I'm under no delusion that every person, particularly to the right of the political spectrum, has the best of intentions when it comes to detransition stories. I'm sure that a lot of people on the right see detransitioners as nothing more than a useful tool to make a point.
That said, it's sad that the only real compassion for these human beings comes from philosophical conservatives and libertarians. Some of us talk to detransitioners, and talk about their stories, because they're real people and most of them have been wronged. Most detransitioners aren't adults who made decisions that they regret. Most of them started transitioning well before legal adulthood.
It's also no mystery why the illiberal Left is so vicious toward detransitioners, why they refuse to listen, why the spectrum of response is along the lines of denial and ridicule -- they view trans people as useful tools. This is also why Media Matters listed Blaire White as anti-LGBTQ, and they refer to Thomas Sowell as "Uncle Thomas" -- they think that trans and black people are supposed to think a certain way; and, when they don't, it throws a hitch in their get along.
Detransitioners also prove that much of what they claim is a lie.
How many illiberal Leftists have you seen claim that we're not performing surgeries on kids, or that stopping puberty blockers and hormones is like flipping a switch? How many people called Abigail Shrier a transphobe because of her book Irreversible Damage? Even a lawyer at the ACLU voiced his devotion to make the book go away. After you spend years insisting that there is no danger to kids within this ideology, KC Miller either can't exist, or must be hounded out of existence. That's a lot easier than admitting to the lies, or that some people may be harmed by your philosophy.
I'm already anticipating the responses. I welcome any and all detractors to come at me, and make an ass out of yourself. Most will just call me a "transphobe." That won't bother me, because I know it's not true; and, it's always nice to be hated by somebody who has an IQ beneath room temperature.
The other reliable response is to point out that detransition is rare. Well, I don't care. People are being harmed by people with bad morals and lies. It's far too common a story among detransitioners, especially girls who were transitioning to boys, that they were victims of sexual abuse at a young age, and has mental health problems, and some jackasses decided to streamline the process of getting their breasts removed and pump them full of drugs. If that were only happening to one person, it would still be an unspeakable evil, that should be punished.
The reality is that anybody who leads with numbers on this issue is seeking an excuse to not talk about this issue. I won't take that excuse. We have to talk about this. This is an issue of adults altering the bodies of children. This is about how we understand consent as a culture.
I know that illiberal people love to make statements, and then quickly close the door to any real discussion. If the door needs to be kicked open here, I'll kick it.