According to the advocacy group The Human Rights Campaign, half of the states in America have implemented laws or policies that restrict treatment for youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition where one experiences distress due to a mismatch between their gender identity and sex assigned at birth. While some of these laws are facing legal challenges, the debate surrounding them has been heavy on emotion but lacking in scientific and medical evidence.
A new book titled “Free to Be: Understanding Kids and Gender Identity” by Dr. Jack Turban aims to provide a scientific perspective on gender identity and treatments for transgender youth. Dr. Turban, who is the founding director of the Gender Psychiatry Program at the University of California, San Francisco, explains the complexities of gender identity and how it can differ from sex assigned at birth.
Gender identity refers to an individual’s psychological sense of masculinity and femininity, which is shaped by a combination of biological factors and societal influences. Sex assigned at birth is determined by biological characteristics such as chromosomes or sex organs and is recorded on a person’s birth certificate. Dr. Turban emphasizes that gender identity is a multifaceted concept that goes beyond just biological factors, highlighting the importance of understanding the complexities of gender.