It’s bullshit.
Let’s talk about what it’s not first:
It’s NOT an actual medical diagnosis. This means Rapid Onset gender dysphoria, which I will refer to as ROGD from now on, is not in the DMS5.
It’s NOT supported by credible associations, such as the American Psychology Association and WPATH.
Oh, and it’s also not real.
So if it’s not real, then what exactly is it?
Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria was a term created and studied by Lisa Littman, a former assistant professor at Brown University School of Public Health. In August of 2018, Littman released a ‘study’ in support of the term. ROGD is defined by Littman as gender dysphoria that occurs in children during puberty but is influenced by outside sources, such as the internet or peer groups.
According to Littman’s hypothesis, the difference between ROGD and gender dysphoria is that ROGD shows signs during major changes in puberty, and gender dysphoria usually shows signs earlier in childhood. Oh, and also that ROGD is a phenomenon caused by outside sources, so it isn’t actual dysphoria.
The REAL definition of gender dysphoria is simply the feeling of disconnect a person feels to their assigned gender at birth.
What was so incorrect about the study?
Besides the entire basis of the study being an attempt to create a term to gaslight young dysphoric children into believing their struggles are illegitimate, there’s a lot to touch with this topic.
The Sources
The sources Littman used for information weren’t first-hand sources. No one in this study that was surveyed actually experienced ROGD- The only people surveyed were parents of dysphoric children. The worst part about the sources is that all of the participants were surveyed from three trans-critical websites: 4thwavenow.com, transgendertrend.com, and youthtranscriticalprofessionals.org (now inactive). So pretty much a bunch of cis transphobes participated in a study regarding trans people; I’m sure you can all see where this is going.
By the end of the survey, there were only 256 total participants.
Regardless of any way that you look at this study, you cannot confidently conduct a credible study on a diagnosis you wish to bring attention to without at least attempting to hear from people you believe suffers from it.
The Results
82% of the parents surveyed stated that their children were assigned female at birth, which means AFAB and AMAB children aren’t equally represented here.
Some of the results I can’t help but find slightly amusing. Littman’s study found that 46.6% of trans teens would only seek information regarding dysphoria from sources that were trans-supportive.
Duh? Why would anyone want to research a condition that they believe they have and take advice from someone who doesn’t support the treatment needed? I assume Littman included this statistic as a way to make it seem as if those sources are persuading your children into misinformation, but the irony of that hurts my head so I’m not gonna stand my ground too much on that statement, it’s just a guess.
The most hilarious and saddening part of the findings is that 49.2% of those parents report their children “trying to isolate themselves from their families.”
I think that if my parents tried to gaslight me out of my transition, I’d be a bit closed off from them too. No one is telling your kids to stop talking to you, it’s just the consequences of your own actions.
Why is this important?
ROGD is important to discredit because misinformation like this is exactly the kind of thing that prevents transgender people, children and adults alike, from receiving gender-affirming medical care. Trans kids are told to, ‘wait it out’ since it could be a temporary phase, and those same children grow into adults who never get to authentically express themselves.
Take it from a transgender person- there is a lot of difference between feeling gender dysphoria and feeling awkward during puberty. Puberty wasn’t awkward or weird for me- it was mentally and emotionally draining though. It made me cry, it made me angry. It took a toll on my mental health to watch my body grow incorrectly, and you simply can not brush away the distress that transgender people go through as some trend they’ll get over.
Many sources have taken this ‘study’ and run with the term as a way to support their anti-trans views. For example, The infamous PragerU sources it in their (gross) Youtube video “Why Girls Become Boys”. This video places blame on friends and social media influences for the feelings of dysphoria, even claiming that sources are promoting teens transitioning because it’ll solve all their issues. That’s simply incorrect and really weird.
It was restudied in November 2021…It’s still not real.
The Journal Of Pediatrics decided to conduct a study after Littman to see the legitimacy of her hypothesis. They stated they found, “Among adolescents under age 16 years seen in specialized gender clinics, associations between more recent gender knowledge and factors hypothesized to be involved in rapid onset gender dysphoria were either not statistically significant, or were in the opposite direction to what would be hypothesized.”
Parents are supposed to keep their kids safe, and for many, that is their first priority. It is important to also prioritize understanding. If parents of gender-questioning children do not do the proper research in the correct places, the mental well-being of their child is at stake.
Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria is simply a term currently used by people and organizations who are wanting to prevent children from exploring their transgender identity. The origins of the term are unreliable, and its been disproven by people much more qualified to conduct studies like these than Littman. It’s important to be sure of who you are before you transition, but it is even more important to be able to explore yourself in a safe environment while figuring it all out.
And most importantly — you can discover you are trans at any age, and you are not any less valid than other trans people for discovering your true self later than they did.
