Jamie Reed

It just struck me when you were speaking about your own experience while you were working at the clinic and you weren't feeling like a whole person. You were having to push away who you really were. It just seemed like it mirrors a lot of the experience of trans people when they are young and not able to... be who they are.

It just struck me when you were speaking about your own experience while you were working at the clinic and you weren't feeling like a whole person. You were having to push away who you really were. It just seemed like it mirrors a lot of the experience of trans people when they are young and not able to... be who they are.

So I think it comes down to then... At this point, Jamie grabbed a notebook and pen on the table and started drawing. On one side of a page, she drew a cluster of dots meant to represent a group of kids. On the other side, she drew just one.

So I think it comes down to then... At this point, Jamie grabbed a notebook and pen on the table and started drawing. On one side of a page, she drew a cluster of dots meant to represent a group of kids. On the other side, she drew just one.

The next morning, Azeen and I arrived at a courthouse in Springfield for the hearing.

The next morning, Azeen and I arrived at a courthouse in Springfield for the hearing.

Inside the room where the hearing was being held, the public seating area was full. About 50 people, a lot of them older, sitting on a few rows of benches. There were people wearing shirts that said, God's disciple and God's children are not for sale. One man told us he was there with his church group.

Inside the room where the hearing was being held, the public seating area was full. About 50 people, a lot of them older, sitting on a few rows of benches. There were people wearing shirts that said, God's disciple and God's children are not for sale. One man told us he was there with his church group.

Azeen pointed to only a few people she recognized as parents from the clinic, seated in the front row. Over the next two days, we would all sit through hours and hours of testimony. The state called on expert witnesses who questioned the role of medical intervention. One was an American psychiatrist who was involved in the early treatment of trans adults in the 70s.

Azeen pointed to only a few people she recognized as parents from the clinic, seated in the front row. Over the next two days, we would all sit through hours and hours of testimony. The state called on expert witnesses who questioned the role of medical intervention. One was an American psychiatrist who was involved in the early treatment of trans adults in the 70s.

And he had worked with the Dutch clinicians like Peggy Cohen Ketnes on the first WPATH guidelines that included recommendations for children and adolescents. But in the time since, he'd grown disillusioned with the field and felt that groups like WPATH had become dominated by politics and ideology rather than by a scientific process.

And he had worked with the Dutch clinicians like Peggy Cohen Ketnes on the first WPATH guidelines that included recommendations for children and adolescents. But in the time since, he'd grown disillusioned with the field and felt that groups like WPATH had become dominated by politics and ideology rather than by a scientific process.

He said that he now believed the Dutch study was too weak to support medical transition for kids. Another witness was a child and adolescent psychiatrist from Sweden. The country had first begun offering care based on the Dutch protocol, but had recently moved to a more cautious approach and now recommended puberty blockers and hormones only in exceptional cases.

He said that he now believed the Dutch study was too weak to support medical transition for kids. Another witness was a child and adolescent psychiatrist from Sweden. The country had first begun offering care based on the Dutch protocol, but had recently moved to a more cautious approach and now recommended puberty blockers and hormones only in exceptional cases.

He testified about similar restrictions that had recently been put in place in other Nordic countries. Through much of this testimony across these two days, the crowd sat quietly, fidgeting, trying to pay attention. That changed when Jamie Reed was called to the stand. People started leaning forward in their seats and whispering to each other. They seemed to know who she was.

He testified about similar restrictions that had recently been put in place in other Nordic countries. Through much of this testimony across these two days, the crowd sat quietly, fidgeting, trying to pay attention. That changed when Jamie Reed was called to the stand. People started leaning forward in their seats and whispering to each other. They seemed to know who she was.

For over two and a half hours, she talked about her experience, walking through many of the claims she made in her affidavit. As the lawyers encouraged her to expand on her account, she said clinicians would pressure parents into treatment by saying things like, would you rather have a dead daughter or a living son?

For over two and a half hours, she talked about her experience, walking through many of the claims she made in her affidavit. As the lawyers encouraged her to expand on her account, she said clinicians would pressure parents into treatment by saying things like, would you rather have a dead daughter or a living son?

She said she believed the rise in demand was being driven by social contagion, that kids were seeking medical care to transition because of what they were seeing on social media or because their friends were doing it. At multiple points, people in the audience muttered to themselves and each other about the treatment that was being described. I saw people shaking their heads a lot.

She said she believed the rise in demand was being driven by social contagion, that kids were seeking medical care to transition because of what they were seeing on social media or because their friends were doing it. At multiple points, people in the audience muttered to themselves and each other about the treatment that was being described. I saw people shaking their heads a lot.