Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, August 14, 2020
Underage Maui Girl Gets Sex Change Hormones--ACLU Celebrates Court Victory
By News Release @ 3:06 PM :: 3471 Views :: Maui County, Family

HOW RECEIVING HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY BEFORE I WAS 18 LET ME BE MYSELF

by Kellin Ketchum, August 14, 2020, News Release from Hawaii ACLU

August 14, 2020 is the anniversary of my case to receive Hormone Replacement Therapy as a minor in Hawai‘i.

Here is my story: When I was about 14 years old in eighth grade, I came out as female to male (FTM) transgender. One of my earliest memories I have of me realizing that my gender identity didn’t match the one I was assigned at birth was when I was six years old. Of course, I did not know this at the time. It was slip-n-slide day at King Kamehameha III School. When it was time to change into our swimsuits, my kindergarten classroom split us apart based on our gender —boys on one side, girls on the other. I immediately ran over to the boys’ side of the classroom and just like everyone else, I began to change into my swimsuit. Some of the boys turned around and gave me a weird, uncomfortable look but it didn’t faze me so I just continued to change. My kindergarten teacher rushed over, tightly gripped my arm and dragged me to the other side of the room. I was stunned! I didn’t understand what the huge deal was and why I was suddenly put with the group of girls. That’s when I first realized there's a difference between what society considers “female” and “male.”

Photo #1

King Kamehameha III School, Lahaina (DoE Photo)

Unfortunately — as I’ve experienced all too much — most people who are uneducated about transgender and gender non-conforming individuals won’t use the preferred pronouns for them if they don’t physically look like the binary male or female gender they identify as.

Before starting Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), it was often really hard for people to use male pronouns for me. Even though gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same thing, people would see me as a “lesbian” rather than a man. Their response when I would correct them would be, “Oh, I’m sorry it’s just you look so much like a girl,” or “You can’t get mad when you look like a woman transitioning into a man,” which are all just harmful excuses.

Today, I receive much better treatment as a trans male because I am now perceived as cisgender male. Not nearly as many people make remarks to me anymore such as, “It’s just a phase,” or that I’m “confused” because I’ve been living as male for the past six years. I’ve noticed how people treat me better because I appear more cisgender.

I understand why some parents or guardians are hesitant for their trans child to start hormones before they’re eighteen. I can say there is nothing else I have ever been surer of other than when I wanted to start testosterone. I knew I couldn’t wait that long. I was transitioning as much as I could without hormones or surgeries yet it was so painful to face every day in a body that I felt detached from. All I wanted was to go through a second puberty.

I’m so very grateful for the ACLU and Mateo Caballero, my attorney and Legal Director of ACLU Hawai‘i, for representing me in the case to receive HRT as a minor. Mateo flew off-island to all my court hearings and even after the case was won, he came out to dinner with my family and me — we even still keep in touch. The ACLU made sure I received the best help for my case and hired psychiatrist Dr. Dennis Darcy Banks. He was very perspicacious, thorough, and we made a lot of progress very quickly. After our sessions together, Dr. Banks wrote on my behalf a very powerful and substantial letter that would greatly help me in this case.

DENNIS D'ARCY BANKS, M.D., J.D., FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, MAUI PSYCHIATRY L.L.C., DOCTOR, ADVISOR, TEACHER; CONSULTANT TO BUSINESSES [FOR PROFIT AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT, ACADEMIC FACILITIES AND BOARDS OF EDUCATION] PAR EXCELLENCE

Dr. Dennis Darcy Banks

This case allowed me to socially transition to where I feel comfortable in my appearance and has relieved me of a lot of societal pressures, such as feeling uncomfortable in public restrooms, being misgendered from first glance. I was able to further physically transition into the man who I’ve always imagined myself to be. Now I’m 19 years old and about three years on testosterone, and I can finally look in a mirror and feel like I can recognize myself.

I want to share my story because there has always been this misconception that you don’t know what is best for you until you’re 18. What it comes down to is no one will know you or your body better than yourself and there shouldn’t be an age limit put on. Love your child as they are. It’s okay to let your child make this decision. Even if they change their mind — ultimately, it’s their body.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT