As an organisation which supports and prides itself on having LGBTQ+ people at its core, we are disappointed by the UK government’s choice to indefinitely ban puberty blockers for people seeking gender affirming care.

Every single young person in the UK has a right to access healthcare that they need and to not be discriminated against because of their gender identity.

The decision made on December 11th by the UK Government completely disregards the voices of young Trans & Non-Binary people.

It also contradicts a wealth of knowledge from medical professionals and case studies that speak to the benefits of puberty blockers as part of the management of gender dysphoria, and which show that restricting access to puberty blockers will have a detrimental impact and could lead to further mental health struggles for young Trans & Non-Binary people.

There is persistent misunderstanding, across both media and politics, of the purpose of puberty blockers in gender affirmative medicine.

The Cass Review cited weak evidence that blockers alleviate gender dysphoria, but this is not the aim, and betrays the ignorance at the heart of the review. Rather, blockers prevent the worsening of dysphoria which often accompanies the onset and progression of puberty for Trans and Non-Binary youth. By delaying puberty, young Trans and Non-Binary people are given time to consider their options and access support without facing the profound distress that comes with undergoing a puberty at odds with who they are.

The Diversity Trust stands in solidarity with all the trans and non-binary young people who may be reading this.

As an organisation which is working to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people of all ages, we will be pushing and fighting your corner on this matter.

We are already seeing the significant impact this decision has had. We encourage people to share their solidarity and lobby your local MPs.

Full statement to follow.