A Democratic lawmaker from Pennsylvania recently interviewed a Pittsburgh-based pediatrician who describes himself as an “LGBTQIA advocate” and admitted some transgender-identified children can begin to “transition” their sexual identities as young as 10 years old.
Dr. Gerald Montano, medical director of the Gender and Sexuality Development Program at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, made the admission during an April conversation with Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Penn.), who asked the board-certified pediatrician what “gender-affirming care” looks like for 5-year-old and 10-year-old patients experiencing gender dysphoria.
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While Montano said 5-year-old children would be sent to therapists to explore their dysphoria and “make them feel comfortable with how they feel about themselves,” he did acknowledge 10 year olds may receive medical intervention, which he claimed is “safe” despite a recent warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revealing puberty-blocking drugs could come with serious side effects, including swelling of the brain.
“For a 10 year old, that really depends on where they are in puberty because for some people — especially those who are assigned female at birth — they might start having signs of puberty,” said the doctor. “And then there is a discussion on whether or not puberty blockers may be warranted for that individual because they can become really distressed if they’re starting to develop secondary sex characteristics that really distresses them.”
Montano told Frankel the vast majority of gender dysphoric children wouldn’t be eligible for surgery until they turned 18 years old. He did, however, note that some could receive “top surgery” — the removal of breasts for females who want to present as males — while they are still minors.
He said an underage female choosing to have her breasts removed is “intensely personal decision” that ought to be made between the child, her parents, and medical professionals.
“Not every transgender person or gender non-binary individuals need to go through surgery,” Montano explained. “And again, at the end of the day, it’s an intensely personal decision that they have to take to make themselves feel affirmed in their gender identity.”
The Pittsburgh doctor’s interview with Frankel emerged amid backlash aimed at Boston Children’s Hospital after it promoted what it referred to as “gender-affirming hysterectomies” for young girls who identify as transgender.
In a video the hospital has since removed from its YouTube account, Dr. Frances Grimstad, who works for the hospital’s division of gynecology, said, “A gender-affirming hysterectomy is very similar to most hysterectomies that occur. A hysterectomy itself is the removal of the uterus, the cervix — which is the opening of the uterus — and the fallopian tubes, which are attached to the sides of the uterus.”
Another video featured Dr. Jeremi Carswell, director of the Gender Multispecialty Service at BCH, claiming children “will often know that they’re transgender from the moment that they have any ability to express themselves, and parents will often tell us this.” She went on to argue that a child refusing to have his or her haircut, expressing a desire to play with a certain toy, or trying on a sibling’s clothing is indicative of transgenderism.
Dr. Kerry McGregor, a psychologist and associate director of the Gender Multispecialty Service at BCH, argued in yet another clip that “a good portion of children do know as early as from the womb.” The doctor did not explain how she or any medical professional could obtain such knowledge from pre-born child.
CBN’s Faithwire reached out to BCH for comment. We have not yet received a response.
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