I grew up in a conservative Christian family. I didn't hear the word ‘transgender’ until I was in my early teens, but I’ve known I wasn’t a girl since I was three years old.
Amid the latest attacks on transgender children's rights, such as puberty blocker restrictions and the Cass Review I’m concerned the broader attack on queer rights is focusing on a new young generation of queer people.
But what if the problem is not just in transphobia itself - but also in adultism?
What is adultism?
Adultism is discrimination against young people and the creation of systems that take agency away from them.
According to UK law, almost all minors' rights belong to their parents or guardians.
Many minors can’t choose their faith or way of living, use their property, or express their identity if their guardians prevent them from doing so, and youths’ voices can be easily ignored.
Our legal system and society teach us that the opinions of people under 18 don't matter.
This adult supremacy is at the core of many other oppressions too. It is also the first form of oppression we all experienced in some way.
Like Stinney Distro, one of the contributors of the anthology of Youth Liberation writing ‘Against Adult Supremacy’ said:
“Every hierarchy, every abuse […] appeals through analogy to the rule of adults over children. We are all indoctrinated from birth in ways of ‘because I said so’.”
In our society, children are taught to obey before thinking to please the ones in power instead of trusting their feelings. Of course, some of this is about keeping children safe, but there is value in teaching children agency, too.
Why is it important to give kids agency?
As an activist who worked with transgender youth, I saw a lot of situations when they had problems with socialisation and understanding their needs because their transphobic parents denied them agency.
Acceptance improves the quality of life, while denial of identity destroys mental health and increases the risks of suicide.
To fight transphobia focused toward youth, we must start to see young people as fellow human beings and give them the agency they, therefore, deserve.
The more we give children agency and stop seeing them as commodities, the less possible it will be for populist politicians to use ‘child protection’ rhetoric for their transphobic needs because we would ask Trans+ kids first.
This new generation of young people, who will grow up understanding the power of agency, empathy and understanding, will be more open-minded because they will know the power of, and safety in, thinking for themselves.
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