Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria: The Myth and the reality
Hello everyone
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD). Scientific America published an article exploring all the issues with this diagnosis. I want to talk a bit about why this is a problematic diagnosis, the issues with many of the articles which look at this “diagnosis”, and how we can better understand and support transgender teens through supports and research.
ROGD is a theory that people will suddenly identify as trans. The diagnosis was based on two articles, one of which has been retracted, which means the journal acknowledged issues with the article after it was published and they no longer have it on their website. This alone would not be enough to talk about any sort of diagnosis, but because it is quite sensational, ROGD has become a talking point in the media, especially in anti-trans narratives.
The articles which look at ROGD mostly focus on the parents, especially parents who are anti-trans. You cannot get an idea of what the child’s experience is based on the parents; it seems rapid for them because their children aren’t talking to them about their journey. If you want to understand the experiences of transgender adolescents and their journey, talk to the children.
The idea of a social contagion is used to scare people, as though transness is an illness. We saw this in some of the early days of the LGBTQIA+ movement; the idea that homosexuality was contagious. The reality is that people will be more likely to identify as LGBTQIA+ as there is more visibility because they will have the language to describe their identity.
The two main things I have seen around ROGD is that 1) it’s only sudden because the kids aren’t talking to their parents, 2) It feeds into the trans panic we are seeing right now. Just like other queer panics that we have seen in the past in the United States, it trans panic is not based on facts. It is a combination of fear and using the trans community for political points.
What happens if you are talking to a parent or group and they ask about ROGD? I always start with the facts; ROGD is currently NOT an accepted diagnosis in mental health. As mentioned above, just because parents feel that a child identifying as transgender is sudden, it does not mean that the child was suddenly transgender. Often, the person who identifies as transgender has been thinking about this for a long time. There are many resources for trans youth. Here you can find state-specific organizations which support and advocate for transgender individuals.
In summary, ROGD is not a real diagnosis. Currently, it is solely based on two papers, both with methods that are significantly problematic and should not have been published. One of these papers has been retracted. None of this is a good basis for a discussion on how to support transgender youth or youth who are exploring their gender identity and expression. Gender identity and expression is complicated; some people spend their lives trying to figure out what makes sense for them. The best thing we can do is support people through their journey.