This is a very tricky question. On the surface, it seems a kind and fair policy to allow trans folk into these roles. Yet there’s more to it than just inclusion.
Many people who live a transgender lifestyle do not bring that lifestyle to the workplace. It’s an identity they hold with friends and within the trans community. A personal fetish, private escape or hobby. Most others in the workplace simply wouldn’t know.
Yet more people are reporting that those at the extreme end of trans ideology are being employed in health and education. These people are often on hormones and many have had surgery. Unlike the previous group, they bring their ideology proudly, loudly and with certain demands to the workplace.
Biological rights like single sex bathrooms are challenged. Preferred pronouns are enforced and these folk are sometimes promoted because of their diversity, not because of merit. Inclusion and kindness goes way too far.
What does the research say?
Researchers in Psychiatry from Seattle’s University of Washington and others from the Cleveland Clinic Ohio, studied 10,270 transgender patients with a median age range of 35-39 years; the average working age. Now this isn’t a small sample. It’s frightening that such a sample size exists at all.
From this sample, 5,940 individuals or 58% had at least one psychiatric diagnosis compared with 13.6% of the control population of over 53 million non-trans people.
In other words, transgender folks are 4.5 times more likely to have a psychiatric disorder compared to non-trans people.
However…
That psychiatric disorder was likely present before the individual became transgender. Puberty blockers, hormones and surgery simply couldn’t fix their mental turmoil. They needed individualised psychiatric care often paired with family guidance, not drugs and surgery.
So… Teaching? Nursing? Childcare?
Looking at the research, it seems employing a transgender individual is not the best option for employers in childcare, teaching or health. Non student or patient facing roles may be more appropriate and publicly acceptable.
It’s true that most extreme trans individuals have been deceived into gender ideology activism. They may have been vulnerable and troubled kids who just wanted a way out. Searching for a tribe, transgender seemed cool and accepting. The individuals can’t be blamed for reaching for the trans lifeboat, even though it was more a lieboat than a lifeboat.
HR considerations aside, it is the public optics that loom large. Would parents who have access to research like that above, enrol their child in a centre waving the trans flag? You be the judge.
A cut-down version from Philtered: Is Trans a Mental Illness: https://phildye.substack.com/p/is-trans-a-mental-illness