Trans Writers Union have lodged a complaint with the Irish Independent over a published review of the book Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, which they describe as having been “widely discredited by scientific institutions and the trans community.”

On social media, Trans Writers Union shared, “We have emailed the Irish Independent about an article they published this morning at 2.30am. This article is a review of a book that advocates withholding gender-affirming care for trans adolescents, and this article has breached several codes of practice.”

The Union continues that the review, titled Girls who would be boys: the rise in teen gender dysphoria, “is inherently against Principle 8 that the Independent would choose a non-trans writer, with no knowledge of the community, to review a book that effectively and ruthlessly advocates against our happy and safe existence.” Principle 8 relates to the press not publishing material which would stir up hatred against any individuals or groups.

We have emailed the Irish Independent about an article they published this morning at 2.30 am. This article is a review of a book that advocates withholding gender-affirming medical care for trans adolescents, and this article has breached several codes of practice.

— trans writers union (@transwritersu) January 17, 2021

The post from Trans Writers Union provides a link to a Psychology Today article which describes the book, written by Abigail Shrier, as being “full of misinformation.” Author, Jack Turban MD MHS, writes, “The book’s central (and false) premise is that there are massive numbers of transgender youth who are not truly transgender, but rather just confused, and that they are all being rushed into gender-affirming medical interventions and surgeries that they will later regret.

“As a physician and a researcher who has dedicated my career to taking care of and understanding transgender youth, I recognised the book as bizarre and full of misinformation. I assumed it wouldn’t gain much traction. I was wrong. I should have realised the internet has dramatically changed the way politically charged misinformation spreads.”

The Psychology Today feature goes on to say that, amongst other things, author Shrier “did not interview most of the transgender adolescents she wrote about” and “ignores all of the data showing that gender-affirming medical care results in improved mental health outcomes for transgender youth.”

Here is a copy of our complaint. We expect a response from the editor soon. pic.twitter.com/LAXoOKvqEf

— trans writers union (@transwritersu) January 17, 2021

Trans Writers Union continued, “The act of reviewing this book has been in bad faith, and serves to discredit and cast aspersions on the trans community by positing Abigail Shrier as a voice of reason on the matters at hand.”