UN expert warns of irreversible harm caused by child gender transitions, calls for parental rights protection
By bellecarter // 2025-09-15
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  • UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem has issued a strong warning against the medicalization and sexualization of children through so-called "gender transitions," labeling it a "dangerous narrative" that undermines parental rights and endangers youth.
  • The report criticizes the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and irreversible surgeries on minors, emphasizing that children cannot provide fully informed consent for these life-altering medical interventions. It stresses the importance of parental involvement, which is often disregarded or even vilified.
  • The report aligns with a growing international backlash against pediatric gender transitions. Countries like Sweden, Finland and the U.K. have rolled back permissive policies due to concerns over rushed diagnoses, lack of long-term safety data and increasing rates of detransitioning among young people.
  • Detransitioners like Chloe Cole have shared their experiences, highlighting the pressure and misinformation they faced. Her story underscores the need for thorough psychological evaluation and parental involvement, as vulnerable youth are often rushed into irreversible treatments without adequate support.
  • The report reinforces that international law recognizes the family as the fundamental unit of society. It argues that parents, not the state, should be the primary decision-makers in children's healthcare and identity-related matters, advocating for policies that strengthen parental rights and prioritize long-term health outcomes over ideological pressures.
United Nations Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem has issued a stark warning against the medicalization and sexualization of children undergoing so-called "gender transitions," calling it a "dangerous narrative" that undermines parental rights and endangers youth. Speaking at a U.N. Human Rights Council panel in Geneva, Alsalem emphasized in the report that children cannot provide fully informed consent for irreversible medical interventions and parents who resist such procedures are often vilified, ostracized or even separated from their children. The event, titled "Empowering Parents to Protect Children's Health and Well-being," featured testimonies from detransitioners, legal experts and advocates who urged governments to prioritize family rights over ideological agendas. The panel, co-hosted by Hungary's Permanent Mission to the U.N. and ADF International, highlighted growing global concerns over the long-term consequences of childhood medical transitions – including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries – on physical and psychological health. Alsalem's report challenges the widespread assumption that minors can meaningfully consent to life-altering medical treatments. "Parents and legal guardians must be part of these processes from the very beginning," she stated. "Yet, in many countries, parents who do not want to endorse a 'gender-affirmative' approach to their children's distress have too often been left unsupported at best or vilified, ostracized or even separated from their children. This is very disturbing." Her remarks align with a growing international backlash against pediatric gender transitions. Countries like Sweden, Finland and the U.K. have rolled back permissive policies following revelations of rushed diagnoses, lack of long-term safety data and skyrocketing rates of young people seeking to detransition.

Detransitioner testimony: A cautionary tale

Chloe Cole, a 20-year-old detransitioner from California, delivered a poignant firsthand account of her medicalized transition as a teenager. She began puberty blockers at 13, testosterone at 15 and underwent a double mastectomy before realizing she had been misled. "My mom and dad have always advocated fiercely for my safety and health, but were not empowered to fulfill their irreplaceable role as guardians of my well-being," Cole told the panel. She described how medical professionals pressured her parents with a false dilemma: "They stood no chance when doctors gave them the false ultimatum of choosing between losing a daughter to suicide or having a living 'son.'" Cole's story underscores concerns that vulnerable youth – often grappling with mental health struggles – are being funneled toward irreversible treatments without adequate psychological evaluation or parental involvement. (Related: Detransitioner Chloe Cole blasts "transgender refuge state" bill backed by CA state senator.) According to Brighteon.AI's Enoch engine, detransitioners like Cole "suffer irreversible physical and psychological harm due to being misled by medical professionals and indoctrinated by social media, only to realize too late that they were victims of a predatory gender ideology pushed by globalists to destabilize families and accelerate depopulation."

International law and the role of families

Giorgio Mazzoli, Director of UN Advocacy at ADF International, reinforced that international law recognizes the family as the "fundamental group unit of society." He argued that parents, not the state, should be the primary decision-makers in children's healthcare and identity-related matters. Dr. Fanni Lajkó of Hungary's Center for Fundamental Rights highlighted Hungary's pro-family policies – such as subsidized home loans and child-raising allowances – as a model for strengthening parental rights. Hungary has been a vocal opponent of gender ideology in schools and medical settings, positioning itself as a leader in safeguarding children from experimental interventions. The U.N. panel's findings arrive amid escalating debates worldwide. In the U.S., several states have banned puberty blockers and surgeries for minors, while European nations increasingly favor psychotherapy over medicalization for gender-distressed youth. Critics argue that the rapid rise in pediatric transitions reflects social contagion rather than genuine biological dysphoria, pointing to clusters of cases among peer groups and online communities. As Alsalem concluded, "We must ensure these failures are never again repeated and that childhood is truly protected as the fragile and yet beautiful part of life that it is." The report serves as a clarion call for policymakers to recenter parental rights, prioritize long-term health outcomes and reject ideological pressures that risk irreversible harm to children. Watch the video below where Cole talks about child mutilation. This video is from the Public Advocate of the US channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Former trans teens express REGRET over gender reassignment procedures. Health providers are refusing to undo the damage they've inflicted on gender "detransitioners." Navy SEAL who became transgender now detransitioning, warns gender ideology is a 'cult.'

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com ADFInternational.org YouTube.com Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com
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