Last week, an important legal "first" was reached in New York State: a jury in White Plains awarded $2 million in damages to Fox Varian, a 22-year-old woman who transitioned to a male identity as a teenager and had a double mastectomy at 16, only to regret it later and reverse the transition. Varian accused her psychologist and plastic surgeon of rushing her into the procedure without adequate consent. This is the first malpractice award to a "detransitioner" — one that critics of pediatric gender care hope will set a trend.

The case takes place amid extraordinarily acrimonious politics around gender identity, with much of the Republican right — and the Trump administration — trying to undo all legal and social recognition of gender transition. At such a time, many are understandably sensitive of joining in calls for restrictions on gender-transition care. But it's worth noting that a number of people supportive of trans rights, such as Erica Anderson, a gender care specialist and transgender........

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