Siobhan, a blogger on this site, has posted an article on one Dr Les of Calgary, titled Calgary Physician Calls Transgender People “Demented, Distorted”. She quotes, with links, multiple examples of frighteningly transphobic comments Dr Les has made on his blog or Twitter account.

In the post at the first link Shiv gives, for example, Dr Les dismisses gender identity as a belief that’s ‘soft-headed’, ‘blithering idiocy’, and ‘dangerous bunk’. He also describes the AAP guidelines on care for transgender youth as recommending that transgender children be ‘ushered post-haste down the injurious road to sex reassignment’, which is, quite frankly, a bare-faced lie. (And a very dangerous lie for transgender children whose parents make the mistake of trusting Dr Les to be honest with them on this point and don’t check the guidelines out for themselves to see that this doesn’t remotely represent the advice they give. This dishonest scaremongering could put people off seeking the help their children need.)

This is really bad behaviour from someone who, as a doctor, has a responsibility to show the public a better side. It’s horrifying that he feels it appropriate not only to hold these kinds of bigoted, simplistic beliefs without finding out more, but also to express them in such insulting terms.

You can read more in Shiv’s article; she’s read more of his work than I’d be able to stomach.