanied by the development of medical interventions to support transgender youth in their gender transitions. Leading medical experts and organizations assert that gender-affirming care for transgender youth is both safe and medically appropriate. Despite this expert consensus, political and legislative opposition to such care has intensified. More than half of U.S. states have enacted bans on gender-affirming treatments, with legal challenges now reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. In this class, we will examine the evolving social and medical landscape of gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Topics will include contemporary theories of gender and sex, the science and politics of medical interventions such as puberty blockers and cross-hormones, and the current legal and political context surrounding gender-affirming care.
By the end of the class students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the gender binary, transgender identities, the developmental emergence of gender, and current theoretical perspectives on gender.
2. Explore and discuss experiences of transgender and non-binary youth.
3. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of best-practice medical interventions for transgender youth.
4. Identify and deconstruct current legislation and planned legislative actions about gender-affirming care for youth, including demonstrating how legislation is shaped by current historical events.
5. Understand and articulate how anti-transgender legislation shapes healthcare for transgender youth, including demonstrating how legislation exacerbates inequality by race, class, and other axes of inequality.