Conversion Therapy Org Files SCOTUS Amicus Saying Strep, Lyme, And Manga Make You Trans

The amicus brief is from Partners for Ethical Care, a group known for pushing conversion therapy practices.

Mother with daughter and doctor checking little girl patient’s throat - Syda Productions - Licensed via Shutterstock

Last week, Partners for Ethical Care, a group that supports conversion therapy for transgender youth, filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court. The brief, submitted in support of Tennessee's gender-affirming care ban, aimed to present parent narratives on the alleged harm of youth transitioning. In doing so, it disregarded the voices of transgender youth and relied on pseudoscientific explanations for the “causes” of being transgender. Among these supposed causes were sore throats, Lyme disease, and even manga.

The brief was submitted on behalf of Partners for Ethical Care, co-founded by Jeanette Cooper. Cooper gained notoriety for rejecting her own child’s transgender identity, which led to her losing custody to the child’s father due to creating a mentally and emotionally unsafe environment. She has repeatedly testified before the Ohio legislature in support of gender-affirming care bans. In one instance, Cooper controversially compared gender-affirming care for trans teens to “walking kids to gas chambers” during the Holocaust. She later testified in Ohio that her organization represents “thousands of parents” who do not affirm their trans children's gender identities, further stating that being transgender should be treated “like an addiction” to be addressed through conversion therapy practices

You can see a video of Jeanette Cooper, co-founder of Partners for Ethical Care, testifying in Ohio about her organization here:

The amicus brief details the experiences of parents of eight transgender youth, who claim that transitioning either harmed their children or that their children no longer identify as transgender. It also attempts to attribute their children's gender identity to various potential “causes,” none of which have been proven by any study to lead to gender dysphoria.

For example, one parent, identified only as Martha S. of Texas, stated that their child developed “Pediatric Auto-immune Neuropsychological Disorder Associated with Strep. (PANDAS)” As a result of that, they imply that the teen only experienced gender dysphoria after the PANDAS diagnosis. Notably, there is no study showing that strep throat or PANDAS can cause gender dysphoria, and none is cited in the brief.

Another parent, identified as Joy Flores in the document, attributed their child’s gender identity to COVID lockdowns and pornography. “D began reading Tumblr and watching YouTube videos that promoted transgender identities,” the brief claims, though it does not clarify what is meant by "promoted transgender identities." Flores refused hormone therapy for her transgender child from ages 13 to 18, after which the family enrolled D in a “holistic clinic” that blamed the gender dysphoria on Lyme disease. The family does not specify whether the now-adult still identifies as transgender, though it hints that they might: “While D’s dysphoria has diminished, the effects of the gender doctor’s persistent promotion of testosterone, which drove a wedge between D and their parents, remain.”

Another family attributed their child’s gender dysphoria to manga, Japanese comics, stating, “A. got into manga and other books that influenced her to see herself as a gay ‘boy,’ and that led her to believe she could actually be a boy. During this time, A. went from being a bright and winsome child, a ‘spontaneous light in the room,’ to a child with frequent dark and sullen moods.” The family later notes that their transgender child no longer speaks to them.

Many of the parents in the brief resorted to extreme measures to prevent their transgender youth from accessing supportive communities. One family cut off their child's friends and internet: “they shut off communications with people who were negative influences. The Coxes found that turning off the internet for a time was the most effective response.” Another family practiced strategic misgendering and deadnaming, explaining: “After doing more research and believing it important to ground their child in reality, Kristine and her husband stopped using the preferred male name and pronouns at home. Kristine told S. that she could change her name when she was an adult, but until then, she did not get to choose her name.”

Importantly, the briefs from PEC do not include any testimony from the transgender youth themselves. Often, a parent's narrative about their child’s gender identity can differ significantly from what the trans teenager might say about their own experience. Many of the parents' stories hint at “rapid onset gender dysphoria” or “social contagion” as explanations for their child’s identity. However, research shows that most transgender youth are aware of their gender identity for an average of four years before coming out to their parents.

There is no known “cause” of gender dysphoria, and the only proven treatments involve social and medical transition. A Cornell review of 51 studies found that trans care significantly improves mental health, with one study showing a 73% reduction in suicidality among trans youth who began care, and another reporting a 40% drop in suicide attempts. A 2024 Journal of Adolescent Health article found puberty blockers reduce depression and anxiety. A randomized trial in Australia showed a 55% decrease in suicidality for trans men starting testosterone. In Germany, a review by 27 medical organizations concluded that withholding treatment can cause harm. This evidence prompted the American Psychological Association, the largest in the world, to condemn bans on gender-affirming care.

Since Tennessee and other states banned gender-affirming care, one in four transgender youth have attempted suicide in the past year, with nearly half requiring medical attention. A study in Nature Human Behavior linked these alarming rates directly to anti-trans laws in criminalizing states, with criminalizing states seeing up to a 72% increase. Now, transgender youth are fighting back, taking their battle to the Supreme Court, which will hear oral arguments on December 4th. The stakes couldn't be higher.