PITT — Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans
PITT stands for Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans. It is a Substack publication where parents write anonymously about their experiences with a child who identifies as transgender. The stories are written and edited by the parents themselves; according to the editors, the authors come from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Canada, and Spain.
What you can find there
A new essay is published on weekdays, followed by a roundup on Saturdays. There are also sections for stories about sons and daughters, young people who decided against transitioning, sample letters, gender at school, and a podcast. Two books have been compiled from the stories.
Why it is on this list
PITT is a widely read collection of parents’ stories and is affiliated with Genspect. The publication seeks to end medical treatment for young people and is therefore openly partisan. The anonymous stories cannot be verified and present only one side of the family’s experience. See also critical perspectives.
Who is behind it
The publication’s page names no editors. It does state that PITT is partly supported by Genspect and that the views expressed in the stories are not necessarily those of Genspect. Submissions are handled through a Genspect email address. That organization was founded in June 2021 by Irish psychotherapist Stella O'Malley. According to the Substack page, PITT has more than 13,000 subscribers. Subscriptions are free, and the editors encourage readers to buy the two books.
Purpose and approach
PITT states two objectives. The first is to inform the public about what the editors describe as the devastating effects of gender ideology on families. The second is to end the medicalization of children, teenagers, and young adults. The stories are published without names, according to the editors, to protect the writers and their families. As a result, names, locations, and details cannot be checked, even by readers who would like to do so.
How to assess this source
PITT’s strength lies in its volume: a new story is added on weekdays, making recurring patterns in these parents’ experiences visible. On the other hand, the submissions are selected by editors with a clear agenda. Parents who are satisfied with the care their child receives are not given a voice, nor are the young people themselves. Genspect is also controversial: the Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the organization as an anti-LGBTQ hate group. Read the stories as accounts from one group of parents. Other parent groups on this list include Our Duty and Parents of ROGD Kids; a resource on this site itself is the practical guide for parents whose child suddenly says they are trans. Experiences of young people who later reconsidered a transition can be found under detransition.