Commenting on the study on Twitter, lead researcher Dr Ching-Fang Sun said: “The decreasing mean age of gender dysphoria diagnosis suggests the emergence of a generation embracing gender diversity. It is important for parents to feel comfortable discussing gender-related topics with their children with a non-judgmental stance.”

I tend to agree with this sentiment from my personal experience. I’m someone who is older but didn’t really start dissecting my feelings of gender dysphoria until much later in life (mid to late 30s), though looking back at my life through a trans lens really starts to focus and highlight those feelings of dysphoria that started when I was 8-10 years old.

Makes sense that “diagnosis” age averages are falling when Trans and or Queer Kids growing up today have so much access to information to help put words to their feelings, combined with an increased access to treatment options.

Young me would try to argue with them because I thought I could change their mind / opinions.

Even trying to kill them with kindness doesn’t get them to change the way they feel or act.

So I just blissfully ignore them. I can’t control what people say about me, or what people think about me, what I can control is whether or not I let their feelings affect my emotional state. I just try to be best most honest version of myself, sometimes I fall short of that, but generally I treat people how I want to be treated. And if they reply with hatred, or disrespect then I cut them out of my life as much as I can 😊