American Girl refuses to apologize for pushing advice for pre-teens to obtain puberty blockers

American Girl has stood her ground and refused to apologize for recommending tweens get puberty blockers if they feel different, despite widespread outrage over her controversial new book.

The doll-collecting company has faced a major backlash since the release of A Smart Girl’s Guide: Body Image, by American Girl author Mel Hammond.

An excerpt from the 96-page book, marketed to girls 10 and older, advises: “If you haven’t gone through puberty yet, your doctor might offer you medicine to slow the changes in your body, giving you more time to think about your gender. “. identity.’

The controversial book, presented as a guide, also provides young readers with a list of resource organizations children can turn to “if they don’t have an adult they can trust.”

But even though the content was criticized as ‘misleading and dangerous’, American Girl has doubled down, saying it is “committed” to helping readers feel “informed” and confident.

The book’s writer, Mel Hammond, graduated from college in 2014 and lists on his website that some of his “favorite things are trees, rainbows, and dairy-free ice cream.”

In a statement to TMZsaid: ‘We value our customers’ opinions and feedback and welcome perspectives on this topic.

‘The content in this book, designed for children ages 10 and older, was developed in collaboration with adolescent care and medical professionals and consistently emphasizes the importance of having conversations and discussing any feelings with parents or trusted adults.

‘We are committed to delivering content that leaves our readers feeling informed, confident and positive about themselves.’

Meanwhile, irate customers continue to flood the American Girl website with criticism in the book’s comments section.

Some reviewers said they regretted spending thousands of dollars on the company’s products in the past.

Another said: ‘Kids should play outside, not caring what gender they think they are. It’s ridiculous to think that this is appropriate for children.

One reviewer added: ‘I love that the book encourages self and positive body image. But what’s not right is promoting hormone blockers, and ways to do it BEHIND parental guidance, to girls between the average age of 4-10.’

The 96-page manual is marketed to girls ages 3-12 and explains gender expression.

The book also tells children as young as three: “If you haven’t gone through puberty yet, your doctor might offer you medicine to slow the changes in your body, giving you more time to think about your gender identity.”

The book also provides a list of resources for organizations children can turn to ‘if you don’t have a trusted adult’.

Another excerpt from the book. read: ‘Parts of your body can make you uncomfortable and you may want to change your appearance,’ reads an excerpt deemed problematic by parents online, before stating ‘That’s totally fine!’

He goes on to advise children: ‘You can appreciate your body for all that it allows you to experience and still want to change certain things about it.’

On the same page, the book promotes the use of puberty blockers and tells girls to seek them out with their doctor if they feel confused about their gender but are not physically ready to undergo hormone therapy.

The book then tells readers that ‘if you don’t have a trusted adult, there are organizations all over the country that can help you. See the resources on page 95 for more information.’

The release comes amid a wave of increasingly uptight content from the American Girl brand. Earlier this year, its parent company, Mattel, released a transgender Barbie doll.