The Biden administration has seemingly shifted its stance on transgender child procedures, announcing it does not back such surgeries for minors.
This notable reversal follows revelations that a trans-identifying Biden official allegedly pushed for removing age requirements for these surgeries.
The New York Times disclosed documents indicating Rachel Levine’s staff, the transgender assistant secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, urged the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to nix minimum age requirements.
Emails showed that Levine was concerned that age restrictions might negatively impact access to care for trans youth and adults in the U.S.
“She wonders if the specific ages can be taken out,” reads an email from a WPATH member.
Another email from Levine’s team expressed fear that specifying ages, especially for surgeries, would worsen the situation in America.
The 2021 draft guidelines proposed ages like 17 for genital surgeries, 16 for breast augmentations, 15 for mastectomies, and 14 for hormonal treatments. Despite the ages that were proposed, WPATH’s finalized 2022 guidelines excluded any age limits.
Post-publication, the White House stated that, “The Administration does not support surgery for minors.”
The statement directly contradicts President Biden’s 2023 remarks condemning state bans on transgender medical interventions for minors.
“More than 600 hateful laws have been introduced this year targeting the LGBTQI+ community, particularly youth,” Biden said at the time.
Emails from WPATH’s advisory group were included in legal filings for a federal lawsuit taking aim at Alabama’s ban on transgender surgeries for minors.
The lawsuit, filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center, represents five transgender children and their families.
An email from a WPATH guideline developer detailed a discussion with Sarah Boateng, Levine’s chief of staff at the time, who feared that specifying ages under 18 could lead to “devastating legislation for trans care.”
“She wonders if the specific ages can be taken out,” the excerpt said in reference to Levine.
“Apparently the situation in the U.S.A. is terrible and she and the Biden administration worried that having ages in the document will make matters worse. She asked us to remove them.”
James Cantor, a psychologist critical of adolescent transgender medical care, submitted the email as evidence supporting Alabama’s lawsuit.
The emails indicated that WPATH’s guidelines might have been politically influenced rather than scientifically driven.
The Times noted that plaintiffs in the lawsuit aim to keep Cantor from taking the stand.
Transgender treatments for minors are a polarizing issue in America’s culture war. Over a dozen states have enacted bans on these procedures and hormonal prescriptions for transgender identifying minors.
The Supreme Court is about to review a Tennessee law prohibiting gender surgeries for minors and the administration of puberty blockers and hormone treatments.
On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court upheld the state’s bar on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, dismissing parental pleas that the law infringes on their right to seek medical care for their children.
The 8-1 ruling from the all-Republican court maintained the law, effective since September 1, 2023.
Idaho, North Dakota, Florida, Oklahoma, and Alabama have enforced laws making it a felony to perform gender change procedures on minors.
Rhetorically one must ask,”Who is this fool?” The answer is obvious: she/it/whatever that is was clearly plumbed as a male, pretends to be a female while suggesting having some knowledge about a specific topic. It’s all a joke folks.
Brought to you by your friends at the White House and the biden family specifically. And that alone qualifies it as a really bad joke.
Flip…flop
for votes!
Panic City.
Clearly a political flip in view of approaching election!