Victoria Atkins (pictured), MP for Louth and Horncastle, said that she is ‘a little cautious’ about the number of teenagers undergoing gender reassignment treatment
Transgender activists have been accused of ‘sacrificing the welfare of children on the altar of political correctness’ following a row over a minister’s comments.
The minister for women was slammed by transgender campaigners for saying that young people are having their gender reassigned as ‘an answer to questions they are perhaps not asking themselves’.
Victoria Atkins, MP for Louth and Horncastle, said the country needed to remain ‘particularly alert’ about young people seeking ‘life-changing’ medical intervention and that she is ‘a little cautious’ about the number of teenagers undergoing gender reassignment treatment.
But LGBT+ campaigners accused her making ‘damaging’ comments and warned that people’s ‘lives are at stake’ – prompting her fellow Tory MPs to leap to her defence and accuse the campaigners of shutting down debate.
Tim Loughton, a Tory MP and former children’s minister, said that Ms Atkins is ‘absolutely right’ to be cautious about children ‘rushing’ to change their genders, The Telegraph reports.
‘Nobody is trying to suppress the right of young people to express themselves and their sexuality in any way,’ he said. ‘Of course we should be cautious and give them all the support they need on life changing decisions about their gender.
‘My concern is that those who have a political agenda seem to want to sacrifice the welfare of children on the altar of political correctness and equalities whereas every child needs to be respected and supported in their own right. This is about individuals, not other people’s agendas.’
Trans activist Fox Fisher told MailOnline: ‘Trans youth and trans teenagers are an incredibly vulnerable group that need our support.
Trans activist Fox Fisher told MailOnline: ‘Trans youth and trans teenagers are an incredibly vulnerable group that need our support – the Women’s Minister concerns need to be put into perspective and she needs to look into the actual reality of treatment given to trans people, and she needs to consult with trans organisations and people that work on the ground’
‘There is a big misconception that they are being given treatment such as hormones and surgeries, but trans teens are not given access to any hormones until at least at 16 and surgeries until after 18 years old.
‘The Women’s Minister concerns need to be put into perspective and she needs to look into the actual reality of treatment given to trans people, and she needs to consult with trans organisations and people that work on the ground.
‘It is damaging to imply that trans teens are being given treatment lightly, as behind it are decades of research and best practice. Trans people’s lives are at stake here, and we know what we need.’
The UK’s specialist gender reassignment clinic – Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in London – have seen patients as young as four among the 50 children a week they have asking to change their gender.
Figures released last year revealed two four-year-olds, four children aged five and 17 six-year-olds have been referred to the centre.
The number of pensioners who want to change their birth gender is also slowly increasing year by year, from eight in 2008/09 to 11 in 2015/16.
According to the latest NHS figures, 82 people over the age of 60 underwent surgery to change their gender between 2008 and 2016 – with seven of those 71 or over.
Mrs Atkins – also the drugs minister – was last accused in May of a ‘massive conflict of interest’ after it emerged her husband operates Britain’s largest cannabis farm – albeit perfectly legally.
Her husband, Paul Kenward, is managing director of British Sugar, which last year started growing substantial amounts of marijuana in Norfolk intended for medical use.