Heartbreaking video: Girl (18) regrets gender change
By Stig Even Lillestøl Published January 5, 2023, |
Chloe Cole (18) wanted to be a boy when she was 12 years old. Now she regrets having undergone irreversible gender reassignment treatment.
A tearful Cole opens up about the consequences she has experienced after the treatment she received. She tells her story in a heartbreaking interview with Jordan Peterson.
Cole says, among other things, that she experienced sexual dysfunction at the age of 18.
(The case continues below the video)
In the interview, she says that she feels let down by doctors, counselors, and the system. She believes she was given a lot of incorrect information, and that the process for starting chemical treatment to change gender went far too quickly. Cole says she also felt pressured to take hormones to change her body.
- My parents were told that if they didn't let me take treatment to change my sex, there was a high risk that I would commit suicide. They were also told that very few of those who have undergone such treatment regret it afterward and that there are no other ways to treat me.
Cole says that she struggled a lot with her self-image in her youth. When she reached puberty, she was distraught that she did not develop breasts as large as she had hoped.
Several people in the environment around her also called her "boyish" because of her appearance and demeanor. In social settings, Cole felt she often got along better with the boys. Cole believes this contributed to her feeling uncomfortable in her own body.
- I also feel that I have grown up in a very sex-fixated culture. Instagram in particular created a lot of body pressure for me. Our culture especially celebrates women's bodies with shapes, which I personally did not recognize at the time, says Cole.
Eventually, she came across internet profiles on social media that taught her about the possibilities of gender reassignment. Then she thought that maybe this was right for her. Maybe if she could change her gender, she would be more comfortable and happy with herself, especially with her body.
Today, she regrets that she chose to undergo treatment, and says that she will have to live with serious consequences for the rest of her life. Cole received both hormone therapy and surgery to remove her breasts.
Cole says that as a 12-year-old she was unable to consent to the treatment she received.
Peterson then emphasizes that consent requires the person to understand exactly what he or she is consenting to.
(The case continues below the video)
Peterson, who is a clinical psychologist, says that a person should go through weekly therapy for at least half a year before it can even be relevant to give medical treatment to a person who is uncomfortable with their own body and their own gender.
Peterson also warns against laws that mean that health personnel in many countries today are required to agree with their patients when they say they want to change sex.
- This is the end of psychotherapy if you ask me.
Peterson says it's not unusual for youth to feel much of what Cole felt when she was younger. Therefore, it is a shame that adults have helped to give her hormone therapy and operations to treat completely ordinary feelings.
- The carelessness of these people who allowed this not only borders on the criminal, but it actually crosses the line, says an upset Peterson.
Cole responds by saying that the problems she had were psychological, and therefore should not be treated with chemical intervention or surgery.
Today she struggles with bleeding and structural collapse of her breasts. She may never be able to have children either. Cole also says she experiences sexual dysfunction.
You can watch the entire two-hour conversation between Chloe Cole and Jordan Peterson here:
By Stig Even Lillestøl
