UKGayNews.org – By Dr. Heather Peto
Dr Heather Peto of Cambridge University and the LGBT human rights group OutRage! argues that charges of professional misconduct against one of the world?s leading gender identity specialists are not in the interests of transgender people and bring shame to the medical and psychiatric professions.
LONDON, October 5, 2006 ? The General Medical Council this week began to hear allegations of professional misconduct against Dr Russell Reid, an internationally-renowned consultant psychiatrist specialising in transgender and gender reassignment issues, which are often referred to medically as gender dysphoria or Gender Identity Disorder (GID).
He has been a prominent member of the Royal College of Psychiatrist?s committee on gender identity issues.
The allegations are that between 1984 and 2003 Dr Reid prescribed sex-change treatment for some transgender patients too quickly and without a sufficient cooling off period to allow patients to change their minds.