In her opinion piece, outgoing Working it Out CEO Lynn Jarvis (Mercury 23 January 2025) outlines what appear to be alarming statistics on suicidality in the so-called LGBTIQA+ community. However, if the survey referred to was conducted online and the participants were self-selected and self-identifying into this group, then it has little to no scientific validity. The sensationalist reporting on youth suicidality also appears to fall foul of Lifeline’s guidelines to alert and not alarm when speaking publicly on suicide.
Working it Out supports social transitioning of ‘trans’ children in Tasmanian schools, including primary schools, and claims that social transitioning does not lead to medical transitioning. This is simply not true; social transitioning is not a neutral intervention and often leads to persistence of gender dysphoria, worsening mental health outcomes for children. Thankfully, trans activist lawyer Chase Strangio admitted under oath in the US Supreme Court that suicide in this youth cohort is extremely rare, and medical intervention in the form of gender affirming care does not reduce the risk of suicide.
Working it Out started out as an organisation advocating for the rights of same-sex attracted people (lesbians, gay men and bisexuals) but which now spends the majority of its time on the latter letters of the acronym, that is, anything to the right of the ‘B’. This is evident in the focus on gender affirmation and transition plans in schools. In taking attention and focus away from those adolescents coming to terms with their same-sex attraction and introducing gender identity concepts to all children at inappropriately young ages, Working it Out seems to be working at counter-purposes to supporting lesbian, gay and bisexual youth to enjoy good mental health.
Elizabeth Caballero
Women Speak Tasmania
Letter to The Mercury