BROADview in Brief

BE IT NOT RESOLVED!

For years, I reported on this issue as many of my fellow writers continue to do: summarizing the conclusions of individual studies, rather than scrutinizing them. Early in my self-directed program of gender studies, I could see how easy it was to find a paper that backed any point I wanted to make about men and women and masculinity and femininity. It never occurred to me, though, to evaluate the quality of the papers. I assumed that, since they’d passed pier peer review, they were worthy of publication and their assertions held water.

Now I know better. Now I know that if we really want to understand the science behind, say, a series of invasive psychological and medical interventions, we need systematic evidence reviews. These tell us how reliable a whole set of studies are, and if whatever conclusions they come to can be mapped onto populations beyond those in the study.

This week, another such review was published, this time in Germany. The UK’s National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) had published two systematic reviews in 2020, the authors noted, which “showed no clear clinical benefit in terms of critical outcome variables as well as other important variables, in particular no clear improvement in GD Symptoms.” Meanwhile, the papers were of “very low” quality, meaning we couldn’t draw larger conclusions from them. This new review looks anew at that evidence, as well as new papers that qualify.

The conclusion now: “The current study situation does not currently indicate that GD in particular and mental health in general improve significantly in the course of further development after administration of PB or CSH.”

Naturally, you’ve seen this splashed all over the media, the ways the US Trans Survey data (very low quality) was, right?

Oops. Guess not.

Meanwhile, the American Psychological Association (APA) released a new religious doctrine policy statement on “Affirming Evidence-Based Inclusive Care for Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Nonbinary Individuals, Addressing Misinformation, and the Role of Psychological Practice and Science.”

Maybe the best way to understand how a statement about misinformation could spread misinformation is to look at the citations, which include a lot of people who wear blinders as part of their professional dress code, thereby edging out anything that would interrupt their assertions like, say, systematic evidence reviews. Be it not resolved!

Speaking of professionals, the Endocrine Society announced, via a CNN article this week, that it will be updating its 2017 guidelines for treating gender dysphoria and/or gender incongruence, which they stated is routine and not a response to politics. (Manhattan Institute’s Leor Sapir had asked them the day before this article came out for comments on their guidelines, and writes his take here.) We should note that ES guidelines admit that the quality of evidence is very low, but suggest strong recommendations anyway because they are “avoiding harm.” Once again, they are making a huge leap about suicide prevention.

Now onto Alejandra Q’s summaries and headlines…

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order last week that bans transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports in venues across the country. Blackman received backlash from Attorney General Letitia James as well as from the NYCLU director who claimed that the executive order is illegal because it discriminates against people based on gender identity. Meanwhile, Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold Drucker urged residents to sign an online petition against the ban. 

Oklahoma school superintendent Ryan Walters was interviewed by The New York Times. In reference to Nex Benedict, the 16-year-old non-binary-identified Oklahoma student who died February 7th, Walters said the following: “I think it’s terrible that we’ve had some radical leftists who decided to run with a political agenda and try to weave a narrative that hasn’t been true.” 

Mid-Vermont Christian School’s female basketball team has been banned from state sports after forfeiting a game against a team with a trans-identified student athlete. Chris Goodwin, the team’s coach, told Fox News, “I’ve coached them all at one point in their careers playing high school basketball. I’ve also filled in for the boy’s coach when he can’t make a practice, and I run those practices, and boys just play at a different speed, a different force … than the girls play.” The Alliance Defending Freedom is representing the school in a lawsuit against the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA).  

Virginia State Senator Danica Roem, who identifies as transgender, walked out of the state Senate after being called 'sir' during floor deliberations by Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. While Earle-Sears eventually said she was sorry, she did not apologize directly to Roem. 

The West Virginia Legislature’s recommended House Bill 529, which would completely ban pediatric gender affirmation from the state. A similar bill had passed the West Virginia House last year which granted a self-harm and suicide exception. In response to House Bill 529, more than 400 medical professionals signed a letter published by Fairness West Virginia, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

On Tuesday, Chloe’s Law, a Wyoming bill that bans pediatric gender transition passed the state Senate and the bill is now on the way to the state’s House of Representatives. According to the bill, health care professionals may lose their licenses if they prescribe puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to minors or perform sex-change surgeries on minors. The bill has exceptions for kids with intersex conditions or precocious puberty.

Following oral arguments which took place last week, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed this Tuesday that it has overturned a federal judge’s decision blocking Indiana’s Senate Bill 480. This means that the state’s ban on pediatric gender affirmation is now allowed to take effect.

Kentucky bill threatens to take custody of trans kids using ‘wrong’ school bathroom—“A proposed revision to existing law in Kentucky could allow state officials to take custody of trans children who repeatedly use school bathrooms aligned with their gender identity. The revision, first noted by LGBTQ+ legislative researcher and activist Allison Chapman, did not directly mention that trans children could be removed for repeated violations of the law passed last year forcing students to use bathrooms not aligned with their gender. Instead, it used mundane language to reference only the new law with no reference to trans children.”

Female Athlete Forfeits Championship to Protest Male Competitor in Women's Pool Tournament—“Kim O'Brien forfeited a championship spot in protest against competing with a transgender athlete, sparking debate and support for women's sports integrity.”

South Carolina: Bill banning hormones for transgender youth advances to Senate floor fight—A bill banning puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy for transgender youth advanced Thursday after senators re-inserted a parental notification requirement. A 10-6 vote by the Senate Medical Affairs Committee, along party lines, sent the amended bill to the Senate floor. Senators made few changes to the legislation pushed swiftly through the House in mid-January. Medical professionals would still face the possibility of losing their medical license for prescribing puberty-blocking medications and so-called “cross-sex” hormones to minors younger than 18.”

Oklahoma superintendent’s ties to anti-trans influencer spark outrage in wake of Nex Benedict’s death—“Ryan Walters faces intense scrutiny for his association with controversial figures and policies following the tragic death of the LGBTQ+ student, including connections to an influencer who told his daughters to attack trans students in bathrooms.

In the aftermath of the tragic death of Nex Benedict, a transgender student of Indigenous heritage who was bullied at Owasso High School in Oklahoma, the state’s superintendent of public instruction, Ryan Walters, is under intense scrutiny for his campaign affiliations and the state’s increasing hostility towards LGBTQ+ people. Adding to the controversy is Walters’ connection to Ron “The Real Ron Ron” Causby, an influencer known for his extreme views, including a video where he incited violence against transgender students, urging his daughters to “kick the shit” out of them if encountered in the bathroom.”

LGBTQ+ advocacy group sues Texas AG, says it won't identify transgender families—“A national LGBTQ+ advocacy group is suing the Texas Attorney General's office rather than hand over information about its support of transgender children receiving gender-confirming medical care. According to the lawsuit filed Wednesday in Texas court, PFLAG National says Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton's office is demanding “documents and communications” related to a sworn statement the group's CEO Brian Bond provided to a court last year while opposing the state's transgender youth medical care ban.”

Drop the suicide trope—“Ken Zucker on that landmark Finnish study; Italy sends inspectors into a gender clinic; Europe's paediatricians stand up for a child's 'open future'; and a new systematic review from Germany.”

Elmira Heights CSD: no comment on transgender student denied access to girl's bathroom—Tensions ran high at the Elmira Heights Central School District school board meeting on Wednesday night.  The school district did not comment on the matter, but according to social media posts, a transgender elementary student was reportedly denied access to a girl's bathroom by a teacher.  The teacher is no longer with the district.  Some people on social media agreed that the teacher was in the right by not allowing the student access to bathroom, while others came to the defense of the student, saying they're just a child and it's not their fault.

West Viriginia: House passes total ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors—“The bill, which closes an exception in a ban passed last year, now heads to the Senate.”

A Vt. Christian school's lawsuit seen as possible bellwether in conservative movement against transgender rights—”Mid Vermont Christian School, banned from interscholastic sports in Vermont after refusing to play basketball against a transgender girl, claims its religious freedom has been curtailed by the state.”

Girls High School Team Has Blunt Message For Everyone About Transgender Player—“A girls high school basketball team is standing by its player following a controversy from a game earlier this season. KIPP Academy in Massachusetts reportedly has a transgender player on its girls basketball team. One of their opponents reportedly suffered multiple injuries in a recent game, leading to a forfeit due to safety concerns.”

NHS issue urgent warning for discredited transgender clinic—“Gender GP is said to not provide physiological or psychological support to its patients.”

Can we talk about transgender athletes?—“Is there a way to talk about this without being labeled right wing and transphobic? There should be, just as there should be a way to stand by the rights of transgender athletes without being accused of sacrificing safety and fair play on the altar of left-wing political correctness.”

Prisons now housing record number of transgender inmates—“Vast majority were born male, figures reveal, as controversy over cat-killing murderer Scarlet Blake continues.”

What else happened and how do you feel about it? Tell us in the comments!