by Leonard Sax (@unfragilekids)
I launched my family medical practice in Montgomery County, Maryland, in March 1990. The practice grew to over 7,000 patients before I sold it to my associate in 2008, when my family and I moved to Pennsylvania. I knew my 7,000 plus patients well. They confided in me and shared their secrets. Many were gay or lesbian. How many were transgender? Not one.
Today, transgender individuals are common. But as recently as 17 years ago, they were rare. In 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) noted that, “There are no recent epidemiological studies on prevalence of Gender Identity Disorder [in the United States]. Data from smaller countries in Europe with access to total population statistics and referrals suggest that roughly 1 per 30,000 adult males and 1 per 100,000 adult females seek sex-reassignment surgery” (in 1994, the official term was “Gender Identity Disorder”).
