Comments on: Zucker: Is he a DSM-Villain or not?

By: Schala

Schala — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:06:22 +0000

It’s interesting to note that Zucker’s follow-ups don’t measure mental health and Zuker considers coercive therapy, with the help of parents, to be totally acceptable.

Forcing a child to be *afraid* of pink, because parents will disapprove, the doctor will disapprove, and you’ll be punished…not because you have a very real scare of the color pink previous to it, or because you hate all things deemed girly – but because you’re afraid of retribution.

Even the so-called 90% sucess may be borderline insane from trying NOT to get attention on their cross-gender interests, even in adulthood.

I myself was scared out of my whits of anyone finding out my secret, to the point of actively avoiding anything at all that could be construed as girly, in case someone figured my secret out. And I didn’t even have therapy for that to happen…only lots and lots of bullying.

Coercive therapy would surely be akin to bullying. The difference being it’s sanctioned and you actually pay a professional to tell you how to bully your own child…

His approach on adolescents is better, if not perfect. Few want to deal with anyone short of 17-18 when it comes to hormones.

By: Mercedes Allen responds to accusations of scaremongering « TRANScend GENDER

Mercedes Allen responds to accusations of scaremongering « TRANScend GENDER — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:38:19 +0000

[...] Mercedes Allen reflects on the responses to her original Uh-oh post, including several that have been reported here and elsewhere. I and others have been accused of scaremongering in the ongoing debate(s) [...]

By: Ellen Betty Wyatt

Ellen Betty Wyatt — Sat, 17 May 2008 20:41:12 +0000

Being forcably raised as male by fundentalist Christian, I under stand the pain that Dr. Zucker’s approach inflicts upon transgender children. Dr. Zucker’s claim of 90% success rate means hell on earth for, most of their young lives, for the 10% failures that go on to be transsexuals, effeminine gay men, or butch lesbians. From my point of view, Dr Zucker’s medical license should be revoked, for such mistreatment of transsexual and gender varient homosexual children.

By: Henry Hall

Henry Hall — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:40:08 +0000

Well, what is clear is that the comments of Stephen T. Russell, Ph.D. and the recent Zucker/Bradley program on NPR directly contradict each other. One of the two is lying about what Dr. Zucker does to children.

By: Renee

Renee — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:43:01 +0000

Agreed.

I have serious reservations about Zucker, but I don’t see his removal from this committee happening anytime soon. And frankly, it would be a horrible move on the APA’s part if they succumbed to pressure from the internet community and did so. That being the case, I hope Dr. Russel’s portrait of a more moderate Zucker is the real one, since we’re pretty much stuck with him.