Until the present administration is gone, we will continue to have these problems. Our lives are being affected by people that want to harm us. People with no medical of psychological expertise are trying to control what we can do.
As soon as I read this I went to the NYT and tried to put in a comment but they were already closed. As someone with trans family members, it makes my blood boil to see this kind of misinformation out there. I would say a large number of comments are not agreeing with this opinion piece, but in any case it's not anybody's business how medical decisions get made in this country! Whatever happened to the "conservative" obsession with protecting individual rights? It angers me no end, and I am determined to do what I can to push back against these narrow minded hateful bigots. We all need to be politically active and ensure we have a huge turnout in future elections at all levels. Political power gives you the ability to set the agenda, and without it we are blowing in the wind. As flawed as this country is, giving in is not acceptable. My family's future (and that of others in this community) depends on it.
Health policy in the US is run by someone who thinks all scientific consensus is a conspiracy that he has to crack. The cracks aren't coming from emerging science, Jesse. They're coming from the brute force of a cruel government.
A tiny faction of plastic surgeons — elevated far beyond their actual standing in the medical community — and commentators like Jesse Singal continue to recycle the same misleading narratives about transgender healthcare while ignoring the overwhelming body of international evidence that contradicts them.
This is not a balanced scientific dispute. It is a deliberate campaign of distortion.
Major medical research from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, the U.K., and beyond consistently affirms that gender-affirming care — including hormone therapy and surgical interventions — is evidence-based, clinically supervised, and medically necessary for many patients.
These findings are backed by decades of longitudinal studies showing improvements in mental health outcomes, reductions in depression and suicidality, and high patient satisfaction rates.
Cherry-picking outlier cases while disregarding mountains of peer-reviewed data is not science.
It is advocacy masquerading as skepticism.
Gender-affirming hormone therapy is not experimental. Surgical procedures have complication rates comparable to other mainstream reconstructive surgeries.
European and international standards of care are rigorous, continuously evaluated, and developed by multidisciplinary experts — not political pundits.
What is truly reckless is the attempt to weaponize misinformation in order to strip a vulnerable population of medically recognized treatment.
Transgender healthcare is not a cultural fad.
It is recognized by leading endocrine, psychiatric, pediatric, and surgical associations worldwide as legitimate, often lifesaving care.
The effort to portray it as dangerous or fraudulent ignores the consensus of global medicine and instead elevates fringe dissent for ideological gain.
If critics want a scientific debate, they must engage the full body of evidence — not selectively amplify doubt while dismissing decades of clinical reality.
They deserve doctors, not political crusaders. And they deserve a public discourse grounded in facts — not fear.
The constant berating of the transgender community is heartbreaking, the religious zealots and racist individuals should look in the mirror and see themselves for what they are.
Well, I perhaps overreached by saying "MAGA." I should have said "conservative." They're trying to live down their reputation as being liberal and they're doing it by kicking us performatively. This is according to people inside the NYT. For instance:
"According to former Times journalist Billie Jean Sweeney, a push for writers to challenge “every aspect of being trans”, ranging from gender-inclusive language to access to medical care, came from the top in 2022 after leadership was handed over to A. G. Sulzberger, Joe Kahn, and Carolyn Ryan; as part of an effort to win good will with the Trump campaign without incurring backlash from the general populace. "
True! The word "conservative" has lost all meaning. It merely identifies a group of people who are not really conservative. You're right that "Social Conservative" is a better term. However, it used to be a core belief of social conservatives that government should stay the hell out of our personal lives, which obviously isn't their belief now. Perhaps the best term now is "far-right fascists." ;-)
"it used to be a core belief of social conservatives that government should stay the hell out of our personal lives"
I can't agree, they never felt that way. That's why the "whites" among them were fans of Jim Crow and all were fans of prohibition, opponents of birth control, etc.
Lies about science like those of Jesse Signal, enabled by the NYTimes, will cost lives, like all science misinformation does. Journalism like yours has the power we in science don't have - to make disinformation patterns clear to the public. Thanks for your work, from a trans public health scientist.
Although, I really think the politics behind the ASPS statement should’ve been its own article since that’s something important people need to know and those who are uninformed about the topic but may be researching the ASPS statement may not think an article with a headline that claims to be a fact check of another article would have what they’re looking for and therefore won’t click on it…
Along with the New York Times, I have been disappointed with the Atlantic and articles published by Helen Lewis. Both are publications I follow for other issues, but both seem to have lost their way on issues regarding transgender folks, and let's say it out loud -- lost their way on the truth. Lewis and Singal, by the way, have no medical background whatsoever, and no expertise to comment on trans medication care in the first place.
May this person encounter only people with his level of integrity for the rest of his life. Double for the NYT.
👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼
I wouldn’t mind if his laptop always crashes every time he tries to boot up, but I don’t wanna be greedy…
Unfortunately that is already true. It’s just the have decided to use his bullshit and prop him up.
Until the present administration is gone, we will continue to have these problems. Our lives are being affected by people that want to harm us. People with no medical of psychological expertise are trying to control what we can do.
As soon as I read this I went to the NYT and tried to put in a comment but they were already closed. As someone with trans family members, it makes my blood boil to see this kind of misinformation out there. I would say a large number of comments are not agreeing with this opinion piece, but in any case it's not anybody's business how medical decisions get made in this country! Whatever happened to the "conservative" obsession with protecting individual rights? It angers me no end, and I am determined to do what I can to push back against these narrow minded hateful bigots. We all need to be politically active and ensure we have a huge turnout in future elections at all levels. Political power gives you the ability to set the agenda, and without it we are blowing in the wind. As flawed as this country is, giving in is not acceptable. My family's future (and that of others in this community) depends on it.
Thank you Erin for another incisive analysis of an anti-trans screed masquerading as scientific evidence. Brava for you and your work!!💜
Health policy in the US is run by someone who thinks all scientific consensus is a conspiracy that he has to crack. The cracks aren't coming from emerging science, Jesse. They're coming from the brute force of a cruel government.
Cruel and insane.
'Tis a pity the worms did not eat enough!
😝
A tiny faction of plastic surgeons — elevated far beyond their actual standing in the medical community — and commentators like Jesse Singal continue to recycle the same misleading narratives about transgender healthcare while ignoring the overwhelming body of international evidence that contradicts them.
This is not a balanced scientific dispute. It is a deliberate campaign of distortion.
Major medical research from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, the U.K., and beyond consistently affirms that gender-affirming care — including hormone therapy and surgical interventions — is evidence-based, clinically supervised, and medically necessary for many patients.
These findings are backed by decades of longitudinal studies showing improvements in mental health outcomes, reductions in depression and suicidality, and high patient satisfaction rates.
Cherry-picking outlier cases while disregarding mountains of peer-reviewed data is not science.
It is advocacy masquerading as skepticism.
Gender-affirming hormone therapy is not experimental. Surgical procedures have complication rates comparable to other mainstream reconstructive surgeries.
European and international standards of care are rigorous, continuously evaluated, and developed by multidisciplinary experts — not political pundits.
What is truly reckless is the attempt to weaponize misinformation in order to strip a vulnerable population of medically recognized treatment.
Transgender healthcare is not a cultural fad.
It is recognized by leading endocrine, psychiatric, pediatric, and surgical associations worldwide as legitimate, often lifesaving care.
The effort to portray it as dangerous or fraudulent ignores the consensus of global medicine and instead elevates fringe dissent for ideological gain.
If critics want a scientific debate, they must engage the full body of evidence — not selectively amplify doubt while dismissing decades of clinical reality.
Transgender patients deserve evidence-based medicine.
They deserve doctors, not political crusaders. And they deserve a public discourse grounded in facts — not fear.
The constant berating of the transgender community is heartbreaking, the religious zealots and racist individuals should look in the mirror and see themselves for what they are.
Morally corrupt with no redeeming quintiles
Thanks for this thoughtful comment.
Erin, would you consider a letter to the editor regarding Singal’s piece? More people should know about his falsehoods. Thank you for what you do!
Nytimes never fails to disappoint with who they choose to discuss important topics regarding trans lives😒😡🖕🏼😤
Thank you for this. Would you consider writing a response letter to NYT (not that they'll necessarily publish it)?
We could hope!
Is someone important at the Times like Elon -- pissed off about a child who questioned the gender assigned at birth?
Nah, they're just trying to establish their MAGA bona fides by kicking trans children.
"they're just trying to establish their MAGA bona fides"
I honestly doubt that, but I've never heard any explanation for why they've been doing this since before MAGA was a thing!
Well, I perhaps overreached by saying "MAGA." I should have said "conservative." They're trying to live down their reputation as being liberal and they're doing it by kicking us performatively. This is according to people inside the NYT. For instance:
"According to former Times journalist Billie Jean Sweeney, a push for writers to challenge “every aspect of being trans”, ranging from gender-inclusive language to access to medical care, came from the top in 2022 after leadership was handed over to A. G. Sulzberger, Joe Kahn, and Carolyn Ryan; as part of an effort to win good will with the Trump campaign without incurring backlash from the general populace. "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times
They aren't even conservative -- they are Social Conservative, a very different thing. Classically Liberal is conservative.
" without incurring backlash from the general populace" <-- I don't believe they thought that through.
True! The word "conservative" has lost all meaning. It merely identifies a group of people who are not really conservative. You're right that "Social Conservative" is a better term. However, it used to be a core belief of social conservatives that government should stay the hell out of our personal lives, which obviously isn't their belief now. Perhaps the best term now is "far-right fascists." ;-)
"it used to be a core belief of social conservatives that government should stay the hell out of our personal lives"
I can't agree, they never felt that way. That's why the "whites" among them were fans of Jim Crow and all were fans of prohibition, opponents of birth control, etc.
Lies about science like those of Jesse Signal, enabled by the NYTimes, will cost lives, like all science misinformation does. Journalism like yours has the power we in science don't have - to make disinformation patterns clear to the public. Thanks for your work, from a trans public health scientist.
Thank you so much for this! 🙏
Although, I really think the politics behind the ASPS statement should’ve been its own article since that’s something important people need to know and those who are uninformed about the topic but may be researching the ASPS statement may not think an article with a headline that claims to be a fact check of another article would have what they’re looking for and therefore won’t click on it…
"I really think the politics behind the ASPS statement should’ve been its own article"
Indeed!
Along with the New York Times, I have been disappointed with the Atlantic and articles published by Helen Lewis. Both are publications I follow for other issues, but both seem to have lost their way on issues regarding transgender folks, and let's say it out loud -- lost their way on the truth. Lewis and Singal, by the way, have no medical background whatsoever, and no expertise to comment on trans medication care in the first place.
If they NYT expects me ever to subscribe again, they're going to have to fire everyone responsible for this stuff.
Understandable response, but--sadly--they couldn't care less. They are handsomely paid, and not by us--subscribers or, like me, former subscribers.
Yeah, I know. :-(
Once again, we see the modern NYT doing its dead level best to earn a place beside Der Sturmer in the annals of bad journalism and hack propaganda.
This is the reason I canceled my NYT subscription long ago!