Libs of TikTok suspended, then let back on Facebook after campaign of transphobic misinformation against Boston Children's Hospital

For a moment, it looked like Facebook was doing something good for a change. For a moment that is. 

From Media Matters:

Facebook reportedly suspended anti-LGBTQ account “Libs of TikTok” for less than 24 hours following its latest anti-trans harassment campaign against Boston Children’s Hospital, which has resulted in violent threats against health care providers. The Facebook page and its larger Instagram account remained active with hundreds of posts during the suspension — and after it was lifted, Libs of TikTok immediately returned to targeting children’s hospitals providing gender-affirming care for trans youth.

 

Bear with me as I tell you the entire story. Let's start from the beginning:

From Yahoo News:

The account known as Libs of TikTok announced to its 1.3 million Twitter followers on Wednesday evening that Meta had permanently suspended its Facebook page with “no reason given.” In a screenshot shared in the tweet, Facebook had advised Libs of TikTok that it had been put on ice because it “didn’t follow our Community Standards.” The page’s disabling comes nearly a week after Libs of TikTok posted a false claim to its social media pages about gender-affirming surgical procedures, leading to a sustained campaign of right-wing harassment levied at a top New England pediatric hospital. 

 . . . The page was apparently disabled but still was visible on Facebook Wednesday night. A request for comment sent to Facebook’s press office was not immediately returned. A later tweet from the Libs of TikTok account confirmed “our page is back up on Facebook but we are still locked out and were last told that it’s permanent.” 

 . . . On Aug. 11, Libs of TikTok’s Twitter, run by Brooklyn real estate agent Chaya Raichik, posted a video clip from Boston Children’s Hospital about gender-affirming hysterectomies—or the removal of the uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes—and claimed that the institution was offering these procedures to “young girls.”

 The account followed its initial allegation up with more than a dozen inflammatory tweets and retweets that name-checked the hospital and accused it of mutilating children. In a Tuesday newsletter, Libs of TikTok fumed that the hospital “supports castrating kids and I have evidence,” adding that it “had a full menu of castration and mutilation options for minors to choose from.”

 

But the claim that Boston Children's Hospital was performing hysterectomies on young girls was a lie. It was refuted by sites such as Politifact and Lead Stories. Unfortunately, the damage was done:

According to Media Matters:

 Following Raichik’s social media posts on Boston Children’s Hospital, members of far-right online forums threatened to “start executing these ‘doctors’” and saying that “demons like this don’t deserve to breathe.” More death threats were also made against the hospital and its employees on Twitter, some of which are detailed below. The Department of Justice announced Wednesday it is investigating the violent threats directed at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Media Matters also pointed out that Raichik and her followers have been targeting other hospitals and medical providers. Ari Dennan, LGBT Program Director of the group, sent out the following tweet which showcases just how Raichik lies about children receiving 'trans surgery'

As when she promoted misinformation about Boston Children's Hospital, Raichik counts on her audience not actually watching these videos. This woman is a *clinical psychologist* with a PhD, not a surgeon. She's there to talk to trans people and their families, not operate.

— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) August 18, 2022

Even after all of this, Facebook allowed Raichik and Libs of TikTok to return. And since returning, Raichik has continued to target hospitals and medical professionals:

Using CrowdTangle, Media Matters found that the Libs of TikTok page has an additional 480 posts that remain active on Facebook. These posts, which are nearly all photos and videos, have earned more than 375,000 interactions and include posts about Boston Children’s Hospital and other hospitals providing gender-affirming care.

Let's be clear. This is has nothing to do with censorship. No one has a right to push lies for any reason, especially under the guise of free speech. The situation is even worse because Raichik is deliberately undermining the right of trans men, women, and children to receive accurate healthcare. Lastly, Media Matters makes a frighteningly logical point in terms of why Raichik is declaring a war of disinformation against medical professionals:

The threats against Boston Children’s Hospital after it was targeted by Libs of TikTok — and Raichik’s reaction to these threats — demonstrate the sort of harm she apparently seeks to inflict. There are also troubling historical parallels: In 2009, Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller was shot to death outside his church by an anti-abortion extremist following his targeting by right-wing media.

'Dark money group pumping in millions to push transphobia in the mid-terms' & other Thur midday news briefs

Conservative nonprofit plans to spend millions bashing ‘woke’ left in midterms​ - A dark money group is putting up millions to scare people with lies about trans women in sports. Someone is feeling a little less secure about the midterms if they have to stoop to this. 

Meet the new dark money Republican hoax and troll group, 'Citizens for Sanity' - More about the group from the above article.

Florida state attorney sues after Governor suspends him over pro-trans public statements - No doubt, DeSantis was once relishing fights like this. Now I think he is seeing just how too far he is pushing. 

Sex between men, not skin contact, is fueling monkeypox, new research suggests - Get ahead of this before the anti-LGBTQ industry does. 

Boston Children's Hospital warns employees over far-right online harassment campaign - Speaking of the anti-LGBTQ industry and its lies.

Satire - Drag Queens aren't grooming kids. Cartoons are.

Yeah I know. This is has been repeatedly pointed out.  But with all of the mess going on with those on the right accusing LGBTQ people and especially drag queens of  "grooming kids," a reminder about how absolutely caustic and stupid the entire hysteria is can always be fun.

And if the video above doesn't push your buttons, how about the ones below (from a hilarious Youtube page which has a large number of snippets dating back decades.)

And of course there is Disney:

'Pennsylvania governor signs executive order banning 'ex-gay therapy'' & other Wed midday news briefs

Pennsylvania governor signs executive order banning conversion therapy - Boom! Let the haters stay mad. 

Out NFL Player Carl Nassib Signs Contract With Tampa Bay Buccaneers​ - Good for them. They made an excellent choice. 

Fox's Greg Gutfeld says there are so few Black openly gay lawmakers for the same reason “there are not a lot of short guys in the NBA” - The real sad thing is that this guy is employed.

Rugby gold medalist Ellia Green makes history as first Olympian to come out as a trans man - Glad to hear it!

Conservative claiming trans healthcare is damaging to kids also said 12-year-old rape victims should have to carry babies to term

Matt Walsh

Conservative talking head Matt Walsh is practically a one-man industry when it comes to exploiting people's ignorance and fear about LGBTQ people and especially trans healthcare. From writing a 'children's book' attacking the trans community, to attempting to trick trans people into taking part in a ridiculous 'documentary, to actually creating a documentary full of bigoted lies, to even engaging in the "gays are sexually grooming children" lie, Walsh seems to have his dirty paws into every angle devoted to making LGBTQ lives hell.

When it comes to attacking affirming healthcare, particularly for trans kids, Walsh claims that he is on a mission to save children. He practically lives for constantly pushing the lie that affirming care for trans kids involves surgery, castration, and "mutilation."

Again, gender-affirming healthcare for trans kids is a complex issue and is not as cut and dry as Walsh paints it.  The deliberate vulgarity in which he describes things exposes his desire to incite instead of providing decent facts about the subject.  

And Walsh's concern about possible physical damage to kids is ironic seeing how he has also said the following when it comes to 12-year-old rape victims:

If a 12 year old is raped by her father and the father takes her to get an abortion, the evidence of the crime will be destroyed and he will go on molesting his victim for years. If however the child is born, his crime will be discovered and she will be rescued from the abuse. https://t.co/emV8tJifWE

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 15, 2019

And when challenged, he doubled down on the argument:

Abortion enthusiasts are mad at me for this tweet. I stand by it 100 percent. Rapists use abortion to cover their tracks and Planned Parenthood helps them. That’s a fact. Read more: https://t.co/ZwjBG9lDQg https://t.co/w6J6OQuhxx

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 15, 2019

The inanity of Walsh's tweets is breathtaking. He reminds me of those annoying types I attended college with, i.e. the type who liked to engage in pointless arguments. They see debates as verbal masturbation in that they like to get themselves off by confusing their self-designated opponents with arguments, counter arguments, and verbal gymnastics all designed to create confusion so that they can claim that they "won" the debate. To them, it was all a game designed to give themselves an inflated sense of self-importance. 

And that's what all of this is to Walsh; a game in which he gets a charge out of leading one group of people like sheep while trolling another group. In that regard he would be pathetic except for the fact that what he's doing is leading to real-life repercussions. That makes him dangerous, particularly to those who didn't ask to be caught up in his game.

'16 state attorney generals join lawsuit against DeSantis's 'Don't Say Gay' law' & other Tue midday news briefs

16 states’ attorneys general join suit opposing Florida’s “hate-fueled” Don’t Say Gay law​ - THIS is getting good.

Florida Has An Outrageous New Law Targeting Teachers. Here's Why I'll Be Breaking It. - More opposition to DeSantis's insanity. Wonderful. 

Brittney Griner's Defense Team Appeals Her Conviction in Russia - I hope she's released. And soon!

Video of boy receiving a sewing machine for his ninth birthday goes viral on TikTok - Awwwww! This is so cute! 

Gay-hating GOP nominee Tudor Dixon’s past life as a horror movie actress is back to haunt her - It's the hypocrisy which gets me. Ew.

Silly conservative 'activist' doesn't know the difference between drag queens, drag kings, and strippers

Right-wing provocateur and wannabe evil mastermind (I call him 'Little Blofeld') Christopher Rufo earlier this year pushed the idea that to further exploit anti-LGBTQ 'grooming' hysteria, folks should refer to drag queens as 'trans strippers.'

One wannabe far-right activist has taken that to heart:

But one thing is putting a money wrench into girlfriend's plans of becoming the reincarnation of Anita Bryant - the simple fact that she was dumb enough to post pictures which contradict her pearl-clutching claim about "drag queen strippers." And when those pictures from her tweet are individually seen, one can't help asking just where are the strippers?

Granted, those defending the activist will probably make excuses about condoms, birth control, and pregnancy tests being available. I say big deal. It's no different than children seeing commercials advertising these things. And I feel safe in saying that I doubt that children were given condoms or birth control at the event.

And of course there is the familiar and tired refrain of "let kids be kids." Well they are being kids in these pictures. They are enjoying a wonderful pride event with their families while being entertained by funny characters in very colorful costumes. 

That's what they see. No sex, no grooming, nor no salacious innuendoes involved. That is except for on the side of those pushing the "OMG, THEY ARE GROOMING KIDS" hysteria.

Unfortunately, nothing I have said will probably get through to the wannabe activist and people supporting her because they are determined to wrap themselves around a ridiculous cause. Still, it's always spotlight the truth so at least others can see just how ridiculous these pearl-clutching, hysteria-chugging fools truly are.

'Librarian sues conservative activists for defamation over banned books controversy' & other Mon midday news briefs

In rare move, school librarian fights back in court against conservative activists - That's right, honey! Take all of their money! There should be consequences with falsely labeling or inferring that people are pedophiles. 

LGBTQ groups denounce Florida plan to limit transgender care - Awful rule brought out of lies takes effect on Sunday. And no doubt folks in other states will push theirs. Bring it on. 

10 researchers say Florida is deliberately distorting their work to undermine healthcare for trans kids and adults - A reminder how FL governor Ron DeSantis and his administration is pushing the above policy via lies and cherry-picked science. 

Wedding rescued by stranger after baker refuses to make cake for lesbian couple - This the problem - the baker didn't let the couple KNOW until the last moment. She had a month. It underscores the basic cowardice of policies like this. You want the right to serve the customers you chose, but then you don't want to announce your policy in the first place. LGBTQ couples are supposed to come in and allow themselves to be humiliated. Yeah, I know. You fear people not wanting to be customers if they find out your policy. That's too bad. That's the price you pay for having such a policy and you simply can't have it both ways. 

Texas PrEP Case Name Changed Because of Negative Press - Awww poor baby! Another coward hiding behind religious beliefs which he doesn't have the guts to publicly stand by.

Florida Rep. John Snyder accuses Nickelodeon of 'targeting' kids by showing rainbows. Gets quickly and thoroughly humiliated on Twitter

 On Saturday, Florida State Rep. John Snyder sent out a tweet accusing kids' channel Nickelodeon of  "pushing gender identity and sexual orientation on channel because one of its shows included a rainbow:

In almost no time at all, the responses figuratively dragged him from one end of Twitter to another as folks loudly and very vigorously called out his bigotry. And it's something we need to do more of when people like Snyder pull the "they are grooming kids" card when it comes to LGBTQ people and things which support our basic visibility - embarrass them by pointing out the unrestrained hysteria of their homophobia and transphobia

But enough of that. Bring on the humiliation because the twitter responses were a massacre:

Texas woman wants town to reject LGBTQ books just like she rejected her gay son

A heartbreaking story from The Texas Tribune: 

 Weston Brown was scrolling through Twitter last month when he came across a video that made his chest tighten. It showed a woman at a school board meeting in North Texas, calling on district leaders to ask for forgiveness. “Repentance is the word that’s on my heart,” she said near the start of the video. For months, the woman in the clip had been demanding that the Granbury Independent School District ban from its libraries dozens of books that contained descriptions of sex or LGBTQ themes — books that she believed could be damaging to the hearts and minds of students. Unsatisfied after a district committee that she served on voted to remove only a handful of titles, the woman filed a police report in May accusing school employees of providing pornography to children, triggering a criminal investigation by Hood County. 

 . . . Weston, 28, said his heart was racing as he watched and rewatched the video — and not only because he opposes censorship. He’d instantly recognized the speaker. It was his mother, Monica Brown. The same woman, he said, who’d removed pages from science books when he was a child to keep him and his siblings from seeing illustrations of male and female anatomy. The woman who’d always warned that reading the wrong books or watching the wrong movies could open the door to sinful temptation. And the one, he said, who’d effectively cut him off from his family four years ago after he came out as gay. “You are not invited to our house for Thanksgiving or any other meal,” his mother had texted to him in November 2018, eight months after he revealed his sexual orientation to his parents.

More of this sad story here. 

Some people need to stop trying to save the world and instead work on their own families.  It's obvious that books with LGBTQ themes aren't the hazard here.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, other far-right personalities falsely implying that gays are spreading monkeypox to children

Marjorie Taylor Greene's dogwhistle about the monkeypox virus is reminiscent of the stigma created about the LGBTQ community about AIDS. 

Those of us around during the beginning of the AIDS crisis are rightfully having ugly flashbacks when it comes to the monkeypox virus. The combination of basic homophobia, lies told about gays and children, and the inability to properly educate folks about a virus is repeating itself. 

That includes the part about those who are gleefully doing the noxious combining.

From the Anti-Defamation League:

On July 22, 2022, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky was interviewed on Washington Post Live to discuss the current state of COVID and other public health issues. During the broadcast, she noted that two children had contracted monkeypox – both of whom could be “traced back to individuals who come from the men-who-have-sex-with-men community.” 

 On July 23, 2022, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency. Later that day at 6:22 pm, Marjorie Taylor Greene shared Walensky's segment about monkeypox in children on several of her social media pages with the caption, “If Monkeypox is a sexually transmitted disease, why are kids getting it?” 

 By the evening of July 25, 2022 – only about 48 hours after the initial posts – Greene saw significant engagement counts on her social media accounts, including Instagram, Twitter, both of her Telegram accounts and Truth Social. Greene’s post was certainly not the first time the narrative around monkeypox had been twisted to suggest nefarious intent or raising disingenuous questions about the disease’s origin and spread. 

Such claims are circulating on mainstream platforms and outlets like Twitter (one user tweeted on July 21, 2022: “If kids catch monkeypox, it is indeed a very serious issue, because it implies probably someone sexually abused that child”) as well as platforms that have historically provided cover for extremists, including Telegram and 4chan, where a post from July 22, 2022, drew an explicit connection between monkeypox and “children being molested by homosexuals.” Greene’s post, however, gave the conspiratorial and bigoted theories additional oxygen – and reach.

Greene has also falsely claimed that the monkeypox virus is spread by 'gay sex orgies.'

Unfortunately, as the ADL points out, Greene is not the only far-right personality accusing gays of infecting kids with the monkeypox virus. Sensing a new way to grab headlines, attention, and clout, other far-right personalities have either repeated or added their spin to Greene's initial inference in order to accuse gays of spreading it.

ADL has broke down the lies and refuted each one, including:

Misleading Narrative #1: Monkeypox is transmitted solely via sexual interactions 

 Misleading Narrative #2: Monkeypox is being spread to children by men in the LGBTQ+ community through inappropriate contact.

Nevertheless, what Greene and others are doing is reminiscent of how gays were stigmatized during the AIDS crisis due to homophobia and deliberate erasure.

This time, however, we have the proper information and enough power to push that madness back so far up  . . . well I you get my point. Let's not twiddle our thumbs and allow these folks to attack us without any forceful pushback.

Related posts:

Top 5 Monkeypox Myths, Debunked

Monkeypox Cases Are High in Gay, Bisexual Community. How Can We Prevent Stigma?

''Don't Say Gay' law fuels anti-bigotry online' & other Thur midday news briefs

'Don't Say Gay' Law Fuels Anti-LGBTQ+ Bigotry Online: Report​ - Surprising no one. 

Va. students warn against ‘don’t say gay’ policies - Bullsh!t spreads. 

Becca Balint likely to become first LGBTQ person & first woman to represent Vermont in Congress - THAT would be sweet. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda responds to 'illegal, unauthorized' 'Hamilton' play by Texas church - Sue! 

Montreal Pride parade was suddenly canceled. That didn’t stop hundreds from marching in the streets - Party on anyway!

Far-right youtuber claims that comical pledge is evidence ofLGBTQ people 'grooming' children

I would like to say that our opposition is getting mighty desperate if they are passing this along as proof of LGBTQ people using drag shows to supposedly sexually groom kids. But we know how these people are when they get a moral panic in their heads. Still, I love this pledge.  It's easy to see that is strictly tongue-in-cheek. Still, what's wrong with pledging allegiance to the drag?

Drag king makes audience “pledge allegiance” to drag shows at a “family-... https://t.co/hAsVZej0Wq via @YouTube

— Holy Bullies (@holybullies) August 10, 2022

Say What! Log Cabin Republicans compare Mar-A-Lago raid to Stonewall' & other Wed midday news briefs

Log Cabin Republicans Liken Mar-a-Lago Raid to Stonewall​ - These fools are so lost, they can't be found. Not even by themselves. 

Trans skateboarder Leo Baker stays on board in new Netflix documentary - We need more visibility like this to elevate the lives of trans athletes. There are a lot of stereotypes about trans athletes which need to be addressed and beaten down. 

There’s a Reason LGBTQ Fans Are So Worried About HBO Max​ - Oh?

Ugandan LGBTQ organization calls government shutdown of its operations a 'clear witch-hunt' - Uganda is being ugly. Again.

Conservatives channel gay stereotype in reaction to FBI raiding Trump's Mar-A-Lago

On Monday, former president Donald Trump's residence, Mar-A-Largo was raided by the FBI. We don't know the complete particulars so there there has been a lot of speculation. However, knowing Trump, I would safely say for now that there was just cause.

But not knowing why the raid took place hasn't kept Republican and conservatives from going on Fox News and on Twitter making sure to screech and fundraise. It's the screeching which I find most entertaining.

Stereotypes tell us that LGBT people - particularly gay men - are known for being over dramatic in all situations, especially the mundane ones. If that were true, the above video is telling us that we - gay men - are no longer the champions of such behavior. Conservatives and Republicans did everything but collapse in tears and faint (while making sure to clutch a crumpled handkerchief to their foreheads) in registering their "abject disgust and humiliation" about the raid.  The only thing missing is African-American Trump operatives Diamond and Silk and Alveda King filming themselves proclaiming "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!" like another stereotype  - that black mothers crying over their fallen sons in "ghetto hood" movies.

And as an added treat, here is Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro (who certain people have accused of  'loving the grape' too much with HER meltdown - I mean opinion - of the raid.

Judge Jeanine had a few glasses at Happy Hour and is hopping mad! pic.twitter.com/Dy9u8rvYRr

— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) August 9, 2022

'Texas church in trouble for performing unauthorized, homophobic version of 'Hamilton'' & other Tue midday news briefs

Texas Church Performs Unauthorized Version of HAMILTON with New Lyrics and Anti-LGBTQ Sermon​ - How evil do you have to be in order to sit down and do all of this?

Conservatives sue school for refusing to out transgender students - Oh this is just tacky. 

Trans equality wins in federal court as state Medicaid ordered to pay for gender affirming care - Good. 

30 Forgotten Queer Films That Deserve a Second Look - I've seen some of them. They are very good. 

Researchers warn bachelorette parties in Provincetown are destroying LGBTQ+ safe spaces - Good article but it uses too many technical terms. Let's break it down. A bunch of heterosexual women go into the gay bars for bachelorette parties and act like fools. They are loud, obnoxious and usually drunk. Their behavior makes things uncomfortable and annoying.

Conservatives are trying to wreck public libraries, but people are fighting back

 

According to a recent article in The Huffington Post, conservatives and others on the right have put the bullseye out on public libraries. They are not only attempting censor books, but are also trying to eliminate these public libraries altogether:

A public library in Vinton, Iowa — a small town with about 5,000 residents — temporarily shut down in July after most of the staff quit because of threats against its LGBTQ members. People in the town complained that there were not enough books about former President Donald Trump, that LGBTQ books were on display, and that members of the LGBTQ community worked there, according to the Iowa Starting Line. The library reopened with an all-volunteer staff. 

 In Llano County, Texas, the county commission made the public library system shut down for a few days in December in order to review the books available to children and remove any deemed questionable. They specifically targeted the 850 books that GOP state Rep. Matt Kruse had personally deemed inappropriate for kids earlier that year. He said his list of books included those that “might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex.”  

Suzette Baker, a librarian in the county, reportedly refused to go along. She told local reporters in March that she had been fired from her job for not removing books, including a memoir by Jazz Jennings, a transgender teen. “It is her biography of her life growing up as a transgender teenager, and obviously this group thought that was too much for their children to read,” Baker said. “No one is forcing their kids to read anything.”

 . . .Free speech advocates have noticed that the targeting of public libraries isn’t just confined to one or two states. “It cannot be a coincidence that multiple people around the country are getting the same message,” Jonathan Friedman, the director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, told HuffPost. “They’re taking some of that ‘stolen election’ energy and directing it towards public schools and public libraries.” But there isn’t really a singular group leading the charge — instead different groups, including Moms for Liberty or Catholic Vote, are pushing the same narratives. 

 . .  .As Media Matters reported, Moms For Liberty is partnering with conservative groups to flood public libraries with children’s books they approve of, like an anti-trans children book or a book that paints Rush Limbaugh as hero — with no regard for how parents of LGBTQ or Black children may feel.

The article pointed how folks are fighting back. In Llano County, residents filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the book bans violate the First and 14th amendments.

And people are also fighting back in another state.

In Jamestown,  Michigan, thanks to a campaign echoing lies about LGBTQ  'grooming' and 'predators,' voters defeated a measure which would fund the Patmos Library, which is the town's public library.

But a GoFundMe campaign has garnered a lot of positive feedback with over $67,000 raised. The goal is to reach $245,000. The organizer of the campaign, Jesse Dillman, said the goal of the fundraiser is to keep the library open long enough to consolidate more community support for its funding.

Anyone wanting to donate can go Fund Patmos Library for 2023 GoFundMe page.

'DeSantis, Florida begins rigged process of banning gender-affirming care for trans youth' & other Mon midday news briefs

Florida begins rule-changing process to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth​ - And adults. If DeSantis thinks he can rigged Florida's health department against trans people while relying on junk and cherry-picked science, he has obviously deluded himself. This is not over. It's not even five minutes into the first quarter. 

How Florida Twisted Science to Deny Healthcare to Trans Kids - A reminder how DeSantis is attempting to accomplish this via rigging and lies. 

Meet the gay former GOP spokesman who is spilling the tea on the Republican Party - Yeah I know. But his voice needs to be heard because of what it brings. 

Angelica Ross will become 1st transgender performer to lead Broadway's 'Chicago' - This is huge! 

A Florida school district added a parental 'advisory notice' to over 100 books - This is SO stupid.

Video - Randy Rainbow tells the Republican party where they can stick their 'thoughts and prayers'

 

It seems that every time there is a school shooting, Republicans come at us with "thoughts and prayers" instead of real action which would go a long way in preventing future shootings. Randy Rainbow, in his now well-known imitable fashion, speaks for a lot of us when he tells them where they can stick their "thoughts and prayers."

10 researchers say Florida is deliberately distorting their work to undermine healthcare for trans kids and adults

Florida under DeSantis is weaponizing distorted information on trans healthcare.

According to Vice News, the state of Florida deliberately distorted credible research from several different sources in order to create a rationale behind undermining healthcare for trans kids and adults:

VICE News spoke to 10 researchers who said they weren’t aware of the memo and that Florida’s Department of Health misstated their research; in fact, VICE News found that all 12 citations Florida presents against the use of gender-affirming care are either distorted or from a source with clear anti-trans bias. In crafting the document, Florida’s health department reverse-engineered rationale for a policy completely counter to research-based medical best practices.

 

People such as Dr. Ken Pang:

When Dr. Ken Pang published one of the first large-scale analyses of gender-affirming care on transgender children, in 2018, the paper was celebrated as a vital contribution and even made its way to the home page of the r/Science subreddit. Though the evidence was limited, the review suggested that hormone blockers and hormone replacement therapy could help alleviate gender dysphoria and make transgender youth feel more at home in their own bodies. 

Four years later, Pang was shocked to learn that his research was being used by Florida’s Department of Health to justify denying gender-affirming care to all minors in the state. The department cited Pang’s work in a memo issued in April, after the passage of Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. The memo even recommends against social transition, which can include changes as simple as using new pronouns or wearing different clothing. 

 The article said that instead of relying on research put out by credible organizations which talks about accurate ways of giving healthcare to trans people, Florida, under Governor Ron DeSantis, created its own body of research:

 . . . in June, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration also issued a new policy that no one, not even adults, would be able to access gender-affirming care through Medicaid. Rather than referring to the overwhelming body of research that shows positive outcomes of gender-affirming care, Florida instead commissioned hundreds of pages of new material—which did not go through a standard peer-review process—to justify the change.

 

And as the article points out, this body of research was tainted with cherry-picking and a serious misusage of data: 

 Another distorted citation—one that not only appears in the Florida memo but is also heralded by anti-trans propagandists—comes from a 2015 study called “Gender Dysphoria in Childhood.” According to the Florida memo, this paper “states that 80% of those seeking clinical care will lose their desire to identify with the non-birth sex.” But in an interview with VICE News, one of the paper’s co-authors, Dr. Thomas Steensma at the Amsterdam University Medical Center, said that number was taken wildly out of context. 

. .  . Citing Steensma’s work in an effort to ban trans-affirming care should also raise alarm bells because he’s the principal investigator at his university’s Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria and one of the world’s leading experts on medical care of transgender children. He helped create what’s known as the “Dutch protocol,” internationally accepted medical guidelines on how to administer puberty blockers to prepubescent children with gender dysphoria. Steensma is also a co-author of World Professional Association of Transgender Health’s (WPATH) forthcoming Standards of Care for the treatment of transgender children, which will be published this year.

 

Believe it or not, it gets worse.