Brown University and PLoS ONE: Defend academic freedom and scientific inquiry

Disgraceful message to send about academic freedom. We need good-quality research into this topic.

When I grew up there was no internet or easy access to information of any sort (not just medical), but I do know that I did not fit the stereotypical 'model' of girl - which seemed to bother some boys but mostly bothered girls and parents. I am fairly sure that if I was at school today I would be sent down the route of no return as adults always spoke the 'truth' & my parents said it was not their job to teach me but the school's. I 'woke' up far too late in life to realise that adults: lie to your face (even those in positions of trust); are not interested in doing the 'right' thing; and far too much of life is about not rocking the 'boat' (though do boats really rock?). I expect academia to be able to undertake non-coercive research as I know that I would have been too young to have known what I was doing (not enough life experience) to make such an extreme life-changing decision. No, this does not mean I am transphobic, just very concerned about the irreversible damage at such a young age.

Issues with the methodology? Do more, better research and show how the observable facts support your point of view. Don't silence academics for telling uncomfortable truths.

I am a physical chemist, and grossly concerned with the decision of Brown University to suppress the work of Dr. Littman based on political pressure. This sets a terrible precedent and is clearly being done to intimidate both Dr, Littman and other researchers from pursuing avenues of understanding that are not politically favored by activists. This is not how science and academic rigor work. Please reconsider your actions.

Rigourous scientific debate and the challenging of previously held truths is an integral part of a modern nations ability to innovate, promote mental health and live well.

When University censor academic study and discussion, that University become redundant and useless, there is no room for Brown as an institution if it can't represent a broad spectrum of enquiry, evaluation and debate. Please Brown University, stop pandering to feelz and stand up for the right of rigorous academic research and debate.

It is in everyone's interests, but especially young people's, that genuinely unbiased, rigourous research be carried out without fear of suppression or smearing, whatever the findings.

I am neutral on the subject but find it alarming that a study with no obvious methodology errors should be censored.

We know that adolescents, particularly girls, can be vulnerable to harmful social contagions. There are many examples including self harm, anorexia, bulimia, suicide. No one has ever suggested researching such phenomena is 'bigoted'. Yet the entirely new phenomena of thousands of adolescents, particularly girls, suddenly 'coming out' as 'transgender' at precisely the time the entirely new phenomena of social media has rapidly spread across the world is not to be questioned? Despite the complete lack of a comparable cohort of middle aged women declaring themselves 'trans'? Nobody who actually cares about the health and well being of young people would object to research in this area. To object to research is totalitarian in the extreme and a danger to all. Such calls must be resisted if academia is to have any credibility on any issue.

It is important that this research is done and that it is made public. The sheer scale of the rise in young women identifying as trans is alarming. I know of two other parents in my very small community who have had a teen suddenly decide they are trans only to desist after a few years. Once the most tumultuous period of adolescence was over. Both are autistic. The correlation with autism and trans identity is concerning. You can not just simply say that these kids are trans because they say they are. The corrolation between trans identity and same sex attraction is also concerning. You can not just ignore these facts. This research is important.

The founding values of academe include a commitment to free inquiry. These actions promote the opposite: a censorious clampdown on research. Let us not throw those values away.

Academia needs to be a place where all things are discussed not simply driven by the current zeitgeist. If the science is flawed let the peer review community prove it.

We support Dr. Littman and his study

I am appalled that a significant academic research study like this is being suppressed by your university just because trans activists object to it. Please think again and reinstate it

Suppressing research does not improve our understanding.

Good work Dr Littman.

We need to have this conversation and we need this research. Data is not transphobic. Research is not transphobic. Facts are not transphobic. Concern about girls is not transphobic. If acedemic research is stifled in this way on this subject. What’s next?

I am a lesbian, and my personal experience growing up in a homophobic society with very little positive media coverage of lesbian people, is that I too wished I was a boy or a successful, attractive male for a brief period (around 6 or 7 years old) so that I would be accepted for liking women and be successful in the world. I would dream that I would be magically turned into a man at night. Children pick up cues from the media and their environment well. I knew there would be (and there has been) intense prejudice towards me for living my life and being with a woman. However, my parents were very accepting of my gender presentation. I wore t-shirts and pants growing up, and was never forced to wear dresses. I played with mechanics, science and trucks. I would secretly dress in shirts, ties, and draw on fake beards. I identified more with boy friends. After a while, being around women who had similar interests (although heterosexual) I grew up into someone who loves her womanhood and every part of her body, and is also a proud lesbian. I love what my body does for me, and how powerful, healthy, and strong it is. I hope that other lesbian girls who face the same societal pressures will be lucky enough, to be able to maintain their health, not have it harmed by surgery and drugs, and to live life as proud women.

Just becuase a tiny section of the community has won the race to the bottom of the oppression ladder does not invalidate research. I am disgusted by the behaviour of Brown.

Not everyone has positive results from medical transition. This needs to be studied. If it turns out to be false, so be it, but we won't know unless it's studied.