A father and son from Brazil have gone public with their journey of transitioning together, sharing their experiences and challenges online.
Raphael and Gustavo Batista, a father and son from São Paulo, Brazil, were both born with female biological characteristics but now identify as male.
Gustavo, now 10 years old, was the first to start transitioning at just four years old.
Seeing his son embrace his identity gave Raphael the “strength and courage” to take the same step.
At 38, Raphael decided to publicly embrace his identity and requested to be referred to as male.
In September, he posted a video on Instagram discussing gender identity and the personal journey he has undertaken.
The video caption, translated from Portuguese, read: “If I have dysphoria in my body? And the answer is yes.”
When asked if his son’s transition had played a role in his own decision, Raphael responded candidly: “It didn’t have any influence, but he [Gustavo] gave me strength and courage to face [the transition].”
Both Raphael and Gustavo frequently share updates with their nearly 25,000 Instagram followers, receiving an outpouring of support from those who admire their courage and openness.
Instagram / @raphaelegustavinho
The father and son have openly expressed their frustration with people using their “dead names”—the names they were given before transitioning.
Emphasizing the importance of respect, they shared: “Although it is our right to have our social names respected, respect is rarely given in practice.”
Gustavo, who is also an actor in addition to being a student, has portrayed both transgender and cisgender characters in films, advocating for better representation in the media.
Currently, Gustavo is receiving care at the Transdisciplinary Outpatient Clinic for Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation at the Institute of Psychiatry in São Paulo, as well as the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit at the Children’s Institute of the Hospital das Clínicas.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the use of puberty blockers for minors seeking gender-affirming treatment has been indefinitely banned due to growing safety concerns.
The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) released a report stating that there is “currently an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children.”
The commission recommended indefinite restrictions while further research is conducted to assess the safety of medical transitions for young people.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized the need for caution, stating that it is essential to “act with caution” and “follow expert advice” when treating this “vulnerable group of young people.”
He also stressed that “Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led” and noted that the independent expert Commission on Human Medicines found the current prescribing and care pathway for gender dysphoria to present an unacceptable safety risk for children and young people.
“Dr. Cass’s review also highlighted safety concerns due to the lack of sufficient evidence for these medical treatments. It’s crucial that we proceed with caution and care when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people, always following expert guidance.”
“We are collaborating with NHS England to establish new gender identity services, ensuring people have access to comprehensive health and wellbeing support.”
“Next year, we will launch a clinical trial on the use of puberty blockers to create a clear evidence base for their use in medical treatment.”
Dr. Hilary Cass, who led the Cass Review on gender healthcare for children, referred to puberty blockers as “powerful drugs with unproven benefits and considerable risks.”
She explained: “This is why I recommended that they should only be prescribed after a multi-disciplinary assessment and as part of a research protocol.”
Dr. Cass expressed her support for the government’s decision, stating: “I fully support the Government’s choice to maintain restrictions on the use of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria outside of the NHS, where these critical safeguards are not in place.”
Last year, the British Medical Association (BMA) sparked controversy by challenging the findings of the Cass Review, pledging to “publicly critique” its conclusions and advocate for transgender youth.
The BMA argued that the ban on puberty blockers would harm “victimized” transgender children.
The BMA’s governing council decided to take action in a private meeting earlier this month, though details were only made public later.
Dr. Hilary Cass, a leading pediatrician, made over 30 recommendations to improve NHS services for transgender youth.
Her report, which took nearly four years to complete, revealed that children “caught in the middle” of a divisive debate were being steered toward potentially irreversible decisions.
She cautioned that much of the existing research supporting puberty blockers and hormone therapy was based on “shaky foundations,” lacking robust scientific evidence.
The Cass Report ultimately concluded that transgender youth had been “let down” by a lack of research, highlighting the “remarkably weak” evidence supporting medical interventions.
In response to these findings, NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow suspended new prescriptions of puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones for new patients in March.
In May, NHS Lothian also paused all new referrals for surgery and assessment appointments to allow for a comprehensive review, though these restrictions were later lifted.
Tess White MSP, the Scottish Conservative equalities spokesperson, expressed concern, noting, “The number of under-18s referred for specialist procedures is especially troubling. At a time when NHS waiting lists in Scotland are incredibly long, taxpayers will wonder why such significant sums were spent on these procedures in NHS England.”
Susan Buchanan, Director of National Services at NHS National Services Scotland, defended the process, explaining, “All patients referred for surgery are carefully assessed by healthcare professionals, taking individual patient needs and circumstances into account.”
The Scottish Government has maintained that not all patients referred for surgery proceed with it, as each case is assessed individually.
