kids who identify as a different gender at a young age rarely regret their decision

the study, published in the journal pediatrics , is part of a larger research initiative called the trans youth project, which tracks over 300 trans kids in the u.s. and canada. the children involved in the project all went through a social transition between the ages of three and 12. (social transition can mean different things to different people, but it generally involves some combination of taking on new pronouns, new clothing or hairstyles, and a new name.) the average transition age of the children involved in the research is six and a half.

“there’s this sort of idea that the kids are going to be starting those things and that they’re going to change their minds,” the study’s leader, princeton psychologist kristina olson, told the new york times . “and at least in our sample, we’re not finding that.”

matches previous research

“trans kids are showing strong identities and preferences that are different from their assigned sex,” lead author selin gülgöz told the university of washington’s news outlet at the time. “there is almost no difference between these trans- and cisgender kids of the same gender identity — both in how, and the extent to which, they identify with their gender or express that gender.”

the 2019 study found that young kids who showed gender nonconformity were more likely to socially transition — meaning, as the atlantic explained it , boys who were very feminine were most likely to be living as girls two years later, across all class and political backgrounds.

“i think this wouldn’t surprise parents of trans kids, and my findings are often ‘duh’ findings for them,” olson told the magazine . “it seems pretty intuitive.”

backlash against gender-affirming care for kids

the last few years have seen a number of articles published in mainstream news outlets about children and teens regretting their choice to transition, something advocates say is exceedingly rare . framing something so statistically unlikely as a major crisis is disingenuous, trans groups say, when accessing trans health care is still so difficult. “it is almost a universal that transgender people wish they could transition sooner or were born the right gender to begin with,” amanda kerri wrote in the advocate about one of the most widely-reviled articles about trans kids, which emphasized detransition above all else.

the research also comes amid a wave of legislation in the u.s. that aims to criminalize doctors and parents who help provide affirming care to trans children. it’s a felony for doctors to treat trans kids in alabama, while texas, tennessee and arkansas have severely limited or outright banned gender-affirming care. one texas woman who works for the state’s child protective services agency was placed on leave earlier this year while she was under investigation for having a trans daughter.