This man realizing in real time that he doesn't "switch off" and probably needs to take care of his mental health more is sending me. If you read this Dr. Bellringer, please take care of yourself!
I’m a physician in the United States. The day I stop worrying about how my patients are doing under my care is the day I do something else for a living. Our Oath is who we ARE. Not just something we state when we become physicians.
Yes, Dr. Bellringer, you perform life-saving surgeries for a severely under-served group of people, you are so very valuable to the community and we need people like you around, so please take care of yourself
Mr Bellringer operated on me 11 years ago. I suffered with a lot of post-op complications and Mr Bellringer was there for me every step of the way. I developed uro-sepsis and I had a pretty serious pot operative bleed - but he was so calm and gentle looking after me. I have been blessed to have been taken care of by this man and his team. He changed my life - and I would do it again, complications and all for the same result in a heartbeat.
@@VixGranger There are not many jobs when a person can go home at the end of the day and say I saved a life today. Thank the universe for people like Mr. Bellringer, we need more people like him. I'm glad you're good now.
My GP just denied me hormone therapy (or even blockers) after waiting for 4 years because of her personal views on where I should be in my transition and how it should look to her. Caring and understanding doctors like this guy really give me hope
@@Nicky_TM her personal views don't matter. More than anything she's tarnishing her own name and she needs to act like a professional. Call her out for refusing to help you.
@@notyourordinarygran GPs don't prescribe hormones to transgender patients, what they're supposed to do - legally - is refer you to a gender identity clinic where you'll be on a waiting list for x years before you're diagnosed by two specialists as having gender dysphoria & then you can see an endocrinologist & start hormone replacement therapy. 1/7 GPs unfortunately do not perform their legal duty to refer patients due to their transphobic personal beliefs. If you're wanting one such example of a trans woman dealing with this process, watch Philosphy Tube's video "I emailed my doctor 133 times: The crisis in the British healthcare system". GPs aren't qualified to give a medical opinion on whether a patient has gender dysphoria, they are GENERAL practitioners & their purpose is to refer people to specialists - you may have only been to the GP for small issues, like influenza for example, however their job typically is to be your entry point for further investigation (for example, when I was suffering from long COVID my GP was my entry point to be referred to hospital to have x-rays, MRIs, etc. & have examinations from specialists). There are less than 100 practising specialists diagnosing at the moment & the vast majority are doctorates (have a PhD) in psychology/psychiatry & have to be registered as qualified to diagnose gender dysphoria. There's a reason why (as a trans woman myself having experienced this system paying for private care - my HRT date is in November, after starting this process in February) you wait months for appointments & these clinics only cater to small batches of people at a time.
As someone with trans friends, and who considers himself an ally, I found this interview incredibly positive, and helpful in building my understanding. Thank you.
He wasnt my surgeon but he works at the same hospital. The couple days of my recovery week where my surgeon wasnt working he took over for her, meaning he was the one who had to repetitively feel at my bladder and decide my catheter was reinserted. Catheter insertion was one of the most painful things ive ever experienced but at least he got it over with quickly! (i was then bedridden for a couple days, meaning i was in bed the whole day the queen died) When we left the day after that my mum commented how apt his surname is. It is, isn't it? Respect to this man, he saves my life. Without my surgeon, Tina Rashid, I don't know where I'd be but id be less likely to be alive, most certainly
@@samanthacoupe6613 you and I must have been on the corridor at the same time… when I went under my general anaesthetic the queen was alive. When I woke up after surgery the first thing I remember is the resus nurse saying “Maya, I have some bad news”. I panicked and only then did she quickly say “the Queen died”. Sad to say, I was likely amongst the few to feel relieved that she died in that moment because after a life changing surgery I really didn’t want to think something had gone wrong
@@maya5326 I’m so sorry, but that is actually so funny to me 😭 coming from France, the “I have very bad news, the queen died” being one of the first things you hear after regaining consciousness is SO FUNNY to me
I am a mother of a trans daughter on her first steps on her way and your explanations and your thoughtful, caring character you present is very educational and soothing. Thank you for your honesty and compassion. 💚
@@cherriberri8373 I am so sorry, that your parents seem not to be kind of open minded. Maybe one of the reasons why I support my daughter is, that I had an absent father and a deeply narcissistic mother who abused me (psychologicly) on a regular basis my whole life (can't drink when I want, can't go to the toilet when I want and so on). And even in my aduldhood I was not supposed to use her toilet but to go somewhere else instead ... I am in my late 40s and went no contact 6 years ago). As my daughter (then son) told me, I was shocked - not because of the reason he is actually a she (the whole time when I was pregnant, I was convinced, that I get a daughter) - the reason why I was shocked was the pain I felt in her and her desperation. I got a sleepless night processing and since than came to the conclusion: The only thing that matters to me in view of my daughter is, that I want her to be happy. Simple as that. And everytime she talks about her thoughts and feelings, she seems to be so happy and chilled, that this is reason enought for me to be fully on her side. One point I want to come through is in consideration of your parent(s?): Sometimes it is better to cut toxic people out of your life. It is your birthright to be loved and if the ones who suppose to do this in the first place are to narrow minded or even malignent - even if they are the parents! - cut them off. Live your life and find friends who fight on your side. Just because someone gave birth to you, fed and clothed you once, doesn't give them the right to tear you down again and again. Lots of love and best wishes from a mum to another daughter somewhere. 🌞 You deserve to be loved!
As a trans man i can with 100% certainty say that getting top surgery was the best decision I've ever made. Hormones are imortant too of course, but getting my chest done was even more vital for me. Trans surgeries save lives!
@barryledgister4496 I want you to think VERY hard on who is always saying that minors are going out of their ways for these surgeries and think on why they might be saying that. Really deliberate on that, reflect on the other things they say. I'm sure you'll notice a trend. Does it happen? Yes, but we're talking a miniscule group within a statistically small group.
ough this would be a dream come true tbh. i cannot ever explain to words the crawling disgust, shame, and visceral reaction just being fine with my body except for a single part of it. congrats to you!
He did my surgery just over a month ago and I can't thank him enough for saving my life! He's awesome! Gender Dysphoria is a silent killer and the process to get to the surgery room is rigorous. I'm thankful my body has reacted to this so well. Don't listen to naysayers!
He didn't save your life. You were not terminally ill. He prayed on the mentally vulnerable. Genital mutilation is not a cure for suicidality. I hope you recover though.
Well there goes my hopes of receiving a reply from a positive intelligent person who knows what they're talking about. Oh well we can't always have what we want can we? I'm still gonna have to wait for that one. If you're gonna come out with tripe at least say something I've never heard before! Do better!
@@SamanthaBurtonGuitar I won't claim to be a particularly intelligent person but here is a comment of positivity all the same: Congratulations and I'm so pleased for you that your surgery was a success and that you are doing well! :)
@@mollytovxx4181 aww thank you. Positive and intelligent people are supportive and show understanding. For the last one to try and tell me this surgery is mutilation and surgeons pray on the vulnerable comes across as very dim witted. This is a serious anatomy changing procedure and to get to that point is a long and strenuous road. I'm so glad my male parts as they were have gone. Every time I look down there now is euphoria all over and I feel complete. With all my dysphoria gone my mind is now empty and exhausted.
Here's another positive reply: I'm so happy for you!! I can't imagine what a moment of victory and wholeness one must feel (that cis people like me have the privilege of not feeling a lack of) once they are able to have their body the way they know is right for them. Congratulations and I hope this is a large weight off your shoulders! 💜
His views are exactly how every medical profession should be like. He's honest , non biased and open to new ideas without being overbearing or demeaning.
@@MadamBATTL3CAT But he isn’t unbiased. And this wasn’t an interview where he got any pushback on his opinions. Indulging himself as ‘the authority’ on the gender debate is overbearing and false.
Mr Bellringer is without doubt one of the absolute best human beings to be advocating for, supporting and being an ally to the trans community. This was an incredible interview - full of information, vulnerability and care. Thank you to Mr Bellringer and LADbible for publishing this. I had vaginoplasty with him two years ago and everything I saw in him that convinced me to have surgery with him is on display here. He just cares - so so much. And he has a cheeky sense of humour that I adore. While I’ve had complications, he been there throughout looking after me and working through options to overcome it. What I can say in full agreement is how much my quality of life has improved as a result of my transition and it’s many challenging steps. I’m grateful for the journey and everyone who has supported me through it. Now if the UK could get off its moral panic high horse about trans people, I’d be grateful for that too. We are not a threat to anyone, but the anti-trans lobby is a threat to us
I can definitely attest to his cheeky sense of humour! When I was struggling to walk on day 2 or 3 (I’m not sure, it’s very fuzzy) in hospital he said that if I didn’t get up he’d have to take me out back and shoot me!
And if we’d listen more to medical professionals and psychologists and less to tv personalities and washed up kids’ authors we could maybe get there quicker.
I thought they turned it inside out. If they just throw it out they should consider donating whatever is left for people who have lost their weenie. Weenie transplant. Or trans men.
This may be the most sober and serious man I have ever seen. From the comments, it seems like he has a pretty high level of satisfaction among patients.
I had a friend who couldn’t afford to have surgery. She committed suicide. Her name was Janine. I imagine her HOME looking happy and gorgeous in her new female body.
@@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559 I do think that society’s views on what a woman should look like (especially a beautiful woman) play a large role in dysphoria. However, completely accepting ones own body and being trans are unfortunately incompatable. Maybe in the distant future things will be different, but if others don’t percieve a trans woman as a woman, it makes it very difficult for her to live as a woman. This understanding is rooted in both the consciousness and subconsciousness, producing dysphoria even about body parts the public can’t see. But not every single trans woman desires surgery. They can have a feminine penis (or a very impressive clit, as I like to say). It depends on how they feel about it, and their relationship between themselves and society.
@@pheonixrises11agree, even if we lived in a perfect world where everyone was treated how they wanted to be gender-wise and there were no messages about what a woman/man ought to look like many would probably still feel body dysphoria if their brain is hard wired to think the anatomy they have isn't right
I wish more effort would be spent in society to show people in her situation, that she already was beautiful. And then, perhaps she would have been happy in the body she had, this is how I see things, and that has been my own journey. It took a lot of work and still do, but I accepted my body and became more comfortable and happier in my skin than ever before. Dysphoria is dysphoria, and can be helped with therapy as long as the goal is to be happy, not to change. I'm sorry for your loss
Landing first on the suicide topic is harrowing but also very real. Thank you for reminding that it's much better to have someone "you dont agree with" than a dead someone, especially a family member. Reach out and be there, alive and loved
If this were true why did this suicide epidemic not exist in the past? It was WAY more repressive & yet there is NO evidence there was an epidemic of suicides.
Unfortunately some people go out of their way to have a dead someone, so as cruel as it is this point doesn't work on many (as you can see, there is also the option of just denial right above my comment). Luckily some can at leadt find community or friends to take care of them if their family fails to.
@@dshe8637it isn't, specially in countries were they literally don't have access to transition, however I do think the US have a problem with misdiagnosis.
He is fantasic! I'm cis but feel v grateful that someone as understanding and caring as him is out there taking care of our trans sisters. May every gender surgeon be as sympathetic and loving to their patients as he is. Big love!
@@jessventures6172thank god you did not go through trauma that you probably do not even remember of that will make you end so sterile at best and thousands of dollars missing from your bank account. Cheers !! Plus the children indoctering tiktoks and the current media. I am telling you this is going to end up in so many blunders in the future. It is neurodivergent ones like ME most susceptible to things like this. My opinion ! Females as well !
Oh my god I know right, I have always felt deep down that I am actually a woman, and also the prettiest at that! Definitely stronger than the average woman anyway, I think I'm going into competitions soon. I'm not going to do any surgery though, because I actually already have a vagina, it looks a bit more male than the average woman but she doesn't identify as a penis.
@@Diane_666 So, 'gender reassignment' insinuates that a doctor is REassigning a new gender to their patient. A transgender patient would not have gotten to the point of surgery if they were not the gender they were being "reassigned" to - That term in itself is contradictory. But also it suggests that trans folks have not always felt this way. You dont magically become transgender, alot of study has gone into this and there is so much evidence to suggest that (while some can be down to other enviromental facts etc) you are born "in the wrong body" as such. The term 'gender affirming' really helps suppprt trans folks in affirming the gender they are. The surgery is not to reassign anything to them, but to support them in affirming their gender. I hope this makes sense if not i have some good published papers i can link that go into detail about both of these topics and how terminology impacts trans people alot during their transition!
@@Diane_666 “Gender reassignment” would mean that getting the operation changes your gender. In the video, the doctor explains that his surgeries don’t change gender but affirm it. Calling it “gender affirming” emphasizes that his operation aligns the person’s physical body with their gender, and dispels the assumption that surgery is what makes someone trans
Gender reassignment implies that you are changing something. While affirming implies that you make something that is already there the gender identity of the trans person even more clear more obvious that you support them. It's the more accurate and respectful term
It is a sex reassignment though, it's still accurate to say you're changing sex. I'm a trans person and hate the shift to "gender affirming" from "sex-changing"
"The death rate is about the same as anorexia nervosa. Are we going to stop treating anorexics? Don't think so." Holy crap based. I wish so many more people thought like this.
@@lennymclennington Plus I don`t think anorexics are treated with 5 hours worth of surgery that reconfigures one part of the body to another. And a doctor who defends a surgery by saying the death-rates are about the same as a condition that doesn`t have comparable surgery is such a self-own. He`s just half heard the justifiable anorexia delusion versus trans delusion (should we affirm the anorexic that she is thin like we affirm a girl she is a boy?) and badly regurgitated it.
@@barryledgister4496 "affirming" an anorexic person would mean affirming that they are overweight. The anorexic delusion is that one is overweight even if in reality one is dangerously underweight.
@@lennymclennington Yes, i stand corrected: you`re affirming the opposite of the reality...the built-in danger of any such affirmation. And at least the anorexic can genuinely become overweight/normal weight by all measures and by natural means; not a fake contentious approximation by surgical means. Another strike against Bellringer`s bluff statement.
@barryledgister4496 as someone who has suffered with disordered eating patterns and is trans, i think the comparison was unfair, but i understand what he was trying to say. when left untreated, both conditions have very high death rates (anorexia being the highest death rate of any psychological disorder), so you should treat the conditions. the treatment for anorexia is different than how you treat gender dysphoria, but both need treating. do i think surgeons and medical systems profit unfairly on trans people? yes 100% (£23,000 for a single 2 hour operation?!?!), but it saves lives and thats the most important part. therapy and intervention saves the lives of anorexics the same way HRT and sometimes surgery saves the lives of trans people.
I had severe depression prior to my transition and was suicidal. Back then, I was failing classes because I would sit in my car crying, not wanting to go into the classroom because I was so miserable. My dysphoria was horrible at the time, despite having been a Christian conservative and trying to convince myself that I was not trans. As it turns out, just ignoring the issue and trying to fit into a cisheteronormative mold does not work. The dysphoria does not go away. But when I started to transition, my mental health was night and day. I went from extreme depression to thriving. I went from failing classes and dropping out of university to reentering university, making the dean's list every semester, and now graduating with two degrees. I am about to apply to a PhD program, and I spend a lot more time with family and friends. My dysphoria is nowhere nearly as bad as it used to be now that I have received supportive medical and social care. Transitioning quite literally saved my life. While it did not resolve every problem that I had, it did give me the strength and motivation to take the initiative to finally resolve those problems.
I am a cis woman and I was prescribed the pill at 12 years old to regulate my hormones, as I had excess androgens that were wrecking my body. That's gender affirming care. I don't think any anti-trans person would have a huge problem with doctors putting me on hormones as a pre-teen, for gender affirming care, so why is it such a problem if it is done by trans people? As this doctor so clearly said, they are not changing their gender, they were born in the gender they identify with in their head, where gender is in fact assigned. Their genitalia does not matter at all. And before the usual critics start bringing up "biology", I have a diploma in biology, I have studied human biology, genetics, phisiology and anthropology, I know how human beings work.
Because, as a woman, you had something wrong in your body causing you physical pain and issues. It's not 'gender affirming care'. What's that to do with anything 'trans'?
I'll just say this. Thank you, thank you for existing. You are a light on a platform where darkness abounds. There will come a time when most will realize that these treatments change lives for the better.
OMG, you did my surgery back on November 2nd 1998. I was 32 & pissed off because the 8 years that I waited made me miss having it done by Royal & Matte who left. I thought it ironic that your name was Bellringer. You gave me a very well functioning penny. I'm 58 and single now, just me and penny to the end. Thank you for your work. I would not be hear had it not been for you
"Having periods, if you think you're a boy, must be pretty tough." I would guess that this physical burden is one of the top three causes for utter despair in trans boys. There are many, many cisgender women who can't stand it just because of how uncomfortable, stressful and disruptive it is. For a boy or a young man, it's deeply emasculating on top of all the rest of that.
But doctors and medical experts will decide medical policies on opinions, and then review them, so they`re open to change. Their opinion is broadly in Europe to not have any medicalization of children, and to wait until 18 or over for any hrt or surgery. It`s what Bellringer says in the video. But I guess that`s the wrong opinion?
I'm an ex-christian (of 20 years) and I've been in deconstruction for about 4-5 years now, so color me surprised when a video with "bible" as part of the creators name comes through. My first reaction is to tell YT to not recommend the channel because I really do want nothing more to do with god... but when I walked away from the church I discovered I'm also a transwoman, so the title of the video made me pause, read the description, and decided to give it a shot. I can now safely say I'm glad I watched this through. ☺Incredibly informative and on point in every way and I think everyone should watch this. I'm even more confident going forwards with surgery now and knowing that it'll go straight into the incinerator is a hilariously comforting thought. 😅😂
I can personally attest to this man's skills and the benefits of what he does, massive quality of life improvements from finally feeling comfortable in my own body. Thanks Mr B.
@@dani_i8942 I'm perfectly aware of what my body is, and I feel good about it, not sure why you'd want to convince a random stranger to feel bad about their body
Fair play to you guys for doing this and fairplay to him as well, he seems to have genuinely reasonable and balanced views, and an amount of empathy I would want from any medical professional
Sober, positive, humane and well informed. This is how to conduct the discussion of trans issues. The thought that the current generation will be less prejudiced (and that other cultures are so more accepting) should be both a reason to be optimistic and a cause to reflect on why this issue becomes so heated ...
The rich and powerful always need scapegoats, which is why their pressing the trans panic button as much as they can. I'd wager that there have no been more anti-trans panic articles produced in the last 5 years in the UK than there have been gender reassignment surgeries in the UK since they were first performed back in the 1950s.
Thank you Dr Bellringer for taking the time and having the courage to talk about this publicly (which is essentially putting yourself in the firing line to the anti trans people) and for clearing things up about the process of transitioning and how its far from just throwing on some women's clothes and then saying you're a woman. The social pressures, the difficulties in knowing if you'll get a job. The costs and time spent worrying about how you will find time for recovering from surgery and how you will afford. Sometimes leaving the house is too difficult and I (like many) have a pretty demanding 40 hour a week job to maintain. It's refreshing to hear an expert talk about this, when usually all you hear is the same old hearsay and fabrications from people who have been completely brainwashed into hating transgender people (or who are doing it to be popular because being anti trans is the "in" thing right now in certain groups).
There`s been a handful. He does 200 ops a year. Let`s see him or his clinic have their own channel of testimonials...then we`ll find the truth, apart from the many patients starting law suits against him, hence why he`s doing the rounds on sympathetic YT channels, and not the clinic`s.
It always amazes me that people who are against the LGBTQ+ community think this is want we WANT. Why would we want to put ourselves into a community where we are halted by millions. Where we have to never visit places in the world because it is too dangerous for our community. Where your life can be a living hell if someone moves next door to you who is homophobic. Where you are afraid to kiss your wife in public incase someone sees you and then hurts you as a result. This list is absolutely endless. All we want is to be comfortable in our skin and loved. The same as every other person in this world! This was a much needed video to be on the Internet. However, I'm 99% sure that the majority of the people who will be watching this video are the people already part of the lgbtq+ community. As Dr Bellringer said, you can't talk to people who don't want to listen, just like you can't make people watch such an amazing video on a very important topic if they point blank refuse to accept the position to press play
@@mariusb6889 And who decides what is normal? Why is this not normal? People these days seem to think trans people just became a thing 10 years ago or something. No, trans folk have been around as long as everyone else, because guess what - they are normal people. I forget his name, but there was a famous Doctor who specialized in sexual disorders (I think, been a while since I read up on this guy) back in the early 1900's who accepted and understood gender dysphoria (which obviously wasn't named that back then, nor was it a widely known at all) and tried to help people in whatever way he could back then. People seem to think something in the water (not literally, though I wouldn't doubt some do) turned a small portion of the population trans recently and that's just not the case if you know history.
@@LordLOC it's possible to be a solution for some people I think but it should be a last resort solution obviously. Of course it's not normal, do you even need to think about it ? It's batshit crazy to cut your genitals and "change" sex. But if this is the only way they can live with themselves it is what it is.
It’s a body image disorder. Like anorexia, which I have personally experienced, you don’t realize you’re in it until you’re out of it. Don’t mutilate yourself and force others to lie about how they perceive you all to satisfy a disordered urge and enrich the surgeons and pharmaceutical companies who make bank off the process.
@@mariusb6889 it's going to happen whether you want it to or not. it's better to accept that this is a thing that happens to us than to live in ignorance and hope it all goes away, in which it will not.
I had my surgery at GRS Montreal with Dr. Maud Belangér and it was also two hours (I suspect their methods and recovery times are the same). Immediately after I came to I felt my depression half and my dysphoria decrease about a third. I can say with full certainty I'd have killed myself without HRT. We know who we are and we finally have the technology to enable us to live with purpose for once in our lives. Thank you for making this mainstream and shutting out the TERFs and fascists. EDIT: Puberty blockers are the answer for most potentially trans teenagers - slightly disappointed this wasn't mentioned. Undergoing the opposite gender's puberty is a lifetime of misery and suffering for many trans people.
Yeah, I wasn't quite satisfied with that answer. I understand where he's coming from, but to deny medication on the slight chance that their brain will suddenly change its mind about dysphoria is... Not the hottest take. Sure, the brain MAY suddenly start working in a way to allow you to feel more at ease with not having the correct body, but if you can almost guarantee a treatment to ensure their brain DOES ease up on the dysphoria, just fucking do it. Would you tell a severely depressed teenager not to take the antidepressants cause they might wake up one day after a surge of brain growth and be magically happy? Nah, bro.
@@HabitualJoker Would an associate for Burger King be an advocate because they work the register? He's foremost a surgeon, but as he says his surgeries are remarkable in the way they alter someone's life "overnight" in his words.
Dr Bellringer is the perfect person to be answering these questions. Not only has he incredible empathy with and sympathy for the trans community but he is a brilliant surgeon. Ten weeks ago he performed my vulvoplasty and did a wonderful job. I’m eternally grateful to him and all the staff at the hospital.
I love this man. It's such a shame that behaviour that should be the benchmark (common human decency in referring to trans people, understanding of experiences of trans people) as exhibited by this man is actually "exemplary", but here we are... So many people fall so short of the benchmark. So seeing this doctor be so completely wonderful and beyond the basic just lifts my heart.
Humans generally aren't good at accepting something that is foreign to them. I, as a cis male though of course, am of the opinion that actual non-politicised scientific education on the topic, similar to the one given on e.g. evolution or other mostly uncontroversial subjects in the educated world, would greatly help in the awareness and thus the acceptance department.
Trans woman here. I hope to eventually get Bottom Surgery (a better term than Gender Reassignment). Everything said here is accurate and it is a real struggle that I almost didn't live from.
My 60+ year old dad has started transitioning. She used to be on quite a few meds for high blood pressure. Since transitioning, she no longer needs those meds. Even before she started taking hormone, simply wearing clothes that better aligned with her identity was enough to drastically lower her blood pressure
Thank you LADbible for doing this series! It’s always interesting and informative and your guests are always incredibly sympathetic. Thank you Dr James Bellringer for your work!
I'm just about to begin my REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE, got a job now where I am already "out" to them and going to see the gender clinic next week. Not for a diagnosis, but to check them out.
As a nurse, I can really identify with how much this man cares for and worries about his patients. Being a healthcare provider isn't just a job, for many of us it's a lifelong commitment and something which profoundly changes your way of looking at the world and other people. We find ways to live as individuals without "switching off" because you can't switch your patients off. They're always a part of you. This is a very thoughtful and respectful interview and I'm grateful to dr. Bellringer for doing this. Thank you.
Such an informative video. Dr Bellringer seems like a very reasoned, compassionate man who knows what he's talking about. He also shows it is possible to have these conversations without insulting and degrading trans people.
This is a much needed video on a very public platform. Thank you for this. And for the time Dr. Bellringer put towards educating the public on the matter. I have a huge amount of respect for people like that.
His thoughtfulness for every questions and his calm and reflected opinions is so soothing and informative. It's extremely refreshing in this shouty age. Would love to have a pint with him!
I had vaginoplasty 6 years ago (though in Canada, not the UK.) It was obviously life-changing, but in a good way. Despite the fear beforehand and the discomfort for a few months afterwards, I'd absolutely do it all over again if I had to. People like Dr. Bellringer are really providing wonderful help and care to their patients.
So I appreciate this physician having a platform to answer some questions that are in line with his specialty, however he was asked and answered questions that are not within his specialty in regards specifically to endocrinology, so in this instance I would also like to hear questions from that kind of expert and hear their educated take on the same set of questions that this urologist answered.
Absolutely , Mr Bellringer's comments on endocrinology and elite sport do not reflect the current state of evidence , i would like to See Dr Seal or Dr Hammond comment on the endocrinology stuff
Damn, this guy is awesome. Not only does he really know his stuff, but his answers are all thoughtful and concise while fully answering the question that was asked. And he seems exceptionally compassionate to boot!
Such a compassionate and honest, professional, medical perspective. This surgeon has an incredible valuable view and understanding of his patients. Thank you for sharing your transparency! Lots of love and respect to Dr. James Bellringer ❤️❤️❤️❤️
This honesty box series is one of my favorite things on RUclips. It's so great for professionals in their field to take this risk on this platform to speak of their experiences and let us all in who are and are not in their fields to learn and grow and discuss perspectives. It sucks when passions escalates, but that is sometimes the process. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn about professions and topics that I have little to no experience about. It's a tough thing to do and make yourself vulnerable on platforms like this but just know to everyone who has and will participate-- you are appreciated.
The sports thing is so interesting because we celebrate genetic advantages in sport. Men like Michael Phelps who have physical advantages very very few people possess are allowed to compete, but a woman who identifies as a man can't. Frankly I think all sports should just have classes based on physical parameters most important to the sport whether that be stride, height, weight etc - like boxing and Tae Kown Doe already have.
Worst part is; even cis women athletes get disqualified from their sports due to there being a cap on how much testosterone they’re allowed to have. Michael Phelps is a perfect example as he has tons of biological advantages in his sport, such as his longer wingspan and his body naturally producing drastically less lactic acid- meaning he doesn’t tire as quickly as somebody ordinarily would- but as soon as a cis woman has a natural level of testosterone which is considered “too high” and “poses an unfair advantage” against other professional athletes, she can basically just be kicked out of the competition. I’ve also thought that sports shouldn’t be segregated based on sex but split into classes dependant on certain important factors to the sport, like the weight classes in boxing. If only they could stop mysteriously banning women from competing against men in sports whenever some fragile men get upset that the professional women athletes are also professional athletes capable of winning, and instead have more interesting and fair competitions with athletes of all kinds of diversity. After all, what do the transphobic sports fans want? (Aside from the non existence of gender nonconforming people.) Do they want things to continue being split by sex? If so, what about the trans athletes? They’re not going to stop existing just because they can’t compete. Do they want the transwomen to compete against cis men, because that would mean they want transmen competing against cis women which I would argue is more legitimately unfair as the transmen are likely to be taking hormones and essentially doping. It’s never been about the “sanctity of sports”, if things were split by physical attributes then people of all genders could compete together, and I just think that’s a wonderful idea.
That is ridiculously practical, why have I never thought about this? There’d still be sports where gender separation would be beneficial but in general this should be more of a consideration
As someone who worked in Pediatric Endocrinology for several years, thank you so much to this wonderful doctor and those like him who help those who are suffering to find happiness and peace, and to live their best lives 💚
Great interview, so happy to see this! Still fell for 2 of the transphobic dog whistles, but the questions were really framed from the anti-trans point of view: - Kids getting hormones. This is incredibly rare and done in emergencies. It's argued as a way to justify removing the care for anyone who is trans regardless of age. - Trans women should not participate in sports. This is a big can of worms, there are a lot of factors to athletic advantage. And there already are standards for trans women to be able to compete. Argued to justify removing trans women from sports. Sorry for anyone who read through this all, but information is power. If I can help 1 person, the world will be better for it.
Kid getting hormones. People just believe you need to be an adult to get this treatment. Nobody is using `kids can`t have hormones` as a way of saying ` adults can`t have hormones`. People are totally on the side of adults having hrt...as women have done in menopasue...it`s good money and good business. You should worry about adults being giving this treatment too easily or on the grey market, not that it`s being `stopped`. Trans women should not participate in sports. No, people are saying men shouldn`t take part in womens` sports. And you know it, hence your inflammatory phrasing. It isn`t a `big can of worms` at all. If you want to patronisingly `help 1 person`....be truthful.
@@barryledgister4496 The entire point of saying they want to ban hrt just for kids is to make the idea more appealing. Kids don't get hrt already. But it is a slippery slope, and has historically (such as in the US) lead to it being banned for adults as well. I don't think sports should be gendered at all personally. I think sports should be divided based on ability. Leave your transphobia out of it, trans women are women. I fully believe I am telling the truth and I hope you see that. Hope this helps clarify.
This man is an incredible human being. His answers were thoughtful even against polarizing questions (e.g. Olympics). It makes me happy to know that at least some people are able to be taken care of by Dr Bellringer.
I’ve had all the avaliable surgieries and all as a trans man. Saved my life. Very skilled surgeons and amazing help. Transformed my life from despair to permanent peace and satisfaction wirh how my body is :) Can’t express how grateful I am.
Thank you so much James for you honesty and matter-of-fact delivery of your lived experience and knowledge of this subject. But especially thank you for calling out J K Rowling for her misguided and misplaced public anti-trans rhetoric that is harmful to so many people. She is hopelessly confused about the subject and she, as well as people who think like her, don't realize or understand that gender tends to settle upon two dominate types of anatomical sex types at birth. But in reality, there is also a fairly large group of people that comfortably fall into that gray area where they have a well-developed mix of genitalia or sex-related organs from both sexes. Not to mention wildly varying degrees of testosterone and estrogen that may pull them into identifying more strongly with one gender or the other, regardless of their chromosomes or development of their sexual organs at birth. But these anti-trans haters just don't want to hear it or don't believe it. You could show them endless pictures of humans born with mixed genitalia all over the spectrum from male to female, sometimes with both, but they just don't care. Pretty sad they they just can't let people be whomever they choose to be, and instead treat them as deviant or as some sort of predator. They are the sick ones.
Straightforward answers to potentially provocative questions, with an air of wry insouciance thrown in. A typically British response to internet-based queries, I would say.
Lovely to hear and see Mr. Bellringer. My partner and I had Mr.Thomas, and I will always remember the care and sensitivity he had for me post-op. So sad that he was lost to Covid. I agree that "reassignment" is nonsense, Call it what it is - genital reconstructive surgery! Frankly, being trans isn't fun at all at any stage. We should have spaces of our own if people are going to be that hateful towards us, and that includes in sport. Although your bone structure is similar HRT changes a lot for you physiologically and that includes things like bone density. The problem is that there are so few of us that no-body cares to oppose anti-trans ideology. I'm glad that Mr Bellringer pointed that out. In India trans women get their own hospital ward while we're stuffed away in some side room.
I'm a trans guy and hoping for surgery someday. I just have to keep focusing on the good doctors that are out there, the ones who are willing to help me rather than judge me.
Dr Belleinger strikes me as a very compassionate man. Like his replies are not just sterile and clinical but also warm and jeeping the emotional state of patients in mind. Good on ya!
Thank you to Dr James Bellringer for taking part.
This man realizing in real time that he doesn't "switch off" and probably needs to take care of his mental health more is sending me. If you read this Dr. Bellringer, please take care of yourself!
It is the same for any genuinely caring clinician. I have had many sleepless nights and I'm a dentist.
@@blumouseyit’s something that needs to be talked about more honestly
I’m a physician in the United States. The day I stop worrying about how my patients are doing under my care is the day I do something else for a living. Our Oath is who we ARE. Not just something we state when we become physicians.
Yes, Dr. Bellringer, you perform life-saving surgeries for a severely under-served group of people, you are so very valuable to the community and we need people like you around, so please take care of yourself
If he's my friend, dude take a vacation. If he's my doctor, I'm texting him at 1am.
Mr Bellringer operated on me 11 years ago. I suffered with a lot of post-op complications and Mr Bellringer was there for me every step of the way. I developed uro-sepsis and I had a pretty serious pot operative bleed - but he was so calm and gentle looking after me. I have been blessed to have been taken care of by this man and his team. He changed my life - and I would do it again, complications and all for the same result in a heartbeat.
So glad you are doing well today girl ❤
@@Bosque1993 I am alive only for this man and his teams actions. I'm very grateful, thank you for your comment xo
@@VixGranger There are not many jobs when a person can go home at the end of the day and say I saved a life today. Thank the universe for people like Mr. Bellringer, we need more people like him. I'm glad you're good now.
Sounds like a great doctor. So glad that he was there for you and instrumental in getting you through it
I'm really happy to hear you're doing well and you have fantastic support along the way ♥
My GP just denied me hormone therapy (or even blockers) after waiting for 4 years because of her personal views on where I should be in my transition and how it should look to her. Caring and understanding doctors like this guy really give me hope
That suck ☹ I hope you can find another doctor that can help you
That sounds heartbreaking. I wish you the best of luck finding a GP who listens and cares.
@@Nicky_TM her personal views don't matter. More than anything she's tarnishing her own name and she needs to act like a professional. Call her out for refusing to help you.
Maybe it wasn't her personal views but her medical opinion?
@@notyourordinarygran GPs don't prescribe hormones to transgender patients, what they're supposed to do - legally - is refer you to a gender identity clinic where you'll be on a waiting list for x years before you're diagnosed by two specialists as having gender dysphoria & then you can see an endocrinologist & start hormone replacement therapy. 1/7 GPs unfortunately do not perform their legal duty to refer patients due to their transphobic personal beliefs. If you're wanting one such example of a trans woman dealing with this process, watch Philosphy Tube's video "I emailed my doctor 133 times: The crisis in the British healthcare system".
GPs aren't qualified to give a medical opinion on whether a patient has gender dysphoria, they are GENERAL practitioners & their purpose is to refer people to specialists - you may have only been to the GP for small issues, like influenza for example, however their job typically is to be your entry point for further investigation (for example, when I was suffering from long COVID my GP was my entry point to be referred to hospital to have x-rays, MRIs, etc. & have examinations from specialists). There are less than 100 practising specialists diagnosing at the moment & the vast majority are doctorates (have a PhD) in psychology/psychiatry & have to be registered as qualified to diagnose gender dysphoria. There's a reason why (as a trans woman myself having experienced this system paying for private care - my HRT date is in November, after starting this process in February) you wait months for appointments & these clinics only cater to small batches of people at a time.
As someone with trans friends, and who considers himself an ally, I found this interview incredibly positive, and helpful in building my understanding. Thank you.
Big same. I really loved the phrase "lived gender" thought that was amazing
He wasnt my surgeon but he works at the same hospital. The couple days of my recovery week where my surgeon wasnt working he took over for her, meaning he was the one who had to repetitively feel at my bladder and decide my catheter was reinserted. Catheter insertion was one of the most painful things ive ever experienced but at least he got it over with quickly! (i was then bedridden for a couple days, meaning i was in bed the whole day the queen died)
When we left the day after that my mum commented how apt his surname is. It is, isn't it? Respect to this man, he saves my life. Without my surgeon, Tina Rashid, I don't know where I'd be but id be less likely to be alive, most certainly
@@samanthacoupe6613 you and I must have been on the corridor at the same time… when I went under my general anaesthetic the queen was alive. When I woke up after surgery the first thing I remember is the resus nurse saying “Maya, I have some bad news”. I panicked and only then did she quickly say “the Queen died”.
Sad to say, I was likely amongst the few to feel relieved that she died in that moment because after a life changing surgery I really didn’t want to think something had gone wrong
@@maya5326 I’m so sorry, but that is actually so funny to me 😭 coming from France, the “I have very bad news, the queen died” being one of the first things you hear after regaining consciousness is SO FUNNY to me
@@deithlan coming from the UK is absolutely is hilarious and absurd!
The queen died, and another queen was reborn!
hackjob for cash, not real medicine.
Is no one finding it hilarious that Dr. Bellringer performs gender surgery in Middlesex and Bangcock is an alternative location? 😂
Came to the comments section for this, because I, too, am very much a giggling child 😂
He totally did that on purpose.
Very punny
You're not mature enough to watch this
It was meant to be!
I am a mother of a trans daughter on her first steps on her way and your explanations and your thoughtful, caring character you present is very educational and soothing. Thank you for your honesty and compassion. 💚
Thank you for being a supportive parent and ally 💕
I wish more of us could have had a parent who is trying to learn like you.
@@cherriberri8373 I am so sorry, that your parents seem not to be kind of open minded. Maybe one of the reasons why I support my daughter is, that I had an absent father and a deeply narcissistic mother who abused me (psychologicly) on a regular basis my whole life (can't drink when I want, can't go to the toilet when I want and so on). And even in my aduldhood I was not supposed to use her toilet but to go somewhere else instead ... I am in my late 40s and went no contact 6 years ago). As my daughter (then son) told me, I was shocked - not because of the reason he is actually a she (the whole time when I was pregnant, I was convinced, that I get a daughter) - the reason why I was shocked was the pain I felt in her and her desperation. I got a sleepless night processing and since than came to the conclusion: The only thing that matters to me in view of my daughter is, that I want her to be happy. Simple as that. And everytime she talks about her thoughts and feelings, she seems to be so happy and chilled, that this is reason enought for me to be fully on her side. One point I want to come through is in consideration of your parent(s?): Sometimes it is better to cut toxic people out of your life. It is your birthright to be loved and if the ones who suppose to do this in the first place are to narrow minded or even malignent - even if they are the parents! - cut them off. Live your life and find friends who fight on your side. Just because someone gave birth to you, fed and clothed you once, doesn't give them the right to tear you down again and again. Lots of love and best wishes from a mum to another daughter somewhere. 🌞 You deserve to be loved!
As a trans man i can with 100% certainty say that getting top surgery was the best decision I've ever made. Hormones are imortant too of course, but getting my chest done was even more vital for me. Trans surgeries save lives!
congrats!
@@barryledgister4496 literally didn’t mention anything about that but ok
@barryledgister4496 I want you to think VERY hard on who is always saying that minors are going out of their ways for these surgeries and think on why they might be saying that. Really deliberate on that, reflect on the other things they say. I'm sure you'll notice a trend.
Does it happen? Yes, but we're talking a miniscule group within a statistically small group.
@@barryledgister4496put your special helmet back on
ough this would be a dream come true tbh. i cannot ever explain to words the crawling disgust, shame, and visceral reaction just being fine with my body except for a single part of it. congrats to you!
He did my surgery just over a month ago and I can't thank him enough for saving my life! He's awesome! Gender Dysphoria is a silent killer and the process to get to the surgery room is rigorous. I'm thankful my body has reacted to this so well. Don't listen to naysayers!
He didn't save your life. You were not terminally ill. He prayed on the mentally vulnerable. Genital mutilation is not a cure for suicidality. I hope you recover though.
Well there goes my hopes of receiving a reply from a positive intelligent person who knows what they're talking about. Oh well we can't always have what we want can we? I'm still gonna have to wait for that one. If you're gonna come out with tripe at least say something I've never heard before! Do better!
@@SamanthaBurtonGuitar I won't claim to be a particularly intelligent person but here is a comment of positivity all the same: Congratulations and I'm so pleased for you that your surgery was a success and that you are doing well! :)
@@mollytovxx4181 aww thank you. Positive and intelligent people are supportive and show understanding. For the last one to try and tell me this surgery is mutilation and surgeons pray on the vulnerable comes across as very dim witted. This is a serious anatomy changing procedure and to get to that point is a long and strenuous road. I'm so glad my male parts as they were have gone. Every time I look down there now is euphoria all over and I feel complete. With all my dysphoria gone my mind is now empty and exhausted.
Here's another positive reply: I'm so happy for you!! I can't imagine what a moment of victory and wholeness one must feel (that cis people like me have the privilege of not feeling a lack of) once they are able to have their body the way they know is right for them. Congratulations and I hope this is a large weight off your shoulders! 💜
His views are exactly how every medical profession should be like.
He's honest , non biased and open to new ideas without being overbearing or demeaning.
He is not non-biased. His attack on JK Rowlings is unjustified.
@@AminTheMystic I didn't say anything about his comment in regards to JK Rowling..... I meant his overall opinion on the topic, not specifics. Relax.
@@MadamBATTL3CAT But he isn’t unbiased. And this wasn’t an interview where he got any pushback on his opinions. Indulging himself as ‘the authority’ on the gender debate is overbearing and false.
@@AminTheMysticcope
@@cw2010 Why? What's it to you if I do or don't?
Mr Bellringer is without doubt one of the absolute best human beings to be advocating for, supporting and being an ally to the trans community. This was an incredible interview - full of information, vulnerability and care. Thank you to Mr Bellringer and LADbible for publishing this. I had vaginoplasty with him two years ago and everything I saw in him that convinced me to have surgery with him is on display here.
He just cares - so so much. And he has a cheeky sense of humour that I adore.
While I’ve had complications, he been there throughout looking after me and working through options to overcome it.
What I can say in full agreement is how much my quality of life has improved as a result of my transition and it’s many challenging steps. I’m grateful for the journey and everyone who has supported me through it.
Now if the UK could get off its moral panic high horse about trans people, I’d be grateful for that too. We are not a threat to anyone, but the anti-trans lobby is a threat to us
I can definitely attest to his cheeky sense of humour! When I was struggling to walk on day 2 or 3 (I’m not sure, it’s very fuzzy) in hospital he said that if I didn’t get up he’d have to take me out back and shoot me!
I just wanted to tell you you look beautiful!
That's what logic-based science will do to you, being a beyond decent human being
It's also harmful to non gender conforming cis people
And if we’d listen more to medical professionals and psychologists and less to tv personalities and washed up kids’ authors we could maybe get there quicker.
"what happens to the penis"
"It goes into the incinerator"
I'm sorry but that was so dang funny 🤣
At least the bin-men don`t take them away in a bag.
I wonder if there is a black market for used dongs....lol
Seems like a feminist statement 😂
@@hongkongfueynz3071"used" is weirdly hilarious
I thought they turned it inside out. If they just throw it out they should consider donating whatever is left for people who have lost their weenie. Weenie transplant. Or trans men.
This may be the most sober and serious man I have ever seen.
From the comments, it seems like he has a pretty high level of satisfaction among patients.
But he has that lovely deadpan British humour too.
I had a friend who couldn’t afford to have surgery. She committed suicide. Her name was Janine. I imagine her HOME looking happy and gorgeous in her new female body.
I'm very sorry for your loss. My condolences to you and her family.
@@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559 You’re not trans?
@@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559
I do think that society’s views on what a woman should look like (especially a beautiful woman) play a large role in dysphoria. However, completely accepting ones own body and being trans are unfortunately incompatable. Maybe in the distant future things will be different, but if others don’t percieve a trans woman as a woman, it makes it very difficult for her to live as a woman. This understanding is rooted in both the consciousness and subconsciousness, producing dysphoria even about body parts the public can’t see. But not every single trans woman desires surgery. They can have a feminine penis (or a very impressive clit, as I like to say). It depends on how they feel about it, and their relationship between themselves and society.
@@pheonixrises11agree, even if we lived in a perfect world where everyone was treated how they wanted to be gender-wise and there were no messages about what a woman/man ought to look like many would probably still feel body dysphoria if their brain is hard wired to think the anatomy they have isn't right
I wish more effort would be spent in society to show people in her situation, that she already was beautiful. And then, perhaps she would have been happy in the body she had, this is how I see things, and that has been my own journey. It took a lot of work and still do, but I accepted my body and became more comfortable and happier in my skin than ever before. Dysphoria is dysphoria, and can be helped with therapy as long as the goal is to be happy, not to change. I'm sorry for your loss
Landing first on the suicide topic is harrowing but also very real. Thank you for reminding that it's much better to have someone "you dont agree with" than a dead someone, especially a family member. Reach out and be there, alive and loved
It's a myth
If this were true why did this suicide epidemic not exist in the past? It was WAY more repressive & yet there is NO evidence there was an epidemic of suicides.
@@dshe8637 Yep, suicide skyrockets AFTER "transition"
Unfortunately some people go out of their way to have a dead someone, so as cruel as it is this point doesn't work on many (as you can see, there is also the option of just denial right above my comment). Luckily some can at leadt find community or friends to take care of them if their family fails to.
@@dshe8637it isn't, specially in countries were they literally don't have access to transition, however I do think the US have a problem with misdiagnosis.
He is fantasic! I'm cis but feel v grateful that someone as understanding and caring as him is out there taking care of our trans sisters. May every gender surgeon be as sympathetic and loving to their patients as he is. Big love!
"Our trans sisters" - I love this! We're all women together, even though we have different experiences.
@@charitygoldart 100%! ❤️
@@meowmeowmeow1439 Are you... trying to string a sentence together? Because I'm afraid you did very badly.
@@jessventures6172thank god you did not go through trauma that you probably do not even remember of that will make you end so sterile at best and thousands of dollars missing from your bank account. Cheers !! Plus the children indoctering tiktoks and the current media. I am telling you this is going to end up in so many blunders in the future. It is neurodivergent ones like ME most susceptible to things like this. My opinion ! Females as well !
Oh my god I know right, I have always felt deep down that I am actually a woman, and also the prettiest at that! Definitely stronger than the average woman anyway, I think I'm going into competitions soon. I'm not going to do any surgery though, because I actually already have a vagina, it looks a bit more male than the average woman but she doesn't identify as a penis.
I LOOOOVE the change from 'gender reassignment' to 'gender AFFIRMING' care 🥳🥳 Such a simple change in vocab is such a step
What's the difference though?
@@Diane_666 So, 'gender reassignment' insinuates that a doctor is REassigning a new gender to their patient. A transgender patient would not have gotten to the point of surgery if they were not the gender they were being "reassigned" to - That term in itself is contradictory. But also it suggests that trans folks have not always felt this way. You dont magically become transgender, alot of study has gone into this and there is so much evidence to suggest that (while some can be down to other enviromental facts etc) you are born "in the wrong body" as such. The term 'gender affirming' really helps suppprt trans folks in affirming the gender they are. The surgery is not to reassign anything to them, but to support them in affirming their gender. I hope this makes sense if not i have some good published papers i can link that go into detail about both of these topics and how terminology impacts trans people alot during their transition!
@@Diane_666 “Gender reassignment” would mean that getting the operation changes your gender. In the video, the doctor explains that his surgeries don’t change gender but affirm it. Calling it “gender affirming” emphasizes that his operation aligns the person’s physical body with their gender, and dispels the assumption that surgery is what makes someone trans
Gender reassignment implies that you are changing something. While affirming implies that you make something that is already there the gender identity of the trans person even more clear more obvious that you support them. It's the more accurate and respectful term
It is a sex reassignment though, it's still accurate to say you're changing sex. I'm a trans person and hate the shift to "gender affirming" from "sex-changing"
He actually described the surgery and said, "That's it in a nutshell." I'm dead. 😂
And he`s at the `honesty box`. Jokes write themselves.
Lol!!! 🤣
If all Drs were as empathetic as this one is, the world would be a better place
"The death rate is about the same as anorexia nervosa. Are we going to stop treating anorexics? Don't think so." Holy crap based. I wish so many more people thought like this.
@@lennymclennington Plus I don`t think anorexics are treated with 5 hours worth of surgery that reconfigures one part of the body to another. And a doctor who defends a surgery by saying the death-rates are about the same as a condition that doesn`t have comparable surgery is such a self-own. He`s just half heard the justifiable anorexia delusion versus trans delusion (should we affirm the anorexic that she is thin like we affirm a girl she is a boy?) and badly regurgitated it.
@@barryledgister4496 "affirming" an anorexic person would mean affirming that they are overweight. The anorexic delusion is that one is overweight even if in reality one is dangerously underweight.
@@lennymclennington Yes, i stand corrected: you`re affirming the opposite of the reality...the built-in danger of any such affirmation. And at least the anorexic can genuinely become overweight/normal weight by all measures and by natural means; not a fake contentious approximation by surgical means. Another strike against Bellringer`s bluff statement.
@barryledgister4496 as someone who has suffered with disordered eating patterns and is trans, i think the comparison was unfair, but i understand what he was trying to say. when left untreated, both conditions have very high death rates (anorexia being the highest death rate of any psychological disorder), so you should treat the conditions. the treatment for anorexia is different than how you treat gender dysphoria, but both need treating. do i think surgeons and medical systems profit unfairly on trans people? yes 100% (£23,000 for a single 2 hour operation?!?!), but it saves lives and thats the most important part. therapy and intervention saves the lives of anorexics the same way HRT and sometimes surgery saves the lives of trans people.
I had severe depression prior to my transition and was suicidal. Back then, I was failing classes because I would sit in my car crying, not wanting to go into the classroom because I was so miserable. My dysphoria was horrible at the time, despite having been a Christian conservative and trying to convince myself that I was not trans. As it turns out, just ignoring the issue and trying to fit into a cisheteronormative mold does not work. The dysphoria does not go away. But when I started to transition, my mental health was night and day. I went from extreme depression to thriving. I went from failing classes and dropping out of university to reentering university, making the dean's list every semester, and now graduating with two degrees. I am about to apply to a PhD program, and I spend a lot more time with family and friends. My dysphoria is nowhere nearly as bad as it used to be now that I have received supportive medical and social care. Transitioning quite literally saved my life. While it did not resolve every problem that I had, it did give me the strength and motivation to take the initiative to finally resolve those problems.
Thank you for sharing your story! ❤
I am a cis woman and I was prescribed the pill at 12 years old to regulate my hormones, as I had excess androgens that were wrecking my body. That's gender affirming care. I don't think any anti-trans person would have a huge problem with doctors putting me on hormones as a pre-teen, for gender affirming care, so why is it such a problem if it is done by trans people? As this doctor so clearly said, they are not changing their gender, they were born in the gender they identify with in their head, where gender is in fact assigned. Their genitalia does not matter at all. And before the usual critics start bringing up "biology", I have a diploma in biology, I have studied human biology, genetics, phisiology and anthropology, I know how human beings work.
I also biology :3
Because, as a woman, you had something wrong in your body causing you physical pain and issues. It's not 'gender affirming care'. What's that to do with anything 'trans'?
@@4651adri It affirmed her gender.
Therefore it is gender affirming care.
I found this video by accident and I'm very grateful. I have a better understanding of the issue now. What a wonderful human being.
Same.
Thank you for having an open mind.
I'll just say this. Thank you, thank you for existing. You are a light on a platform where darkness abounds. There will come a time when most will realize that these treatments change lives for the better.
if you told me in 2012-ish that LADbible would be making content like this i would not have believed you. so nice tho
Agreed. I'm glad of it.
OMG, you did my surgery back on November 2nd 1998. I was 32 & pissed off because the 8 years that I waited made me miss having it done by Royal & Matte who left. I thought it ironic that your name was Bellringer. You gave me a very well functioning penny. I'm 58 and single now, just me and penny to the end.
Thank you for your work. I would not be hear had it not been for you
Best comment I've read ❤ penny is the best name 👌
Penny's from heaven 😊
"Having periods, if you think you're a boy, must be pretty tough." I would guess that this physical burden is one of the top three causes for utter despair in trans boys. There are many, many cisgender women who can't stand it just because of how uncomfortable, stressful and disruptive it is. For a boy or a young man, it's deeply emasculating on top of all the rest of that.
Doctors and medical experts should decide medical policies, not people with opinions. He hits that fact home.
But doctors and medical experts will decide medical policies on opinions, and then review them, so they`re open to change. Their opinion is broadly in Europe to not have any medicalization of children, and to wait until 18 or over for any hrt or surgery. It`s what Bellringer says in the video. But I guess that`s the wrong opinion?
Cause that went so well with the Covid vaccines right? 😂😂😂😂
I'm an ex-christian (of 20 years) and I've been in deconstruction for about 4-5 years now, so color me surprised when a video with "bible" as part of the creators name comes through. My first reaction is to tell YT to not recommend the channel because I really do want nothing more to do with god... but when I walked away from the church I discovered I'm also a transwoman, so the title of the video made me pause, read the description, and decided to give it a shot. I can now safely say I'm glad I watched this through. ☺Incredibly informative and on point in every way and I think everyone should watch this. I'm even more confident going forwards with surgery now and knowing that it'll go straight into the incinerator is a hilariously comforting thought. 😅😂
He seems like a very gentle person, I'm so glad there's someone like him taking care of trans patients.
I can personally attest to this man's skills and the benefits of what he does, massive quality of life improvements from finally feeling comfortable in my own body. Thanks Mr B.
Glad everything went well! ❤
@@dani_i8942 I'm perfectly aware of what my body is, and I feel good about it, not sure why you'd want to convince a random stranger to feel bad about their body
@@dani_i8942 Hey, I know what it is and I'm happy with that. Not gonna feel bad because you feel weird 🤷♀
@@dani_i8942you’re a bad person. Truly
@@dani_i8942 I can only hope that one day you'll grow some empathy.
What an intelligent considered kind empathetic man. And basically so right. Unlike many of the comments here.
Fair play to you guys for doing this and fairplay to him as well, he seems to have genuinely reasonable and balanced views, and an amount of empathy I would want from any medical professional
Thank you Dr. Bellringer for what you do. As a nurse I have met a few trans people & know how much
surgery can change their lives.
Sober, positive, humane and well informed. This is how to conduct the discussion of trans issues.
The thought that the current generation will be less prejudiced (and that other cultures are so more accepting) should be both a reason to be optimistic and a cause to reflect on why this issue becomes so heated ...
The rich and powerful always need scapegoats, which is why their pressing the trans panic button as much as they can. I'd wager that there have no been more anti-trans panic articles produced in the last 5 years in the UK than there have been gender reassignment surgeries in the UK since they were first performed back in the 1950s.
I had my done by my bellringer 3 weeks ago. This guy is a legend
I hope that the fact that you are able to comment means that all went well and that you are well and thriving.
Congratulations! I hope you’re having a smooth recovery!
@martifingers I'm doing really well thanks.
He did mine in January of this year. I had a really smooth recovery and I hope you do too! 😊
Congrats! :D
Thank you Dr Bellringer for taking the time and having the courage to talk about this publicly (which is essentially putting yourself in the firing line to the anti trans people) and for clearing things up about the process of transitioning and how its far from just throwing on some women's clothes and then saying you're a woman. The social pressures, the difficulties in knowing if you'll get a job. The costs and time spent worrying about how you will find time for recovering from surgery and how you will afford. Sometimes leaving the house is too difficult and I (like many) have a pretty demanding 40 hour a week job to maintain. It's refreshing to hear an expert talk about this, when usually all you hear is the same old hearsay and fabrications from people who have been completely brainwashed into hating transgender people (or who are doing it to be popular because being anti trans is the "in" thing right now in certain groups).
I love how so many of Dr Bellringer's patients are giving him a shout-out in these comments.
There`s been a handful. He does 200 ops a year. Let`s see him or his clinic have their own channel of testimonials...then we`ll find the truth, apart from the many patients starting law suits against him, hence why he`s doing the rounds on sympathetic YT channels, and not the clinic`s.
@barryledgister4496 what are the law suits for?
@@barryledgister4496 Okay, Barry, give us proof then. Oh wait, you have no proof, do you?
@@barryledgister4496yeah dude I don’t think he’s in any active lawsuits? At least not any related to medical malpractice so… idk what your talking abt
It always amazes me that people who are against the LGBTQ+ community think this is want we WANT. Why would we want to put ourselves into a community where we are halted by millions. Where we have to never visit places in the world because it is too dangerous for our community. Where your life can be a living hell if someone moves next door to you who is homophobic. Where you are afraid to kiss your wife in public incase someone sees you and then hurts you as a result. This list is absolutely endless. All we want is to be comfortable in our skin and loved. The same as every other person in this world!
This was a much needed video to be on the Internet. However, I'm 99% sure that the majority of the people who will be watching this video are the people already part of the lgbtq+ community. As Dr Bellringer said, you can't talk to people who don't want to listen, just like you can't make people watch such an amazing video on a very important topic if they point blank refuse to accept the position to press play
That part. Thank you
@@mariusb6889 And who decides what is normal? Why is this not normal? People these days seem to think trans people just became a thing 10 years ago or something. No, trans folk have been around as long as everyone else, because guess what - they are normal people. I forget his name, but there was a famous Doctor who specialized in sexual disorders (I think, been a while since I read up on this guy) back in the early 1900's who accepted and understood gender dysphoria (which obviously wasn't named that back then, nor was it a widely known at all) and tried to help people in whatever way he could back then. People seem to think something in the water (not literally, though I wouldn't doubt some do) turned a small portion of the population trans recently and that's just not the case if you know history.
@@LordLOC it's possible to be a solution for some people I think but it should be a last resort solution obviously. Of course it's not normal, do you even need to think about it ?
It's batshit crazy to cut your genitals and "change" sex. But if this is the only way they can live with themselves it is what it is.
It’s a body image disorder. Like anorexia, which I have personally experienced, you don’t realize you’re in it until you’re out of it. Don’t mutilate yourself and force others to lie about how they perceive you all to satisfy a disordered urge and enrich the surgeons and pharmaceutical companies who make bank off the process.
@@mariusb6889 it's going to happen whether you want it to or not. it's better to accept that this is a thing that happens to us than to live in ignorance and hope it all goes away, in which it will not.
That moment when a surgeon’s description of their job sounds more intense than any season finale I’ve ever seen.
I had my surgery at GRS Montreal with Dr. Maud Belangér and it was also two hours (I suspect their methods and recovery times are the same). Immediately after I came to I felt my depression half and my dysphoria decrease about a third. I can say with full certainty I'd have killed myself without HRT.
We know who we are and we finally have the technology to enable us to live with purpose for once in our lives. Thank you for making this mainstream and shutting out the TERFs and fascists.
EDIT: Puberty blockers are the answer for most potentially trans teenagers - slightly disappointed this wasn't mentioned. Undergoing the opposite gender's puberty is a lifetime of misery and suffering for many trans people.
Yeah, I wasn't quite satisfied with that answer.
I understand where he's coming from, but to deny medication on the slight chance that their brain will suddenly change its mind about dysphoria is... Not the hottest take.
Sure, the brain MAY suddenly start working in a way to allow you to feel more at ease with not having the correct body, but if you can almost guarantee a treatment to ensure their brain DOES ease up on the dysphoria, just fucking do it.
Would you tell a severely depressed teenager not to take the antidepressants cause they might wake up one day after a surge of brain growth and be magically happy? Nah, bro.
I'm sure this comment section isn't going to be a disaster zone.
Yep, I was putting off looking through the comments but couldn't help myself 😂
Yahahahahaha
Comments disabled on instagram so people can’t voice their opinion
I mean, the guy literally profits off of people transitioning. Why wouldn’t he be an advocate for it?
@@HabitualJoker Would an associate for Burger King be an advocate because they work the register? He's foremost a surgeon, but as he says his surgeries are remarkable in the way they alter someone's life "overnight" in his words.
Dr Bellringer is the perfect person to be answering these questions. Not only has he incredible empathy with and sympathy for the trans community but he is a brilliant surgeon. Ten weeks ago he performed my vulvoplasty and did a wonderful job. I’m eternally grateful to him and all the staff at the hospital.
I love this man. It's such a shame that behaviour that should be the benchmark (common human decency in referring to trans people, understanding of experiences of trans people) as exhibited by this man is actually "exemplary", but here we are... So many people fall so short of the benchmark. So seeing this doctor be so completely wonderful and beyond the basic just lifts my heart.
Totally agree with all of this.
Humans generally aren't good at accepting something that is foreign to them. I, as a cis male though of course, am of the opinion that actual non-politicised scientific education on the topic, similar to the one given on e.g. evolution or other mostly uncontroversial subjects in the educated world, would greatly help in the awareness and thus the acceptance department.
Such a nice person. I underwent surgery in 2009 and forever greatful to him. ❤
This might be one of the most fascinating Honesty Box interviews. I appreciate how candid Dr. Bellringer is.
Trans woman here. I hope to eventually get Bottom Surgery (a better term than Gender Reassignment). Everything said here is accurate and it is a real struggle that I almost didn't live from.
I’m wishing you the best. I hope you can get the surgery you want and that it goes well!!
What a kind, compassionate, and lovely man.
My 60+ year old dad has started transitioning. She used to be on quite a few meds for high blood pressure. Since transitioning, she no longer needs those meds. Even before she started taking hormone, simply wearing clothes that better aligned with her identity was enough to drastically lower her blood pressure
Thank you LADbible for doing this series! It’s always interesting and informative and your guests are always incredibly sympathetic.
Thank you Dr James Bellringer for your work!
I concur. Great informative video and I think a needed one.
I'm just about to begin my REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE, got a job now where I am already "out" to them and going to see the gender clinic next week. Not for a diagnosis, but to check them out.
That's great. Congrats! ❤
Good luck to you🙏❤️
Good luck on your journey ❤
Real human being are with you.
@@j9lorna good luck I will be in the same boat soon! 💕
I hope i get my surgery soon- it's absolutely wonderful to hear a surgeon speak bluntly about it
Super informative hearing these opinions and facts from a professional. Lots of good takes! Seems like a great guy and surgeon :)
Honestly support and love to you for doing your work
A great way of answering people's nosiest questions in a scientific manner and without invading the privacy of individual trans people. Excellent job.
Should I risk my mood by going through the comments? Not today, Satan, not today. 😂
Surprisingly supportive
Yup. My thoughts exactly.
@@qwerfy34567894749 Mad though isn't it that every vid you go on that has something related to trans you're just expecting a the barrage of abuse.
Read my minded haha
They're actually pretty good you can look. I've only found hate in replies with less than 3 likes.
Nice to hear surgeon saying what i’ve been saying for a long time, ‘reassignment surgery’ is the wrong term.
Im really happy to see this guy is super reasonable. Reasonable people is what we need.
As a nurse, I can really identify with how much this man cares for and worries about his patients. Being a healthcare provider isn't just a job, for many of us it's a lifelong commitment and something which profoundly changes your way of looking at the world and other people. We find ways to live as individuals without "switching off" because you can't switch your patients off. They're always a part of you.
This is a very thoughtful and respectful interview and I'm grateful to dr. Bellringer for doing this. Thank you.
Such an informative video. Dr Bellringer seems like a very reasoned, compassionate man who knows what he's talking about. He also shows it is possible to have these conversations without insulting and degrading trans people.
This is a much needed video on a very public platform. Thank you for this. And for the time Dr. Bellringer put towards educating the public on the matter. I have a huge amount of respect for people like that.
I appreciate that he discusses his mental health as a surgeon. Caregivers need to take care of themselves too.
Incredible empathy and respect and professionalism from this man, I'm glad to see there are doctors like him out there ❤
this is very refreshing to hear. we should hear from people who know what they’re talking about as opposed to the crazies in politics and the media
Thank you for being a welcoming face for patients in these situations.
Wow. Can we have politicians like this man? The world would be a better place ✅
He seems genuinely like a caring doctor/surgeon who cares for each patient as an individual, which is awesome.
I love how he explains the morality of it so simply. It boils down to helping people.
His thoughtfulness for every questions and his calm and reflected opinions is so soothing and informative. It's extremely refreshing in this shouty age. Would love to have a pint with him!
I had vaginoplasty 6 years ago (though in Canada, not the UK.) It was obviously life-changing, but in a good way. Despite the fear beforehand and the discomfort for a few months afterwards, I'd absolutely do it all over again if I had to. People like Dr. Bellringer are really providing wonderful help and care to their patients.
So I appreciate this physician having a platform to answer some questions that are in line with his specialty, however he was asked and answered questions that are not within his specialty in regards specifically to endocrinology, so in this instance I would also like to hear questions from that kind of expert and hear their educated take on the same set of questions that this urologist answered.
Good point!
Absolutely , Mr Bellringer's comments on endocrinology and elite sport do not reflect the current state of evidence , i would like to See Dr Seal or Dr Hammond comment on the endocrinology stuff
This is such a gem of a video, and this Doctors frankness is really eye opening
Damn, this guy is awesome. Not only does he really know his stuff, but his answers are all thoughtful and concise while fully answering the question that was asked. And he seems exceptionally compassionate to boot!
Such a cohesive, informative commentary from a bad-ass expert.
Such a compassionate and honest, professional, medical perspective. This surgeon has an incredible valuable view and understanding of his patients.
Thank you for sharing your transparency!
Lots of love and respect to
Dr. James Bellringer
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much for doing this with so much respect during a time when it seems noone has any at all. I really really thank you guys for this
This honesty box series is one of my favorite things on RUclips. It's so great for professionals in their field to take this risk on this platform to speak of their experiences and let us all in who are and are not in their fields to learn and grow and discuss perspectives. It sucks when passions escalates, but that is sometimes the process. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn about professions and topics that I have little to no experience about. It's a tough thing to do and make yourself vulnerable on platforms like this but just know to everyone who has and will participate-- you are appreciated.
The sports thing is so interesting because we celebrate genetic advantages in sport. Men like Michael Phelps who have physical advantages very very few people possess are allowed to compete, but a woman who identifies as a man can't. Frankly I think all sports should just have classes based on physical parameters most important to the sport whether that be stride, height, weight etc - like boxing and Tae Kown Doe already have.
Worst part is; even cis women athletes get disqualified from their sports due to there being a cap on how much testosterone they’re allowed to have.
Michael Phelps is a perfect example as he has tons of biological advantages in his sport, such as his longer wingspan and his body naturally producing drastically less lactic acid- meaning he doesn’t tire as quickly as somebody ordinarily would- but as soon as a cis woman has a natural level of testosterone which is considered “too high” and “poses an unfair advantage” against other professional athletes, she can basically just be kicked out of the competition.
I’ve also thought that sports shouldn’t be segregated based on sex but split into classes dependant on certain important factors to the sport, like the weight classes in boxing. If only they could stop mysteriously banning women from competing against men in sports whenever some fragile men get upset that the professional women athletes are also professional athletes capable of winning, and instead have more interesting and fair competitions with athletes of all kinds of diversity.
After all, what do the transphobic sports fans want? (Aside from the non existence of gender nonconforming people.) Do they want things to continue being split by sex? If so, what about the trans athletes? They’re not going to stop existing just because they can’t compete. Do they want the transwomen to compete against cis men, because that would mean they want transmen competing against cis women which I would argue is more legitimately unfair as the transmen are likely to be taking hormones and essentially doping. It’s never been about the “sanctity of sports”, if things were split by physical attributes then people of all genders could compete together, and I just think that’s a wonderful idea.
That is ridiculously practical, why have I never thought about this? There’d still be sports where gender separation would be beneficial but in general this should be more of a consideration
Wow- What an interview.
If this guy, with all of his knowledge and experience, is urging caution with hormones for teens, perhaps we should take heed.
Pretty common sense approach to sport too?
@@btothec4650 but he DOESNT have expertise on hormones, that´s the point, his expertise is in bottom surgery, a very different thing
As someone who worked in Pediatric Endocrinology for several years, thank you so much to this wonderful doctor and those like him who help those who are suffering to find happiness and peace, and to live their best lives 💚
Such a balanced and logical take! So refreshing.
haha! 23 thousand pounds balanced
This man is doing incredible work. Thank you for existing.
Love this man and his very solid take-no-enemies narrative. And he’s a good doctor too.
What a lovely man. Thank you Dr Bellringer for your expert opinion and your compassion and kindness.
Great interview, so happy to see this!
Still fell for 2 of the transphobic dog whistles, but the questions were really framed from the anti-trans point of view:
- Kids getting hormones. This is incredibly rare and done in emergencies. It's argued as a way to justify removing the care for anyone who is trans regardless of age.
- Trans women should not participate in sports. This is a big can of worms, there are a lot of factors to athletic advantage. And there already are standards for trans women to be able to compete. Argued to justify removing trans women from sports.
Sorry for anyone who read through this all, but information is power. If I can help 1 person, the world will be better for it.
Kid getting hormones.
People just believe you need to be an adult to get this treatment. Nobody is using `kids can`t have hormones` as a way of saying ` adults can`t have hormones`. People are totally on the side of adults having hrt...as women have done in menopasue...it`s good money and good business. You should worry about adults being giving this treatment too easily or on the grey market, not that it`s being `stopped`.
Trans women should not participate in sports.
No, people are saying men shouldn`t take part in womens` sports. And you know it, hence your inflammatory phrasing. It isn`t a `big can of worms` at all.
If you want to patronisingly `help 1 person`....be truthful.
@@barryledgister4496 The entire point of saying they want to ban hrt just for kids is to make the idea more appealing. Kids don't get hrt already. But it is a slippery slope, and has historically (such as in the US) lead to it being banned for adults as well.
I don't think sports should be gendered at all personally. I think sports should be divided based on ability. Leave your transphobia out of it, trans women are women.
I fully believe I am telling the truth and I hope you see that. Hope this helps clarify.
we need more doctors like him. i felt so calm watching this with his understanding and care about the subject.
Wow, want an honest and straightforward description of the issues and questions.
It's such a sad and difficult process... I really hope things become easier in the future. Can't believe people is still so close -minded in 2024...
This man is an incredible human being. His answers were thoughtful even against polarizing questions (e.g. Olympics). It makes me happy to know that at least some people are able to be taken care of by Dr Bellringer.
I’ve had all the avaliable surgieries and all as a trans man. Saved my life. Very skilled surgeons and amazing help. Transformed my life from despair to permanent peace and satisfaction wirh how my body is :) Can’t express how grateful I am.
Thank you so much James for you honesty and matter-of-fact delivery of your lived experience and knowledge of this subject. But especially thank you for calling out J K Rowling for her misguided and misplaced public anti-trans rhetoric that is harmful to so many people. She is hopelessly confused about the subject and she, as well as people who think like her, don't realize or understand that gender tends to settle upon two dominate types of anatomical sex types at birth. But in reality, there is also a fairly large group of people that comfortably fall into that gray area where they have a well-developed mix of genitalia or sex-related organs from both sexes. Not to mention wildly varying degrees of testosterone and estrogen that may pull them into identifying more strongly with one gender or the other, regardless of their chromosomes or development of their sexual organs at birth. But these anti-trans haters just don't want to hear it or don't believe it. You could show them endless pictures of humans born with mixed genitalia all over the spectrum from male to female, sometimes with both, but they just don't care. Pretty sad they they just can't let people be whomever they choose to be, and instead treat them as deviant or as some sort of predator. They are the sick ones.
brave of this man considering the rampant hatred going on in the UK. 🕊️
Straightforward answers to potentially provocative questions, with an air of wry insouciance thrown in. A typically British response to internet-based queries, I would say.
What a nice and respectful man.
Gender affirming care saves lives.
Lovely to hear and see Mr. Bellringer. My partner and I had Mr.Thomas, and I will always remember the care and sensitivity he had for me post-op. So sad that he was lost to Covid. I agree that "reassignment" is nonsense, Call it what it is - genital reconstructive surgery! Frankly, being trans isn't fun at all at any stage. We should have spaces of our own if people are going to be that hateful towards us, and that includes in sport. Although your bone structure is similar HRT changes a lot for you physiologically and that includes things like bone density. The problem is that there are so few of us that no-body cares to oppose anti-trans ideology. I'm glad that Mr Bellringer pointed that out. In India trans women get their own hospital ward while we're stuffed away in some side room.
I'm a trans guy and hoping for surgery someday. I just have to keep focusing on the good doctors that are out there, the ones who are willing to help me rather than judge me.
Dr Belleinger strikes me as a very compassionate man. Like his replies are not just sterile and clinical but also warm and jeeping the emotional state of patients in mind. Good on ya!
Thank you, sincerely. Well articulated and thoughtful responses.
Thank you for what you do for humanity, Dr James Bellringer!