Keira Bell – A Path I Can’t Undo

Okay, well I'm here today with the Detransitioner Awareness Day with a friendly face from the UK Kiros lovely to see you having me Well, it wasn't my decision to be to be frank What brings you to? the Washington today Well, I think it's important that progress is made in finding solutions for detransitioners You know having that direct contact with clinicians and doctors so I'm here to kind of just express my my story again and Hopefully interact with some of these clinicians and make progress in helping detransitioners move forward I I don't want you to to to feel you have to rush through it And I'm sure you're sick of saying it but for people who don't know for people may be watching in the States What is your story so I was a tomboy growing up I had a pretty rough start in life traumatic sort of background Number of issues I mean everything from sexual abuse to neglect And I was quite a sensitive kid. So when I was 16, I Decided that oh, actually I was 15 Decided that I wanted to go down the path of Transitioning to to become a boy And I ended up at the Tavistock at the age of 16 I had four appointments there before I was referred for puberty blockers I was on those for a couple of years and then moved on to testosterone at age 17 and I ended up having a double mastectomy at age 20 and This is a nutshell by the way, yeah, no, there's so much to it. I would have to be here all day, but Yeah, and I'm sorry to put you through it because it's I'm sure I don't know I but one of the things I love about you Kira is that you you seem to live with each with with the Transitioning in a very easy way. I know you often like grow out your facial hair, you know, that kind of thing doesn't seem to Upset you or you know, you seem very chill about everything But is there I don't know What's happened at the fact that kids are still being led down this road, of course, I mean I'm perpetually angry about this along with many other injustices in the world. I mean, this is just one of many but I mean it's interesting you say that about you know, like the facial hair and Appearing as though I'm living easily easily with it. And I mean, I think is that accurate? I just think it's um, sometimes a misconception that it's the Like the physical effects of testosterone that were were traumatic in a way You know, you could argue that I I dealt with a level of gender dysphoria and that doesn't necessarily go away immediately I think the point of me deciding to stop the transition was more, you know, you're thinking long-term You're thinking about what this is actually doing to your body the spiritual side You know my life and and where I wanted to go so Yeah, it's been very confusing. But I think you know, I'm past that point now where I feel like I You know, I'm trying to differentiate myself from those thoughts of Any sort of inkling of gender dysphoria or anything like that. So I've managed it pretty well Getting better at it. So So yeah, you know just for Just for reference. I had ended up having laser hair removal. So I am so I've kind of dealt with it and And I feel better for it. Yeah Well, you know, I think you're one of the best ambassadors we could have you've always been so eloquent about this and I don't see Anyone how anyone could see your story and not realize that this is a disaster, you know This is a disaster what's happening to people but thank you very much and enjoy the rest of the conference Okay