50 Chapter 3 Furthermore they mentioned that in order to be able to obtain long-term data, one person needs to be the first to undergo the treatment that needs evaluation, as these adolescents described: “If I were in charge I would definitely offer treatment with puberty suppression because that would make research feasible; people could sign up for studies in order to investigate possible consequences.” - Interview with a transgirl; age: 14;5 The adolescents who were interviewed were more than willing to be that first person. Conceptualization of sex and gender in the media The third theme consists of two separate aspects. Increased media-attention, on television and on the internet The topic regarding the increased media-attention emerged during the interviews with the gender dysphoric adolescents and during the interviews with the professionals during a previous study (Vrouenraets et al., 2015). It was not mentioned before in the relevant literature. In the last decade transgender individuals have become visible in the media. Many television programs, films, magazines, newspapers, and the internet have paid attention to GD in children, adolescents, and adults. Recent examples are the documentary series in the Netherlands called ‘He is a she’ featured in 2014, and again in 2016; the films The Danish Girl (2016), Boys Don’t Cry (1999), and Boys Meet Girl (2014); and the dozens of sites on the internet that provide information on GD and transgenderism (Zucker et al., 2008). Some adolescents and professionals were positive about the increasing media-attention for transgender minors, others raised doubts about it. Some adolescents and professionals stated that this media-attention enables many transgender individuals to recognize their gender dysphoric feelings. They also stated that they had learned they were not the only ones having these feelings: “Thanks to media coverage I learned that gender dysphoria exists; that someone can have these feelings and that you can get treatment for it. […] Beforehand I thought I was the only one like this.” - Interview with a transboy; age: 18;11 “In my opinion the increasing media-attention is positive. I think that many transgender individuals only realise they are transgender after watching such television programs.” - Interview with a transgirl; age: 13;11
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