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An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing
Published on: October 25, 2019
Age-not sex or gender-makes the case of Ellie Anderson Complex
Elizabeth Lanphier1,2, Shannon Fyfe3,4
1Ethics Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA elizabeth.lanphier@cchmc.org.
Abstract:
In 'The Complex Case of Ellie Anderson', Joona Rasanen and Anna Smajdor raise several ethical questions about the case. One question asks, but does not answer, whether Ellie faced discrimination for being transgender when her mother was not allowed access to Ellie's sperm following her death. In raising the question, the authors imply anti-trans bias may have influenced this determination. However, this inference is not supported by current ethical and legal guidance for posthumous use of gametes, with which Ellie's case is consistent. We consider the authors' responses to their other ethical queries, and how their suggestions for what options might have been available to Ellie and her family are instructive for addressing attempts in the USA and UK to restrict minors' access to gender-affirming medical treatment, including puberty-blocking therapy.
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