The shock set in the moment they found the GP’s letter, left open in the kitchen beside the kettle. It was an autumn morning in 2018 when Caroline Litman’s husband, Peter, rushed upstairs to confess to his wife that he’d glimpsed the letter to their 16-year-old. It raised the possibility that the anxiety their child had been suffering might stem from “gender dysphoria”. Over the past four years, their teenager — who had been born a boy — had retreated inwards and no longer seemed happy and carefree. Frantic with worry, the Litmans had asked whether bullying or sexuality were the cause, but they’d never thought to raise the subject of gender identity.

Source: The Times March 09, 2025 20:00 UTC