An Australian judge has ruled against a mother who wished to start transitioning her 12-year-old boy into a lady via puberty blockers, and has granted custody of the boy to his father.
One activist has called the choice a “stunning victory for sanity in Australia”.
Judge Andrew Strum didn’t rule out permitting the kid to transition once they were older but said that they were too young to totally comprehend the implications of such a life-changing decision.
In his ruling, Judge Strum wrote, “This is a case a couple of child, and a comparatively young one at that; not one in regards to the reason for transgender people,”
“As this child grows, develops and matures, and explores and experiences life, the kid might, with the related advantages of the passage of time and the acquisition of balanced understanding, come to discover as a transgender female and might elect to undergo some type of medical treatment, to affirm and/or align with that identity. But, similarly, with those advantages, the kid may not accomplish that, and for a wide range of reasons.
“At this stage within the child’s life, all options needs to be left open, with none unacceptable risk of harm to the kid.”
Judge Strum took particular exception to so-called evidence presented by “experts” speaking in support of the mother’s position that gender identity is a purely internal matter which is totally unaffected by external influence.
“Associated Professor L” an anonymous witness and allegedly one among Australia’s leading child gender experts, was described by Judge Strum as giving statements that were “misleading or omitted findings/material that detracted from [their] opinion’ contrary to the obligations as an authority witness”.
Judge Strum noted, “The mother, in cross-examination, rejected even the chance that external aspects or influence may need any role to play within the child’s gender identity.”
He said that neither of the experts who submitted evidence “were capable of point to any empirical or substantive basis for his or her opinion but, quite, only to anecdotal reports from transgender adults about their experience of their gender identity”.
Judge Strum’s decision was at the least partially informed by the Cass Review, conducted in Britain, which is extremely critical of an affirming approach to transitioning children and the use of medicine reminiscent of puberty blockers.
He also found that the mother had attempted to make use of the kid’s apparent gender fluidity as a tool to break the kid’s relationship with their father. He further said that medical treatment needs to be determined by one of the best interests of the kid, quite than be determined by ideological concerns.
The ruling was welcomed by Chris Elston, also often called “Billboard Chris”, whose activism has brought him into conflict with pro-trans activists and the Australian courts.
Writing on X, Elston said, “The gender clinic, an authority witness, the Australian Professional Association for Transgender Health, and a previous judge who tried to downplay the Cass Review have all been severely rebuked in a shocking victory for sanity in Australia.”
