In the wake of such comprehensive exploration and analysis around the foundational medical research cited time and time again regarding child and adolescent gender transition, the Dutch Protocol, we extended an invitation to Dr. Stephen Levine and Dr. Julia Mason to join us in a discussion about their most recent paper, co-authored together with Zhenya Abbruzzese in a thorough critique of the Dutch Protocol.
Dr. Stephen B. Levine is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is the solo author of five books, all of which are concerned with love and sexuality. He has been teaching, providing clinical care, and writing since 1973 and has generated over 180 publications, 35 of which have been related to gender dysphoria. He and two colleagues received a lifetime achievement Masters and Johnson’s Award from the Society for Sex Therapy and Research in March 2005. His recent publications on gender dysphoria have been read by thousands of people.
Dr. Julia Mason is a pediatrician who started medical school in the Medical Scientist Training Program but emerged with a Master's degree in Nutritional Science rather than the planned PhD. This extended her medical education and kept her grounded in the scientific basis of medical care, which may have made her more likely to be skeptical of pediatric “affirmative gender care” when she saw it taking root in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Julia is a founder and board member of SEGM, the Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine. She is a full-time practicing pediatrician in Gresham Oregon, her gender work is extracurricular and entirely voluntary.
Our conversation with Drs. Levine and Mason evolved into a pretty intense exploration of sexuality and the consequences that blocking an adolescent’s puberty has on their developing sexuality. We explore why so many adolescents are consciously or subconsciously seeking to block their sexuality and seek, sometimes desperately, to avoid opportunities for experiencing natural sexual development. And what about the impact and consequences of easy access to extreme varieties of pornography? But most importantly, why are we robbing young people of the opportunity to develop their sexuality? This is the key question. The discovery and exploration of sexual desire are critically important for the adolescent experience. Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones not only disrupt but eradicate the normative and positive experience of coming to grips with one’s desires and sexual self.
Please note that this conversation includes many topics explicit in nature, listener discretion is advised.
Links:
Co-Authored article with E. Abbruzzese
The Myth of "Reliable Research" in Pediatric Gender Medicine: A critical evaluation of the Dutch Studies-and research that has followed
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2150346
Stephen Levin, MD’s most recent published article with E. Abbruzzese:
Current Concerns about Gender-Affirming Therapy in Adolescents https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11930-023-00358-x
Selections of Julia Mason, MD’s Published Work
Gender: A Wider Lens