44 Comments

Why doesn’t the American Academy of Pediatrics sue them for misrepresentation? If they were to take on these imposters it would make people aware of how they’re being duped.

Expand full comment

Propaganda is everywhere. It is a full time strategy for the GOP. It's not just misinformation it's disinformation with intent to harm. It's very attractive to people who aren't happy because it gives them a direction to launch their self-hatred outward.

Expand full comment

True. But, The American Academy of Pediatrics has a brand and a reputation to protect

Expand full comment

They need to make a corrective statement and leave it at that publicly, for now. Education is much needed. Communication of the realities. More people are listening than we think. Fascists target small groups for their condemnation. The Catholic Church is on board. They started cultural homogenization with the Crusades, maybe before. Power and control. Let's hope for the Seneca effect!

Expand full comment

I came down here in the comments to say exactly this. Why don't they? Are they afraid of push-back from all the crazies out there? There's no way we can fight organizations & people like that without tons of money and a large platform. Once again, I'm disgusted by the lack of these large medical businesses not fighting back. FUCK!

Expand full comment

I think suing the American College of Pediatrics would be difficult, but would definitely highlight studies that support Gender affirmative Care for children. Many countries have a separatist view on gender and sex. Therefore, babies born with male parts are raised boys and babies born with female parts are raised girls until they are old enough to stand up for themselves. To me, this is a form of child abuse. If they could demonstrate this to the courts, it might change the perspective of the worlds view.

Expand full comment
founding

I came here to say the same thing

Expand full comment

The ACPeds lawyers have probably correctly judged their name is different enough.

Expand full comment

Thank you so much for your reporting on this important topic!

I would like to suggest a correction. You refer to the American College of Pediatricians as the 'ACP'. I believe the correct abbreviation for the American College of Pediatricians is the 'ACPeds'.

'ACP' is the American College of Physicians. This is a professional society of 160,000+ internal medicine physicians. The following quote was posted to the ACP website in April: "A growing number of states are banning gender-affirming health care and pursuing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, contrary to ACP policy, which urges non-discrimination in health care. ACP opposes these restrictions on health care for transgender individuals, who already may face extreme barriers to accessing care, and strongly objects to any unnecessary government interference with any health care services."

Expand full comment

Now ACP sounds like it has a trademark claim on ACPeds !

Expand full comment

Oh yes. All that pornography I watched at age 7. My parents had porn on the tv day and night. These agitators are fueling harm to the minority for personal gain. Creepers, people with way to little thought in their little brains.

Expand full comment

I am relieved that some of your other subscribers have made some of these points. But I still want to share my thoughts. As a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP), I want to say that you have to pass specialty (Pediatrics) boards and prove bona fides to be a part of this organization. AAP broke away from AMA when it was segregated and very right-wing. It has decades of history as an enlightened scholarly organization. The ACPeds aside from tacitly borrowing the initials/

impersonating another authentic organization, ACP, benefits from the ignorance of the public. The Catholic Medical Association has a journal that the uninitiated cite as if it were an authentic peer-reviewed publication. This stealth operation TOOK OVER pediatrics and education in Florida, with threats of retaliation towards some of the most risk-adverse people in the population (pediatricians, teachers and other school personnel, professors and parents in ostracized groups). It is now working on a nationwide effort. Thank you for your work, Erin, but others must ACT, TOO.

Expand full comment
founding

As a fellow of the AAP, is there anything that you can do to bring a greater awareness of this issue to them on our behalf or to help facilitate a dialog with them ? We desperately need voices of authority to weigh in on these issues.

Expand full comment

When the first stuff from state of Florida came out shredding the DHHS guidelines, which were very humane, I wrote to our state AAP representatives. Everyone was really afraid because the governor was going through eliminating any opposition or even alternate insights. It was amazing. I also wrote to Dr. Ladapo, who ignored my letter. I will send Erin the thing the state put out and my letter. It was terrifying

Expand full comment

I am shocked, but not surprised that the group of people who support white supremacy, use the same words and tactics as the Nazi's, and spout the same rhetoric of every religious group as they merrily committed genocide would be willing and able to commit acts of terrorism against doctors, schools, and children. They need to be called out for what they are, domestic terrorists and dealt with as such.

Expand full comment

When we think of “terrorism”, we generally think of arson, anonymous threats, frightening vandalism. But if you are making a living as a pediatrician, a teacher, an educator at the university level, you may be very risk-adverse. If you get your license to practice medicine or your tenure in a state university yanked because of some criticism of radical state policies towards a vulnerable group of children… it may just be terrifying to think up a Plan B for your life and supporting your family. I am living in California; I retired. As far as I know, they cannot do anything to me now.

Expand full comment

We need to really start strongly making the case that transphobia is scientific illiteracy (and intellectual dishonesty) combined with bigotry, neither of which has any place in a technologically advanced free society.

Expand full comment

Making that case to who, when, where, how? We know why, but we're not getting to large platforms. Not even close.

Expand full comment

Anywhere we can. Start small and build up.

Expand full comment

I would say yes, but without getting to mainstream, we're spinning our wheels and talking amongst each other. Not getting to the people who could make a huge difference. Me thinks they're owned by the GOP or like-minded CEO's.

Expand full comment

I want to put out a video decrying the scourge of people claiming that there is a mythical entity that influences pseudo-scientist to decry the existence of me.

Expand full comment

The Abominable Collective of Propagandists, more like.

Average Fox News viewers are the only ones fooled by their deliberately-misleading name. All the major players know exactly who and what they are; they can't 𝘯𝘰𝘵 know, at this stage of the game. They know they're building their culture war on lies, and they don't care because they're too committed to their hatred.

Expand full comment

And to think that I thought it was bad when store brands mimic the container shape and label of the brand name I wanted but failed to pay close enough attention to.

Expand full comment

At least with store brands you’re getting the same or a similar product. What ACP is doing is like putting in a knock-off Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal box cereal laced with cyanide and/or rat poison.

Expand full comment

"Van Mol serves on the board of the Bethel Church of Redding, which made headlines in 2019 for attempting to pray a dead child back to life."

A creative person could make that up, why is anyone paying any attention at all to people about whom it's already true ! ???

Expand full comment

See below… I wrote to our state-level AAP reps and am concerned that this has taken them by surprise, and without a sufficiently assertive response.

Expand full comment

I thank you. Really.

I fear large organizations generally fear making mistakes more than failing to react quickly.

Expand full comment
founding

Is anyone else also pissed that these religious orgs are waging war using tax free donations taken in by sister organizations like American family. I forget which one files as a church but the IRS should get involved.

Expand full comment

yes if the Repubs will allow it to be funded properly to do its job.

Expand full comment

I am surprised that Michael Shermer pops up here. There has to be an explanation, because he is not a person to use prop medical associations to make a point. In fact, it is typically part of his repertoire to warn people about such entities.

Expand full comment
founding

So the question is was he duped or is he really a supporter ?

Expand full comment

Duped basically, and I know how that feels. This is why I got the hell off Twitter. Let’s just say yours truly was reading a publication that rhymes with ”Pree Fress”. Then say that the publication gives breathing room to a eugenicist, and because I (formerly) read that publication, the eugenics guy gets boosted to me on Twitter. Somehow I wind up liking an innocuous post and following this guy.

I was horrified.

Expand full comment

If only others were smart enough to realize that they’d been duped… I stand by my belief that social media plays a HUGE role in how we got here. You have to stay very aware and very smart about how you consume any media at all these days. Social media is not the break from reality it pretends to be.

Expand full comment

I also believe it has an outsized role, whether it involves outside agitators or us simply doing this to ourselves. I'm encouraged by the kids now coming into high school seemingly not interested in the TikTok wars.

I would actually support banning social media for children under 17. Seems reasonable, if the harm is there as many believe (I do). There is real data, plus the objective analysis of you, me, and other rational people. If the adults want to horse around with whatever TikTok is, fine.

Expand full comment

"Despite the widespread misinformation, every major medical organization in the United States supports gender-affirming care. In February, the American Psychological Association, the largest psychological association in the world, released a policy resolution stating that gender-affirming care is medically necessary and saves lives. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that transgender youth have access to gender-affirming care tailored to their unique needs. The Advocates for Trans Equality maintains a list of over 30 of the largest U.S.-based medical organizations that support transgender care, including the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the American Public Health Association, and the American Medical Association."

That's what counts, but I think the biggest problem is that people will believe that an "prestigious" organization, going by its name alone, supports their bigoted world-view.

Expand full comment

Excellent reporting on this (as always), Erin! I was wondering how much traction this latest publicity stunt was going to get.

Michael Shermer??? That is surprising, and disappointing. I wonder what the story is behind that.

Expand full comment

The American College of Pediatricians is a professional organization in the same way that the Union of Concerned Scientists is a union.

Expand full comment

The American College of Pediatrics is a Christian based organization. They support child abuse.

Expand full comment