The letter, which was sent to the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, attempts to use consumer protection laws to make it against the law to support puberty blockers.
Thanks, even if I am not from the USA, you should never allow incompetent politicians to ruin people's lives. Do not let what happened in much of Eastern-Europe.
Ditto. Also AAP member. Also, committed to defending the AAP and the health of US children. The AAP broke with the AMA because of the AMA’s racist policies im its early days. AAP can stand up to this, too.
Really, the more trans kids and gender fluid kids pediatricians treat, the more comfortable they feel understanding and educating others, and respecting the rights of kids and their parents. So it’s not all, but it’s a lot more than these instant experts whose “research” consists of scrolling on social media. They are just uninformed
The fascist tendency to use the law to lie is terrifyingly effective. I imagine that if this were successful we'd see it plastered everywhere that the AAP "opposes" puberty blockers. Is it really too much to ask to not see more kids traumatized in the exact way I and many others were? Then again, I suppose the cruelty is the point.
God I WISH I could have been offered puberty blockers but I hit puberty in the mid-80's and that wasn't even an option. I am so jealous of trans kids lucky enough to receive puberty blockers as part of their trans care regimen these days.
I can relate. I was in college in the early 80s. Trans care was so messed up that I didn't transition until the mid 2000's. I feel like my youth was stolen from me.
As for these GOP MF's they need to stop interfering with established medical protocols.
I feel you sister. You are not alone. Best wishes for you.
I also began transitioning a bit late due to the country where I live. But I still have some time left, at last I began to see a part of myself in the mirror. That is a victory in itself indeed.
I was 30 before I knew trans people existed. 43 when I finally admitted to myself that "there might be a gender issue" I needed to deal with, followed a few months later with hormone therapy. Finally had surgery at 53 when the dysphoria overcame my fear of surgery (in general).
How I would have loved to transition 30-35 years sooner!
I watched a TV movie in the late 70's about the famous transgender doctor and tennis player Renée Richards, played by Vanessa Redgrave. That film left an indelible mark on my psyche.
Our local school board is battling regarding trans girl athletes in track and field. On and on they go with the goals of safety and fairness. The Catch 22 is they oppose cross-sex hormones for trans girls, so they can't access the very remedy that allows them to lower testosterone levels and still compete. A trans athletes ban by any other name is still discrimination.
And speaking of safety, does anyone ever mention middle school and high school football? Hundreds of head hits to fragile developing brains. Clear proof that these hits raise the likelihood of CTE. Can these athletes truly give informed consent to playing football? They surely aren't old enough to make those decisions. If you want to do something to help with the safety of K-12 athletes, let's ban football at all levels. Any parent that allows kids to play football should be investigated by Child Protective Services. Ah, the sacred cow of football. HYPOCRISY, anyone??
Is there no end to this obsession with our erasure? I'm so tired. At what point will the unpopularity of this obvious persecution stop them? I hate that we're constantly reliant on overwhelmingly cis majorities of the public to agree that we have the right to exist. Jeez this is exhausting.
What about the carve out in every Trans minor medical ban for CIS kids to get PBs? How do they address that discrepancy? How do they explain how it is perfectly fine to prescribe PBs to CIS kids but oh the horrible side effects on Trans kids? This is utter BS but it is the GOP so SOP for them.
If they had to sacrifice every cis kid out there who has a medical need for puberty blockers just to deny those same medications to trans kids, they'd do it and not lose a moment's sleep- if they ever even thought about that complication at all, which is already a bit of a stretch. Collateral damage concerns these monsters not even a tiny little bit- remember, this is the same party that's doing its dead level best to deny kids access to adequate nutrition, labor protections, and classrooms that don't double as target ranges while school is in session. Among other things.
Yep, please see this research paper from Yale university.
"An Evidence-Based Critique of the Cass Review
medications to those under age 18 outside of a research setting.4 In June 2024, the NHS Health Secretary cited the Review as the rationale for emergency regulations that criminalize the supply of puberty-pausing medications to new patients under 18 in England, Scotland, or Wales.5 This
ban, which applies only to the treatment of gender dysphoria, labeled these medications as a
“serious danger to health.” These medications remain freely available for other pediatric health needs, of which precocious puberty, endometriosis, and fertility preservation prior to
The intrusion by government into medical care, whether abortion, gender affirming care or anything else is akin to the Nazis euthanizing those children and adults who didn't fit the aryan model. They are no different than these politicians who are militantly ignorant and who rely on religious bias, pseudoscience and debunked information and their own bias and hate. Hopefully, the AAP and other medical organizations will resist this unwarranted intrusion. I just wish that when it comes to what may be the final arbiter, meaning SCOTUS that we didn't have those same biased Justices put there by Trump. The alteration of the federal courts which should protect us and which occurred under Trump and McConnell will sadly be with us for years whether this abomination is re-elected or not.
Medical expertise versus political mischief -- an easy choice for anyone truly concerned about the welfare of our youth. The AGs would also have to take on a couple dozen other medical associations, including the AMA. While I think they would fail, it is frightening that they would undertake such hateful actions. But the current iteration of the Republican party actions simply have no bottom, no scheme too cruel. Voting them out whenever possible is the only way out.
Very important and timely article Erin. Thanks. I will never completely understand why trans kids’ medical care is such an obsessive hostile compulsion for the right wing. This care has existed for decades and yet it caught on fire for the right wing only within the last five years. It’s almost like it’s a social contagion or something?
Part of me hopes that the GQP keeps banging on their culture war drums as loud as they possibly can for the next few weeks, because transphobia and abortion bans have proven to be losing issues for them... but the greater part just wants them to shut the fuck up and go away, for the sake of everyone they're hurting (and, let's be honest, killing) every time they open their hate-filled word holes.
Banning off label use for GAC and not banning it for on label uses (such as precocious puberty) IS by definition DISCRIMINATION. The courts shouldn’t be entertaining any of this!
The TERFs should be for medicinal treatments for trans girls, if they really feel the way they say they do about trans women. Just ugly words, and of course they'd still reject our view, even if most were taking hormones, talk about an unholy alliance of (a type of) "feminists" and (uncool) right-wingers.
AAP member here. We will not stop protecting our patients and doing what is right for their health. AG's be damned.
Thanks, even if I am not from the USA, you should never allow incompetent politicians to ruin people's lives. Do not let what happened in much of Eastern-Europe.
Thank you!!!! Reading your comments gives me good goose bumps. We need you!!!!
Ditto. Also AAP member. Also, committed to defending the AAP and the health of US children. The AAP broke with the AMA because of the AMA’s racist policies im its early days. AAP can stand up to this, too.
Thank you!!!!! Thank you for continuing to support trans kids and their parents. Now, please tell me that all of your fellow pedis feel the same way?
Really, the more trans kids and gender fluid kids pediatricians treat, the more comfortable they feel understanding and educating others, and respecting the rights of kids and their parents. So it’s not all, but it’s a lot more than these instant experts whose “research” consists of scrolling on social media. They are just uninformed
The fascist tendency to use the law to lie is terrifyingly effective. I imagine that if this were successful we'd see it plastered everywhere that the AAP "opposes" puberty blockers. Is it really too much to ask to not see more kids traumatized in the exact way I and many others were? Then again, I suppose the cruelty is the point.
We are not under fascism yet.
But we may soon be..
God I WISH I could have been offered puberty blockers but I hit puberty in the mid-80's and that wasn't even an option. I am so jealous of trans kids lucky enough to receive puberty blockers as part of their trans care regimen these days.
I can relate. I was in college in the early 80s. Trans care was so messed up that I didn't transition until the mid 2000's. I feel like my youth was stolen from me.
As for these GOP MF's they need to stop interfering with established medical protocols.
I feel you sister. You are not alone. Best wishes for you.
I also began transitioning a bit late due to the country where I live. But I still have some time left, at last I began to see a part of myself in the mirror. That is a victory in itself indeed.
I didn't transition until *2012*.
I was 30 before I knew trans people existed. 43 when I finally admitted to myself that "there might be a gender issue" I needed to deal with, followed a few months later with hormone therapy. Finally had surgery at 53 when the dysphoria overcame my fear of surgery (in general).
How I would have loved to transition 30-35 years sooner!
After you transition, you feel like: "How could I live the way I lived before?"
I watched a TV movie in the late 70's about the famous transgender doctor and tennis player Renée Richards, played by Vanessa Redgrave. That film left an indelible mark on my psyche.
Yes it would have been nice, I began the process when I was 40.
I'm trying to transition, but I need help, and don't have it.
Me too.
I need encouragement and strength from others to transition; I can't do it alone..
It’s like they are trying to eliminate diabetes by eliminating access to insulin. Fuckers.
https://youtu.be/u2_PICE5Zjw?si=oU6M23bsoPt15LMR
Our local school board is battling regarding trans girl athletes in track and field. On and on they go with the goals of safety and fairness. The Catch 22 is they oppose cross-sex hormones for trans girls, so they can't access the very remedy that allows them to lower testosterone levels and still compete. A trans athletes ban by any other name is still discrimination.
And speaking of safety, does anyone ever mention middle school and high school football? Hundreds of head hits to fragile developing brains. Clear proof that these hits raise the likelihood of CTE. Can these athletes truly give informed consent to playing football? They surely aren't old enough to make those decisions. If you want to do something to help with the safety of K-12 athletes, let's ban football at all levels. Any parent that allows kids to play football should be investigated by Child Protective Services. Ah, the sacred cow of football. HYPOCRISY, anyone??
Is there no end to this obsession with our erasure? I'm so tired. At what point will the unpopularity of this obvious persecution stop them? I hate that we're constantly reliant on overwhelmingly cis majorities of the public to agree that we have the right to exist. Jeez this is exhausting.
What about the carve out in every Trans minor medical ban for CIS kids to get PBs? How do they address that discrepancy? How do they explain how it is perfectly fine to prescribe PBs to CIS kids but oh the horrible side effects on Trans kids? This is utter BS but it is the GOP so SOP for them.
If they had to sacrifice every cis kid out there who has a medical need for puberty blockers just to deny those same medications to trans kids, they'd do it and not lose a moment's sleep- if they ever even thought about that complication at all, which is already a bit of a stretch. Collateral damage concerns these monsters not even a tiny little bit- remember, this is the same party that's doing its dead level best to deny kids access to adequate nutrition, labor protections, and classrooms that don't double as target ranges while school is in session. Among other things.
Yep, please see this research paper from Yale university.
"An Evidence-Based Critique of the Cass Review
medications to those under age 18 outside of a research setting.4 In June 2024, the NHS Health Secretary cited the Review as the rationale for emergency regulations that criminalize the supply of puberty-pausing medications to new patients under 18 in England, Scotland, or Wales.5 This
ban, which applies only to the treatment of gender dysphoria, labeled these medications as a
“serious danger to health.” These medications remain freely available for other pediatric health needs, of which precocious puberty, endometriosis, and fertility preservation prior to
chemotherapy are some."
https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/integrity-project_cass-response.pdf
SOP to POS
The intrusion by government into medical care, whether abortion, gender affirming care or anything else is akin to the Nazis euthanizing those children and adults who didn't fit the aryan model. They are no different than these politicians who are militantly ignorant and who rely on religious bias, pseudoscience and debunked information and their own bias and hate. Hopefully, the AAP and other medical organizations will resist this unwarranted intrusion. I just wish that when it comes to what may be the final arbiter, meaning SCOTUS that we didn't have those same biased Justices put there by Trump. The alteration of the federal courts which should protect us and which occurred under Trump and McConnell will sadly be with us for years whether this abomination is re-elected or not.
Medical expertise versus political mischief -- an easy choice for anyone truly concerned about the welfare of our youth. The AGs would also have to take on a couple dozen other medical associations, including the AMA. While I think they would fail, it is frightening that they would undertake such hateful actions. But the current iteration of the Republican party actions simply have no bottom, no scheme too cruel. Voting them out whenever possible is the only way out.
Very important and timely article Erin. Thanks. I will never completely understand why trans kids’ medical care is such an obsessive hostile compulsion for the right wing. This care has existed for decades and yet it caught on fire for the right wing only within the last five years. It’s almost like it’s a social contagion or something?
So republicans aren’t for the first amendment now, you know freedom of speech and association?
They've been banning protests left and right.
It’s almost as if they’ve been lying to further their fascist agenda… too bad the republican base isn’t going to catch on anytime soon.
They'll have new lies ten years from now once the current ones get old...
Part of me hopes that the GQP keeps banging on their culture war drums as loud as they possibly can for the next few weeks, because transphobia and abortion bans have proven to be losing issues for them... but the greater part just wants them to shut the fuck up and go away, for the sake of everyone they're hurting (and, let's be honest, killing) every time they open their hate-filled word holes.
Banning off label use for GAC and not banning it for on label uses (such as precocious puberty) IS by definition DISCRIMINATION. The courts shouldn’t be entertaining any of this!
The TERFs should be for medicinal treatments for trans girls, if they really feel the way they say they do about trans women. Just ugly words, and of course they'd still reject our view, even if most were taking hormones, talk about an unholy alliance of (a type of) "feminists" and (uncool) right-wingers.
WTF ?
1st am. shoots that right down.
Hmm... politicians using the power of the state to make medical decisions for other people. That never goes wrong... /s