A three-part ITV documentary on transsexual surgery has been criticised for ignoring stories of those who regret the radical changes to their bodies.
Transformation Street – a series of one hour programmes – focused on a private surgery in London headed by a doctor who advocates operating on young children.
The Christian Institute said it was “three hours of propaganda” which portrayed transsexual surgery in an almost entirely positive manner.
‘Everything I want’
Containing explicit nudity, the programme featured one person saying: “I’ve got no interest in my penis, I want my vagina please”.
The film makers also followed a male and female couple – living as two women – as the man tried on a wedding dress. “I’ve got everything now that I could want”, he said.
Juno Dawson, who featured prominently in episode two, wrote on Twitter: “Huge kudos to Renegade TV for bending over backwards to portray us accurately”.
At the end of series, viewers are told both about how many people seek “medical help” for transsexualism, and the length of NHS waiting lists.
Regret
TV critic Sam Wollaston, writing for The Guardian, questioned whether the clinic is “cashing in” on the increase in people seeking transsexual surgery.
Ciarán Kelly, Deputy Director of The Christian Institute, said the programme “painted an appallingly one-sided picture”.
“Transformation Street didn’t tell the stories of the many people who regret their surgery. People like Walt Heyer, Elan Anthony and others.
“It made no mention of the increase in incidents of ‘de-transitioning’ where people accept and revert back to their birth sex bodies.
“Instead we got three hours of propaganda about how brilliant radical transsexual surgery is. People struggling with their gender need help to come to terms with their biology – not to go under the knife.”