A teenage girl who had been living as a boy has spoken out about her struggle with gender confusion and why she has now embraced reality.
At 11 years old, Noor Jontry felt deeply uncomfortable in her body, and cried when learning about the near onset of puberty.
She was surrounded by other children and people on social media who told her if she was experiencing dysphoria, she must have been born in the wrong body.
‘Feelings are feelings’
Youtube and art-sharing website DeviantArt were full of people sharing their stories of ‘transitioning’ and Noor began to believe that hormones and even surgery could help her too.
“You weren’t born in the wrong body because that’s not possible.”
She spoke about her own dysphoria, which stemmed from feeling insecure and weak, saying: “Feeling something doesn’t mean it is true or real. I didn’t understand that at first.”
‘Transphobic’
Prompted by her mother, Noor reluctantly began to research the potential side effects of transitioning, and initially found only positivity surrounding testosterone use for girls.
She said: “All I found was, ‘oh this is safe for you, you’re gonna feel better’.”
But she eventually found articles that talked about the risks – including heart disease and the need for a complete hysterectomy within a few years.
When she told her classmates about the risks she had discovered, she was dismissed as ‘transphobic’.
Manipulative
Noor said she was concerned for parents who are being held to ransom by their kids, who threaten self-harm or suicide unless they are allowed to transition.
She said: “People who are suicidal need help and love, but using suicide as a threat is manipulative and cruel.”
Her advice to girls who think they are boys is: “There’s nothing wrong with your body. To be straightforward, you will never be male.”
She added: “You weren’t born in the wrong body because that’s not possible.”
Love yourself
Noor decided not to medically transition and returned to living as a girl after a friend complained about having to get hormone shots once a month.
As a diabetic who is dependent on regular insulin shots, Noor couldn’t understand why someone would make themselves dependent on shots if it was not medically necessary.
“Feeling something doesn’t mean it is true or real. I didn’t understand that at first.”
She said that some people say it is ‘conversion therapy’ to talk someone out of wanting to hurt themselves.
But she added: “It isn’t conversion therapy to learn to love yourself, or at least, feel like you can live in your own body without hurting it on purpose.”
‘Unwise’
The Christian Institute’s Social Policy Analyst Dr Sharon James said: “There is a growing sense of unease at the lack of wisdom in allowing children and young people to ‘socially transition’ or undergo medical treatment to treat dysphoria.
“Children and young people should be protected from medical interventions that are dangerous both physically and psychologically. To intervene medically is unnecessary and unwise.
“Underage youngsters are not mature enough to make such momentous choices and decisions. It is far wiser to allow puberty to take its natural course.”