Insight from Dr Helen Webberley

Can Social Media Make Someone Trans? Social media cannot make someone trans. Gender identity is not shaped by what you watch, who you follow, or which groups you join. What social media does is give trans people visibility, community,…

JK Rowling, trans adults, and what genuine allyship looks like JK Rowling has made repeated public statements opposing trans rights, including the legal recognition of trans adults. Genuine allyship requires more than silence: it means naming harm when a…

Provider retreat from trans care in Texas: what is happening Hospitals and clinics across Texas have been withdrawing from trans-affirming care under sustained political pressure, accelerated by Governor Greg Abbott's appointments and legislation targeting…

Gender dysphoria in later life: you are not too late Gender dysphoria in later life is real, valid, and more common than most people realise. It can surface or intensify at midlife for the first time, or it can be a lifelong feeling that finally has…

The weight of being told you are wrong Being told who you are is wrong is not a single event. It is something that happens repeatedly, in small moments and large ones, and the weight of it compounds over time. For trans and gender-diverse…

Is it safe to transition? Transitioning is safe. The hormones used in gender-affirming care are bio-identical and the medical risks are genuinely small. The dangers trans people face come overwhelmingly from outside:…

HRT milestones: physical changes, euphoria, and affirmation HRT milestones are the physical and emotional markers that appear as hormone therapy takes effect: skin texture changes, breast buds, fat redistributing toward hips and thighs, hair growth patterns…

What parents get wrong about trans children Most parents who struggle when a child comes out as trans are not rejecting them deliberately: they are reacting from a lifetime of poor, often negative, education about what it means to be trans.…

Why some councils are pushing back on trans policy guidance Some councils are pushing back on government trans policy guidance because they believe it conflicts with their legal equalities duties and with the evidence underpinning trans-inclusive public…

Would enshrining gender identity in law lead to court challenges? The claim that enshrining gender identity in law is 'almost guaranteed' to end up in court is true of virtually every significant piece of rights legislation ever passed. Court challenges are how…

What was Section 28 and what harm did it cause? Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 prohibited UK local authorities from intentionally promoting homosexuality or publishing material with the intention of promoting homosexuality as a…

Is this gender dysphoria or something else? Gender dysphoria is the distress that comes from a mismatch between your gender identity and the body or role you were assigned. It is distinct from general body image problems, depression, or…