BROADview in Brief

Let's get therapized!

Photo by Des Récits on Unsplash

For the past few days, I’ve been at a retreat organized by Therapy First, a group which advocates for therapy as the first-line treatment for gender dysphoria (as, increasingly, many countries that are not the US do). It was three days of heatwaved (I made that word up) communing, for therapists who want to better understand how to treat gender dysphoric youth. We learned more about the Cass review, about the evidence base, about the multiple pathways leading to and from this condition—and struggled with how to handle ourselves when there’s serious disagreement about any or all of those things. Disagreement is, in fact, the secret sauce.

Oh, you’re right—I’m not a therapist! I was one of four civilians there, which was a downright honor. I do, however, see quite a bit of overlap between the jobs of journalists and therapists, especially when it comes to this issue. I, too, have spent hours listening to people sob and rail about how they or their children have been mistreated, about the politicization of an issue that should have nothing to do with politics, about the forcefield of censorship around what needs to be aired in the open. Some therapists have been reported to their boards, not for practicing conversion therapy but for asking questions instead of affirming their patients’ subjective reality. Asking questions, the practice crucial to both professions, is now dangerous.

Anyway, a funny thing happened during the retreat: I weirdly had the time of my life. There is a freedom among those who’ve spoken up, I think, that allows them to access this nearly forgotten, shimmery thing called joy. Yes, we’re in a rabbit hole, surrounded by darkness and secrecy and toxicity and scandal, and when you speak up you will be digitally tarred and feathered. But maybe your skin grows a little thicker. Maybe you realize how, if it weren’t so tragic, this whole situation would be hilarious.

Here’s a recent sentence from an essay in Nature. Nature! “Whatever genitals Alex was born with is not common knowledge. If you are agender and were never assigned a gender, does that make you transgender?” The same author, a trans bioethicist named Florence Ashley, also penned a book called Gender/Fucking. Its own jacket copy reads: “Taking the idea of intellectual masturbation a bit too literally…” This person is considered one of the heavy-hitter experts!

Point being: this material is pure gold for someone whose not-so-secret desire is to be a stand-up comedian. And yet what’s demanded of us, if we are to accept the subjective reality of gender identity, is that we surrender our senses of humor.

Let us vow to try to get to the point where we can see how hilarious it is that we have to drive hundreds of miles to sit in a circle with other people, each of us afraid to say out loud that there are such things as male and female humans, and that they are different. (The New York Times begs to differ.) They stigmatized the truth and made comedy verboten. The Stasi had nothing on these marginalized oppressors!

Isn’t there a gender-critical billionairess out there who wants to found TERF TV? I have a lot of show ideas for you!

Meanwhile, while I was back at the ranch, the culture war raged on, and Alejandra Q gathered the goods. Here are her summaries and headlines:

Summaries

National

·       On Monday, Kentucky U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves blocked the enforcement of April’s changes to Title IX in the states of Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. According to Judge Reeves, “As [the plaintiffs] correctly argue, the new rule contravenes the plain text of Title IX by redefining ‘sex’ to include gender identity, violates government employees’ First Amendment rights, and is the result of arbitrary and capricious rulemaking.” Last week, a federal judge in Louisiana placed a preliminary injunction on the enforcement of the new Title IX rules in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho. Additionally, Utah lawmakers voted Wednesday to go against the new expansion of Title IX in the first test of the new Utah Constitutional Sovereignty Act. 

·       Jessica Norton, a computer information specialist and coach at Monarch High School in Florida, is facing possible termination for allowing her trans-identified son to play in the school’s girls’ volleyball team. This is in violation of Florida’s 2021 Fairness in Women’s Sports Act barring trans-identified males from female sports. An anonymous tipster notified a Broward County school board member of the trans-identified student’s participation in the girl’s team. A subsequent investigation concluded that Norton had not changed her child’s gender back to “male” from “female” as required by district policy. During a Tuesday school board meeting, Norton attacked those who outed the student claiming that the investigation into the matter had “destroyed” her child’s life. Six additional administrators faced a three-day suspensions over the case but were cleared by Howard Hepburn, the new Superintendent of Broward schools. This follows complaints by employee groups calling the disciplinary measures unjust and political.

·       Planned Parenthood and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey were in a courtroom Monday to argue over an April 11 ruling ordering Planned Parenthood to hand over the gender transition documents of minor patients. A circuit court judge heard arguments on whether the attorney general’s attempts to access medical records of transgender youth constitute a violation of privacy protections under HIPAA. Planned Parenthood has vowed to fight the ruling, with Margot Riphagen, vice president of external affairs for Advocates of Planned Parenthood in St. Louis and Southwest Missouri, stating the following: “When we make decisions for our own bodies, it should stay between us and our doctors, and out of the hands of snooping politicians. The AG’s actions should sound the alarm for all health care providers and any patient who receives health care across our state. We will stop at nothing to ensure that you get the care you deserve, without government interference.”

·       Former swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, Paula Scanlan, posted on X demanding an apology for being “forced to undress” in the same dressing room as Lia Thomas “18 times a week.” This was part of Scanlan’s reaction to last week’s verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that will prevent Thomas from participating in the Olympic Games.

·       Tennessee Star journalist Michael Patrick Leahy is facing jail time over the publishing of Audrey Hale's journal writings. Audrey Hale was the trans shooter who in March 2023 killed three adults and three children in Covenant School, a Christian school in Tennessee. The families of the victims had asked the courts not to release Hale’s writings, which include a suicide note and 20 journals. Nashville Chancellor I’Ashea Myles claims the Tennessee Star published “certain purported documents and information” that should have remained under seal because the case remains ongoing.

·       The Colorado Supreme Court heard arguments on a case involving Jack Phillips, the Christian baker from Denver who in 2012 refused to bake a cake for a gay couple’s wedding. In 2017 Autumn Scardina, an attorney who identifies as trans, sued Phillips over his refusal to make pink cake with blue frosting. A Colorado Court of Appeals sided with Scardina and ruled that the cake was not a form of speech since it did not include any writing. Attorneys for Phillips, argued Tuesday that he should not be forced to make a cake that violates his deeply held religious beliefs.

·       28-year-old Collin Troy Bailey, a trans-identified male from Utah, was found in field of weeds on Wednesday following a 12-hour search. Bailey admitted to the killing his parents, stating that he would do it again. Utah law enforcement officials entered the Bailey family home Tuesday night to discover a man and a woman had been shot to death, sparking the manhunt.

·       USA Today wrote a piece on Dr Ethan Haim, who this week was indicted on four counts, “for unauthorized access to personal information of pediatric patients at Texas Children’s Hospital”—which exposed the transgender child surgeries performed at Texas Children’s Hospital. As reported last week, Dr Haim faces up to 10 years in federal prison. In spite of this, he has vowed to keep fighting and pled not guilty on Monday. In new development, Vanessa Sivadge, a nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital, alleges that FBI agents showed up at her residence to intimidate her and that the agents “promised they would make life difficult” for her. Sivadge had accused Texas Children’s Hospital of illegally billing taxpayers for minor patients’ gender-related interventions,. These claims are currently being investigated by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Christopher Rufo, whom Dr Haim first approached with the exposing information, wrote for City Journal about the potential fraud from Texas Children’s Hospital. A  fund set up for the legal defense of Dr Haim has now reached over $765K in donations.

·       The former country and track and field coach at Lake Oswego High School, John Parks, claims he was fired for antagonizing a trans-identified male student athlete. Parks alleges that he was dismissed following a school district investigation that came after a formal complaint was made against him to Marshall Haskins, Portland Public Schools’ Athletic Director. Parks wrote letters to Executive Director of the Oregon Student Activities Association Peter Weber and state Senator Rob Wagner, claiming that current state law “compromises the integrity of girls' sports.” Oregon allows for trans-identified male student athletes to compete in sports based on their “gender identity.” A petition has been started on behalf of Parks. 

·       Three individuals who identify as transgender will now be able to sue the state of Oklahoma for discrimination. The 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals overturned Tuesday a federal district court judge’s dismissal of a case dealing with whether the state can amend birth certificates according to “gender identity”.

·       A bill that would have required heath care providers of “gender affirming” interventions to cover the cost of care for detransitioners was vetoed by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, who called the bill “unnecessary.” Arizona’s Detransitioner Bill of Rights was proposed by Janae Shamp of the Arizona Senate.

·       During a June 13th event in San Francisco, Amanda Kovattana, a lesbian writer and activist, asked the following to gender theorist Judith Butler:  “If gender is to liberate us, why can't I as a lesbian, have a d***-free space? A space that is for women only, without penises?” Butler replied by suggesting that Kovattana stay home. The full exchange between Butler and Kovattana has been shared on the platform X.  

International

·       Hobart City Council apologized to Louise Elliot, an Australian councilor, for discriminating against her by blocking her from booking a venue.  Elliot tried unsuccessfully to book the Town Hall ballroom in September 2023 for a “women’s rights and free speech” forum but, according to documents, was intentionally blocked from making the booking. Additionally, the emails exposing this information were withheld from a Right to Information request. Elliot filed a complaint with the state’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner and the city council is expected to pay her compensation.

·       Former British prime minister Sir Tony Blair stated that “a woman has a vagina and a man has a penis” during an interview with Holyrood magazine. Blair elaborated that the definition of the world “woman” was not a difficult one and questioned why other politicians had gotten themselves into a “muddle” over the topic. 

·       In an interview for The Telegraph, Simon Baron-Cohen, a renowned clinical psychologist and autism researcher with Cambridge University, spoke about his thoughts on the Cass review and pediatric gender affirmation. Speaking about minors with autism choosing to transition gender he claimed, “I am pleased that the Cass report is saying that if a child or young person comes to a gender clinic, they should be screened for autism because autism might not have been picked up yet. It is about providing the right support. If you overlook autism, you wouldn’t be doing a service to that period.”

·       Northern Ireland primary schools cut a paragraph from guidance provided by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) that was part of recent Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) resources. The removed paragraph claimed that children as young as three years can become aware that they are transgender. Speaking to BBC News NI, CCEA said that the material "was removed as it referenced research which is over 10 years old." Similar advice related to gender topics coming from the CCEA remains unchanged, however. This includes advice to “use appropriate terminology and language” along with links to various trans activist groups on the CCEA website. Fiona McAnena from Sex Matters called the paragraph’s removal the “first step in getting transgender identity ideology out of schools”.

Headlines

National

Jun 14: Council votes to make Bloomington 'safe haven' for gender-affirming care (The Herald Times)

Jun 14: Coverage of gender-affirming care from Medicaid lawsuit (ABC Fox Montana)

Jun 14: In rare move, NYC schools Chancellor Banks removes two parent leaders following controversies “Parent leaders Tajh Sutton, the president of the CEC in Brooklyn’s District 14, and Maud Maron, a member of the CEC in Manhattan’s District 2, were removed from their posts for allegedly violating open meetings laws and city regulations governing the conduct of parent leaders, an Education Department spokesperson confirmed.” (Chalkbeat)

Jun 14: Trans activists howl like wolves to drown out speaker at NYC meeting about banning trans athletes (The Daily Mail)

Jun 15: Tampa transgender woman qualifies to run for state House seat —LGBTQ activist Brundage aims to become the first transgender elected official in FL history (Florida Phoenix)

Jun 16: A second Trump term would double down on erasing transgender rights. Here’s how advocates are preparing. (The Advocate)

Jun 16: Advocates relieved but wary after court strikes Florida anti-trans law: ‘Gives me a lot of hope’—DeSantis’s ban on minors receiving gender-affirming care and restrictions for adults were ruled unconstitutional (The Guardian)

Jun 16: Girls left in dust as male-born transgender athletes take state track titles in five states (The Washington Times)

Jun 17: First transgender woman in Mass. receives vaginoplasty outside Boston, as statewide care expands (GBH)

Jun 17: Maine sparks backlash with plans to build LGBTQ + only housing complex (The Daily Mail)

Jun 17: Marlon Wayans Stands Up For Transgender Son With Pride Month Posts—"Zero f**ks what people think. If I lost you… GOOD! Your hateful a** never loved me in the first place." (Vibe)

Jun 17: Oral arguments to be heard Tuesday in case against anti-transgender bill in Missoula (The Fairfield Sun Times)

Jun 17: Trump promises to axe federal funding for schools with vaccine mandates and 'transgender insanity' (WION)

Jun 17: US bishops’ canonical committee to analyse case of transgender hermit (Cathnews)

Jun 17: EXCLUSIVE: Nevada schools OUTED for secret student sex changes and classes on the 'Genderbread Person' (The Daily Mail)

Jun 17: Battle brews between AG Bonta, school districts over policy involving transgender youth—In California, a battle is brewing between Attorney General Rob Bonta and some school districts, over policies that require schools to notify parents if a student identifies as transgender. (CBS News)

Jun 17: ‘Judge shopping’ hearings in Alabama transgender surgery ban lawsuit set for next week (1819 News)

Jun 18: Arguments heard in case against Montana "anti-transgender law" in Missoula—Oral arguments for and against Montana Senate Bill 458 were heard at the Missoula County Courthouse on Tuesday (8KPAX)

Jun 18: Biden Wanders Off on Transgender Issue (AFA)

Jun 18: Bill on Pritzker's desk could help transgender Illinoisans with IDs, birth certificates (Center Square)

Jun 18: DeSantis gives nod to Alabama in court battle over youth transgender surgeries— 'It's wrong to mutilate minors' (1819 News)

Jun 18: New Polling shows Americans divided on gender-affirming care—Despite the moral contention surrounding gender change, a significant majority of Americans oppose legislative bans on gender-affirming care for minors. (Al Reporter)

Jun 18: Opponents pressure Douglas County school board over Title IX protections for transgender students (Colorado Community Media)

Jun 18: Transgender Idahoans Ask Court to Block Medicaid Pay Exclusion (Bloomberg Law)

Jun 18: Transgender inmate killed in prison fight in Louisiana (The Advocate)

Jun 18: Transgender plaintiffs’ challenge to Oklahoma ban on changing birth certificates revived (Reuters)

Jun 18: Transgender Student Policy Abolished In Barnegat Schools—LGBTQ advocates told the school board that by repealing the policy, they could be putting transgender students in danger. (Patch)

Jun 18: Whistleblower Surgeon Could Face a Decade in Prison—After revealing that America’s largest children’s hospital was secretly performing gender transitions, Eithan Haim tells The Free Press: “I risk losing everything.” (The Free Press)

Jun 19: Republican Herrell signs onto what critics call anti-transgender message “Republican candidate Yvette Herrell, who is running against Democrat Rep. Gabe Vasquez for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District seat, committed herself to a message that some say is coded anti-transgender rhetoric twisted to look like a ‘pro-woman’ agenda.” (New Mexico Political Reporter)

Jun 19: Trump announces Day 1 funding ban for trans supportive schools Trump turned his aim towards trans people near the end of a rally in Racine, Wisconsin, which was mostly focused on immigration and crime (The Blade)

Jun 19: More Vanderbilt patients join class-action lawsuit related to release of transgender patients’ records “Almost a year after the first wave of class-action lawsuits were filed against Vanderbilt University Medical Center, more patients are joining in the legal battle. In July 2023, two patients at VUMC sued the hospital over what they call the hospital’s failure to protect their personal health information.” (WKRN)

Jun 20: How Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act protects LGBTQI+ individuals—Learn how a new federal rule has expanded the ACA’s nondiscrimination provision, and how it might protect LGBTQI+ communities seeking healthcare and health coverage (healthinsurance.org)

Jun 20: Florida begins appeal of federal judge's ruling on gender-affirming care (Health News Florida)

Jun 20: N.J. delayed my gender-affirming care, woman says. Now she’s fighting back. (NJ.com)

Jun 19: Washington Department of Health helps teens get gender reassignment treatments—Conservative Ladies of Washington revealed that the state's Teen Health Hub will "walk [minors] through the process of getting Apple Care insurance and then helps them find a provider" without their parents' consent. (Voz Media)

Jun 19: GOV. STITT RESPONDS TO TRANSGENDER BIRTH CERTIFICATE RULING—A federal appeals court ruled Oklahoma may have violated the U.S. Constitution in banning transgender people from changing the gender on their birth certificate. See Gov. Kevin Sitt's response to the ruling. (News 9)

Jun 19: Attorneys in transgender medical case turn over document but maintain objections “Attorneys in an ongoing lawsuit against the state over Alabama’s gender affirming care for minors ban turned over a document Tuesday to a federal judge in an investigation of allegations of judge shopping.” (Alabama Reflector)

Jun 20: Seattle Police Officers Misgender, Handcuff Deaf Transgender Woman During Involuntary Commitment—The Woman Filed a Complaint that Can Go Nowhere Due to Police Union Contract (The Stranger)

International

Australia/New Zealand

Jun 14: Inquiring mind—An Australian health minister puts the case for a nationwide review of gender clinics (Gender Clinic News) 

Jun 14: Lucy Zelic accuses Australian sporting bodies of bowing to gender ideology -after US transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was denied women's spot ahead of Paris Olympics (The Daily Mail)

Jun 16: 'I f..... killed him with a hammer': Transgender woman to serve time in men's prison for assault “A Hamiltonian who bashed a former partner in the head with a claw hammer has been jailed for 19 months. However, it will be a more difficult incarceration than most for 44-year-old Ra Rima-Samuels.” (Waikato Times)

Jun 17: Govt turns watchful eye to transgender involvement in community sport “The Government's changed its tune on transgender people participating in community sports. A policy in the New Zealand First-National Coalition agreement threatened to withhold public funding if sports bodies didn't separate trans athletes from grassroots competitions.” (Newstalk ZB)

Jun 17: New Zealand Government revises status on transgender athletes in community sport (New Zealand Herald)

Jun 18: Barry Soper: It's hard to have a blanket ban on transgender issues “As part of National's coalition agreement with New Zealand First, there was a threat to withhold public funding if sports bodies didn't keep trans athletes out of grassroots competitions.” (Newstalk)

Jun 18: Gender grind—Dr Cass's report complicates life for Australia's family court “An Australian family law judge, Peter Tree, has raised the prospect that lengthy disputes over access to gender medicine for minors could ‘grind the court to death.’’ Justice Tree, of the Federal Circuit and Family Court, made the remark yesterday in a protracted case where the parents are divided over a girl’s wish for cross-sex hormone treatment and where there are conflicting views about the relevance of England’s Cass report issued in April.” (Gender Clinic News)

Jun 18: Transgender woman takes own life after being mutilated in backyard surgery—A devastated mother is demanding justice for her transgender daughter who took her own life after being horrifically mutilated in a backyardsurgery by a rogue operator with no medical training. (Herald Sun Australia)

Canada

Jun 18: MLA who introduced two-spirit, transgender bill speaks (Winnipeg Free Press)

Jun 20: Transgender woman refused leg wax by Windsor, Ont., salon awarded $35K by human rights tribunal—Salon owner is challenging the ruling, which lawyer calls 'deeply flawed' “In their phone call, the woman testified, Carruthers told her there was no one on staff who would be comfortable providing services to ‘someone like you.’ Carruthers denied using that phrase or misgendering A.B., but said he didn't have a staff member who could provide "male waxing services." (CBC News)

UK

Jun 13: Labour’s ‘trans conversion therapy’ ban is a danger to gay kids—Parents and therapists who refuse to ‘affirm’ a child’s gender could soon be criminalised. (Spiked)

Jun 14: Transgender voters say they face photo ID barrier “Trans and non-binary people have said they are concerned there is not enough awareness of how LGBTQ communities can access free voter IDs before the general election.” (BBC)

Jun 17: 90 Actresses Reject Roles In Play Attacking J.K. Rowling’s Transgender Stance (The Daily Wire)

Jun 18: Police investigate activist who said trans GP enjoys examining women—Maya Forstater also highlighted the fact that the doctor is listed as female on practices website (The London Times)

Other International

Jun 16: China transgender woman KOL shocks 2.2 million fans with deformed mouth after botched plastic surgery (The Star)

Jun 17: Transgender woman in Famagusta facing death threats, violence, Accept-LGBTI+ reports “Accept-LGBTI+ expressed serious concerns regarding alleged hate incidents against the LGBTI+ community in Cyprus.” (Philenews)

Jun 17: Transgender Thai woman begged friend to marry her sick husband to get him spousal medical coverage (The Straits Times)

Jun 17: “CLOCKED” FILM CENTERS ON FAMILY TIES AND A TRANSGENDER TEEN’S SELF-ACCEPTANCE “Writer-director Noah Salzman and actor Germain Arroyo join Keys Weekly digital editor Gwen Filosa to talk about their film ‘Clocked’ (2023), the story of Adolfo, an 18-year-old Puerto Rican boxer who fears being accepted as transgender by his conservative Catholic family.” (Keys Weekly)

Jun 19: HEALTH MINISTER’S LETTER TO FEDERAL HEALTH MINISTER REGARDING GENDER- (Tasmania Greens MPs)

Jun 19: Sam stelt genderkliniek aansprakelijk voor verkeerde diagnose: 'In transitie gaan was niet de oplossing voor mijn problemen' (Sam holds gender clinic liable for wrong diagnosis: 'Going into transition was not the solution to my problems') “Dutch gender clinic to be sued for misdiagnosis; by two detransitioners” (EenVandaags)

Jun 20: Transgender social media influencer assaulted in southern Turkey “Mika Raun, a popular transgender social media personality, was assaulted while on holiday in Antalya, southern Turkey. The attack occurred in the presence of her boyfriend’s mother and his underage sister, leading to widespread condemnation from LGBT rights groups.” (Stockholm Center for Freedom)

Jun 20: Bills promoting LGBTQ and transgender rights a threat to local culture: Buddhist Congress(Daily Mirror)

Jun 20: Two women who claimed French first lady Brigitte Macron is transgender and was born 'Jean-Michel' in ludicrous YouTube video that went viral go on trial in defamation case weeks before general election (The Daily Mail)

Opinions

Jun 13: Bad Medicine—The WPATH Tapes show the need to regulate or ban gender medications. (The American Mind)

Jun 15: ‘Transgender’ is falling out of fashion with activists “Anyone who’s been paying attention to queer politics will have noticed that activist language never stands still but constantly marches Leftward. Words like “homosexuality” and “gay” have either been written out of the lexicon or redefined in ways that would be unrecognisable to gay activists from the last century. The word ‘queer’ itself has been reclaimed from its origins as a slur to a badge of defiance.” (UnHerd)

Jun 15: Overlooked No More: Lorenza Böttner, Transgender Artist Who Found Beauty in Disability—Böttner, whose specialty was self-portraiture, celebrated her armless body in paintings she created with her mouth and feet while dancing in public. “This article is part of Overlooked, a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times.” (The New York Times)

Jun 15: The Misguided Campaign for “Gender-Affirming” Care (Relevant Radio)

Jun 16: Justice prevailed when judge struck down Florida’s discriminatory transgender healthcare ban: Leslie Kouba (Cleveland.com)

 Jun 16: OPINION | Why affirming treatment for gender questioning youth matters in SA (News24)

Jun 17: Expert: Individualized Gender-Affirming Care and Support is Essential for LGBTQ+ Patients (Pharmacy Times)

Jun 17: Government should not force transgender and non-binary students to deny who they are—Transgeneder and non-binary students are better served by policies that respect their identities, says Tennessee Equality Project Executive Director Chris Sanders. (The Tennessean)

Jun 17: Inside the world of gender-affirming vocal care “In a country where division is the norm rather than the exception, a steady 51 percent of Americans continue to believe that changing one’s gender is morally wrong, according to Gallup’s latest poll. This figure stands in contrast to the 44 percent who find it morally acceptable, mirroring trends seen in 2021 and 2023. However, despite this moral split, over six in ten U.S. adults stand against laws that ban gender-affirming care for minors—a testament to the complexity of public opinion on this hot-button issue.” (Market Place Morning Report)

Jun 17: People are choosing virtual worlds over real life (Washington Post) 

June 17: Why is support for LGBT rights on the wane in Canada?—Trans-activist bullies have hijacked and undermined the fight for gay rights. (Spiked)

Jun 17: Why is support for LGBT rights on the wane in Canada?—Trans-activist bullies have hijacked and undermined the fight for gay rights. (Spiked)

Jun 18: Captured: The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (James Esses)

Jun 18: Many sports are tightening their transgender policies – can inclusion co-existwith fairness, physical safety and integrity? (The Conversation)

Jun 18: Taking a holistic approach to gender-affirming care—GraceMed Mississauga is committed to supporting its patients’ journeys in a safe and inclusive space (Xtra Magazine)

Jun 18: Why Queer Theory Appeals to Young People (and What We Can Do About It)—Queer theory takes marginalized young people, who already feel that their lives are built on a foundation of sand, and tells them that even the sand is an illusion. (Reality’s Last Stand)

Jun 20: Can a marriage survive a gender transition? Yes, and even thrive. How these couples make it work (AP News)

Jun 20: How my grandfathers’ war wounds formed my belief that transgender youths deserve care (Nebraska Examiner)

Jun 19: Three principles should guide consultations with athletes about how to include transgender athletes OPINION: The IOC expect athletes to be consulted before sports organisations make decisions about how to include transgender athletes. Alex Shaw and Andy Harvey have some suggestions for how such consultations can be fair and present new research about the views of elite athletes on inclusion. (Play the Game)

Jun 20: America’s Medical Establishment Is in Denial on the Dangers of Gender Transition (National Review)

Studies/research

Jun 20: CDC: Bisexual, transgender people see highest levels of loneliness, mental distress "This analysis reinforces existing evidence that loneliness and lack of social and emotional support are associated with depression and stress," the report read. "The findings in this report also identified that prevalences of loneliness, lack of social and emotional support, stress, FMD and depression were significantly higher among bisexual and transgender persons than among heterosexual and cisgender persons." (UPI)

Jun 18: Cancer risks are far higher for LGBTQ folks. Here's how health justice groups are fighting back—The American Cancer Society experts call out cancer-causing inequality in landmark study “Discrimination, and the chronic stress it causes, have been identified as key drivers of heightened cancer risks among LGBTQ+ communities in a pioneering new report from the American Cancer Society.” (Salon)

Study: Cancer in people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or gender-nonconforming (May, Cancer)

Study Effects of puberty suppression on bone, body composition, handgrip strength and glucolipid profile in early-pubertal transgender adolescents (International Journal of Transgender Health, May 2024)

Study: Breast Cancer Risk Management in Transgender Men After Chest Contouring Surgery “This study highlights the lack of clear guidelines for breast cancer management in transgender men after chest contouring surgery. While data is limited, the authors suggest adapting existing recommendations for cisgender women and implementing risk management strategies like pre-surgery evaluation and education.” (AJMC)

Study: Thyroid Cancer in Transgender Female Veterans: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Clinical Features (physicians Weekly)